Tag: South Dakota State football

FCS Championship: Bettors are expecting a competitive game between North Dakota State and South Dakota State

Here’s how the public is betting on North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State.

Do you have the itch for football but aren’t interested in many of Week 18’s NFL games? Or are you patiently awaiting Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship between TCU and Georgia, trying to figure out how to get your football fix in the meantime?

Well, Sunday’s FCS Championship Game may be what you’re looking for.

It’ll be a battle of the Dakotas when the 12-2 North Dakota State Bison take on the 13-1 South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The two squads met earlier this season in a game South Dakota State won 23-21. As a result, the Jackrabbits are 5.5-point favorites to win the title.

However, according to John Ewing of BetMGM, only 45 percent of the tickets on the spread at the sportsbook are on the Jackrabbits to cover. Uncoincidentally, 79 percent of moneyline bets are on the Bison to (+170) to pull off the upset.

North Dakota State is the reigning FCS Champion and has won nine FCS titles in total, all of which have come in the last 11 years. South Dakota State finished as the runner-up during the 2020 season and has no other FCS Championship Game experience.

Will the defending champs pull the upset? Or will the FCS crown a new champion?

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Holy Cross beautifully executes RB pop pass on 4th-and-short to score an epic touchdown

Trick play!

The FCS quarterfinals continued to provide on Saturday with an amazing trick play on fourth down for Holy Cross.

During the team’s game with top-ranked South Dakota State, the Crusaders executed a running back pop pass for a touchdown.

Holy Cross running back Tyler Purdy took the handoff on 4th-and-1 and found a wide-open tight end in Sean Morris. Purdy’s 27-yard touchdown strike helped give the Crusaders the lead midway through the second quarter.

Usually, it’s ill-advised to run trick plays with that little yardage between you and the first down. However, Holy Cross drew up the perfect formation, and the gamble paid off big time.

The undefeated Crusaders certainly didn’t get to where they are this season playing it safe all of the time.

Holy Cross should keep this trick play in its back pocket for next season. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN. 

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Iowa’s defense somehow out-scored both South Dakota State and its own offense in a 7-3 win without a scoring single touchdown

Iowa’s defense is somehow its best offense. Wow.

Iowa football is always going to be Iowa football. You know exactly what that looks like. Bad offense.

It doesn’t matter what the year is, who is playing quarterback, who is coaching, or what the weather is. None of it matters. If there’s an Iowa football game you better take the under.

We all witnessed peak Iowa football this Saturday against South Dakota State.

The Hawkeyes somehow won 7-3. To the naked eye, it looks like Iowa actually scored a touchdown. That’d be reasonable to assume. But it’d also be wrong.

Its defense somehow found a way to outscore its offense and South Dakota State in the same game without actually scoring a single touchdown.

Iowa’s offense wasn’t just stuck in the mud — it actually was the mud. The Hawkeyes gave us so many examples on this glorious Saturday. Just take a look.

South Dakota State shanked this punt right here and got it to the 22-yard line.

It’s just 22 yards to go to goal. This is the red zone, basically. You’d think they’d score an easy touchdown here.

NOPE. Take a look at the scoring drive.

Yikes. Don’t worry, folks. The defense came to the rescue. They managed actually to score…with a safety though.

Thank goodness for Jack Campbell, who might be Iowa’s best offensive player right now.

The Hawkeyes did get themselves in scoring position one time later at the end of the 3rd quarter. But a fumble took it all away.

We were this close to having another 5-3 Iowa game for the second time in *checks watch* 42 years, but another safety from the defense saved the day.

https://twitter.com/MrMatthewCFB/status/1566145072353116164?s=20&t=7ilcRdcwXQocZUR2FnnELA

And with that, the Hawkeyes’ defense officially outscored both its own offense and the opponent.

Y’all already know the jokes were flying in from across the internet. Rightfully so. This was comically bad.

Before The Snap: Bold College Football Playoff predictions
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FCS National Championship: South Dakota State vs Sam Houston Prediction, Game Preview

FCS National Championship: South Dakota State vs Sam Houston prediction and game preview.

FCS National Championship: South Dakota State vs Sam Houston prediction and game preview.

South Dakota State vs Sam Houston Broadcast

Date: Sunday, May 16
Game Time: 2:00 pm ET
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX
Network: ABC

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

South Dakota State vs Sam Houston FCS Playoff Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the FCS Playoff go to BetMGM

Why South Dakota State Will Win

Delaware came into it FCS playoff semifinal game against South Dakota State (8-1) with one of the nation’s nastiest defenses. It allowed fewer than 240 yards per game, was a work against the run, and was a killer in pass efficiency D – it just didn’t allow much of anything.

