Podcasts about south dakota state

In this episode of The Milk Check, Ted Jacoby III welcomes Lloyd Metzger and TJ Jacoby of Valley Queen Cheese Company for a deep dive into the science, functionality and future of dairy proteins. The conversation starts at the molecular level – the difference between casein and whey – and builds toward the real-world implications for product developers, processors and nutrition brands. We cover: Why casein is built to carry calcium (and whey isn’t) How heat and pH change protein behavior Fast versus slow digestion and why both matter The role of whey protein in muscle maintenance, aging and GLP-1 nutrition What pro cream really is and why its value may be underestimated Why cellular agriculture is more niche than threat If you work in dairy, food formulation or nutrition, this is a protein conversation worth digesting. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check TMC-Intro-final[00:00:00]Ted Jacoby III: Hi everybody, and thank you for joining us today for this very special recording of the Milk Check Podcast. Today, our topic is: what is the future of dairy proteins? And we have two very special guests. The first is Lloyd Metzger, VP of Quality and Technical Services for Valley Queen Cheese Company, and formerly Professor of Dairy Science at South Dakota State University. And the second, particularly special to me, is my son TJ Jacoby, Whey Technologist for Valley Queen. A South Dakota State graduate. Someone who has been interested in dairy proteins since his first biology class in high school. Guys, thank you for joining us today and welcome to The Milk Check. Lloyd Metzger: Glad to be here. TJ Jacoby: Good to be on, Dad. Ted Jacoby III: It’s December 18th, 2025. Milk production in the US is up 4%. Milk production in Europe is up something similar. Milk production in New Zealand is up. Milk production in Argentina is up. We are definitely in an [00:01:00] environment today where the supply of milk and dairy is overwhelming demand, at least for the moment. Cheese prices are near historical lows. Butter prices are near historical lows. Nonfat milk, skim milk powder prices are on the low end of the range. This market is a market that feels heavy, and I think most people out there would say, it almost feels like even though we’re at lows, we may actually go lower before we go higher. And yet, on the other hand, there are whey proteins, Josh, if I’m not mistaken, whey proteins just hit historical highs. Josh White: Maybe the highest prices we’ve ever seen for whey protein isolate and WPC 80. Ted Jacoby III: So, we have an environment where the demand on the protein side is extremely strong, and the trends on protein consumption are extremely strong and really feel like they’re gonna be around for quite some time. We’ve got baby boomers retiring and whether it’s because of GLP-1s or it’s just a general knowledge and understanding of what human nutritional needs are as people age, they know that they need more protein in their [00:02:00] diet. So, it begs the question: what is going on with dairy proteins and whey proteins and how is this going to evolve in such a unique market where demand is so strong for protein right now? And so, I’m gonna ask the question first. What’s the difference at a molecular level between whey proteins and milk proteins? Because when we’re in an environment like we are now, where you’ve got the demand really, really high, you also have a market that’s gonna start looking for alternatives, simply because prices are so high. What is the difference between milk proteins in general and whey protein specifically? Lloyd Metzger: It’s important to talk about from a functional perspective how the proteins are different. I’m sure we’ll get into the nutritional differences between those proteins as well. It’s important to understand what’s driving those differences in functional characteristics. And it’s really all about calcium. The casein system is designed to carry calcium. The whey protein system is not designed to carry calcium. That differentiates the two groups of [00:03:00] proteins and makes their properties very different. TJ Jacoby: I’ll explain it like this. Milk proteins, there’s two classes of proteins, right? There’s casein and then there’s whey. The casein is used to make cheese, and then the whey protein is what comes off. So, the whey protein is everything that is not used to make cheese. So, the reason why casein proteins works so well for cheese because those proteins like to fall together in these spheres, they like to stick to one another. They like to stick to one another ’cause they have certain groups that latch onto the calcium and then they bridge with phosphate. When they do, they have multiple proteins, different types of casein proteins that bridge together with phosphate and then based on their repulsion forces, they stick together. Calcium and phosphates really help it stick when we make cheese. The outside of that casein, micelle, that ball, when we make cheese, that outside is stripped off, it becomes hydrophobic, and that causes those spheres to stick together. That’s a huge functional property of casein. Whey [00:04:00] protein is the opposite. Whey protein is really hydrophillic. It’s very polar. So, they like to float around in solution and stay floating around in solution. And they don’t like casein. It likes to stay separate from casein. And so, when you make cheese, it readily is