FCS playoffs

South Dakota St. 39, Montana St. 18

Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third and top-seeded South Dakota State dominated fourth-seeded Montana State on a frozen field Saturday in the FCS semifinals.

The Jackrabbits (13-1), who have won 13 straight, head to Texas next month for a Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown with third-seeded North Dakota State (12-2). SDSU beat the defending national champion Bison 23-21 on Oct. 15.

Gronowski led South Dakota State to touchdowns on its first five drives with a balanced offense that had 281 yards rushing and 192 passing.

On the other side, the Jackrabbits' nation-best rushing defense (85.4 yards a game) held the nation's best rushing offense (331.8) to 52 yards.

The game started with the temperature at 10 degrees and the wind chill at minus-7. It was the coldest game ever played at South Dakota State.

It was the third straight semifinal for the two teams. SDSU avenged a 31-17 loss last year at MSU.

The teams swapped touchdowns on their opening drives and then the Jackrabbits scored three straight touchdowns, shocking the Bobcats with two long scoring runs for a 28-9 lead at the half.

Gronowski, who had a 36-yard hookup with Tucker Kraft to open the scoring, capped a 12-play, 69-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge on the second drive. That gave him a rushing and passing TD in the same game nine times this season.

The next two touchdowns were a 41-yard burst up the middle by Isaiah Davis and a 38-yard scamper by Amar Johnson on a field that played like a skating rink.

Gronowski finished 10-of-13 passing for 189 yards and Davis ran for 158.

Montana State's top two rushers, quarterbacks Tommy Mellott and Sean Chambers, were non-factors. Chambers (850 yards) scored on the Bobcats' first possession but injured an ankle on the 1-yard plunge and watched the rest of the game with a boot on. He had 12 yards on five carries. Mellott (1,065 yards), who had a 10-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter, had 3 yards on 17 keepers.

The two schools with the longest current playoff appearance streaks — NDSU at 13, SDSU at 11 — now have a rematch in Frisco, Texas, on Sunday, Jan. 8.

South Dakota State lost to Sam Houston in the 2020 spring championship, it's only appearance in the title game. Gronowski suffered an ACL injury in that game and did not play last fall. North Dakota State is 9-0 in the finale, beating Montana State 38-10 to cap last season.

North Dakota St. 35, Incarnate Word 32

Kobe Johnson broke free for a 31-yard touchdown run midway through the final quarter, Dawson Weber came up with a clutch interception with just over a minute left and North Dakota State came back twice to beat Incarnate Word in a Football Championship Subdivision semifinal Friday night.

The win sends the defending national champions to their 10th championship game in program history. The Bison will take on No. 1-seed South Dakota State on January 8 in Frisco, Texas.

Incarnate Word, playing in the semifinals for the first time, took a 16-0 first-quarter lead after Lindsey Scott Jr. tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Darion Chafin and Jarrell Wiley dashed 15 yards for a score. The other two points came when the Cardinals tackled TK Marshall in the end zone for a safety.

Griffin Crosa got North Dakota State on the board with a 27-yard field goal in the first quarter and the team roared back on a short touchdown run by Johnson and a 2-yard run by quarterback Cam Miller to take a 17-16 lead at the half.

Johnson padded the lead when he broke through the line, then raced down the sideline for a 49-yard touchdown early in the third quarter.

The Cardinals came back on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs by Scott to take a 29-24 advantage after three quarters.

The teams traded long fourth-quarter field goals before Johnson scored his third touchdown and Braylon Henderson hit Joe Stoffel for a two-point conversion to put the Bison in front, 35-32.

Incarnate Word drove to the North Dakota State 22 with just over five minutes to play, but its drive bogged down and Scott threw incomplete on fourth down to turn the ball over.

Marshall broke free for a 32-yard run to get the Bison to the Incarnate Word 37, but the Cardinals held and Kaedin Steindorf pinned UIW at its own 3 with a 35-yard punt with 2:46 left to play.

With a first down at their own 33 with 1:13 left, Scott threw deep down the middle, but Weber had position in front of the intended receiver and came down with the interception to preserve the win.

Johnson finished with 136 yards and three scores on 15 carries to lead North Dakota State (12-2). Miller added 132 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, but completed just 1 of his 12 pass attempts for five yards. Marshall carried 11 times for 66 yards as the Bison ran for 329 yards.

Scott was 30 of 46 passing for 282 yards to lead Incarnate Word, throwing for a touchdown and was picked off twice. His touchdown pass was his 60th of the season, extending his FCS record. He finished the season tied with LSU's Joe Burrow for second place at all levels, two TDs behind Bailey Zappe's all time record for a season. Scott added 71 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Marcus Cooper carried 20 times for 112 yards.

