Football

Dec. 21, 2024

Montana State vs. South Dakota: 2024 FCS semifinal highlights

Dec. 21, 2024

Montana State defeated South Dakota 31-17 to advance the FCS finals, led by Walter Payton Award finalist Tommy Mellott. Watch the full game highlights here.

FARGO, N.D. — Bryce Lance caught three touchdown passes from Cam Miller, including a one-handed game winner, to give North Dakota State a 28-21 win over two-time defending national champion South Dakota State on Saturday and a berth in the FCS title game.

The second-seeded Bison (13-2) will take on the winner of top-seeded Montana State and No. 4 seed South Dakota, played later Saturday, for the championship on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas. NDSU, winner of nine FCS titles with its last coming in 2021, won its 20th straight home playoff game and beat the Jackrabbits for the second time this season. Those two teams and South Dakota tied for the Missouri Valley Football Conference title.

After the third-seeded Jackrabbits (12-3) tied the game at 21-all, the Bison drove 75 yards and scored with 4:18 remaining when Lance snagged a pass with his right hand and managed to get control and a foot down in the right corner of the end zone. The play was initially ruled as incomplete but overturned on review.

On South Dakota State’s final possession, Mark Gronowski was sacked on fourth-and-17 at the Jackrabbits’ 31.

The teams traded touchdowns in each of the first two quarters before both punting three times in the third quarter.

Miller found Lance deep for a 47-yard score early in the fourth and the Jackrabbits tied it midway through the period on Gronowski’s 14-yard pass to Grahm Goering.

Lance, brother of NFL quarterback Trey Lance, made six catches for 125 yards, his other TD coming on a 21-yarder. Miller was 13-of-19 for 179 yards and also rushed for 93 yards and a TD.

Gronowski was 14-of-25 passing for 204 yards and he also ran for a score. Amar Johnson rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.

FARGO, North Dakota – The second-seeded North Dakota State Bison will battle the third-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits today – Saturday, Dec. 21– at the Fargo Dome in Fargo, North Dakota. This game is available on multiple streaming services for free.

This game will broadcast live on ABC at 12 p.m. Eastern. (11 a.m. Central). Fans without cable can catch the game at no cost via FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both offer free trials. Another option is SlingTV, which has promotional offers for new customers.

This game will also stream on ESPN Plus. You can get a subscription to ESPN Plus for $11.99 per month. Another option is to sign up for an annual subscription for $119.99, which saves about 17% off compared to the monthly route.

Watch North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State on FuboTV for free

Watch North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State for free on DirecTV Stream

Who is announcing North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State?

Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Sam Acho (analyst) will be the announcers while Taylor Davis reports from the sidelines.

What are the latest odds for North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State?

Spread: NDSU: (+3.5), SDSU: (-3.5)

Moneyline: NDSU: (+136), SDSU: (-162)

Point total: 48.5

Odds from DraftKings

Here’s more information on how to watch this game on TV and streaming services.

What: College football FBS national semifinal: North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State

When: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024

Time: 12 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. Central)

Where: Fargo Dome | Fargo, North Dakota

Channel: ABC

Best streaming options: FuboTV (free trial and $30 off first month), DirecTV Stream (free trial), Sling TV (half off first month and ESPN Plus

Cable Channel Finder: AT&T U-Verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios

Here is more information on North Dakota State’s performance in the quarterfinals from the AP:

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Cam Miller threw three touchdown passes, ran for another and second-seeded North Dakota State blew past a 14-point deficit to beat 15th-seeded Abilene Christian 51-31 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

The Bison (11-2), in the FCS playoffs for a 15th straight season and winner of nine FCS titles, will host seventh-seeded Mercer in the quarterfinals.

Abilene Christian (9-5) took a 17-3 lead on a 13-yard TD pass from Maverick McIvor to J.J. Henry, a 90-yard run by Sam Hicks and a Ritse Vaes 29-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

The Bison then took over, starting with Jackson Williams’ 100-yard kickoff return to start a run of 31 consecutive points, 17 coming in the second quarter for a 20-17 halftime lead.

The scoring streak ended when Nehemiah Martinez’s 53-yard return helped set up Hicks’ 3-yard score to get the Wildcats within 34-24. But the Bison matched that TD on their ensuing drive on Miller’s 36-yard connection with Bryce Lance to cap their 21-point third quarter.

Again, the Wildcats got within 10 early in the fourth quarter on Rovaughn Banks Jr.’s 2-yard TD run. But NDSU’s Marcus Gulley returned an interception 37 yards to the ACU 9 and the Crosa kicked a field goal and Logan Kopp followed with a 31-yard pick-6.

Miller was 20 of 29 for 274 yards passing.

McIvor threw for 153 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Hicks ran for 153 yards on 16 carries.

ACU, champion of the United Athletic Conference, was in its first FCS playoffs since joining the classification in 2013, and beat Northern Arizona in its first-round game.

Crosa has made his 262nd career PAT to pass NDSU’s Cam Pederson (2015-18) and set an FCS record.