released into the whey stream because it likes to stick with the water. In the same way, those kind of stick together with these sulfur groups. But when you heat it up, they unfold. And when they unfold, now there’s certain reactions that can take place. So, those are the two major differences between casein and whey. Lloyd, what did I miss? Lloyd Metzger: I would try to simplify it a little bit. The difference between casein and whey protein is casein is what’s trapped when we make cheese. And whey protein is the soluble protein that’s left over in the water phase of cheese. Cheese making is a dehydration process. We concentrate the fat and protein that’s in milk, the casein version of protein in milk. But you gotta look at the properties of those two [00:05:00] systems and the groups of protein. So, the casein protein is actually really stable to heat, but it is not stable to pH. So, casein will always coagulate at low pH. So, you lower the pH of milk, you get a yogurt-like product. That’s all the casein that’s coming out of the system. Whey proteins don’t mind a low pH, and they’ll stay soluble at a wide range of pH. But now, when you get to temperature, the complete opposite happens. Casein can handle super high temperatures and be very stable. Whey proteins can not handle high temperature at all, they start to gel. I think it’s important to look at the two different groups. Now you get into the functional differences between those two and the very different properties you have between those. Lloyd Metzger: That’s why you get all these products that are very different from each other. Why cheese is so much different than whey protein. And then you have these dairy products that are a combination that have the two together. So like when we make yogurt, we end up with the two products together and get this property that’s partway in between the two proteins. Ted Jacoby III: [00:06:00] Based on what you’re describing, when we’re talking about milk proteins, MPC 80, for example, there’s a higher level of calcium, I take it in milk proteins than compared to whey proteins. Is that true? Lloyd Metzger: Absolutely, but let’s remind everybody: milk protein is both casein and whey protein together at the normal ratio that’s in milk. So, of the protein, 80% is casein, 20% is whey protein. So, when you say milk protein, you’re actually meaning 80% casein and 20% whey protein. Now, when we talk about cheese or casein, we’re basically a hundred percent casein and 0% whey protein. Now, when we talk about whey protein, we’re essentially a 100% whey protein, no casein except for one fragment of casein that actually gets solubilized, as TJ described, and now actually becomes part of whey protein. Something that a lot of people don’t understand is that about 15% of what we call whey protein is actually a piece of casein that gets lost in the whey and now gets [00:07:00] captured and harvested in the whey protein manufacture process. But again, it’s important to remember milk protein is a 80 / 20 combination of casein and whey protein together. So, when you’re talking about milk protein, you’re actually talking about whey protein and casein together. Ted Jacoby III: It’s funny, I just learned something never really quite had my head around, and that’s that 80 / 20 ratio, that 80% of all the protein in milk is actually either alpha or beta casein. Correct? Lloyd Metzger: There’s actually four different casein fractions that are involved that make up that 80% of the total protein. Ted Jacoby III: Okay. The casein molecule isn’t really any bigger than most of the whey protein molecules, but they tend to clump together in those micelles. And so, they act as one big humongous mass compared to whey proteins. Correct? TJ Jacoby: Whey proteins may be collected like in pairs like two at a time, but casein proteins, there’s hundreds, right? Lloyd, that will just clump together. Thousands. TJ Jacoby: So, these spheres are absolutely massive protein complexes, but in fact there are a lot of little individual [00:08:00] proteins that make it up and they’re all bridged together with calcium and phosphate. Lloyd Metzger: It’s a packaging system that was designed to package up calcium and phosphorus. So, the whole casein system was designed by nature as a delivery vehicle for calcium and phosphorus, because calcium is not soluble by itself. Calcium phosphate is essentially rock. It’s the material that makes up eggshells. Think, think about a ground up eggshell that calcium phosphate complex is not soluble and it will sink to the bottom of your container of milk if you didn’t have the protein complex to hold it in solution. The analogy I use is it’s basically a kidney stone. Think about how much fun milking a cow would be if all the calcium and phosphorus was in the form of a kidney stone as you’re trying to milk the cow. All that calcium and phosphorus can be solubilized with the casein system and put it into solution and then make it so you can deliver that in a nutritional product. Ted Jacoby III: That makes perfect sense. That’s really cool. I think you guys also already touched on the differences in solubility as you were [00:09:00] describing the different proteins. But there’s differences in digestibility as well. What’s the source of that difference? TJ Jacoby: I’ll take this one. Returning back to the infant stage, I feel like we could set this up in light of why nature created these proteins. Dairy is