South Dakota State ready to get ready for Montana

BROOKINGS — At the end of a spirited Thursday morning practice at the S JAC, South Dakota State wideout Jadon Janke was asked to give a brief scouting report on the Montana defense his team will be facing in the FCS national championship game on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas. "We haven't gone over Montana yet," the all conference senior said matter of factly. "Not before (Christmas break) and not yet this week." Really? Nothing? It's been almost two weeks since the matchup has been set. "Right now it's about us getting better every day with the time we have left before the game," Janke explained. "Preparation is going to be a key factor against a good team like them. We can't overlook them and we have to be at our best." Still, nothing? Well, not entirely nothing. They did watch the Grizzlies' semifinal win over North Dakota State, which happened the day after SDSU spanked Albany 59 0 in their own semifinal. But gameplanning, scouting and the sacred act of watching film that has come to define midweek preparation in football? The Jacks hadn't begun doing that yet as of Thursday (it would start Friday). ADVERTISEMENT "We're just trying to get better and make sure we're the best version of ourselves before we start worrying about Montana," said safety Cale Reeder. "We've watched a few clips to familiarize ourselves with them a little bit but we haven't dived into the schemes or anything yet." SDSU's Jason Freeman closes in for a tackle in the FCS national semifinals on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings. Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic That doesn't mean the coaches haven't been pouring over film since the Griz knocked off the Bison, nor does it mean the Jacks are taking it easy in the time they have until they leave for Frisco. The Jacks went through all of this last year and it gave them a road map for how to navigate their preparation and time usage. Subscribers Only College 20 facts to know ahead of the FCS national championship game with South Dakota State and Montana The national championship preparations are ramping up for both South Dakota State University and the University of Montana for the FCS national championship game. 5d ago · By Marcus Traxler And frankly, bombarding the players with too much information or expecting them to remember certain keys or concepts for almost a month could do more harm than good. Additionally, the Jacks are a veteran team with plenty of tread on their tires. They've played 14 games already this year after playing 15 each of the two prior seasons. So as the Jacks returned to practice on Wednesday after getting a break for Christmas, head coach Jimmy Rogers had physical concerns to consider in addition to schematic ones. Maybe a day or two to get back into game shape after some time off, limited reps for starters who at this point in their careers are locked in on what they need to do, and extended reps for backups and younger players who have an extra three weeks of practice to have them all the more ready to go next year. During Thursday's practice the Jacks had extended live periods that involved plenty of contact, most of it reserved for the second and third units. Montana celebrates winning the Brawl of the Wild game over Montana State. Montana athletics "We've had a couple fewer periods at practice," Rogers said. "We have an older team — I've got to keep them fresh and healthy. When we compete against each other it's extremely physical and that's how we get better. We just got done doing that for several days and now we're gonna turn our attention to Montana preparation and the details that go into having success in this game." That starts Friday and will continue over the weekend and into next week. They leave for Frisco on Thursday. The first time SDSU reached the national championship, in the spring season of 2020/21, there wasn't a long break due to the nature of the pandemic impacted season. They played the week after the semifinals. But the Jacks got the full exposure last year, and now know exactly what to expect as far as travel, the schedule of events in Frisco, the grass surface and everything else that will be part of the experience. ADVERTISEMENT College Zimmer: In a dwindling FCS, Montana Grizzlies are one of the last heavyweights left South Dakota State's national championship opponent is one of the most storied programs in the history of the subdivision Dec 21, 2023 · By Matt Zimmer "I think the routine part is a big deal because I believe in routine in habits," Rogers said. "So yeah, I don't know if it's an advantage but we'll feel more comfortable from having been down there a couple times." The players definitely think it's an advantage. They were a determined team when they arrived in Frisco a year ago and went out and dominated, producing a dominating 45 21 win over an NDSU team that had never lost in Frisco previously. They're just as determined to do it again. "The first year we went down there with stars in our eyes a little bit," Janke said. "I think we were kind of just happy to be there. The next time down it was a business trip and we got the job done. I'm hoping we can make it a business trip again." Share Share this article News reporting News reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags SDSU JACKRABBITS FCS FOOTBALL SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY By Matt Zimmer Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com. Twitter