South Dakota State football: 3 effects of 2022 national title win

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IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 03: Running back Isaiah Davis #22 of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits is tripped up during the first half by defensive back Quinn Schulte #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium on September 03, 2022 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

2. Does South Dakota State have staying power?

Several South Dakota State players have done well in the NFL recently, including Jackrabbits players that heard their names called in the 2022 NFL Draft. Dallas Goedert, taken in the 2018 NFL Draft, ranked as the seventh-best tight end in the NFL this season with 55 receptions for 703 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

This year’s tight end Tucker Kraft is projected to be a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Jackrabbits are clearly a program on the rise — the team has reached the FCS semifinals in five of the past six seasons. That six-year stretch includes a title game loss to Sam Houston State in 2020 and last week’s win against North Dakota State.

Speaking of the Bison, there’s no denying that they’re the standard-bearers of dominance in the FCS. But oddly enough, South Dakota State has beaten the Bison in the teams’ past four consecutive meetings, including both the regular season and the playoffs. With two wins against NDSU this year, four wins in the playoffs all by at least a 21-point margin, and a close 7-3 loss to FBS Iowa (which finished with eight wins), the Jackrabbits have proven that they’re not just a flash in the pan.

In addition, much of the team’s talent should return in 2023, including quarterback Mark Gronowski, who threw for nearly 3,000 yards and scored 38 total touchdowns as a sophomore this past year.

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