Who has the edge in the top-5 matchup between No.1 SDSU football and No. 3 Montana State?
The top-ranked South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team takes on its biggest test of the young season so far this week.
SDSU (1-0) welcomes No. 3 Montana State (1-0) into Brookings on Saturday night for the biggest regular season FCS matchup of the year. The Jackrabbits hold a 3-1 overall record against the Bobcats, with the most recent matchup coming in the 2022 FCS semifinals, in which SDSU came out on top.
More: SDSU football: 3 takeaways from the Jackrabbits dominant 45-7 win over Western Oregon
Here's the tale of the tape between the two schools before they meet on the field this weekend.
No. 3 Montana State at No. 1 SDSU
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: Dana J Dykhouse Stadium
TV/Radio: Midco Sports or ESPN+ for streaming/ Jackrabbits Sports Network
Notable absences: Montana State: OUT - Ty McCullouch, JT Reed, Lane Sumner, SDSU: Adam Bock's status is unknown after missing the season opener with a leg injury.
What’s at stake? This matchup will be one of the biggest regular season games on SDSU’s schedule this year. In his media availability Tuesday, Jackrabbits head coach Jimmy Rogers said the matchup with Montana State will be a playoff game for his team. Saturday’s matchup will definitely have that playoff-game feel and intensity. The two sides have met in the FCS semifinals in back-to-back years, with SDSU winning last year 39-18 and Montana State winning in 2021, 31-17. This game should serve as an early season litmus test for the Jackrabbits after being both ranked No.1 in the FCS -- both in the preseason poll and since -- and predicted to have a perfect 15-0 season by many college football experts. An early season loss by either team could have a real impact on postseason seeding.
Who’s better? Both teams beat up on their week one opponents. SDSU routed Division II foe Western Oregon 45-7 – the Jackrabbits scored 42 in the first half and then took their foot off the gas a bit – while Montana State took down fellow FCS Division I opponent Utah Tech, 63-20.
Matchup to watch: Defending against the run in this game will be huge. Montana State rushed for 421 yards in their season opener against Utah Tech, the most ever by the program in a season opener. Historically, quarterback Tommy Mellot has had some success rushing against SDSU too. Montana State has had a unique offense in that, at times, they’ll play with two quarterbacks on the field at once. That should bring a new challenge for the Jackrabbits defense to solve.
On the other hand, the last time SDSU played Montana State they rushed for 281 yards with Isaiah Davis playing a large role in that. Davis ran for only 19 yards on four carries in their season opener, but he should be more aggressive on Saturday.
SDSU wins if: Their defense against the run is airtight and they’re able to open up lanes for their own running backs. They’ll also need to be careful with the ball, especially when attacking through the air, because Montana State’s secondary is locked in after picking off three passes in their season opener.
Prediction: SDSU 35, Montana State 28. Running back Isaiah Davis will have a field day out of the backfield.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: No. 1 SDSU football vs No.3 Montana State: Who has the edge?
