No. 3 South Dakota State vs. No. 2 North Dakota State: Preview, how to watch, updates

Here are some of the top storylines and players to watch entering this year's FCS semifinal game between South Dakota State and North Dakota State

Storylines

• How they got here
  • South Dakota State is the two-time defending FCS champion and its only FCS loss this year came to its semifinal opponent North Dakota State. In the playoffs, the Jackrabbits showed why they're a top championship contender, blasting Montana and UIW (in a rematch) by an average of 29 points.
  • North Dakota State entered the postseason on a loss and fought off an early scare from Abilene Christian in the second round to win by 20 points. In the quarterfinals, the Bison beat Mercer 31-7.
• Past matchups
  • North Dakota State won the 2024 Dakota Marker after a game-winning drive from Cam Miller. For a full recap of the game, click or tap here.
• Coaching
  • Two early-career coaches meet again. South Dakota State coach Jimmy Rogers is in his second year at the helm after winning a championship in his first season. North Dakota State coach Tim Polasek is trying to follow the success of Rogers as the Bison lead-man is in his first year as head coach.
• What's at stake
  • North Dakota State is on its longest title drought since its first title back in 2011 as the Bison haven't lifted the trophy since 2021. Meanwhile, South Dakota State is trying to become the first three-peat champion since the Bison achieved the feat in 2019. For either to get to Frisco, it starts Saturday.

Players to Watch

Here are some players to watch from South Dakota State.

• 1st Team | RB Amar Johnson
• 1st Team | OL Evan Beerntsen
• 1st Team | OL Gus Miller
• 1st Team | DL Jarod DePriest
• 1st Team | LB Adam Bock
• 1st Team | LB Caleb Francl
• 1st Team | DB Dalys Beanum
• 1st Team | DB Tucker Large
• 1st Team | AP Angel Johnson
• 2nd Team | QB Mark Gronowski
• 2nd Team | WR Griffin Wilde
• 2nd Team | DB Colby Huerter
• 2nd Team | DB Colby Humphrey

Here are some players to watch from North Dakota State.

• MVFC Offensive Player of the Year: QB Cam Miller
• Newcomer and Freshman of the Year: RB CharMar Brown

• 1st Team | QB Cam Miller
• 1st Team | OL Mason Miller
• 1st Team | OL Grey Zabel
• 1st Team | WR Bryce Lance
• 1st Team | DL Eli Mostaert
• 1st Team | LB Logan Kopp
• 2nd Team | RB CharMar Brown
• 2nd Team | PK Griffin Crosa
• 2nd Team | RS Jackson Williams

At the end of the season, South Dakota State was ranked No. 2 and North Dakota State was ranked No. 4 in the FCS Coaches Poll. The Jackrabbits were ranked No. 2 and the Bison No. 3 in the STATS Perform Poll to close the regular season.

MORE: Memorable moments, all-time history of the Dakota Marker

Here's how the programs stack up based on this season's results.