South Dakota State football vs Albany: FCS semifinal preview, prediction
When South Dakota State football's senior class takes the field at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on Friday against Albany, it’ll be their last time playing at home.
If the Jackrabbits win, they’ll advance to the FCS national title game in Frisco, Texas. If they lose, their season ends. Regardless of the outcome, the seniors won’t play in front of the SDSU home crowd ever again.
“It's a special group,” said South Dakota State football head coach Jimmy Rogers. “But it's a special group because of what they've done here, collectively, together just giving their best on a daily basis throughout their time here.
“This is a group I'll never forget. And I’m trying to enjoy the moments right now while we're still together.”
The Great Danes will be another first-time opponent for South Dakota State, the second in the past three weeks. Albany has had a historic turnaround, going from 3-8 last season to a conference title and their first FCS semifinal appearance in program history.
Sophomore quarterback Reese Poffenbarger has been pivotal in establishing one of the best passing offenses in the FCS. Poffenbarger has thrown for 3,371 yards and 36 touchdowns this season.
“Their quarterback plays with a ton of moxie,” Rogers said. “You could tell he's a winner and the guys respect him.”
The Jackrabbits are just one game away from punching their ticket to Frisco and competing for their second straight national championship, but getting that win won't be easy.
“We're excited for the challenge,” Rogers said. “It's not going to be easy, doesn't need to be, but this is to punch our ticket and we're taking that preparation in this very seriously to try to get that done.”
Here’s the tale of the tape between the two squads vying for a spot in the national championship game:
No. 1 SDSU (13-0, 8-0) vs No. 5 Albany (11-3, 7-1)
When: Friday, 6 p.m.
Where: Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
TV/Radio: ESPN 2/ Jackrabbit Sports Network
What’s at stake?: For South Dakota State: their historic run and another week together.
The Jackrabbits have won 27 games in a row, a streak that extends to last year’s national championship run. Winning another national title in the program’s most impressive season would go a long way to continuing to solidify themselves as the new standard bearer in the FCS, taking the reins from a dominant North Dakota State program.
After their win over Mercer two weeks ago, running back Isaiah Davis said a major motivation for the team has been that each win guarantees their team more time together. That time is only extended if they keep winning.
Who’s better?: Albany has had their own dream season of sorts, making it to the FCS playoffs for only the third time in program history and their first semifinal game. This scenario seemed highly doubtful a year ago when they ended their season 3-8. It was even more far-fetched two years ago when they went 2-9.
But the Great Danes have turned it around in 2023. They dominated their conference, going 7-1 against CAA foes -- their two other losses came against FBS opponents -- to claim the conference title and receive a first-round bye in the playoffs. They followed their bye week with wins against Richmond and No. 4 Idaho in the second round and the quarterfinals, respectively. They’ve yet to play a team like South Dakota State, though.
Matchup to watch: SDSU’s offensive line vs Albany’s defense line.
The Great Danes allow the least rushing yards per game in the FCS and a large part of that is the pressure they’re able to exert on opposing offenses. Their defensive line allows only 78 yards per game on the ground. Senior linebacker Dylan Kelly leads the defense with 155 tackles and has added three sacks and two interceptions. Graduate student Ori Jean-Charles has 112 tackles and five sacks.
The Albany defense will have its hands full dealing with Mason McCormick, Garrett Greenfield and the rest of the offensive line. They'll be trying to open up holes to spring Davis, Amar Johnson and the rest of the running backs. Together, that group makes up the fifth-ranked rushing offense in the FCS.
SDSU wins if: They’re able to unleash their offense against a defense that was one of the best in the Coastal Athletic Association. If they can look as explosive as they usually do, their defense should be able to do more than enough for the Jackrabbits to punch their ticket to the FCS championship game.
Prediction: SDSU, 35-14.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota State football vs. Albany FCS semifinal preview, prediction
