Getty Quarterback Mark Gronowski and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits will kick their season off against Western Oregon.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits (0-0) will kick off their 2023 season against the Western Oregon Wolves (0-0) at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on Thursday, August 31, at 8 p.m. ET.
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If you’re in the United States, the only way to watch the game is on ESPN+:
ESPN+ includes hundreds of college football games in 2023, plus dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (or $13.99 per month for a bundle of all three of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu).
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch Western Oregon vs South Dakota State live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com.
Compatible devices for the ESPN app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Western Oregon vs SDSU Football Preview
After the retirement of longtime coach John Stiegelmeier, the 35-year-old Jimmy Rogers will take the reins for the Jackrabbits, who are finished last season off by going 14-1 and beating North Dakota State in the 2022 FCS National Championship. Now, they’ll be defending champions for the first time since the FCS playoffs originated in 2009.
On the field, the Jackrabbits will be led by returning quarterback Mark Gronowksi, who threw for 2,967 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions last year, adding 408 yards and 12 scores on the ground. The junior QB says that the team isn’t focused on winning it all again, but is taking it one week at a time.
“Heading into the season, we’re going to be focused on Western Oregon week one. We’ll be coming out guns blazing and just ready to go. We have all the offensive fire power that we need and we’re just going to try and play our best football,” Gronowski said.
The Jackrabbits begin the season atop the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll for the first time, a poll longtime rivals NDSU held the top spot on for years. Now, it’s SDSU’s turn to be top dog. “I think it sets you apart as far as a standard,” Rogers said about his team’s No. 1 ranking, adding: “It means we’re at a point right now that the outside world expects a lot. But we need to expect more from ourselves than from what you guys expect from us.”
On the other side, Western Oregon finished with a 6-5 overall mark in 2022, averaging just over 27 points a game on offense, while allowing 22.5 points per contest on the defensive side. As it was last year, Western will be led by QB Gannon Winkler. The redshirt junior had an up-and-down season in 2022, throwing for 2,318 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 11 games.
The Wolves won’t have an easy time of it out of the gate, though. The Jackrabbits are returning 18 starters from last season’s championship squad, so the chances of a repeat are high.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity,” Rogers said, per Yahoo! Sports. “We’re excited about what our team looks like. Being the No. 1 team in the country comes with high expectations and we have the team to take on those expectations. We have the leadership to carry us through. A team isn’t built on hype; it’s built on the heartbeat and habits of those guys who step on the field.”
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Where to Watch South Dakota State vs WOU Football Game