The South Dakota State Jackrabbits take to the road this weekend in the FCS playoffs, and travel to Missoula, Montana to take on the Grizzlies on Saturday.

The matchup pits the 14th-seeded Jacks against the 3rd-seeded Grizzlies.

Here's your one-stop-shop preview of the game (and opponent) ahead on Saturday.

Get our free mobile app

TV/Radio

TV - ESPN+, coverage begins at 1:00pm CT

Radio - Jackrabbit Sports Network from Learfield, coverage begins at 11:00am CT

Odds

*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.

Montana favored by 3.5 points

O/U 53.5 points

The Montana Grizzlies (11-1, 7-1 Big Sky)

Wins - Central Wash., #16 North Dakota, Indiana State, #8 Idaho, Idaho State, Cal Poly, Sacred Heart, Sacramento State, Weber State, Eastern Wash., Portland State (2 ranked wins)

Losses - vs. #3 Montana State 31-28 (11/22)

The Coach - Bobby Hauck (8th Season)

Key Stats

Offense - 40.8 PPG, 178.5 Rush YPG, 38 Rush TDs, 280.4 Pass YPG, 27 Pass TDs

Defense - 23.5 PPGa, 142.4 Rush YPGa, 19 Rush TDa, 255.9 Pass YPGa, 16 PaTDa

Turnovers - Offense - 8 INT, 4 FL - Defense - 18 INT, 4 FR (+10 Turnover Margin)

Key Players:

Offense - Redshirt Junior Running Back Eli Gillman (Dassell, MN)

1,261 rush yds, 6.6 ypc, 17 rush TDs, 165 rec yds, 2 rec TDs

Redshirt Sophomore Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (Kaneohe, HI)

68.7%, 3,154 yds, 25 Pass TD - 8 INT, 83 rush yds, 7 rush TDs

Defense - Junior Linebacker Peyton Wing (Sumner, WA)

59 Total Tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 3 INT, 4 QBH

Here's some of the preview from GoJacks.com:

For the third consecutive season and fifth time overall, South Dakota State and Montana will face off in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The latest installment of the series will take place in second-round action Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana. Kickoff is set for noon Mountain Time (1 p.m. Central) with video coverage available through the ESPN+ streaming platform.

Seeded 14th, South Dakota State enters the matchup with a 9-4 overall record. The Jackrabbits advanced out of the first round with a 41-3 home victory at snowy Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on Nov. 29. SDSU hosted a playoff game for the 10th consecutive season, improving to 17-1 in postseason games at its home stadium in that span.

Montana, meanwhile, earned a first-round bye after compiling an 11-1 record during the regular season. The Grizzlies are seeded third in the 24-team playoff field.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 11th all-time meeting between SDSU and Montana. The Grizzlies won the first eight matchups in the series and hold an 8-2 overall advantage since the two programs first met in 1969.

Seven of the 10 previous matchups were played in Missoula, including first-round playoff games in 2009 and 2015, while the national championship meeting between the two programs on Jan. 7, 2024, was played in Frisco, Texas.

Here's Coach Dan Jackson on the return of Quarterback Chase Mason last week, and his impact on the team: