NDSU-SDSU national championship game has strong Minnesota roots
If you drive to Marshall this weekend, you'll see the jersey of former North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance hanging in a downtown bar. If you look next to it, you might spot the jersey of current South Dakota State defensive end Reece Winkleman.
By that time, it might be too late. A bar with green on one side and blue on the other may be demanding you choose a side and if you're looking for the Vikings game, you might be out of luck.
That's because the Jackrabbits and Bison will collide for the FCS National Championship in Frisco, Texas on Sunday afternoon. While the game features two schools from the Dakotas, it also has several ties to Minnesota.
In total, 45 players from Minnesota will take the field in the national title game with 35 listed on the Bison roster. The talent ranges from Moorhead to Marshall and has plenty of people in Winkelman's hometown ready for the game.
"There's a lot of Bison fans down there, but Marshall is only an hour away from Brookings," Winkelman said to reporters during a media session last week. "There's still quite a bit of Jackrabbit fans over there too, so...I always get pictures of [the jerseys]. It's people on both ends of the spectrum saying 'Horns Down!' or trashing the Jackrabbits."
Winkelman is one of the Minnesota-born players who will have a prominent role in Sunday's game. He leads the Jackrabbits with 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks this season. One of the most prolific defensive ends in school history, Winkelman will be looking to bring the national title back to Brookings, but he won't be alone.
East Bethel's Hunter Dustman has become a solid kicker for the Jacks, converting 17-of-24 field goals and all 53 extra-point attempts. His biggest kicks were a pair of game-winners, including a last-second field goal in a Nov. 5 win over Northern Iowa and a go-ahead field goal with 3:49 to play in SDSU's 23-21 win over NDSU on Oct. 15.
The Jacks' win over the Bison, which featured SDSU mounting a 14-point comeback in the FARGODOME, is probably fresh in the mind of St. Cloud's James Kaczor, who has become the centerpiece of the Bison defense.
Kaczor leads NDSU with 94 tackles and is fourth on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss. With Lakeville's RaJa Nelson serving as the primary kick returner and ranking third on the team with 15 receptions, there are plenty of Minnesotans who have made the leap over the border to go play at two of the powerhouses of the FCS.
"If you want to play college football, you want to play college football at a great institution or play at a successful football program," SDSU head coach John Stiegelmeier said during Tuesday's media session. "These are two institutions that are great academically. We have the great football programs, great traditions that speak to Minnesota high school football, which is a high level of football."
It's hard to argue with the results both programs have experienced after tapping into the Minnesota pipeline. NDSU will be looking for its 10 national title in the past 12 years while SDSU will be looking for its first after earning its first No. 1 ranking in school history after beating the Bison in October.
The talent should keep coming as four Minnesota athletes committed to NDSU's 2023 recruiting class and two signed as part of the Jackrabbits' 2023 class.
Stiegelmeier also believes that proximity is a factor that is enticing to Minnesota prospects.
"From our standpoints, we're glad they're as close as they are and they're open to looking at South Dakota State," Stiegelmeier said. "We have far more teams from Minnesota come to our camps than any other state. We're going to take every opportunity we can as a team, program and coaching staff to prepare these guys to play at a top level."
For now, it means a meeting between the two Missouri Valley Football Conference rivals for a national championship. In the case of Winkelman, it may also have some bragging rights on the line with his fellow Marshall alum.
"There's a little talk going on," Winkelman said of his conversations with the San Francisco 49ers quarterback. "[Lance] says he roots for me every game except when we play the Bison, so we'll see."
