In 2023, current Iowa State head coach Jimmy Rogers went from defensive coordinator to head coach of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
Since then, Rogers has been the head coach for three seasons, each with its own positives and negatives.
But that 2023 season was something special, showing that Rogers has the capacity to win when it’s needed the most
Rogers entered the head coaching role off a national championship in 2022, when the Jackrabbits beat the North Dakota State Bison 45-21 in the FCS National Championship. The Jackrabbits ended 2022 with only one loss, to Iowa, 7-3.
Before Rogers took control, John Stiegelmeier was the head coach since 1997. After winning the national championship, Stiegelmeier retired from coaching, allowing Rogers to step into the leading role.
In 2023, the Jackrabbits opened non-conference play against the Western Oregon Wolves from Division II. In the game, South Dakota State defeated North Dakota State 45-7.
Week two was against Montana State in the Beef Bowl. Coming in, the Bobcats were ranked No. 3 nationally, while the Jackrabbits were No. 1.
South Dakota State edged out the victory at home, winning 20-16 and taking the rivalry matchup.
To close out non-conference play, the Jackrabbits played Drake at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rogers’ Jackrabbits absolutely dominated the Bulldogs, winning 70-7 and putting South Dakota State at 3-0.
The Jackrabbits started conference play hot, winning four straight games before facing off against in-state rivals No. 4 South Dakota.
The Jackrabbits headed to southeast South Dakota to beat the Coyotes 37-3 at the DakotaDome, setting South Dakota State at 8-0.
The very next week, South Dakota State hosted its biggest rivals, No. 11 North Dakota State, in their biggest rivalry game of the year.
The game was a rematch of the 2022 National Championship, and the Jackrabbits had won the last four games, giving them a chance to win five in a row against the Bison for the first time since 1917.
Rogers’ Jackrabbits dominated the Bison, winning 33-16 with the defense forcing two turnovers from North Dakota State, and running back Isaiah Davis rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown
The Jackrabbits went on to win their last two games of the regular season vs. No. 22 Youngstown State and Missouri State, giving South Dakota State an undefeated 11-0 regular season.
With the Jackrabbits having a bye week for the first round, they’d face off against the Mercer Bears in the second round.
Luckily for South Dakota State, every matchup until the championship game was played at home, in the chilly open air of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, giving them a huge home-field advantage.
With temperatures in the high 30s and winds over 20 miles per hour, the Jackrabbits put together an incredible showing, winning their first-round game 41-0.
Davis rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns, having more yards than Mercer quarterback Carter Peevy. Peevy also threw two interceptions to Dalys Beanum and Aydan Dautermann.
In the quarterfinals, the Jackrabbits hosted the Villanova Wildcats, who were ranked sixth entering the postseason.
With an 11 a.m. kickoff, the Jackrabbits and the Wildcats faced incredibly unique weather conditions, with temperatures in the 20s and wind up to 30 miles an hour; the wind chill sat below 20 degrees. Despite the temperatures, Jackrabbits fans showed up in numbers, with the attendance at 10,216.
South Dakota State entered the half with a 10-9 lead before pulling away and winning 23-12. Davis once again put together a masterpiece, with 192 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.
In the semifinals, South Dakota State hosted the Albany Great Danes, who entered the postseason ranked fifth nationally.
The Great Danes advanced after beating the Idaho Vandals 30-22 in Moscow, Idaho, meaning that an upset wasn’t out of the picture.
Well, the Jackrabbits didn’t let that happen. With the most tame weather of the postseason, South Dakota State went on to win 59-0, pushing them into the FCS National Championship.
Jackrabbits quarterback Mark Gronowski threw 265 passing yards and three touchdowns on a 78.9% passing rate. Gronowski loved hitting target Jadon Janke as well, grabbing six receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown.
Once again, Davis had over 100 yards rushing, with 107 on the day and two touchdowns.
Finally for South Dakota State was the grand prize, the national championship. The Jackrabbits were matched up against No. 2 Montana, meaning it was a battle between the two best teams in the FCS.
The Jackrabbits weren’t at home again for the finale, playing in Frisco, Texas, at Toyota Stadium, home of Dallas FC of the MLS.
With kickoff underway, the Jackrabbits struck first, ending the first quarter with a 7-0 lead, with Davis putting in a 6-yard rushing touchdown.
To start the second quarter, Montana struck back, with kicker Nico Ramos putting in a 3-yard field goal just five minutes into the quarter.
The half eventually ended with that same score at 7-3, but it wouldn’t end that way. After a failed drive from Montana to start the second half, the Jackrabbits struck, with Gronowski rushing in for a 10-yard touchdown, setting the score at 14-3.
The Grizzlies failed again on their next drive, and the Jackrabbits made them pay again, with Gronowski finding Janke on a 23-yard pass, but a failed two-point conversion set the lead at just 20-3.
On Montana’s next drive, they fumbled on the very first play, with South Dakota State jumping on the ball. After a three-and-out, South Dakota State put in a field goal to put the lead at 23-3 and end the quarter with 16 points put on the board.
The game eventually ended with no more scoring, giving the Jackrabbits and Jimmy Rogers the FCS National Championship. South Dakota State won back-to-back titles in the FCS.
In 2024, Rogers and the Jackrabbits went just 12-3, losing to North Dakota State twice in both the regular season and the semi-finals.
For 2025, Rogers moved from South Dakota State to Washington State, giving him his first-ever FBS test.
The Cougars went 6-6 under Rogers’ watch, and his coaching staff won their bowl game in Boise, Idaho.
Now for 2026, Rogers is headed to Ames to take the test of power four football, looking to prove his critics wrong and maybe, just maybe, create something as great as the 2023 Jackrabbits championship.
