SOUTH DAKOTA STATE WINS FIRST NATIONAL TITLE AND ENDS THE 2022 SEASON AT NO. 1
January 9, 2023
The South Dakota State offense scored on six of its first seven offensive possessions, and the defense caused three turnovers as the Jackrabbits won their first FCS National Championship in dominating fashion, beating rival North Dakota State, 45-21. South Dakota State ended the season with 14 straight wins, finishing at 14-1 and the No. 1 spot in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bison finish at No. 2 with a 12-3 record.
UIW, who had a historic run to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs, rises four places to finish at No. 3. Sacramento State, who had a wild shootout loss to UIW in the quarterfinals, drops a couple of spots to No. 4. Montana State, who also made it to the semifinals for a second straight season, rounds out the top five.
Jackson State had the biggest fall in the final poll, dropping six spots to No. 11 after its overtime loss to No. 17 North Carolina Central in the Celebration Bowl. Southeastern Louisiana rose four spots to No. 19 thanks to their second-round playoff run while Delaware re-entered the Top 25 at No. 24t after a second round appearance against the new national champions. North Dakota was the only team that fell out of the poll. The Fighting Hawks lost to Weber State in the first round and finished at 7-5 on the season.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Post-season Head Coach
1 South Dakota St. (26) 14-1 650 1 D. No. 4 North Dakota St., 45-21, in championship John Stiegelmeier
2 North Dakota St. 12-3 622 4 Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 45-21, in championshp Matt Entz
3 UIW 12-2 565 7 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 35-32, in semifinals G.J. Kinne
4 Sacramento St. 12-1 558 2 Lost to No. 7 UIW, 66-63, in quarterfinals Troy Taylor
5 Montana St. 12-2 545 3 Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 39-18, in semifinals Brent Vigen
6 Holy Cross 12-1 512 6 Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 42-21, in quarterfinals Bob Chesney
7 Samford 11-2 472 9 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 27-9, in quarterfinals Chris Hatcher
8 William & Mary 11-2 445 8 Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 55-7, in quarterfinals Mike London
9 Weber St. 10-3 432 10 Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 33-25, in second round Jay Hill
10 Furman 10-3 419 11 Lost to No. 7 UIW, 41-38, in second round Clay Hendrix
11 Jackson St. 12-1 364 5 Lost to No. 21 N.C. Central, 41-34 OT, in Celebration Bowl Deion Sanders
12 Richmond 9-4 325 14 Lost to No. 2 Sacramento St., 38-31, in second round Russ Huesman
13 Southeast Missouri St. 9-3 294 12 Lost to No. 17 Montana, 34-24, in first round Tom Matukewicz
14 Montana 8-5 284 17 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 49-26, in second round Bobby Hauck
15 New Hampshire 9-4 276 16 Lost to No. 6 Holy Cross, 35-19, in second round Rick Santos
16 Fordham 9-3 262 13 Lost to No. 16 New Hampshire, 52-42, in first round Joe Conlin
17 North Carolina Central 10-2 247 21 D. No. 5 Jackson St., 41-34 OT, in Celebration Bowl Trei Oliver
18 Elon 8-4 210 15 Lost to No. 11 Furman, 31-6, in first round Tony Trisciani
19 Southeastern Louisiana 9-4 208 23 Lost to No. 9 Samford, 48-42 OT, in second round Frank Scelfo
20 St. Thomas (Minn.) 10-1 120 19 DNQ Playoffs Glenn Caruso
21 Mercer 7-4 105 18 DNQ Playoffs Drew Cronic
22 Idaho 7-5 100 24t Lost to No. 23 Southeastern Louisiana, 45-42, in first round Jason Eck
23 Florida A&M 9-2 84 20 DNQ Playoffs Willie Simmons
24t. Delaware 8-5 69 NR Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 42-6, in second round Ryan Carty
24t. Chattanooga 7-4 69 22 DNQ Playoffs Rusty Wright
Dropped Out: North Dakota (24t)
Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota, 66; Gardner-Webb, 46; Yale, 35; UT Martin, 16; Austin Peay, 12; Princeton, 12; UC Davis, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 5; Pennsylvania, 4; St. Francis (Pa.), 4; North Carolina A&T, 3; Eastern Kentucky, 2; Youngstown St., 2.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
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The South Dakota State offense scored on six of its first seven offensive possessions, and the defense caused three turnovers as the Jackrabbits won their first FCS National Championship in dominating fashion, beating rival North Dakota State, 45-21. South Dakota State ended the season with 14 straight wins, finishing at 14-1 and the No. 1 spot in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bison finish at No. 2 with a 12-3 record.