the fundamental human food for infants. You have babies that can live up to a year off of just their mother’s milk. All the proteins that are found in there, those building blocks to grow an infant, can be boiled down to those two protein streams: whey protein and casein protein. The purpose of the casein protein for the infants is it’s fast acting. It’ll go right into the gut, and the gut is full of enzymes, but also really, really low pH, so low that it actually causes even those whey proteins to unfold. And It allows the stomach enzymes to break it up super, super fast and be absorbed. It’s considered one of the most bioavailable proteins known to man. It’s designed for that, that’s why nature created whey protein. Well, whey protein itself is also very nutritious. It has one of the highest concentrations of [00:10:00] essential amino acid, and the second highest known to man of branch-chain amino acids. That means it doesn’t have to be processed through the liver before it can be used by the human body. If your body’s actively using and consuming protein whey protein’s really good because it can be absorbed into your system and go right to the muscles. 33% of your muscle is branched chain amino acid. That’s what’s getting broken down while you’re working out. And then in the elderly, that’s what’s getting broken down that’s causing some muscle degeneration. Whey protein can help fortify that very quickly. However, all protein that is consumed in the body could also easily be processed through the liver with time. And so, if you have time, that’s where the casein comes into play. The casein, when it hits that acidic environment in the gut, it immediately clumps together. It actually creates cheese curds in the gut. And the reason why that’s so important is it slows down digestion so that slowly over time, that will be absorbed into the system. So it’s not [00:11:00] like a rush of energy right after the baby eats and then it goes away right away. Instead, it slows it down. The casein itself also likes to trap other nutrients. The casein in the gut will house the fat and the vitamins and the nutrients so that it’s slowly absorbed over the course of the next few hours before the baby’s next feeding. Ted Jacoby III: As a result of those digestibility differences, what are the differences in the amino acid profiles between casein and whey proteins? The body’s gonna need to break down most of that casein in order to absorb it. When the body breaks down that casein, what are the differences in the way that it absorbs some of those amino acid profiles and short-chain protein strands from the casein versus what’s readily bioavailable from the whey proteins? TJ Jacoby: Casein does not have the same percentage of those essential amino acids. It’s not as high, but it’s designed to be slow absorbing. Protein itself, it almost doesn’t matter the amino acid structure, as long as your body has enough of those vitamins and nutrients to absorb and to restructure it to [00:12:00] a different protein within the liver — that’s what your body needs. Most of us, the protein doesn’t have to be fast-acting. It’s not like our muscles are actively breaking down all the time. It can slowly be absorbed, be processed through the liver, and then used for almost any other function as long as we have all the vitamins and minerals that we need. Lloyd Metzger: Part of this huge shift we’re seeing in demand for protein, especially whey protein, this started 25, 30 years ago with bodybuilders and wanting to build muscle mass. And the realization that TJ mentioned: branch-chain amino acids are very important if you wanna rapidly put muscle mass on. It is also very important if you’re elderly or if you have sarcopenia where you’re starting to lose muscle mass. In those nutritional states, it’s really important to have high-level branch-chain amino acids, so you can put muscle on. Or if you’re on a GLP-1 medication where you’re not gonna be able to eat very much, you need a very efficient source of protein to build muscle mass. So there’s certain nutritional states where it is important to have branch-chain amino acids [00:13:00] and be able to get those from a protein like whey protein that has ’em at a very high level. But for the normal person, it’s not really all that relevant. You could get the protein you need from any protein that provides all the essential amino acids. Now, most plant proteins don’t do that. We’re talking about the difference between casein and whey protein. Both of them are an order of magnitude higher in nutritional quality than plant proteins because they have all the essential amino acids. And to TJ’s point, as long as you have the essential amino acids, the body can produce the non-essential amino acids from those essentials. Essential ones are amino acids the body can’t produce. You have to have those in the food you’re consuming to be able to produce the components you need. Josh White: We’ve got listeners from the dairy side of the equation and listeners from the utilization side that are making different products. And some of those customers are currently faced with the reality that a part of the equation for their adoption of whey proteins as an ingredient has shifted. The competition level’s very [00:14:00] high. They’re having more difficulty accessing some of it. And the price has changed quite a bit. And I think that when you’re talking about these products going into CPG