SOUTH DAKOTA STATE REPEATS AS NATIONAL CHAMPION
January 8, 2024
No. 1 South Dakota State used a dominant defense that caused three turnovers while their offense exploded for 16 points in the third quarter to beat No. 2 Montana, 23-3, in the FCS national championship game. It was the second straight title for the Jackrabbits who are now riding a 29-game winning streak. South Dakota State was ranked No. 1 for every AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll during the 2023 season.
Montana finishes at No. 2 with a 13-2 record and had to survive two straight overtime games to make the championship game. The Grizz are followed by No. 3 North Dakota State, who jumped four spots in the final poll thanks to their trip to the semifinals. Idaho and South Dakota both made it to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs and end the season tied at No. 4.
UAlbany made the biggest jump in the final Top 25, moving up eight places to No. 7. The Great Danes made the semifinals for the first time in school history and recorded 11 wins on the season, another program best. Florida A&M dropped five spots to No. 10 despite finishing the season at 12-1 with a victory over Howard in the Celebration Bowl.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Postseason Head Coach
1 South Dakota St. (23) 15-0 575 1 D. No. 2 Montana, 23-3, in championship Jimmy Rogers
2 Montana 13-2 552 2 Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 23-3, in championship Bobby Hauck
3 North Dakota St. 11-4 513 7 Lost to No. 2 Montana, 31-29 2OT, in semifinals Matt Entz
4t. Idaho 9-4 448 4 Lost to No. 15 UAlbany, 30-22, in quarterfinals Jason Eck
4t. South Dakota 10-3 448 3 Lost to No. 7 North Dakota St., 45-17, in quarterfinals Bob Nielson
6 Furman 10-3 447 6 Lost to No. 2 Montana, 35-28 OT, in quarterfinals Clay Hendrix
7 UAlbany 11-4 429 15 Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 59-0, in semifinals Greg Gattuso
8 Montana St. 8-4 411 8 Lost to No. 7 North Dakota St., 35-34 OT, in second round Brent Vigen
9 Villanova 10-3 407 9 Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 23-12, in quarterfinals Mark Ferrante
10 Florida A&M 12-1 400 5 D. Howard, 30-26, in Celebration Bowl Willie Simmons
11 Delaware 9-4 278 12 Lost to No. 2 Montana, 49-19, in second round Ryan Carty
12 Austin Peay 9-3 264 10 Lost to No. 19 Chattanooga, 24-21, in first round Scotty Walden
13 Southern Illinois 8-5 258 17 Lost to No. 4 Idaho, 20-17 OT, in second round Nick Hill
14 UIW 9-2 254 11 DNQ Playoffs Clint Killough
15 Sacramento St. 8-5 238 16 Lost to No. 3 South Dakota, 34-24, in second round Andy Thompson
16 North Dakota 7-5 223 14 Lost to No. 16 Sacramento St., 42-35, in first round Bubba Schweigert
17 Chattanooga 8-5 203 19 Lost to No. 6 Furman, 26-7, in second round Rusty Wright
18 North Carolina Central 9-3 185 13 Lost to No. 25 Richmond, 49-27, in first round Trei Oliver
19 Lafayette 9-3 178 18 Lost to No. 12 Delaware, 36-34, in first round John Troxell
20 Mercer 9-4 175 20 Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 41-0, in second round Drew Cronic
21 Youngstown St. 8-5 138 23 Lost to No. 9 Villanova, 45-28, in second round Doug Phillips
22 Richmond 9-4 130 25 Lost to No. 15 UAlbany, 41-13, in second round Russ Huesman
23 UT Martin 8-3 100 21 DNQ Playoffs Jason Simpson
24 Eastern Illinois 8-3 65 24 DNQ Playoffs Chris Wilkerson
25 Holy Cross 7-4 56 22 DNQ Playoffs Bob Chesney
Dropped Out: none
Others Receiving Votes: UC Davis, 28; Harvard, 14; Gardner-Webb, 11; Tarleton, 8; Central Arkansas, 7; Nicholls, 7; Western Carolina, 7; Illinois St., 6; Yale, 4; William & Mary, 3; Rhode Island, 2; Samford, 2; Bryant, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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No. 1 South Dakota State used a dominant defense that caused three turnovers while their offense exploded for 16 points in the third quarter to beat No. 2 Montana, 23-3, in the FCS national championship game. It was the second straight title for the Jackrabbits who are now riding a 29-game winning streak. South Dakota State was ranked No. 1 for every AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll during the 2023 season.
