FCS National Championship: Montana State vs. North Dakota State Defensive Spotlight

Timothy Rosario | 14 Hours Ago

Brian Morse (Montana State Athletics)

No. 1 Montana State (15-0) will face No. 2 North Dakota State (13-2) in the 2025 FCS National Championship at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. CT on ABC.

As we prepare for the FCS national championship game on Jan. 6, we will look at how the talent on the field will stack up. We will combine the rosters from Montana State and North Dakota State and look at the starting lineup with players from each team at our disposal. We selected the best player at each position entering the FCS National Championship.

DE: Brody Grebe (Montana State)

DT: Eli Mostaert (North Dakota State)

DT: Kody Huisman (North Dakota State)

DE: Kenneth Eiden IV (Montana State)

LB: Logan Kopp (North Dakota State)

LB: McCade O'Reilly (Montana State)

Hybrid: Enock Sibomana (North Dakota State)

CB: Anthony Chideme-Alfaro (North Dakota State)

S: Dru Polidore (Montana State)

S: Rylan Ortt (Montana State)

CB: Simeon Woodard (Montana State)

Montana State takes the advantage with six out of the 11 starting players we have chosen. Both teams play a 4-man front, and the defensive line was an easy decision. At both defensive end spots, we have a pair of Bobcats. Brody Grebe will be one of the best defensive players on the field in Frisco and leads all players in this game with 8.5 sacks. Kenneth Eiden IV has had a strong finish to the season, posting eight sacks for the Bobcats. Grebe and Eiden lead all players in this game in pass rush win percentage, with Grebe leading all players with a win rate of 21.9%. For comparison, Toby Anene leads the Bison with a win rate of only 11.9%.

On the interior, we selected a pair of Bison players. Eli Mostaert and Kody Huisman dominated the second half of the semifinal game against South Dakota State. This duo is highly disruptive on the interior, highlighted by Mostaert's 11.5 tackles for loss. They have done an excellent job generating pressure, with a combined 55 pressures this season. The next-highest defensive tackle on either team has only posted 14 pressures. Montana State's Paul Brott had an excellent season but was ranked just behind North Dakota State's dominant duo.

Montana State and North Dakota State split the linebacker spots. North Dakota State's Logan Kopp may be the unsung hero of the Bison defense. Kopp leads the Bison with 69 tackles but has shown versatility in pass coverage with three interceptions and six pass breakups. In the other linebacker spot, we have Montana State's McCade O'Reilly. O'Reilly ranks second on the Bobcats with 71 total tackles, adding three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. He has the lowest missed tackle percentage of all linebackers in this game. He has stepped up as a leader for the Bobcats after losing Danny Uliulakepa to a season-ending injury.

The Bobcats may feel they have a positional advantage over the Bison in the secondary. Montana State allows less than six yards per pass attempt, ranking No. 9 nationally this season. North Dakota State's injuries at the safety spot have been well-documented, adding to Montana State's advantage.

Rylan Ortt and Dru Polidore combine to form one of the best safety duos in the nation. Ortt specializes in stopping the run from the strong safety spot. At the same time, Polidore is the deep, centerfield free safety. Polidore missed the first six games of the season but has the cover skills of a cornerback while bringing the physicality needed over the middle. Ortt leads the Bobcats with 75 total tackles.

The next spot was a difficult decision as both teams feature a hybrid slot corner and linebacker role. Montana State's Miles Jackson has been the most consistent in this role, but North Dakota State's Enock Sibomana has shown much more upside. He did not play much at the beginning of the season but has started to impress over the final few weeks. Despite his limited action early this season, Sibomana ranks No. 4 on the Bison with 50 tackles and has contributed 7.5 tackles for loss in the run game. This gives him a slight nod over Jackson.

Both teams like to rotate players at the outside cornerback position. During the game, we will likely see up to six different players at that position. There is not a lot of separation among these players, but Montana State's Simeon Woodard and North Dakota State's Anthony Chideme-Alfaro were the selections.

Woodard has the best overall coverage grade of all the cornerbacks in this game while facing the most coverage snaps. He is allowing a catch on only 54.5% of all targets. The only other player with a lower reception rate was Chideme-Alfaro, at 53.1%. He covered Griffin Wilde last week, holding the All-American to zero catches on only one target as the primary defender. The Cornell transfer has made a massive impact on the Bison defense this season.

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