applications as a lower inclusion rate ingredient, but with a lot of label power, being able to put whey protein, for instance, on that label, there’s several of them out there that are struggling to determine what the functional differences might be between the various dairy proteins. And what I’m afraid that is happening is some of these companies that are on the lower end of the value scale and can’t afford to keep up with all of the great products that are demanding whey protein or even milk protein, are gonnastart exploring alternatives outside of our space. and I think that we don’t want that, right? And what we’re seeing is this popularity of whey protein is driving a lot of customers for R&D projects to be asking us specifically for whey protein. And so help us understand what applications might make sense to use one, the other, or both. Lloyd Metzger: It completely depends on the product that [00:15:00] you’re after and the characteristics of the product that you want. Something like a beverage can go two different directions. So, if you’re gonna retort the beverage and put a lot of heat on it, you can’t do that with most whey proteins. They’re gonna gel. The most comparable protein to whey protein would be an egg protein. And everybody understands what happens when you heat eggs; they turn into a gel. So, whey proteins will happily do that. If you have a high enough concentration and you expose them to enough heat. Casein actually helps to protect whey protein from that coagulation. A lot of these high-protein beverages, they’re oftentimes a combination of casein and whey protein. They might alter the ratio a little bit from the 80 / 20. They might bump the whey protein up a little bit and have a 60 / 40 casein to whey protein. And so you’ll see ranges in that ratio of casein to whey protein, depending on the characteristics of the product that you’re actually after. The heat is a big piece of that. And then we go to pH as a big piece of what changes the functionality of casein to whey protein and makes you [00:16:00] change those ratios. Yogurt is another great example. You’ve got these super, super high-protein yogurts and a lot of cases they fortified with quite a bit of whey protein to be able to have more protein and still have the characteristics that you want in that product. In the protein bars, there’s all kinds of whey proteins there. In that application, you actually don’t even solubilize the protein. There’s hardly any water in that bar. It’s really almost a dry protein that has a plasticizer with it, some carbohydrates that actually make that edible. You’re almost eating a dry product. There’s a lot of food chemistry that goes into which product category you’re putting it in. There’s not this straight fast rule that you use whey proteins in this, you use casein and that. It depends on what food chemistry you use and how you put the blend together and then what processing you couple with that to get the characteristic that you’re actually after. Josh White: Can we spend a minute or two talking about the acidified products? They’ve gained a lot of popularity. The market potential is quite large. Can we talk a bit about the [00:17:00] differences between the clear WPIs and our traditional products? Lloyd Metzger: I wanna clarify the question. Are you talking specifically about whey protein only in the clear whey protein beverages versus the normal whey protein beverages? Ted Jacoby III: Yes. Lloyd Metzger: We really start to get into the weeds because we’ve got different whey products. So we’ve got whey protein concentrate. And then that comes in various forms. WPC 34 or WPC 80 are the most common. The 80 and the 34 correspond to how much protein on a dry basis those two products have. And they have whey proteins in the normal ratio that would be in the starting whey. Then we get into a group of products called whey protein isolates. And whey protein isolates go through an additional manufacturing process that allows you to purify the protein further and they’ll have more than 90% protein on a dry basis. And you may start to alter the ratio of the various whey proteins that were present in the starting whey. Now, when [00:18:00] we get into the clear whey protein isolates, we really start to alter the ratio of the proteins that are in there. We’ll also start to change some of the mineral profile of the components that are in that product. And then when we use those isolates in a formulation, we gotta be careful about all the other ingredients ’cause they’re gonna have an impact on whether or not the product is actually clear and whether or not it can be stable to heat. So, you can actually make whey protein stable to heat by controlling the mineral profile and controlling some of the processing conditions. You’re now taking a category of dairy ingredient and you’re starting to use technology IP to be able to provide specific functional characteristics that aren’t normally part of that ingredient. All of these may be called the same thing, and the basic consumer has absolutely no idea what the differences between all these things are. And when they’re looking at a label, they’re probably looking for the word whey protein, and that’s all they’re looking for. Josh White: As we’ve seen the market tighten up, we’ve seen [00:19:00] more inquiries and exploration about the use of pro cream,also called WPPC, also called WPC 70, so many different names. Definitely, in our