South Dakota State seeking FCS title repeat, Montana in first championship game since ’09

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Jimmy Rogers never dreamed of playing at South Dakota State, and certainly never anticipated becoming coach of the Jackrabbits.

The kid from Arizona who was a standout linebacker and captain of their first playoff team in 2009, then defensive coordinator for their first national title last season, is now the first-year head coach as the top-seeded Jackrabbits (14-0) try to repeat in the Football Championship Subdivision. They take a 28-game winning streak into Sunday’s game against No. 2 seed Montana (13-1).

“My reality becoming a dream means I wanted to do it at the highest level, and we’ve taken South Dakota State to the highest level,” Rogers said. “To be the head coach of it, I never envisioned that 18 years ago. … But I did envision winning national championships here.”

Less than two weeks after the Jackrabbits beat Missouri Valley Conference rival North Dakota State last January to become champions in John Stiegelmeier’s 26th season as head coach, he retired and Rogers was immediately named his successo r.

Jimmy Rogers is authentic to his core as Jacks' new football coach - Mitchell Republic | News, weather, sports from Mitchell South Dakota

“I don’t think during the season there was ever really kind of that we’re playing for his last year-type vibe,” linebacker Adam Bock said.

Rogers’ coaching career began as an SDSU grad assistant in 2010. He played his final game in the first round of the 2009 playoffs, when the Jackrabbits led 48-21 late in the third quarter before Montana scored 40 unanswered points. — “It sticks with me,” Rogers said.

The Big Sky champion Grizzlies then went on to lose in the FCS title game for the second year in a row, ending coach Bobby Hauck’s first stint as their coach. They are in their first title game since, and first in Frisco, where the championship game has been played since the 2010 season.

“Each of the last two teams, ‘21 and ’22, had potential to be where we’re sitting now,” said Hauck who returned to the Griz in 2018. “Last year in particular, I think it was a matter of playing four of the top five (teams) on the road over a six-week span. That’s a tall task, especially for a team that was injured as we were.”