South Dakota
South Dakota State football vs. Montana: preview, prediction for FCS national championship game
When South Dakota State’s seniors take the field at Toyota Stadium for the FCS national championship game against Montana on Sunday, they’ll take a moment to soak it all in.
The Jackrabbits are led by a group of sixth-year seniors who will be playing their final game in an SDSU jersey with a chance to win the program’s second consecutive national title.
“We’re blessed to be in this position, and we just want to take it in and absorb (it),” South Dakota State offensive lineman Mason McCormick said. “For me and some other guys, this is kind of our last hurrah, so we just want to take it all in.”
Knowing what to expect during the trip to Frisco is an advantage. The Jackrabbits will likely feel more comfortable playing on the biggest stage in the FCS since they’ve been there twice in the past two years. Montana has not made it to the title game since 2009.
More: What to know about the Montana Grizzlies, South Dakota State football’s FCS title game opponent
But Jimmy Rogers will be making his first trip to Frisco as SDSU’s head coach. He was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator last season.
“It’s a special moment to look at and take the time to reflect that it is my first year, but I didn’t get in coaching to make it about myself,” Rogers. “My emotions stem from the experiences that our players have, and I’m blessed to be the head coach here and blessed to coach this team with the roster that’s in place.”
Montana is enjoying its own magical season, going 13-1 en route to its first national championship game appearance since 2009. The Griz have scored more than 30 points in each playoff game and won their last two in overtime. They’ll be playing for their third national title on Sunday in their eighth appearance in the championship game. The program is undefeated against the Jackrabbits in eight matchups. Montana knocked South Dakota State out of the playoffs the last time the two sides met back in 2015.
Here’s the tale of the tape between South Dakota State and Montana before Sunday’s national championship game:
SDSU (14-0, 8-0) vs Montana (13-1, 7-1)
When: Sunday, Jan. 7
Where: Frisco, Texas
TV/Radio: ABC, ESPN+/Jackrabbit Sports Network
What’s at stake?: History.
The Jackrabbits have accumulated the most talent, certainly in program history but maybe in FCS history, on their roster this season and have had the most successful season in program history. They went undefeated in the regular season for the first time and have won 28 consecutive games entering Sunday’s matchup with Montana.
A national championship would be the cherry on top of a perfect season for South Dakota State.
More: 5 numbers to know for the FCS title game between South Dakota State football and Montana
Who’s better?: South Dakota State. While Montana has looked impressive in the playoffs, their offense was largely mediocre in the regular season. They ranked 21 in rushing offense and are outside the top 50 in passing.
Where the Griz shine is on defense. They rank fifth in scoring defense, seventh in interceptions, 12th in rushing defense and 13th in sacks.
But the Jackrabbits are better on that end too.
SDSU ranks first in scoring defense, total defense, tackles for a loss, red zone defense and second in interceptions and rushing defense.
Matchup to watch: The matchup to watch in this one is the battle in the trenches between the South Dakota State offensive line and the Montana defensive line.
Similar to Villanova, the Griz’s defensive line plays an aggressive style with a lot of shifting to create mayhem at the line of scrimmage. That approach has worked for them thus far.
Montana ranked 13th in sacks with 34, led by edge rusher Riley Wilson who has 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss.
SDSU wins if: They’re able to execute at the same level we’ve seen all season long. SDSU has proven to be the top team in all the FCS, and they’ve been here before. That experience should help them settle any nerves before such a big game.
Prediction: SDSU, 28-14. The Jacks go back-to-back.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31
South Dakota
SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 7, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 7 drawing
17-18-30-50-68, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 7 drawing
06-08-17-18-45, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from March 7 drawing
01-02-06-22-26
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 7 drawing
10-32-45-53-54, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South Dakota
South Dakota’s first astronaut makes pit stop in Madison
MADISON, S.D. — When a space shuttle blasts off, 6.5 million pounds of thrust propel it to the heavens, where it reaches 17,500 miles per hour in just over eight and a half minutes, traveling roughly 5 miles every beat of the heart.
This was one of the many fascinating and somewhat terrifying facts presented by NASA astronaut Charles Gemar during his Feb. 24 presentation for the Lake County National History Club, a dedicated group of high schoolers working with the Lake County Museum. The event was part of the club’s Time Traveler’s Symposium, with its president Grace Blessinger saying Gemar was an ideal guest as he’s the first astronaut to hail from South Dakota.