None of it mattered in the 33-3 Jackrabbit win.

Oh sure, Delaware was its normal self when it came to controlling the clock and the tempo, but the running game didn’t go anywhere and South Dakota State managed to put the hammer down fast defensively.

The Jackrabbit running game ran just fine, QB Mark Gronowski threw two touchdown passes and didn’t make any big mistakes, and RB Pierre Strong ran for 73 yards and a touchdown and threw for another score.

But it was the defense that got the job done.

Sam Houston might be known for its flash on both sides of the ball and its being plays, but South Dakota State has the lines to not only hold up, but to dominate with power. The Bearkats are going to throw, and they’re going to be effective, but Delaware was able to throw well and it didn’t matter.

James Madison had Sam Houston down and done, but it kept screwing up and couldn’t put the game away. South Dakota State has the ground game to keep that from happening, but …

Why Sam Houston Will Win

The Sam Houston (9-0) defensive line just keeps on coming.

The offense might be the star of the show – and it came through in the second half – but it’s the defensive front that lived behind the line all season long that took over in the second half of the thrilling 38-35 win over James Madison.

The downfield passing game isn’t going to work on a consistent basis against the South Dakota State secondary that doesn’t allow a whole lot down the field, but the Bearkats should be able to grind through this a bit.

The offense might not have worked all that well at times against the Dukes – the third down playmaking wasn’t there and there were too many mistakes early on – but again, the defense has the ability to hold up. James Madison ran well enough to get some key runs from its great backs, but it was all quickly negated by (again) …

The pass rush.

Sam Houston can’t let South Dakota State dictate the tempo or control the clock with the ground game, and all that Bearkat pressure has to force mistakes.

How did South Dakota State lose to North Dakota? -2 in turnover margin, the offensive line couldn’t control the game, the O couldn’t run well, and the team couldn’t come up with second half points.

Sam Houston can force a repeat of that on one side, and on the other, it’s not going to get a second straight mediocre passing day from Eric Schmid.

What’s Going To Happen

Can South Dakota State impose its will?

Sam Houston has the quarterback in Schmid who can take over, and to beat this into the ground, it has the defensive front that can wreck the game and dominate in key moments like it did against JMU.

But South Dakota State has those things, too – Mark Gronowski isn’t Schmid, but he has grown into the role.

The Jackrabbits will give up a few big, fun Sam Houston scoring drives, but the defense will hold up in the fourth and the offense isn’t going to make the big mistakes James Madison did in key spots.

The South Dakota State offensive line will do more than hold serve, and that will be enough.

South Dakota State vs Sam Houston FCS Playoff Prediction, Line

South Dakota State 34, Sam Houston State 27
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 5

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Delaware vs South Dakota State Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Playoffs

Delaware vs South Dakota State prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Delaware vs South Dakota State prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Delaware vs South Dakota State Broadcast

Date: Saturday, May 8
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET
Venue: Dana J Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD
Network: ESPN

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Delaware vs South Dakota State FCS Playoff Game Preview

Why Delaware Will Win

The defense keeps on rocking.

Delaware (7-0) went into Jacksonville State and held down the high-powered attack to just 14 points – with a late touchdown as a part of it – and just 200 yards of total offense.

But that’s what the Blue Hens do. They finished second in the FCS in scoring defense starting with an outstanding secondary that doesn’t give up a thing. Yeah, JSU had quarterback injury issues, but still, it only came up with 93 passing yards with a slew of those coming late.

But to beat South Dakota State, you have to hold up on the lines.

Delaware’s style of play keeps everyone fresh. It lives on turnover margin – the team was second in the nation but turned it over twice against JSU – and the team dominates the time of possession battle. It’s the chicken and the egg – the offense controls the tempo on third downs to keep the D fresh, the D comes up with third down stops and keeps the O line from getting gassed.

Delaware held the ball for over 38 minutes in the 20-14 win last week, but …

Why South Dakota State Will Win

The Blue Hen offensive line struggled to get anything going on the ground, and the rushing attack isn’t about to work against the Jackrabbits.

South Dakota State (7-1) struggled against Southern Illinois in a 31-26 win that should’ve been a lot easier, but the defensive front held the Saluki running game to 127 yards.

The Jackrabbits win by controlling games with the ground game thanks to a killer offensive line that’s played among the best in the FCS. Against this Delaware D, they might not get their 230+ rushing yards they normally crank out, but they’re going to grind, the defensive front is a rock against the run, and the team is fantastic at the turnover battle – just like Delaware.

