South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski was honored Sunday as Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week, one day after leading the Jackrabbits to a conference-opening victory at Missouri State in what also was a battle between teams ranked in the top five of the Football Championship Subdivision.
Gronowski set single-game career highs in completions, yards and passing touchdowns in No. 2/3 South Dakota State’s 28-14 road win over the No. 4/6 Bears. He completed 22-of-29 passes for 319 yards and accounted for all four Jackrabbit touchdowns through the air. Gronowski book-ended touchdowns of 3 and 40 yards to Jadon Janke, while also connecting on scoring strikes of 13 yards to Jaxon Janke and the go-ahead 21-yarder to Zach Heins early in the fourth quarter.
A sophomore from Naperville, Illinois, Gronowski directed scoring drives of 70 and 84 yards in the fourth quarter that took a combined 8 minutes and 35 seconds off the clock.
The Jackrabbits, 3-1 overall, return home to host Western Illinois on Saturday. Kickoff for the Hall of Fame Game and Precision Ag Bowl is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
