We assumed South Dakota State would reload. Perhaps we didn’t think they’d reload this quickly.
In an unscientific Twitter poll conducted in early August, HERO Sports asked what SDSU’s most likely record would be after its first two highly anticipated games – vs. No. 15 and the heavily-hyped Sacramento State, and at No. 2 Montana State.
Nearly 1,400 people voted, and a 1-1 record received 58% of the votes. 2-0 got 32%. 0-2 got 10%.
And here the Jackrabbits sit, a 2-0 record with two ranked wins and a No. 2 national ranking. An incredible start, right? Well, there is still a lot of meat left on the bone in the two victories as SDSU has hit nitpicky status as it gets gauged on a national title scale.
RECAP: SDSU Survives, Defeats Montana State In 2OT
These last two weeks haven’t always been pretty – special teams blunders, too many sacks, and poor red-zone execution. But SDSU, despite having plenty to clean up, is in a spot that’s tough to complain about considering the tumultuous offseason it endured.
Everyone knows the story by now – The entire coaching staff bolting for Washington State and trying to pillage SDSU’s roster. The Jackrabbits had no coaches in the offices and had no idea during Christmas break which players were coming back or not.
They rallied, though, led by the recommitments of quarterback Chase Mason and offensive tackle Quinten Christensen, the re-recruiting of the roster, and the hiring of former SDSU coordinators Dan Jackson as head coach, Eric Eidsness as OC, and Brian Bergstrom as DC.
Another gut punch occurred this summer when running back Nate White died in his sleep, which was ruled a natural, sudden death as a medical event disrupted his breathing and heart functions. White was well-liked and respected by his teammates after transferring from Wisconsin and was expected to be the top running back.
There was a lot to overcome for SDSU’s locker room, a strong nucleus of players deciding to return, coupled with many transfer additions.
And that’s what first-year head coach Dan Jackson pointed to right after the Jacks defeated MSU 30-24 in double overtime.
‘We’re gritty. We believe,” Jackson said. “We’ve been through a lot worse things than double-overtime. Guys never stopped believing and kept fighting. It’s good for us to get this overtime situation in. But I don’t think it needed to get to that. We need to continue to get better.”
SDSU’s 20-3 win over Sac State was dominant on paper, but a lot of points were left on the board.
Saturday’s win in Bozeman was a doozy as well, both in dramatics and highs and lows of SDSU’s performance.
SDSU certainly feels like it should have won the game in regulation. MSU certainly feels like it missed too many opportunities to win this game, similar to previous matchups against FCS powers SDSU and North Dakota State. While the Bobcats defeated SDSU in the 2021 semifinals, they have suffered heartbreaking losses to SDSU in the 2023 regular season, NDSU in the 2023 second round, and NDSU in last year’s FCS championship game.
The Bobcats have been right there with the top two powers, but have fallen short by inches. They now sit 0-2 this season, losing to Oregon in Week 1. Despite the record, MSU looks like a title contender with its performance vs. SDSU. But similar to the Jacks, there is plenty to clean up.
“This game wasn’t going to make or break us, but this was an important game to gauge where we’re at,” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said.
Some FCS fans were quick to point out how bad the No. 2 and 3 teams looked. And sure, there was a lot of sloppiness. But some of that comes with a high-intensity game with legit defenses making it tough for offenses to find much of a groove. And let’s not forget how ugly the NDSU-SDSU game was last season for those offenses.
These two teams looked great defensively, while the offenses showed flashes of being dangerous. There is certainly no shortage of talent. Some of the top FCS linebackers, defensive linemen, and running backs were featured in this contest. And in a top-heavy subdivision with very few actual contenders, the dudes in the trenches on both sides will set themselves up for success.
What also sets a team up for postseason success is its seed, aka how many home games it can host. MSU is up against it now when it comes to playoff positioning and earning a high seed. Two D1 wins behind NDSU and SDSU already is not ideal, although the strength of opponents makes a 0-2 start more understandable. One more loss could send the Cats on the road earlier than they want in the bracket. It’s early, but these are the high-stakes implications of these heavyweight bouts. Besides the regular-season finale at Montana, which has had sizeable homefield advantage recently, MSU looks favored against the rest of its schedule, at least on paper.
For SDSU, five straight unranked opponents could allow for some improvements it’ll need to make before No. 1 NDSU rolls into town in late October. Then again, we’ll see if SDSU dominates or plays down to inferior competition.
There is a lot to nitpick. But considering SDSU had no coaching staff and a roster in flux at the start of the offseason, a 2-0 start with a lot to improve on is a scary thought for the rest of the FCS.