No, it might not have been easy against Southern Illinois, but the team was +3 in turnover margin and the offense came up with the one big drive it had to have late.

What’s Going To Happen

Delaware is going to make this very, very tough.

The Blue Hen defense is the real deal, with the ability grind games down to a stop, but South Dakota State can do that, too. QB Nolan Henderson is just good enough keep everything moving, but he can’t do it alone.

South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski should be able to play Henderson big moment for big moment.

It’s be a tough, low-scoring battle with South Dakota State doing a bit more on third downs, and Gronowski coming up with two big pass plays that Delaware won’t.

Delaware vs South Dakota State FCS Playoff Prediction, Line

South Dakota State 23, Delaware 17
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 5

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South Dakota State vs Southern Illinois Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Playoffs

South Dakota State vs Southern Illinois prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

South Dakota State vs Southern Illinois prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

South Dakota State vs Southern Illinois Broadcast

Date: Sunday, May 2
Game Time: 9:00 pm CT
Venue: Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD
Network: ESPN3

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Southern Illinois vs South Dakota State FCS Playoff Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the FCS Playoff go to BetMGM

Why Southern Illinois Will Win

Southern Illinois (6-3) pulled off the mild upset on the road with a 34-31 win over Weber State on an eight-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds to move on.

The Salukis got the passing game going when they had to, QB Stone Labanowitz pulled through in the clutch, and now they get a second shot at South Dakota State after losing in late March.

While the defense wasn’t always solid against Weber State, and it took a big comeback to pull it off, the offense that was so good all year on third downs and the passing game that was so efficient got the job done.

Again, the Salukis are getting another shot at the Jackrabbits, but …

Why South Dakota State Will Win

It really wasn’t pretty the first time around.

South Dakota State (6-1) was down 3-0 to Southern Illinois. It won 44-3.

The Jackrabbits forced four turnovers, allowed just over 200 yards of total offense, and they ran and ran and ran, cranking out over 300 yards on the ground in the blowout.

They rocked Holy Cross 31-3 in the first round of the FCS Playoffs, rolling behind their great offensive line with Isaiah Davis rushing for 156 yards and a score and Mark Gronowski having all day to throw three touchdown passes.

Southern Illinois has own the trenches to pull this off. The offensive line has been great all year, but it didn’t quite dominate Weber State like it needed to – at least until late – and it’s not going to push around the South Dakota State defensive front. And …

What’s Going To Happen

The South Dakota State running game is just too strong.

This won’t be the total wipeout the first meeting was, but the Jackrabbits will get all of the parts of the backfield going right away, the defense will continue to be a rock, and the No. 1 seed in the tournament will push its way through after a rough start.

Southern Illinois will come out hot with a few early scores, but the Jackrabbits will settle in, take over the time of possession battle, and things will open up in the second half.

South Dakota State vs Southern Illinois FCS Playoff Prediction, Line

South Dakota State 37, Southern Illinois 17
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 4

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South Dakota State vs Holy Cross Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Playoffs

South Dakota State vs Holy Cross prediction and FCS playoffs game preview.

South Dakota State vs Holy Cross prediction and FCS playoffs game preview.

South Dakota State vs Holy Cross Broadcast

Date: Saturday, April 24
Game Time: 3:00 pm ET
Venue: Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD
Network: ESPN+

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Holy Cross vs South Dakota State FCS Playoff Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the FCS Playoff go to BetMGM

Why Holy Cross Will Win

For all of the good things the Jackrabbits do, it all centers around the rushing attack that averaged 233 yards per game. If the Crusaders can do anything slow that down, they’ve got a shot.

Holy Cross (3-0) run defense has been a killer so far.

The team only played three games, and it only dealt with a few okay Patriot League teams, but the front line has been outstanding against the ground game allowing just 132 yards helped by a terrific pass rush and a whole lot of plays in the backfield.

How did South Dakota State (5-1) suffer its only loss of the year? North Dakota got the pass rush going, clamped down after a tough first quarter, forced takeaways, and stopped the run.

However …

Why South Dakota State Will Win

The Jackrabbit secondary has been a rock. Holy Cross should be able to run a little bit, but the passing attack isn’t anything special and it’s not going to be able to keep up.

The Crusaders might be strong on third downs, but that has to start by winning the first two downs. South Dakota State has been solid at holding up early and then getting off the field.

There’s no real worry about a Holy Cross passing game that doesn’t do anything big down the field and doesn’t take a whole slew of chances.

