Saying the South Dakota State Jackrabbits blocked out any distractions this season was an understatement.
They challenged themselves to be even better after winning the FCS national championship in the 2022 season, and were just that while going 15-0 and claiming a second consecutive title.
SDSU was No. 1-ranked from start to finish in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, presented by FedEx Ground. The Jackrabbits’ 23-3 win over No. 2 Montana in the national championship game on Sunday was their 10th over a nationally ranked opponent – three more than any other team this season.
“It takes the leadership on this football team and the guys buying into the message of not listening to a bunch of hype,” said first-year coach Jimmy Rogers, whose team’s 29-game winning streak is the third-longest in FCS history.
The unanimous No. 1 team, led by a dominating senior class and junior quarterback Mark Gronowski, also won its second consecutive Missouri Valley Football Conference title. The strongest FCS conference had the high of six teams in the final media poll, including No. 3 North Dakota State (11-4), a national semifinalist, and No. 4 South Dakota (10-3).
Big Sky champ Montana (13-2) was one of five teams from that conference in the final rankings, while national semifinalist UAlbany (11-4) from CAA Football finished at No. 5. Ten different leagues were represented in the poll.
A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll (Final 2023)
Presented by FedEx Ground
1. South Dakota State (15-0, 8-0 MVFC), 1,400 points (56 of 56 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 1; Postseason Results: 41-0 win over Mercer; 23-12 win over Villanova; 59-0 win over UAlbany; 23-3 win over Montana
2. Montana (13-2, 7-1 Big Sky), 1,343
Previous Ranking: 2; Postseason Results: 49-19 win over Delaware; 35-28 OT win over Furman; 31-29 win over North Dakota State; 23-3 loss to South Dakota State
3. North Dakota State (11-4, 5-3 MVFC), 1,252
Previous Ranking: 8; Postseason Results: 66-3 win over Drake; 35-34 OT win at Montana State; 45-17 win at South Dakota; 31-29 loss at Montana
4. South Dakota (10-3, 7-1 MVFC), 1,140
Previous Ranking: 3; Postseason Results: 34-24 win over Sacramento State; 45-17 loss to North Dakota State
5. UAlbany (11-4, 7-1 CAA), 1,125
Previous Ranking: 9; Postseason Results: 41-13 win over Richmond; 30-22 win over Idaho; 59-0 loss to South Dakota State
6. Villanova (10-3, 7-1 CAA), 1,105
Previous Ranking: 6; Postseason Results: 45-28 win over Youngstown State; 23-12 loss at South Dakota State
7. Furman (10-3, 7-1 SoCon), 1,085
Previous Ranking: 7; Postseason Results: 26-7 win over Chattanooga; 35-28 OT loss at Montana
8. Idaho (9-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 1,067
Previous Ranking: 4; Postseason Results: 20-17 OT win over Southern Illinois; 30-22 loss to UAlbany
9. Montana State (8-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 992
Previous Ranking: 5; Postseason Result: 35-34 OT loss to North Dakota State
10. Delaware (9-4, 6-2 CAA), 790
Previous Ranking: 11; Postseason Results: 36-34 win over Lafayette; 49-19 loss at Montana
11. Florida A&M (12-1, 8-0 SWAC), 777
Previous Ranking: 10; Postseason Results: 35-14 win over Prairie View A&M; 30-26 win over Howard
12. Southern Illinois (8-5, 4-4 MVFC), 754
Previous Ranking: 14; Postseason Results: 35-0 win over Nicholls; 20-17 OT loss at Idaho
13. Sacramento State (8-5, 4-4 Big Sky), 748
Previous Ranking: 15; Postseason Results: 42-35 win at North Dakota; 34-24 loss at South Dakota
14. Chattanooga (8-5, 6-2 Southern), 594
Previous Ranking: 18; Postseason Results: 24-21 win at Austin Peay; 26-7 loss at Furman
15. Richmond (9-4, 7-1 CAA), 573
Previous Ranking: 22; Postseason Results: 49-27 win over North Carolina Central; 41-13 loss at UAlbany
16. North Dakota (7-5, 5-3 MVFC), 542
Previous Ranking: 12; Postseason Result: 42-35 loss to Sacramento State
17. Mercer (9-4, 6-2 SoCon), 525
Previous Ranking: 17; Postseason Results: 17-7 win over Gardner-Webb; 41-0 loss at South Dakota State
18. Austin Peay (9-3, 6-0 UAC), 458
Previous Ranking: 13; Postseason Result: 24-21 loss to Chattanooga
19. Youngstown State (8-5, 5-3 MVFC), 454
Previous Ranking: 21; Postseason Results: 40-7 win over Duquesne; 45-28 loss at Villanova
20. North Carolina Central (9-3, 4-1 MEAC), 339
Previous Ranking: 16; Postseason Result: 49-27 loss at Richmond
21. Lafayette (9-3, 5-1 Patriot), 280
Previous Ranking: 20; Postseason Result: 36-34 loss at Delaware
22. UIW (8-2, 6-1 Southland), 210
Previous Ranking: 19; Postseason Results: No games
23. Western Carolina (7-4, 5-3 SoCon), 117
Previous Ranking: 23; Postseason Results: No games
24. UC Davis (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky), 107
Previous Ranking: 25; Postseason Results: No games
25. UT Martin (8-3, 5-1 Big South-OVC), 103
Previous Ranking: 24; Postseason Results: No games
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Gardner-Webb (7-5, 5-1 Big South-OVC) 60; Tarleton (8-3, 4-2 UAC) 52; Nicholls (6-5, 7-0 Southland, including forfeit win) 45; Northern Iowa (6-5, 5-3 MVFC) 41; Holy Cross (7-4, 5-1 Patriot) 35; Drake (8-4, 8-0 Pioneer) 21; Harvard (8-2, 5-2 Ivy) 18; Central Arkansas (7-4, 4-2 UAC) 17; Eastern Illinois (8-3, 4-2 Big South-OVC) 16; Duquesne (7-4, 6-1 NEC) 10; Yale (7-3, 5-2) 4
—
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voters – Stats Perform: Craig Haley, Gary Reasons. Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. Big South-OVC Football Association: Mike Bradd, Brian Cleary, Kyle Schwartz, Mark Simpson. CAA Football: Matt Harmon, Scott Klatzkin, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: Rick Bender, Craig Larson. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Kendrick Lewis, Patricia Porter-Mayfield. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Sarah Boissonneault, Randy Brochu. Patriot League: Eric Malanoski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Jack Cronin. Southern Conference: Scott Keeler, Andrew Miller, Ralan Wardlaw. Southland Conference: Matthew Bonnette, James Dixon, James Hill. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Joshua Padilla. United Athletic Conference: Steve East, Tony Jones, Brian Morgan, Jake Withee. National Representatives: Sean Anderson, Zack Carlton, Riley Corcoran, Joe DeLeone, Steven J. Gaither, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Zach McKinnell, Brian McLaughlin, Jon Passman, Omar Rashon Borja, Ryan Roberts, Kent Schmidt, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Ralph Ventre, Jamie Williams.