UIW, who had a historic run to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs, rises four places to finish at No. 3. Sacramento State, who had a wild shootout loss to UIW in the quarterfinals, drops a couple of spots to No. 4. Montana State, who also made it to the semifinals for a second straight season, rounds out the top five.
Jackson State had the biggest fall in the final poll, dropping six spots to No. 11 after its overtime loss to No. 17 North Carolina Central in the Celebration Bowl. Southeastern Louisiana rose four spots to No. 19 thanks to their second-round playoff run while Delaware re-entered the Top 25 at No. 24t after a second round appearance against the new national champions. North Dakota was the only team that fell out of the poll. The Fighting Hawks lost to Weber State in the first round and finished at 7-5 on the season.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (26) | 14-1 | 650 | 1 | D. No. 4 North Dakota St., 45-21, in championship | John Stiegelmeier | |
| 2 | North Dakota St. | 12-3 | 622 | 4 | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 45-21, in championshp | Matt Entz | |
| 3 | UIW | 12-2 | 565 | 7 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 35-32, in semifinals | G.J. Kinne | |
| 4 | Sacramento St. | 12-1 | 558 | 2 | Lost to No. 7 UIW, 66-63, in quarterfinals | Troy Taylor | |
| 5 | Montana St. | 12-2 | 545 | 3 | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 39-18, in semifinals | Brent Vigen | |
| 6 | Holy Cross | 12-1 | 512 | 6 | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 42-21, in quarterfinals | Bob Chesney | |
| 7 | Samford | 11-2 | 472 | 9 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 27-9, in quarterfinals | Chris Hatcher | |
| 8 | William & Mary | 11-2 | 445 | 8 | Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 55-7, in quarterfinals | Mike London | |
| 9 | Weber St. | 10-3 | 432 | 10 | Lost to No. 3 Montana St., 33-25, in second round | Jay Hill | |
| 10 | Furman | 10-3 | 419 | 11 | Lost to No. 7 UIW, 41-38, in second round | Clay Hendrix | |
| 11 | Jackson St. | 12-1 | 364 | 5 | Lost to No. 21 N.C. Central, 41-34 OT, in Celebration Bowl | Deion Sanders | |
| 12 | Richmond | 9-4 | 325 | 14 | Lost to No. 2 Sacramento St., 38-31, in second round | Russ Huesman | |
| 13 | Southeast Missouri St. | 9-3 | 294 | 12 | Lost to No. 17 Montana, 34-24, in first round | Tom Matukewicz | |
| 14 | Montana | 8-5 | 284 | 17 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 49-26, in second round | Bobby Hauck | |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 9-4 | 276 | 16 | Lost to No. 6 Holy Cross, 35-19, in second round | Rick Santos | |
| 16 | Fordham | 9-3 | 262 | 13 | Lost to No. 16 New Hampshire, 52-42, in first round | Joe Conlin | |
| 17 | North Carolina Central | 10-2 | 247 | 21 | D. No. 5 Jackson St., 41-34 OT, in Celebration Bowl | Trei Oliver | |
| 18 | Elon | 8-4 | 210 | 15 | Lost to No. 11 Furman, 31-6, in first round | Tony Trisciani | |
| 19 | Southeastern Louisiana | 9-4 | 208 | 23 | Lost to No. 9 Samford, 48-42 OT, in second round | Frank Scelfo | |
| 20 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 10-1 | 120 | 19 | DNQ Playoffs | Glenn Caruso | |
| 21 | Mercer | 7-4 | 105 | 18 | DNQ Playoffs | Drew Cronic | |
| 22 | Idaho | 7-5 | 100 | 24t | Lost to No. 23 Southeastern Louisiana, 45-42, in first round | Jason Eck | |
| 23 | Florida A&M | 9-2 | 84 | 20 | DNQ Playoffs | Willie Simmons | |
| 24t. | Delaware | 8-5 | 69 | NR | Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 42-6, in second round | Ryan Carty | |
| 24t. | Chattanooga | 7-4 | 69 | 22 | DNQ Playoffs | Rusty Wright |
Dropped Out: North Dakota (24t)
Others Receiving Votes: North Dakota, 66; Gardner-Webb, 46; Yale, 35; UT Martin, 16; Austin Peay, 12; Princeton, 12; UC Davis, 6; Stephen F. Austin, 5; Pennsylvania, 4; St. Francis (Pa.), 4; North Carolina A&T, 3; Eastern Kentucky, 2; Youngstown St., 2.
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.