Montana finishes at No. 2 with a 13-2 record and had to survive two straight overtime games to make the championship game. The Grizz are followed by No. 3 North Dakota State, who jumped four spots in the final poll thanks to their trip to the semifinals. Idaho and South Dakota both made it to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs and end the season tied at No. 4.
UAlbany made the biggest jump in the final Top 25, moving up eight places to No. 7. The Great Danes made the semifinals for the first time in school history and recorded 11 wins on the season, another program best. Florida A&M dropped five spots to No. 10 despite finishing the season at 12-1 with a victory over Howard in the Celebration Bowl.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Postseason | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (23) | 15-0 | 575 | 1 | D. No. 2 Montana, 23-3, in championship | Jimmy Rogers | |
| 2 | Montana | 13-2 | 552 | 2 | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 23-3, in championship | Bobby Hauck | |
| 3 | North Dakota St. | 11-4 | 513 | 7 | Lost to No. 2 Montana, 31-29 2OT, in semifinals | Matt Entz | |
| 4t. | Idaho | 9-4 | 448 | 4 | Lost to No. 15 UAlbany, 30-22, in quarterfinals | Jason Eck | |
| 4t. | South Dakota | 10-3 | 448 | 3 | Lost to No. 7 North Dakota St., 45-17, in quarterfinals | Bob Nielson | |
| 6 | Furman | 10-3 | 447 | 6 | Lost to No. 2 Montana, 35-28 OT, in quarterfinals | Clay Hendrix | |
| 7 | UAlbany | 11-4 | 429 | 15 | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 59-0, in semifinals | Greg Gattuso | |
| 8 | Montana St. | 8-4 | 411 | 8 | Lost to No. 7 North Dakota St., 35-34 OT, in second round | Brent Vigen | |
| 9 | Villanova | 10-3 | 407 | 9 | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 23-12, in quarterfinals | Mark Ferrante | |
| 10 | Florida A&M | 12-1 | 400 | 5 | D. Howard, 30-26, in Celebration Bowl | Willie Simmons | |
| 11 | Delaware | 9-4 | 278 | 12 | Lost to No. 2 Montana, 49-19, in second round | Ryan Carty | |
| 12 | Austin Peay | 9-3 | 264 | 10 | Lost to No. 19 Chattanooga, 24-21, in first round | Scotty Walden | |
| 13 | Southern Illinois | 8-5 | 258 | 17 | Lost to No. 4 Idaho, 20-17 OT, in second round | Nick Hill | |
| 14 | UIW | 9-2 | 254 | 11 | DNQ Playoffs | Clint Killough | |
| 15 | Sacramento St. | 8-5 | 238 | 16 | Lost to No. 3 South Dakota, 34-24, in second round | Andy Thompson | |
| 16 | North Dakota | 7-5 | 223 | 14 | Lost to No. 16 Sacramento St., 42-35, in first round | Bubba Schweigert | |
| 17 | Chattanooga | 8-5 | 203 | 19 | Lost to No. 6 Furman, 26-7, in second round | Rusty Wright | |
| 18 | North Carolina Central | 9-3 | 185 | 13 | Lost to No. 25 Richmond, 49-27, in first round | Trei Oliver | |
| 19 | Lafayette | 9-3 | 178 | 18 | Lost to No. 12 Delaware, 36-34, in first round | John Troxell | |
| 20 | Mercer | 9-4 | 175 | 20 | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 41-0, in second round | Drew Cronic | |
| 21 | Youngstown St. | 8-5 | 138 | 23 | Lost to No. 9 Villanova, 45-28, in second round | Doug Phillips | |
| 22 | Richmond | 9-4 | 130 | 25 | Lost to No. 15 UAlbany, 41-13, in second round | Russ Huesman | |
| 23 | UT Martin | 8-3 | 100 | 21 | DNQ Playoffs | Jason Simpson | |
| 24 | Eastern Illinois | 8-3 | 65 | 24 | DNQ Playoffs | Chris Wilkerson | |
| 25 | Holy Cross | 7-4 | 56 | 22 | DNQ Playoffs | Bob Chesney |
Dropped Out: none
Others Receiving Votes: UC Davis, 28; Harvard, 14; Gardner-Webb, 11; Tarleton, 8; Central Arkansas, 7; Nicholls, 7; Western Carolina, 7; Illinois St., 6; Yale, 4; William & Mary, 3; Rhode Island, 2; Samford, 2; Bryant, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