experience, there’s quite a uniqueness as we originate this product from different manufacturers. Perhaps we can talk a bit more about what this product is and how it differs from the other proteins in the complex. Lloyd Metzger: I talked about WPC 80. That’s just the normal whey protein that we concentrate out of whey. And then, I mentioned whey protein isolate. To convert WPC 80 to a whey protein isolate, you use a filtration step called microfiltration. And in that microfiltration step, you remove any protein that is interacting with fat and take that out of the system. So, if you start with a normal WPC 80 and we’re gonna change it into a WPI. We are gonna go through a microfiltration process and we’re gonna lose about 25% of the protein that was there and all of the fat that was there. And [00:20:00] we’re gonna make a WPI out of that. And that WPI is gonna have about 75% of the protein we started with. The protein that we harvest out of that is actually pro cream. pro cream is just a byproduct of converting WPC 80 into WPI, and it’s gonna have about 25% of the mass of the protein that you started with, and all of the fat that was in that starting WPC 80 material. So that’s why you see it called high-fat WPC 30, and if you dry that down, it’s about a WPC 60. You can take that and blend that with WPC 34. You can do all kinds of things with that ingredient. Manufacturers are always trying to find a home for that. ’cause you’ve got a very high value product that’s easy to market in WPI. Ted Jacoby III: Lloyd, that pro cream, our hunch is there’s a lot more value in that pro cream than the market currently has its head around. Lloyd Metzger: they’re the same proteins that are in WPI, they’re just interacting with a fat. Now the fat [00:21:00] is very unique in that there’s quite a bit of phospholipid fat in there. And so there’s a lot of literature and research being done on the potential health benefits for brain development of phospholipids for infants as well as elderly to help with memory retention and actually help to prevent some Alzheimer’s effects. So, you see some companies starting to market that component that they’ve isolated. I think there is a lot of potential value there. But we’re in the early stages of where that’s gonna go. And you have some companies leading the way that are producing very specialized pro cream type products that are being used in infant nutrition or elderly nutrition. TJ Jacoby: But Lloyd, how do those phospholipids affect the shelf life of pro cream? Lloyd Metzger: They don’t help. The phospholipids are unsaturated fats or partially unsaturated and unsaturated fats are very easy to oxidize, so if they’re not handled properly, you’ll get very stale and oxidized off flavors in the product. It’s something you gotta be careful of. Ted Jacoby III: Oxidized fats, [00:22:00] another way to call that. That’s rancid, right? Yes. Lloyd Metzger: On its way to rancid. Josh White: Another selling point that people will make of the benefits of pro cream are IgGs. Can you guys explain a bit more of what that is to the layman? Lloyd Metzger: So, immunoglobulin is a protein that’s also present in milk. It’s really high in colostrum. It’s at very low levels in milk about 72 hours after the cow was started milking, the levels drop way down, but there is still a low level there. Those immunoglobulins are a very large protein. So when you go through your WPI manufacturing process, they’re gonna partition with that fat and that protein portion that you’re capturing. So they’re gonna go in that pro cream. Looking at the composition of IgG in the different waste streams, you’ll find it’s elevated in that pro cream portion. Now I’d be a little concerned about what kind of shape that IgGs in because you’ve seen a lot of heat [00:23:00] and different manufacturing conditions through that process. So you’d really have to be careful about what kind of claims you’re making based on what kind of shape that IgGs in. Mm-hmm. TJ Jacoby: For an infant, those IgGs will go right into the bloodstream. It’s whole proteins, but for us, it actually has to break up the protein entirely before it can be absorbed into our system. So what kind of functional benefits does IgG bring for an adult? I’d be curious to see what that literature entails. Mike Brown (2): Over the last couple decades, DNA technology has been used more and more to produce valuable proteins, often for medical use like insulin. Are we gonna see a point with the cost benefit of that kind of technology we’ll reach where we can actually use that to produce these whey proteins rather than using a cow? Lloyd Metzger: There’s different levels of concern depending on the particular protein. An individual protein and an individual soluble protein like beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin that are in [00:24:00] whey, those have more potential to be produced in a fermentation type process. ’cause they’re an individual protein. You can over express it, you can get a lot of that produced. But when you get to the complexities of multiple proteins that are in whey, that’s when it really becomes uneconomical to do that from a fermentation standpoint. ’cause you’ve gotta produce all of those individually, try to put ’em together, then purify ’em. What people forget is how efficient the cow is. The cow is essentially a walking fermentation tank that feeds itself, controls its own temperature, cleans itself up. All