The 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a college football game played on January 7, 2024, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game determined the national champion of NCAA Division I FCS for the 2023 season. The game featured the two finalists of the 24-team playoff bracket, which began on November 25, 2023.[3] The game begin at approximately 1:00 p.m. CST and was broadcast on ABC and ESPN+.[4]
| 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| FCS National Championship Game | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 7, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Toyota Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Frisco, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Mark Gronowski (QB, South Dakota State)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | South Dakota State by 12.5[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Gary Leeper | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 19,512 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC, ESPN+ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Canada: TSN+ | ||||||||||||||||||||
Defending champion South Dakota State repeated as FCS champions by defeating Montana, 23–3.[5] It was the Jackrabbits' 29th consecutive victory.[5]
Teams edit
South Dakota State edit
South Dakota State played to a 11–0 regular-season record; their narrowest victory was a 20–16 win over Montana State on September 9. Seeded No. 1 in the FCS playoffs, the Jackrabbits received a first-round bye, then defeated Mercer, Villanova, and Albany, by a combined score of 123–12, to advance to the championship game.[6]
South Dakota State previously appeared in two FCS championship games—they were champions of the 2022 season (2023 game) and runners-up of the 2020 season (2021 game).
Montana edit
Montana played to a 10–1 regular-season record; their only loss was to Northern Arizona in September. Seeded No. 2 in the FCS playoffs, the Grizzlies received a first-round bye, then defeated Delaware, Furman, and North Dakota State to advance to the championship game. Their latter two wins both went into overtime.[7]
Montana previously appeared in seven FCS championship games, winning two and losing five; their most recent appearance was in 2009 (December), and they last won in 2001.
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Montana head coach Bobby Hauck -
South Dakota State head coach Jimmy Rogers -
South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski
Game summary edit
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 Montana | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 1 South Dakota State | 7 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 23 |
Statistics edit
| Statistic | Montana | South Dakota State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 17 |
| First downs rushing | 6 | 8 |
| First downs passing | 10 | 8 |
| First downs penalty | 1 | 1 |
| Third down efficiency | 4/16 | 4/11 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 2/5 | 0/0 |
| Total plays–net yards | 76–259 | 55–363 |
| Rushing attempts–net yards | 30–47 | 34–188 |
| Yards per rush | 1.6 | 5.5 |
| Yards passing | 212 | 175 |
| Pass completions–attempts (percent) |
28–46 (61%) |
13–21 (62%) |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 1 |
| Punt returns–total yards | 1–6 | 1–0 |
| Kickoff returns–total yards | 5–114 | 1–23 |
| Punts–average yardage | 6–40.7 | 6–38.7 |
| Fumbles–lost | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties–yards | 6–34 | 6–35 |
| Time of possession | 29:50 | 30:10 |
References edit
- ^ @DomIzzoWDAY (January 7, 2024). "#NDSU AD Matt Larsen presents Mark Gronowski with his FCS Most Outstanding Performance trophy" (Tweet). Retrieved January 7, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ McKinnell, Zach (January 5, 2024). "2024 FCS National Championship Preview & Prediction: South Dakota State vs. Montana". Sports Illustrated FCS Football News, Analysis and More. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ "Road to the Championship". ncaa.com. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- ^ "ABC to Broadcast 2024 FCS Championship Game from Frisco". bigskyconf.com. September 5, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "South Dakota State repeats as FCS champs with 29th consecutive win, 23-3 over Montana". apnews.com. AP. January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ "Gronowski, South Dakota State return to FCS title game after 59-0 rout of Albany in semifinals". MSN.com. AP. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ^ "Frisco bound! Montana races into FCS title game with wild double-OT victory over North Dakota State". montanasports.com. December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ "South Dakota State 23-3 Montana | Game Stats". ESPN.com. January 7, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "MON 3, SDS 23 - FINAL". statbroadcast.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
External links edit
- Game statistics at statbroadcast.com