The fifth-seeded South Dakota State University football team will make its 2017 Football Championship Subdivision playoff debut Saturday afternoon by hosting Missouri Valley Football Conference rival Northern Iowa in second-round action.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The game will be heard on 570 WNAX and televised exclusively on ESPN3.com.
The Jackrabbits enter the matchup with a 9-2 overall record that included tying for second place in the MVFC regular season race with UNI at 6-2. SDSU has won five games in a row, including the last four against ranked opponents, since suffering a 38-18 Hobo Day setback at the hands of the Panthers on Oct. 14. The Jackrabbits ended the regular season ranked sixth in both the STATS FCS media and FCS Coaches’ polls.
Northern Iowa, meanwhile, improved to 8-4 overall with a 46-7 home victory over Monmouth in opening-round action Nov. 25. The Panthers, who are ranked 20th in the media poll and 21st by the coaches, have won six of their last seven games, with the lone defeat a 30-14 decision Oct. 28 at North Dakota State.