Division II

Ferris State 41, Colorado Mines 14

Carson Gulker scored on three short runs, Sidney McCloud had a pick-6 and Ferris State rolled past Colorado School of Mines to successfully defend its NCAA Division II national championship.

Ferris (14-1) was in its third national title game in four years, winning its first title last year to complete a 14-0 season. This was the Bulldogs' eighth straight trip to the playoffs.

Gulker scored on a 2-yard run to complete a seven-play, 79-yard drive for a first-quarter score then the Bulldogs followed with a 20-point second quarter on Eddie Jewett's field goals of 33 and 22 yards, CJ Jefferson's 19-yard run to finish an eight-play, 75-yard drive, and McCloud's 31-yard return in the final minute of the half for a 27-0 lead.

The Orediggers (13-3) didn't score until there was just over a minute left in the third quarter on John Matocha's 10-yard pass to Michael Zeman.

Gulker restored the 27-point lead with a 1-yard run to finish a nine-play, 75-yard drive early in the fourth quarter, and after Matocha's second touchdown pass, Gulker added a 6-yard score.

Ferris State's Mylik Mitchell was 14-of-18 passing for 161 yards, Marcus Taylor rushed for 103 yards on 13 carries. Jefferson had 95 yards receiving on seven carries.

Ferris State outgained the Orediggers 426-222 while its defense allowed only 4 yards rushing and had six sacks.

Matocha, who won the Harlon Hill Award as D-II most outstanding player, was 22-of-38 passing for 218 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Josh Johnston had eight catches for 116 yards with a TD.

Division III

North Central 28, Mount Union 21

Ethan Greenfield, Luke Lehnen and DeAngelo Hardy delivered the big plays and North Central (Ill.) beat Mount Union on Friday night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to win the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl and claim the NCAA Division III championship.

The Cardinals (15-0) finished off a perfect season for rookie coach Brad Spencer.

"It's unbelievable," said Spencer. "I'm so proud of my staff and players. I just didn't want to mess it up as a first-year coach."

It was North Central's third trip to the title game. The Cardinals won it in 2019 and lost last season to Mary Hardin-Baylor — after beating Mount Union 26-13 in the semifinals.

The fact that North Central beat 13-time champion Mount Union (14-1) wasn't lost on Spencer.

"We're trying to be the best," he stated. "And in order to get there you have to beat the best. Beating Mount Union is a step in that direction."

The Cardinals grabbed a 7-0 lead on their first possession of the game. Greenfield carried three times for 16 yards before catching a 34-yard touchdown pass from Lehnen, who also had a 26-yard run on the drive.

Mount Union, playing without injured running back DeAndre Parker and his 1,254 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns, struggled on offense.

Mount Union faced a fourth-and-1 at the North Central 46-yard line trailing 7-0 when Purple Raiders coach Geoff Dartt decided not to go for it after watching his team rush nine times for minus-17 yards. Elliott Warner's punt was downed on the Cardinals' 6-yard line. On first down, Lehnen connected with Hardy for a 94-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead. It was the longest touchdown in program history for the Cardinals.

Mount Union mounted an 18-play 70-yard drive to open the third quarter, taking nearly nine minutes off the clock, but came up empty when the Cardinals stuffed a fourth-and-2 run.

Greenfield took a second-down handoff and raced 58 yards to the Raiders' 26-yard line. The third quarter ended with the Cardinals 4 yards away from the end zone. Greenfield took a direct snap on the first play of the fourth quarter and scooted around the left end for a score and a 21-0 lead.

Mount Union answered with Braxton Plunk's 9-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper to get within 21-7 with 9:19 left to play.

Mount Union forced a three-and-out and Plunk used nine plays before connecting with Wayne Ruby Jr. for a 3-yard touchdown to cut the Raiders' deficit to seven. It was Ruby's 30th touchdown catch of the season.

Lehnen passed to Hardy for a 3-yard touchdown to put the Cardinals up 28-14 with 1:24 left to play. Lehnen had a 42-yard run on third-and-10 to set up the score.

The Raiders scored with 30 seconds remaining on Plunk's 4-yard touchdown toss to Edwin Reed after connecting with Ruby for a 41-yard gain on the previous play. The onside kick failed.

Lehnen completed just 4 of 10 passes, but three of them went for scores. He carried 10 times for 98 yards. Greenfield, a three-time AP All-America selection, was this season's Gagliardi Trophy winner, given to the top player in Division III.