2024 Championship Roundtable: FCS Nation crew answers all questions regarding the title game

With the FCS championship game just a week and a half away, the FCS Nation team answered 10 questions about the upcoming battle.

Q: Who do you think has more momentum entering the championship game and why – SDSU with an undefeated season, 28-straight wins and a blowout over Albany or Montana, who has won back-to-back overtime games amidst their magical postseason run?

Stone: Momentum is a tricky word when talking about these two teams. Both think they deserve to be here, and with both having the allotted time off, they feel as if this is a stand-alone game. Montana has been tested more than the Jacks & I feel like that could hurt them if they decide to take a sigh-of-relief. Both of these coaches are militaristic and don't preach things like momentum, so I'm not sure this applies. Both are hotter than fish grease, both fly around the ball, and both will be ready to go when that ball gets kicked off.

Kevin: Both of these teams will come into the championship game sky high. I don't think either one has an advantage in momentum with the three weeks off. If I had to I'd say Montana with the way they have won and how it just maybe feels like this is a team destined to win the whole thing.

Gene: Montana may have a magical season going but the Jacks have all of the momentum! There seemed to be no doubt in their minds that they would be back in Frisco and here they are. I would love to know when Jacks fans started booking their trips to Frisco.

Lucas: I’ll give it to Montana when discussing momentum. They have back-to-back, down to the wire, gut it out overtime wins to advance in exciting fashion and now have nothing to lose – if they lose they lost to one of the best teams FCS football has seen and if they win, they slay goliath. That just adds to the momentum.

Q: Between the two squads, which position group on either offense or defense do you view as the best unit and why?

Stone: This one's almost too easy. It's the South Dakota State offensive line. This has nothing to do with X's & O's and everything to do with their confidence at the moment. Imagine knowing you are the sole reason your team has won 28 games in a row. Imagine taking the field knowing you're the best unit on the field no matter who you play. There's nothing this group is not capable of & there's nothing they feel as if they can't HANDLE. Must be nice!

Kevin: The offensive line for SDSU. There isn't a better position group anywhere in FCS and they would move most of the FBS off of the line of scrimmage too. They call those boys the 605 Hogs and hogs like to eat, and I believe they will do just that down in Texas where they think BBQ is made from cows. 

Gene: The Jacks offensive line will be the deciding factor in this game. If that line is as dominant as they have been all year, then South Dakota State will win their second straight title. If they do not play up to their potential, Montana will have a chance. It is that simple.

Lucas: This is going to be a consensus pick for the SDSU offensive line. Anyone who knows the game knows it’s won up front. That’s what made NDSU so good during its incredible run. Now SDSU is doing the same with their unit. But keep an eye on the Montana WRs as a close second. There lots of talk about Junior Bergen, Keelan White and rightfully so, but they also have Aaron Fontes. SCARY!

Q: Pick a player for both teams, or just one guy, who will be the most important for their respective side/s in the FCS title game?

Stone: I'll go with Junior Bergen here. Junior is the true definition of a game-changer. Although nobody in their right mind thinks Jimmy & company will kick it his way, he still possesses the ability to take matters into his own hands and be the deciding factor in games. Even at the Wide Receiver position, he is this year's king of the 1-Play-Drive. OC Brent Pease will go into this game with a set amount of plays that Junior is required to touch the football and those are the ones SDSU should fear the most.

Kevin: For Montana it's Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Alex Gubner. If he can get off of the double teams that the Jackrabbits offensive line is going to throw at him and be a factor in stopping the run between the tackles it will go a long way towards the Griz being able to stay in the game.

For the Jacks it's QB Mark Gronowski. If he plays his usual game it will be tough for Montana to win. If Gronowski plays clean the Jacks win. It's really that simple. The Griz will need a couple of turnovers and will need to turn those into touchdowns. 

Gene: Running back Isaiah Davis is looking to go out on top along with many other seniors. The guy who has been compared to Minnesota Vikings great Robert Smith by Emory Hunt of Football Gameplan has the ability to hit a home run or bludgeon a defense to death.

Lucas: I will go with Alex Gubner for the Griz. Guys like Junior Bergen, Mark Gronowski, Isaiah Davis, all these skill position guys - they are going to get theirs. You can contain them, but you can’t shut them down. That’s why a dirty worker like Gubner can make all the difference. If he can break through what FCS Nation selected as their consensus best unit, the SDSU offensive line, it could change everything.

Q: Will playing on a neutral field have a negative effect for the Griz considering how major their homefield advantage is?

Stone: Absolutely not. To be blunt, Montana's been tested a lot more than SDSU has this season. They've played in bigger games than the Jackrabbits have in 2023.

Montana:

- Idaho

- Montana State

- Furman

- North Dakota State

South Dakota State:

- Montana State

- North Dakota State

In my opinion, playing a neutral site only has a positive effect on both of these teams because of how phenomenal these two fan bases are and how well they will travel.

Kevin: I don't think so. This is the national championship game and if you can't get up for that then turn in your stuff and go play soccer. 

Gene: The field may not be neutral. I expect it to lean towards the Jacks in Frisco. They should be riding this wave of dominance because with the amount of players leaving there is no guarantee they will be back. It will definitely have an effect, especially if the Griz get down early and they do not have the energy from the fans to charge them up.

Lucas: Maybe this is a recency bias opinion, but I think it could definitely have a negative effect. Think about the Furman game, the NDSU game – do the Griz win those if they aren’t at home? Washington Grizzly Stadium is one of the best atmospheres in the country and players as well as coaches openly said in pressers that the fans made a huge difference in both games. There’ll be a great contingent of Griz fans in Frisco, but it won’t be anything like WaGriz, obviously, and playing against the best team in the country will make it even harder.

