Big Sky Notes: Bobcats face semifinal rematch with SDSU

Montana State coach Brent Vigen has watched South Dakota State on film, and he’s here to tell you the Jackrabbits are still very, very good.

You shouldn’t need his word: Among other things the top-seeded Jacks have accomplished is breaking through where a lot of teams haven’t: beating defending national champion North Dakota State. They’re at three straight wins over the Bison, with five victories in the last nine meetings.

Next SDSU will take on a fellow 12-1 team, the Bobcats. Vigen’s charges demolished William & Mary 55-7 Friday night, before SDSU scored the last three touchdowns in a 42-21 quarterfinal home win over Holy Cross on Saturday.

Saturday’s semifinal kicks off at 2 p.m. Mountain in Brookings, and is a rematch of a 2021 semi that Montana State won 31-17 in Bozeman.

“It’s a lot of the same faces with the exception of the quarterback change,” Vigen said of the Jackrabbits. “And they don’t have Pierce Strong.”

Strong, an all-Missouri Valley running back, was a key piece a year ago. You might recognize the name because the rookie ran for 70 yards, including a 3-yard scoring run, for the New England Patriots Monday night.

Turns out the QB is a familiar face: Mark Gronowski called signals in that Covid-delayed 2020 spring season, and led the Jackrabbits to the championship game. Sam Houston won it, 23-21, after Gronowski was hurt on the first series of the game.

He sat out last season — Tulsa grad transfer Chris Oladokun played QB — and then returned to throw for 2,555 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2022. Meanwhile, Isaiah Davis has run for 1,190 yards after gaining 701 a year ago (Strong had 1,686).

The program has reached “We just reload” status; it also refurbished Coughlin-Alumni Stadium and now calls it Dana Dykhouse Stadium, where the Jacks are 30-5 since 2016. It holds 19,340 fans; we’ll see how many show up on a day that calls for temperatures in the single digits.

“We’re looking forward to it,” said Vigen, whose club beat William & Mary in 17 degree weather. “ I hope a lot of people from Montana, from our fan base — no matter where they’re coming from — can make it to Brookings.”

Stig Forever

John Steigelmier is in his 26th season coaching his alma mater, and — like Andrew Talley did in his 25th season at Villanova in 2009 — has the makings of a national champion.

If the win over Holy Cross was tougher than anticipated, “Coach Stig” would give credit to the Crusaders and quarterback Matthew Sluka while also hoping his Jackrabbits tackle better against MSU.

“I don’t know what percent but I’d guess more than half his yards (212 rushing) came on scrambles,” Steigelmeier said. “(Sluka) has an unbelievable feel for the game and just is a good player. We won the game, so we will learn from it.”

Montana State comes in with what would appear to at least one faster quarterback: sophomore Tommy Mellott. A year ago, with Isaiah Ifanse shelved by a knee injury, Mellott ran 34 times for 155 yards and accounted for all four Bobcat touchdowns in what was his third start.

“You flip the film on last year and we were pretty thin at running back,” Vigen said Monday. “He was our running back. He made some really good throws, and Lance (McCutcheon) made some plays on the other end, but Tommy really played a game that would reflect beyond his two games of experience coming into that one.

“In a lot of ways he was the best player on the field that day.”

You might have said the same about Sluka Saturday.

“The first long run he had, we had a player who didn’t do his job,” Steigelmeier said. “When you have quarterback-run, you have extra people. You have a two-back offense with a one-back set and so everybody needs to do their job.

“We’ve got to narrow down and not panic and corral (Mellott) or any quarterback, and get him down. It shouldn’t happen very often that it’s second down and 19 and the quarterback scrambles for a first down. That‘s not good football.”

The Series

South Dakota State had won three straight from MSU before last year’s semifinal loss: In the 2014 playoffs (47-40), in Bozeman in 2017 and in Brookings in 2018.

Vigen has seen plenty of battles with SDSU from his days playing and coaching at NDSU.

“I haven’t been there since the new stadium (was opened),” said Vigen, a Bison assistant from 1998-2013. “It was always a challenge for us. Coach Steigelmeier has been their head coach since I was playing. My senior year (1997) was his first year as head coach.

“They beat us down there.”

Montana State leads the all-time series 11-6.

AP All-Americas

Montana State had one player make the Associated Press FCS All-America teams released Tuesday: defensive end Brody Grebe was a third-team selection for the Bobcats.

South Dakota State offensive linemen Garrett Greenfield and Mason McCormick were first-team picks, along with Jackrabbit defensive tackle Caleb Sanders. Tight end Tucker Kraft was a third-team selection.

Montana safety Robby Hauck was a first-team selection while punter Patrick Rohrbach and corner Justin Ford were second-team selections.

QUICK PICKS: Bobcat running backs coach (and MSU alum) Jimmy Beal held the same position on SDSU’s staff in 2019. … The Jackrabbits are making their 11th straight FCS postseason appearance. … SDSU drew 6,549 to its win over Holy Cross, and MSU drew 14,367 to its Friday night win over William & Mary.