Oklahoma State Set to Face FCS No. 1 in Season Opener
Oklahoma State’s first opponent enters 2024 as the best in the FCS.
On Monday, OSU earned the No. 17 spot in the AP preseason poll, the second-best spot in the Big 12. While the Cowboys have high expectations, their season-opening matchup against South Dakota State will be an early test. In the preseason FCS coaches poll, SDSU ranked No. 1.
The Jackrabbits earning the top spot is no surprise as they come into next season riding a 29-game winning streak and have won the past two FCS National Championships.
SDSU will be led by senior quarterback and reigning Walter Payton Award winner Mark Gronowski. The Walter Payton Award is given to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS, and Gronowski is touted as the best quarterback in the FCS again in 2024.
In 15 games last season, Gronowski had 3,058 passing yards to go with 29 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He is also a threat with his legs, rushing for 402 yards and eight touchdowns.
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The Jackrabbits' most recent loss came in their most recent matchup with an FBS opponent. To open 2022, SDSU traveled to Iowa, losing 7-3 in a game that infamously featured two safeties and a field goal for Iowa to get the win.
While OSU has played FCS opponents in the past, none have been on the same level as the Jackrabbits. In the past 10 seasons, OSU has faced eight FCS opponents but has never faced a team ranked in the FCS preseason poll. Missouri State’s votes in 2014 and 2021 made it the only team in the top 35 in any season.
Over the past 10 seasons, the preseason FCS No. 1 has played an FBS team four times, going 3-1:
2022 North Dakota State at Arizona - L 31-28
2017 James Madison at East Carolina - W 34-14
2016 North Dakota State at No. 13 Iowa - W 23-21
2014 North Dakota State at Iowa State - W 34-14
In that span, South Dakota State has gone 2-4 against FBS opponents, boasting wins against Colorado State and Kansas. While OSU will get all it can handle in its first game, beating the Jackrabbits would be a phenomenal start to the Cowboys’ season.
READ MORE: Oklahoma State Ranks No. 17 in AP Preseason Poll
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.