Q: Is this year’s version of the Jackrabbits better, worse or the same as last year’s title squad?

Stone: This year's version is better. They only get more dangerous the more games they have under their belt together. Looking at it from Zach Lujan's (SDSU OC) perspective, having had Mark for as long as he has, they're tied to the hip. There's a lot to be said for your Quarterback understanding where you want to go with the football on important downs in the game. I would imagine there are situations in games where Mark could literally call the offense. To me, that goes unnoticed but makes this year's team that much better than in years past.

Kevin: Ask me that at around 6pm on Sunday 7 January. 

Gene: This year’s team is better because they don’t remember how to lose. That level of confidence is

hard to overcome.

Lucas: Any time you lose an NFL player (Tucker Kraft) it’s hard to imagine a team got better, but SDSU did. They retained the majority of all their top performers and the recipe for how they got better is obvious to see.

Q: Considering these two fan bases and the FCS title games you’ve been to, how do you expect this atmosphere to stack up to previous years?

Stone: I expect this year to be one of the best we've ever seen. Both schools have set attendance records this year. Both of these fanbases have not kept their mouths shut on social media. Both of these fanbases think their teams are the best thing since sliced bread. This one has the makings to be the best we've ever seen considering one of the teams has won 28 games in a row. Griz fans want nothing more than their team to spoil the party.

Kevin: This is going to be a hell of a lot of fun! With no dog in the fight I'm looking forward to interacting with fans of both schools. It is refreshing to see a new team down there this year. 

Gene: I believe this atmosphere should be on par with the vibe last season. Montana fans will be hyped up to be back in Frisco and the Jacks contingent will be flexing their muscles. It should be an extremely cordial environment.

Lucas: This will be my first time and I can’t wait – and I feel fortunate that this will be my first go at it. Not only is this the #1 vs. #2 matchup, but its two of the best FCS fan bases in the country. They will travel well, are hospitable and it’ll be a good time.

Q: Biggest key to a Griz victory?

Stone:

- Extend drives & keep SDSU's offense off the field

- Make it obvious Gronowski is going to have to beat you with his arm (load the box -

have numbers)

- 1 Play Drives, scoring in a hurry

- Get your skill players a certain amount of touches (Bergen & White)

Kevin:  Get turnovers and get Junior Bergen the ball in space. Get off of the field on 3rd down. The Griz need to hang around in this one and have a chance to win it in the 4th quarter. With the way SDSU can run the ball Montana can't afford to get too far behind because the Jacks can run the ball and shorten the game.

Gene: Quarterback, quarterback, quarterback! The Griz will go as far as the arm and legs of Clifton McDowell. He will need to keep that defense off balance, if they want to have a chance.

Lucas: Do not let SDSU hit you with a long play – know and TRUST your assignment. The Griz need to do everything possible to keep the momentum neutralized. One bomb to Jaxon Janke or one long run ripped off by Isaiah Davis and Jackrabbit fans will start to feel it, the team will start to play with increased swagger, and it could get ugly. The Griz need to make them work for it.

Q: Biggest key to a Jackrabbits win?

Stone:

- Establishing the run (what a novel concept)

- Mark to have at least 50+ rushing

- Win the turnover battle

- Suffocate Junior Bergen & Keelan White, don't allow them to get behind you

Kevin: Don't help Montana with turnovers. Be stubborn in the running game. Make Clifton McDowell beat you from the pocket. Don't allow Junior Bergen to have any return yards on kickoffs or punts. 

Gene: The run game. It does not matter what Montana does offensively, if they can not keep the rushing attack of the Jacks in check they are going to lose.

Lucas: I think SDSU needs to come with a new wrinkle in the title game. A different look out of a pass or run scheme that isn’t on film, something they can whip out for the first time and surprise the Griz with. ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is always discussed, but Bobby Hauck and his staff have shown a great ability in doing their homework this year and making adjustments this season, so mixing it up couldn’t hurt.  

Q: Looking at the current spread of Griz +12.5, how would you bet it if you were a betting man?

Stone: 12.5 is NOT a key number. 14.5 is playable for the Griz. I'm leaning under the 49.5 point total with how good these two defensive units are. Finding paydirt will be tough in this one. If the first quarter gets off to a slow start, both of these teams will realize what kind of game they're in and sink their teeth in. SDSU will want to keep

the ball on the ground and drag Montana into deep waters. Montana will only do what is asked of them and if that's matching a slow pace, so be it.

Kevin: It's a good spread. Will bring in money from both sides. 

Gene: 12.5 is tempting on both sides. Every time we doubt the Jacks covering they smoke the line. The fact that Montana has played so many close games, is this the game that the dam bursts? That may be what I ride with.

Lucas: It was originally two touchdowns which on a neutral field, #1 vs. #2 in the title game – I would have hammered that in favor of the Griz. That's a lot of points. But with the new spread, I still think the Griz cover. They'll lose by about 10 but win bettors money.

Q: Now for the money line, who wins? How you answered the previous question may already answer this question, but also add a score prediction here.

Stone: This game rides on Clifton McDowell's shoulders, if he is lights out they can win this thing. Although I think it could happen, I d on't think it does. South Dakota State wins 28-21.

Kevin: Nope. Y'all got to tune into the show to find that out. 

Gene: I predicted South Dakota State would repeat as champions immediately following their defeat of North Dakota State last season in the title game. There is no reason for me to feel any different. 35-17 Jacks!

Lucas: Give me SDSU winning 24-14. The defenses will be solid on both sides, as it has been all year, and the better team will gut out a few more points to repeat.