Slow down the run, force third down throws, win the time of possession battle, repeat.

What’s Going To Happen

South Dakota State has the lines, the defense, and the offensive balance to steadily keep producing as it controls the tempo. Holy Cross will have to press a bit and won’t have the passing ability to mount much of a comeback after getting down early.

The Jackrabbits don’t have to do anything crazy or take a whole slew of chances. Don’t turn the ball over, go on a few early scoring drives, and they’ll move on to deal with the Southern Illinois vs Weber State winner.

South Dakota State vs Holy Cross FCS Playoff Prediction, Line

South Dakota State 41, Holy Cross 17
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 3.5

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Western Illinois vs South Dakota State Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Spring Football

Western Illinois Leathernecks vs South Dakota State Jackrabbits prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Western Illinois Leathernecks vs South Dakota State Jackrabbits prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Western Illinois vs South Dakota State Broadcast

Date: Saturday, March 6
Game Time: 3:00 ET
Venue: Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings SD
Network: ESPN+

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Western Illinois (0-1) vs South Dakota State (1-1) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the FCS, go to BetMGM

Why Western Illinois Will Win

The Leathernecks were able to change around with Missouri State in a 30-24 loss with the passing game doing a decent job and the defense able to come up with three takeaway. One problem (actually four) …

Turnovers. WIU kept shooting itself in the foot with four giveaways, but outside of the two picks, Connor Sampson threw relatively well, the defense did a nice job against the run, and the team had its chances.

South Dakota State hasn’t done much on the ground in the first two games and stalled after getting up 14-7 against North Dakota – losing 28-17 – but …

Why South Dakota State Will Win

North Dakota might just be the best team in the Missouri Valley Conference, and the Jackrabbits were able to come through late in a win over Northern Iowa.

Mark Gronowski might not have been the quarterback everyone was planning for, but he came through against UNI and threw for over 300 against the Fighting Hawks. The Western Illinois defensive front should have problems with RB Pierre Strong – SDSU will start to run better – and won’t have enough of a pass rush to be a bother.

What’s Going To Happen

Slow and steady will win the race. South Dakota State has the overall talent to start to breakout, and Western Illinois is the team to to it against. After two great battles, here comes the Jackrabbit offense with its best performance of the young spring season.

Western Illinois vs South Dakota State Prediction, Line

South Dakota State 38, Western Illinois 10
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: South Dakota State -24.5, o/u: 47

Must See Rating: 2

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South Dakota State at North Dakota Prediction, Game Preview: FCS Spring Football

South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs North Dakota Fighting Hawks prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs North Dakota Fighting Hawks prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

South Dakota State at North Dakota Broadcast

Date: Saturday, February 27
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND
Network: ESPN+

[jwplayer qCq1wvUC]

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

South Dakota State (10-) vs North Dakota (1-0) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM

Why South Dakota State Will Win

South Dakota State wasn’t always brilliant in the 24-20 win over Northern Iowa, but it was brilliant when it had to be.

Mark Gronowski wasn’t supposed to be the shining star at quarterback, but he was able to lead the way on a terrific final drive and a calm, cool touchdown pass with 19 seconds to play, and the defense held on to get out with the victory.

The D was fantastic throughout – the Panthers couldn’t run a lick – and was brilliant on third downs. The O has to be stronger and more consistent, but if the defense can do that again, it’s about to come away with a great 2-0 start with two nasty tests on the road.

Speaking of defense …

Why North Dakota Will Win

The North Dakota defense wasn’t perfect against Southern Illinois, but it pulled off the slight stunner by coming up with five takeaways in the 44-21 win.

The defensive front didn’t allow much of anything on the ground, forced all of those mistakes, and got enough out of the offense to take advantage of the opportunities to pull away in the third quarter.

Lost a wee bit in the performance was the day from the offensive line that based away for a few big runs, a great day for the ground attack, and gave Tommy Schuster just enough time to not have to worry that much about the good SIU pass rush.

What’s Going To Happen

Is the South Dakota State offense ready to start doing more? Can the North Dakota defense be that good at taking the ball away?

Going on the road isn’t going to be a big deal for the Jackrabbits, and defense travels.

Schuster won’t hit enough big downfield plays, the South Dakota State defensive front will solid against the run, and it’ll be a good defensive fight that – like the Jackrabbit game against Northern Iowa – will come down to the final few minutes.

South Dakota State at North Dakota Prediction, Line

South Dakota State 27, North Dakota 23
Bet on college football with BetMGM
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING

Must See Rating: 3.5

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