Raised in Scotland, South Dakota, Gemar has flown on three different space shuttle missions, logging over 580 hours in space during an 11-year career with NASA from 1985-1996. Gemar said that even at 70 years old with decades to reflect, he’s still working to fully appreciate just how special of an opportunity he received.
“I always knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be an astronaut. I just never shared that because who’s going to believe that? You’re from South Dakota,” Gemar said.
Gemar explained that his journey began with his enlistment in the U.S. Army in 1973, which led to him attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and eventually earning the titles of Army officer and pilot. In 1985, he was selected as one of 13 NASA astronaut candidates, though he noted that being named a candidate is simply the first step in a long and intense training period.
Contributed / NASA, S85-41894
This entailed two years of general astronaut training, including mountain and water survival exercises, learning thousands of spacecraft systems and switches along with spending 45 hours per quarter flying the supersonic T-38 jet and more. Gemar noted this demanding routine did its best to simulate the harsh, unforgiving nature of space, yet nothing can truly prepare you for the real thing.
Gemar’s first flight came in November 1990, where he served on the five-man crew of STS-38, which conducted a classified operation for the U.S. Department of Defense. The shuttle made 80 orbits around the Earth in 117 hours, safely landing back at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center five days after launch.
He noted the day before launch is one of the hardest, as the astronauts are forced to quarantine to limit the possibility of in-flight illness, though they are permitted a final meal with limited family prior to takeoff. This day is often emotionally tense, he added, with the astronauts attempting to mentally prepare for space flight, while the families reckon with the inherent risk of seeing their loved ones shot into space.
“When I flew my first flight, one in 15 astronauts had lost their life in the performance of their duties. Those are pretty tough odds,” Gemar remarked.
Despite the danger, Gemar and the rest of his team strapped themselves in for the trip of a lifetime, pushing away any apprehension that might affect them from achieving their mission.
“Flying in space requires a level of confidence that almost borders on narcissism,” Gemar explained. “You have to believe you can strap 600 million pounds of thrust to your back, go to space, come home safely and get the girl at the end.”
The first time he saw his home planet from the vantage point of space was deeply humbling, Gemar said, adding how the one emotion he wasn’t prepared for was “this overwhelming feeling of insignificance.”
Contributed / NASA s38-s-040
“All of humanity is back there. There’s just the five of you in space,” Gemar stated.
While it may be isolated, life in space is anything but slow, as there were countless maintenance tasks, health precautions and scientific experiments to keep the astronauts occupied. He added that the work and view may be daunting, but it’s also breathtaking. Gemar described the beauty of seeing auroras from space, the awe of recognizing landmarks like the Black Hills, Mississippi River Delta and even the clouds of smoke from active volcanoes.
Gemar flew in two more space shuttle missions in 1991 and 1994, the second of which was the second longest space mission to date. This was STS-62, where on this mission alone, 60 experiments or investigations were conducted across a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines, including materials science, human physiology, biotechnology, protein crystal growth, robotics, structural dynamics, atmospheric ozone monitoring and more.
Gemar and his crew spent 13 days, 23 hours and 16 minutes in space throughout the mission, orbiting the Earth 224 times and traveling a collective distance of 5.8 million miles.
Following his presentation, Gemar answered some general questions about space travel before offering some advice to students on the importance of following your goals and working with others to make them a reality.
“Nobody does this on their own. If there’s something you want to do, let somebody know,” Gemar said, adding that people often talk themselves out of opportunities and are too prepared to take no for an answer.
Gemar’s message on the importance of community is shared in the mission of the Lake County History Club, which attempts to inspire students to rally together in their love of history.
Contributed / NASA 9802877
“We just grew this group of great kids who were really interested in history,” club president Grace Blessinger, who founded the group three years ago, remarked.
Blessinger and vice president JayLynn Mackert said the club’s guest speakers have been incredible thus far, as prior to Gemar, the group hosted Holocaust survivor Ben Lesser last year in another well-attended event. The duo thanked their sponsors and the Lake County Museum for their continued success, with Mackert noting that it gives community members a chance for experiences they may never have otherwise.
“I think it provides a lot of sort of firsthand understand of things that you don’t get from textbooks because, you know, you can read about wars all you want, but hearing from a Holocaust survivor is really different,” Blessinger noted.
“We definitely wouldn’t be able to do it without the community,” Mackert added. “No one’s forced to be here, so when we walk into a room full of 150 people, we know that everyone around us wants to be there.”
South Dakota
SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 6, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 6, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 6 drawing
08-19-26-38-42, Mega Ball: 24
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 6 drawing
04-10-29-48-50, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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