MONTANA (9-4) AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (10-2)
WHEN/WHERE: 1 p.m. Saturday at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
TV: ESPN+
RADIO: WNAX-AM 570; Jackrabbit radio affiliates
RECORD LAST YEAR: UM - 13-2 (national runner-up); SDSU - 15-0 (FCS champions)
SERIES: Montana leads 8-1
LAST TIME: SDSU won 23-3 last year in the national championship game in Frisco, Tex.
LAST WEEK: Montana beat Tennessee State 41-27; SDSU was idle
RANKINGS: SDSU is ranked No. 3 in FCS; Montana is ranked 13th
COACHES: UM - Bobby Hauck (14th year, 138-40); SDSU - Jimmy Rogers (2nd year, 25-2)
LINE: Jacks by 21.5
WHAT TO KNOW: A marquee matchup this early in the playoffs is somewhat rare, but a rematch of the previous season's national championship game certainly qualifies.
Eleven months after the Jacks defeated the Grizzlies to repeat as champions, they welcome Montana to Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium for the first time ever. Montana last visited Brookings in 1970, when both teams were in Division II and the Jacks played at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
While the Jacks are once again national champion contenders, spending most of the season ranked No. 1 in the nation and entering the game having won 38 of their last 39 FCS contests, the Griz are a substantial underdog. They went 8-4 in the regular season, losing to No. 1 Montana State and No. 5 UC-Davis, but also dropping two games to teams with losing records (Weber State and North Dakota).
The Griz had a playmaking quarterback last year in Clifton McDowell, but he moved on and Hauck has used a platoon of Logan Fife and Keali'i Ah Yat. Fife has thrown for 1,890 yards and 14 touchdowns with just two interceptions.
Eli Gillman is back at running back and enters play with 1,092 yards and 15 touchdowns, as the Griz offense has been balanced, averaging more than 200 yards per game rushing and passing. They work behind an offensive line that is made up exclusively of upperclassmen.
Defensively the Griz mostly stick to a base 3-3-5. Edge Hayden Harris (8.5 sacks), linebacker Ryan Tirrell (103 tackles) and safeties Ryder Meyer (69 tackles) and Jace Klucewich (four interceptions) have led the way for a unit that surrenders 25 points per game.
"The style of play hasn't changed," Rogers said. "How physical they are hasn't changed. Their effort to the ball hasn't changed. So I don't see a change in any form of identity, it's just different players on the field."
But, once again, special teams will be a major point of focus, as the Griz employ perhaps the most dangerous return man in the country in Junior Bergen. Also one of the team's top wideouts, Bergen returned two punts for touchdowns in last week's first round win over Tennessee State and has the most punt return scores in FCS history.
The Griz are also sound in the kicking game with Ty Morrison handling double-duty.
"They're one of the best special teams units in the country," Rogers said. "How they play and the desire with which they play — we need to make sure we match that intensity and focus because they make explosive plays almost every time they're out there."
The Jacks, meanwhile, enter the game playing as well as they have all season. They've won their last four by a combined total score of 176-32. Their defense has allowed 9.5 points this season against non-FBS foes. They're No. 1 in the Valley in total offense, total defense and scoring defense, and No. 3 in scoring offense.
"We have a pretty good feel for them and I'm sure they have a pretty good feel for us," Hauck said. "It'll be a huge challenge to go over there and win. They've got good players, they're very sound in everything they do. We've got our hands full. We're gonna have to go over there and play a great game if we're gonna get a win."
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