Jackrabbits top Griz for second straight national title

FRISCO, Texas — Mark Gronowski was named most outstanding player of the Division I Football Championship Sunday, after shepherding South Dakota State past Montana 23-3 at Toyota Stadium.

The real difference maker was the Jackrabbits’ defense. The Jacks probably still win their 29th straight game and second straight FCS title without Gronowski’s 10-yard scoring run and his 23-yard touchdown pass during a dominant third quarter.

A defense that allowed just 273 yards and sacked Clifton McDowell four times set up the offense nicely.

“Couldn’t be more proud of these guys and the whole team,” said first-year Jacks coach Jimmy Rogers, now 15-0 in his coaching career. “Takes a whole team to get this much done, especially with the hype that surrounded this football program.

“We worked extremely hard week in and week out. This is the result: 146 points scored to 15 (in four playoff games). This is the best defense in FCS history, and I’m proud of that, proud of this football team, proud to go back-to-back, proud to do it with these guys, and blessed to be the head coach of South Dakota State.”

Montana (13-2) came in knowing it had little room for error against SDSU, and in fact had the first two breaks: Corbin Walker picked off a Gronowski pass and Erik Barker recovered a mishandled punt in the second quarter.

The Grizzlies cashed these in for one 30-yard Nico Ramos field goal. Add in their opening drive that ended inside SDSU’s 1-yard line with a fourth-down stop, and it was a tough day offensively.

“When you look at how each team had 17 first downs, that’s two pretty good defenses,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said. “I think, in terms of evaluating how they won the game and we didn’t, it’s the things that are critical in every football game. When you have good teams on each sideline, you can’t turn the ball over, you can’t get behind the chains and take negative plays.

“You’ve got to run the ball better than we did, and you can’t turn it over.”

Isaiah Davis scored from 6 yards out to cap the opening possession of the game, at 8:08 of the first quarter, giving SDSU a 7-0 lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Montana marched right back, McDowell hitting short completions and nearly scoring from the 6-yard line as the first quarter ended.

Then SDSU linebacker Adam Bock — who missed five games this season and still isn’t 100 percent, according to Rogers — took down Eli Gillman on fourth down.

Three plays later Gronowski threw his pick, but the Jacks’ defense held the Griz to a field goal. That was the high-water mark for the Grizzlies, at 10:51 of the second quarter. They didn’t score again.

“They pinch everything off, bounce it, and then they have guys that pack a whole lot in the back end,” Hauck said of the Jacks defense. “I thought the fourth-down stop was a big play in the game. They’re a big, physical, senior-oriented team, and they do a nice job.”

Trailing 7-3 at halftime, Montana had a promising drive end when receiver Aaron Fontes had the ball popped loose by SDSu’s Brian Williams at the end of a 14-yard gain.

Montana’s defense held, but SDSU kept field position the rest of the quarter. Zach Heins caught a 34-yard pass ahead of Gronowski’s 10-yard scoring run at 7:11 of the third quarter.

An intentional grounding call ruined UM’s next possession, and soon the Jacks scored again, Jadon Janke hauling in a perfect throw on a post-corner.

McDowell fumbled on UM’s next drive and SDSU cashed that in for a Hunter Dustman field goal.

Gronowski was 13 of 21 passing for 175 yards, and rushed for another yards. Davis ran for 87 yards and the Jacks piled 197 rushing yards. Solid, not spectacular.

“Yeah, they make it difficult on us,” Gronowski said of the Grizzlies. “They ended up running a 3-3 stack. They have three down linemen, and they have three linebackers. You know one of them is coming every single time, but you don’t always know which one.

“Third quarter, we really came out firing. We knew offensively, if we just get to our stuff and play our style of football, that we were going to end up kind of breaking out.”

“We just gave up too many explosives, too many big plays,” said Griz linebacker Braxton Hill, who had 10 tackles. “At times we played well, but like I said, too many explosives and too many third down (conversions). They have a heck of a leader back there, and he makes them go for sure.”

The win was SDSU’s first over the Griz after eight losses, two coming in the playoffs. Montana fell to 2-6 in FCS title games, and 0-4 under Hauck. His teams lost in 2004 and 2008-09. It is some solace that this team was back in the championship for the first time in 14 seasons.

“What a great season for our team,” said Hauck, the Big Sky Conference’s all-time winningest coach. “We hope to continue on and have a chance to be back here at some point.”