FARMINGTON, Utah (Jan. 4, 2024) – Montana seeks its first national title in over 20 years, as the second-seeded Grizzlies take on top-seeded and defending national champion South Dakota State on Sunday, Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas. Below are news and notes as we prepare for Sunday's showdown in Frisco.
Big Sky Football Weekly Notebook (FCS Playoffs: Championship Game)
Previewing the National Championship Game
Montana and South Dakota State face off for the FCS national title on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 12:00 p.m. MT, with the game being played at Toyota Stadium and kicking off at 12:00 p.m. MT. The championship game will air on ABC.
The Jackrabbits are the defending national champions and are on a 28-game winning streak. SDSU has outscored its first three 2023 playoff opponents by a combined 123-12 with a pair of shutouts in posting wins over Mercer (41-0), Villanova (23-12) and UAlbany (59-0).
Montana has won 10-straight games with seven of those wins coming against ranked opponents and five against top-10 teams, including beating then-No. 3 Idaho on the road, No. 7 Sacramento State, and No. 4 Montana State to cap the regular season. Delaware was ranked No. 11, Furman No. 7, and North Dakota State No. 8.
The two football programs have faced off eight times in their history, with the Griz owning an 8-0 mark and the last meeting coming in the 2015 playoffs.
Griz Players to Watch
Quarterback Clifton McDowell, a Texas native, earned the 2023 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year Award after going undefeated as a starter in his first season at Montana (now at 11-0). He set a record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in modern program history this year, currently with 751 total yards.
Junior Bergen has been electric for the Griz this postseason run, after returning two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns. Bergen now holds the school record and is tied for the Big Sky mark for most career punt return touchdowns with five.
Montana's History in the National Title Game
Montana will play in its eighth national championship game in school history when the Grizzlies kickoff this Sunday against South Dakota State, which is now tied for the second-most in FCS history.
Montana Is 2-5 overall in national championship games, with its last appearance prior to this season coming in 2009 against Villanova. The Griz own the 2001 and 1995 championships, with victories over Furman (13-7) and Marshall (22-20).
Most Championship Game Appearances by Team
School - Appearances (Most Recent Appearance)
1. North Dakota State - 10 (2022)
T2. Montana - 8 (2024)
T2. Georgia Southern - 8 (2000)
4. Youngstown State - 7 (2016)
5. Marshall - 6 (1996)
Big Sky History in the National Title Game
With Montana punching its ticket to Frisco, the Big Sky will now have 16 appearances overall in the national title game. That total is tied for the second-most of any FCS conference with the SoCon. The Missouri Valley Football Conference leads all leagues with 19 total appearances.
The Big Sky is 6-9 in its last 15 national championship game appearances, with Montana State having the last result following the 2021 season. The league is 1-3 in Frisco, Texas, while sporting a 1-4 mark in Chattanooga, Tennessee (the previous national championship game location). Additionally, the Big Sky has won national championship games in Huntington, West Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina, Wichita Falls, Texas and Sacramento, California.
Big Sky’s History in Championship Game (6-9)
Season: Big Sky vs. Opponent - Result (Location)
2023: Montana vs. South Dakota State - ??? (Frisco, TX)
2021: Montana State vs. North Dakota State - L/10-38 (Frisco, TX)
2018: Eastern Washington vs. North Dakota State - L/24-38 (Frisco, TX)
2010: Eastern Washington vs. Delaware - W/20-19 (Frisco, TX)
2009: Montana vs. Villanova - L/23-31 (Chattanooga, TN)
2008: Montana vs. Richmond - L/7-24 (Chattanooga, TN)
2004: Montana vs. James Madison - L/21-31 (Chattanooga, TN)
2001: Montana vs. Furman W/13-6 (Chattanooga, TN)
2000: Montana vs. Georgia Southern - L/25-27 (Chattanooga, TN)
1996: Montana vs. Marshall - L/29-49 (Huntington, WV)
1995: Montana vs. Marshall - W/22-20 (Huntington, WV)
1994: Boise State vs. Youngstown State - L/14-28 (Huntington, WV)
1990: Nevada vs. Georgia Southern - L/13-36 (Statesboro, GA)
1984: Montana State vs. LA Tech - W/19-6 (Charleston, SC)
1981: Idaho State vs. Eastern Kentucky - W/34-23 (Wichita Falls, TX)
1980: Boise State vs. Eastern Kentucky - W/31-29 (Sacramento, CA)
Big Sky’s Eschelman to Co-Host 2023 Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet
The Big Sky Conference and Stats Perform FCS are proud to announce that Alex Eschelman will be co-hosting the 2023 Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet, presented by FedEx Ground, as she joins long-time contributor and former Northwestern State All-American linebacker Gary Reasons for the show.
The 2023 Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet will be held in Frisco, Texas, on Saturday, Jan. 6, the night before the national championship game which features Montana facing off against defending champion South Dakota State.
Highlighting the annual event are the announcements of the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan awards for the 2023 national offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively.
Also honored are the winners of three other awards that were announced previously: Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year; Montana’s Eli Gillman); Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year; South Dakota State’s Jimmy Rogers) and FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award (Montana State’s Tommy Mellott).
Bally Sports will begin showing a taping of the banquet on Sunday, Jan. 7, with over 155 airings planned across 14 different regional networks.
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Upcoming Big Sky Football Schedule
Sunday, Jan. 7
#2 Montana vs. #1 South Dakota State // 12:00 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+)
Rankings are National Seeds
All game times formatted in Mountain Time (MT)