South Dakota

What to know about the Montana Grizzlies, South Dakota State football’s FCS title game opponent

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2024

What to know about the Montana Grizzlies, South Dakota State football’s FCS title game opponent

South Dakota State football will take on Montana with a chance to repeat as FCS national champions on Sunday. It’ll be the Jackrabbits’ third national championship game appearance in program history while the Grizz will be playing for their third national title.

It will be Montana’s seventh appearance in the FCS/I-AA national championship game.

Here’s everything you need to know about Montana heading into Sunday’s FCS title game.

Coaching pedigree

Bobby Hauck became the 37th head football coach at the University of Montana, his second stint with the program, on Nov. 30, 2017. The 2023 campaign was his fifth year as the Grizzlies head coach this time around and his 17th overall year as a college football head coach.

He began his coaching career with the Grizzlies in 1988 after earning a bachelor’s degree in business and physical education at Montana in 1987.

Hauck’s first tenure as head coach at Montana was from 2003-2009 when he won more games than any other coach in FCS football, led the Grizzlies to three national championship appearances and won seven-consecutive Big Sky Conference championships.

His winning percentage of 82% was the highest in the FCS at the time, and he led Montana to three perfect seasons in Big Sky play, winning at least a share of the conference title in each of his seven seasons.

From 2010-2014 Hauck served as head coach and special teams coordinator at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. In 2015 he left UNLV to accept a special teams coordinator position at San Diego State under legendary head coach Rocky Long.

Hauck returned to his alma mater in 2017 after eight years away.

In 2018, Hauck became the winningest coach in Montana history, surpassing Don Read, with 86 wins in eight seasons. Hauck is also the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history, surpassing former NAU coach and longtime Montana assistant Jerome Souers’ career total of 123 with a win over Sacramento State in 2023.

The quarterback is a playmaker

Senior quarterback Clifton McDowell entered fall camp hoping to just compete for the starting job, but by Montana’s third conference game, he was the undisputed No. 1 QB.

A fifth-year player, McDowell previously played for Louisiana, Kilgore and Central Arkansas. In high school, he was regarded as the 34th-best dual quarterback in the class of 2019.

This season McDowell helped lead Montana to the 68th best passing offense in the FCS – the Grizz passed for 196.8 yards per game – and the 21st ranked rushing offense. He averaged 132.9 passing yards per game, 53.6 rushing yards per game and he finished the season with 13 passing touchdowns and nine rushing touchdowns.

McDowell’s best game of Montana’s playoff run was against Furman in the quarterfinals when he threw for 208 yards and rushed for 118.

University of Montana football history

Montana has been a perennial Big Sky contender, but Sunday will mark their first trip back to the national championship game since 2009.

The Grizz have won 18 conference championships and finished as runners-up on 13 occasions. Montana has finished either first or second in the Big Sky in 30 of the league’s 58 seasons.

The Grizz have played in a total of seven national title games and won two of them, in 1995 and 2001. Montana has made the playoffs 26 times; they’ve played in the quarterfinals 14 times and made the semifinals 10 times.

How the Grizz have fared this season

The Grizz ended the regular season with a 10-1 record and a 7-1 conference record.

They notched wins over four ranked opponents including No. 18 UC Davis, No. 3 Idaho, No. 7 Sacramento State, and No. 4 Montana State.

Montana has showcased some late-game heroics during their run to the FCS title game, winning in overtime during the quarterfinals against Furman and knocking off North Dakota State in the semifinals in a double OT thriller.

Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 5, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 5 drawing

17-20-23-30-33, Bonus: 05

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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South Dakota

DOE selects nine school districts for 2026 South Dakota Perkins Reserve grant

Published

17 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

DOE selects nine school districts for 2026 South Dakota Perkins Reserve grant

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Nine school districts have been selected as recipients of the 2026 Perkins Reserve Grant by the South Dakota Department of Education.

The grant provides major equipment upgrades for Career and Technical Education programs, helping to equip students with the skills and experiences needed for post-secondary education and the workforce.

“CTE programs are constantly evolving to match the pace of workforce needs,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Joseph Graves.

“The South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grant aids schools in equipping students with current technologies, resources, and tools, offering students a realistic, hands-on learning experience that will strengthen their marketability to colleges or employers once they leave the K-12 education system.”

The following school districts have been named as the 2026 recipients:

Aberdeen School District:
- Awarded $30,233 for new precision machine equipment for the manufacturing program.
De Smet School District:
- Awarded $15,898 for modernizing metal fabrication within agriculture programs.
Lake Preston School District:
- Awarded $43,160 for expansion of program offers in multiple career clusters to strengthen industrial alignment.
McLaughlin School District:
- Awarded $11,997 to purchase equipment to offer a new culinary arts program.
Menno School District:
- Awarded $32,844 to purchase small engines and attend professional development opportunities to enhance the agricultural mechanics program.
Mitchell School District:
- Awarded $38,663 for the modernization of the automotive technology lab.
Timber Lake School District:
- Awarded $42,400 for the expansion of agriculture course offerings to strengthen industry alignment.
Wakpala School District:
- Awarded $40,145 to purchase a skid steer simulator to enhance the agriculture and construction program.
Wolsey-Wessington School District:
- Awarded $26,201 to purchase industry-aligned equipment to enhance the agriculture and construction program.

You can learn more about the South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grant at doe.sd.gov.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 4, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing

07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 4 drawing

33-38-39-47-51, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from March 4 drawing

02-18-22-30-32

Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 4 drawing

12-13-36-39-58, 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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