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

We take a look at the best defensive talent between South Dakota State and Montana ahead of the 2024 FCS National Championship

No. 1 South Dakota State (14-0) will face No. 2 Montana (13-1) in the 2024 FCS National Championship at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. CT on ABC.

As we prepare for the FCS national championship game on Jan. 7, we will look at how the talent on the field will stack up. We will combine the rosters from South Dakota State and Montana 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: Cade Terveer (South Dakota State)
DT: Alex Gubner (Montana)
DT: Ryan Van Marel (South Dakota State)
EDGE: Riley Wilson (Montana)
LB: Jason Freeman (South Dakota State)
LB: Braxton Hill (Montana)
LB: Isaiah Stalbird (South Dakota State)
CB: DyShawn Gales (South Dakota State)
S: Tucker Large (South Dakota State)
S: Nash Fouch (Montana)
CB: Trevin Gradney (Montana)

The challenge in combining these two defenses is the drastic style difference which leads to very different personnel. South Dakota State plays a traditional 4-3 defense and utilizes similar alignments throughout the game. The Jackrabbits combine size and athleticism to create challenges for opposing offenses. Montana plays an aggressive 3-3-5 defense that relies on changing the picture, various stunts, and creating mayhem by playing aggressively. Montana utilizes much smaller players that use speed to their advantage.

South Dakota State takes the advantage with six out of the 11 starting players we have chosen. South Dakota State has a ton of depth on the defensive line with eight players recording at least 200 snaps this season. Cade Terveer leads defensive linemen from both teams with six sacks and has been the most consistent defensive end for the Jackrabbits. Ryan Van Marel brings the best size to the table at almost 300 pounds, but Montana defensive tackle Alex Gubner has been elite all season. The defensive tackle was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and does an excellent job taking up space in the interior. Gubner rarely comes off the field and has played 746 snaps this season, incredible numbers for an interior defensive lineman. Riley Wilson was added to the defensive line despite being listed as a linebacker due to his tendency to play in an edge rusher role. Wilson leads all players with 8.5 sacks this season and has also totaled 14 tackles for loss.

The Road To Frisco: Montana's Journey To The 2024 FCS National Championship

At the linebacker spot, South Dakota State takes two of the three available positions. Isaiah Stalbird and Jason Freeman are incredibly well-rounded players who both played at an All-American level this season. Both have the athleticism and strength to make a difference in the run game but also excel in coverage situations. Both can line up against slot receivers and are one of the main reasons why South Dakota State's defense is one of the best in the nation. Braxton Hill takes the MIKE spot in our combined starting unit. Hill has been solid all season and leads all defensive players from both teams with 789 snaps. Hill has recorded 116 total tackles and has established himself as one of the leaders of the Montana defense. 

Both teams boast a lot of talent in the back end of their defenses. At cornerback, we chose two guys capable of creating turnovers and playing shutdown coverage. Trevin Gradney has five interceptions for Montana and has only allowed a completion rate of 40.4%. Meanwhile, South Dakota State's DyShawn Gales has not allowed a touchdown and has only been targeted 38 times this season. Gales shut down his side of the field and when Reese Poffenbarger did throw his way in the semifinal, he pulled in an interception. At safety, South Dakota State’s Tucker Large might be the best safety in the nation. Large has great ball skills and has recorded four interceptions this season. Nash Fouch takes our other safety spot as the deep-free safety for Montana. Fouch is another player with a ton of experience, he has played in every game since 2019. Fouch has totaled 50 tackles from his safety spot and also looks for opportunities to lay big hits on receivers coming across the middle. 

The Road To Frisco: South Dakota State's Journey To The 2024 FCS National Championship