you’ve gotta do is get the milk out of it. When you look at all the steps that go into the process and what it takes to produce it, it’s really hard to beat the efficiency of a cow. Ted Jacoby III: Lloyd, am I right in assuming that the threat of cellular agriculture to dairy would come in the development of specific protein chains and amino acids, but probably not in terms of the complete [00:25:00] protein profile that is delivered in milk proteins and whey proteins. Lloyd Metzger: Correct. And it would be the very high-end, expensive. So the lactoferrin. It would be your first one or some of the IgG, anything that is at low concentration and very high value. Because even if you did everything perfectly, you’re probably still talking $25 to $30 a pound in the manufacturer and isolation process. Well, we we’re really excited about $11 whey protein isolate. Right? You know, and that’s still half the price. Ted Jacoby III: Makes sense. Lloyd, TJ, this was an absolutely fantastic discussion. This was exactly what I wanted to get out of it. I can tell you I learned quite a bit today and I’m sure our listeners will too. Thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. Lloyd Metzger: No problem. Happy to do it. TJ Jacoby: Truly special to be on today, Dad. I grew up listening to a lot of these podcasts, right? Now we’re here, now we’re on it together with you. So, no, it was truly special.[00:26:00]

In this episode, we preview Monday's matchup between Arizona and South Dakota State. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

HEY! We encourage you to listen to this show as part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out!Merry Christmas Eve Eve!Go ahead an unwrap our Happy Hour with John Gaskins early Christmas present to you — nothing much different than any other Tuesday with Sioux Falls Live's Matt Zimmer on the show.No "Top 5 Christmas Movies" or "Most Overrated Christmas Songs" lists, or "Egg Nog — Yea or Nay?"No "Year in Review" chronological stroll down memory lane of the biggest sports stories of 2025. (That's for tomorrow's Happy Hour — our Christmas Eve present!) Instead, Zim and the host give the gift that keeps on giving the whoooooooole year for the last five years of the weekly "Nobody's LIstening Anyway" podcast — brutal honesty and candor (with some humor) about the most intriguing current sports topics of the Sioux Empire and South Dakota.In this week's case, yet another discussion about what the future may look like for both NDSU and SDSU in college football, thanks to the latest internet whispers about the Bison's "playing footsie" with the Mountain West Conference. While nothing has been confirmed as fact, it's an open door to discussing which level of football is more desirable for NDSU and SDSU — the FCS or FBS.Did the humiliation of James Madison and Tulane by Power Four schools with far more resources and NIL money signal the beginning of the end to a "seat at the table" for the "rest of the FBS" beyond the Big 10, SEC, ACC, and Big 12? It certainly appears so.If that's the case, do the Bison and Jackrabbits really have a reason to move up? Well, maybe if there is ever the splitting of P4 from Non-P4, creating a new sub-level Div. I fusion of Group of Six FBS programs with some of the more established FBS-ish operations in the FCS like NDSU, SDSU, Montana, Montana State, and USD. As usual, Zim moves to the beat of his own drum on this topic. Then, a dive into the splashiest early pre-transfer portal headlines — heavy hitters who have announced they are staying at SDSU (Chase Mason, Quentin Christensen) and leaving USD (L.J. Phillips and Larenzo Fenner).It isn't just a conversation about the retention of players, but the types of players the two South Dakota programs recruit. Nuance is necessary and provided.Nuance would have been nice as rumors exploded about the possibility that Kalen DeBoer would ever leave Alabama for Michigan. Zim, a former teammate of DeBoer's in South Dakota amateur baseball who also covered DeBoer's five-year run of NAIA dominance at the University of Sioux Falls, sheds his own light on watching the speculation ignite in a ball of flames during the Crimson Tide's 17-point comeback playoff win at Oklahoma.Stocking stuffer — a glimpse into a weekend of South Dakota State's women's basketball that featured the two marquee games on the non-conference schedule within four days of each other. Duke and Texas both soundly beat the Jackrabbits. What might this mean in March for SDSU's possible NCAA Tournament seeding? Is it too early to just assume the Jacks will reach the Big Dance, which feels like an annual rite of passage?    Stocking stuffer II — Now what for Minnesota Vikings fans like Zim if J.J. McCarthy is done for the season with his new hand injury? It seemed like tracking the quarterback's progression to see if there is something to be optimistic about in 2026 has likely been replaced with the QB quandary that has stunted the team's growth for most of our lives.Merry Christmas. Bah Humbug! 

They just can't believe it.  To some — especially college football fans outside of South Dakota and the FCS — it just doesn't make any sense. Why would 6'4, 230 lb., bodybuilder-framed, rocket-armed, runaway freight train fast Chase Mason stay at South Dakota State for his final season of college eligibility when he has already been offered over $1 million to play at least one Power Four school (according to his SDSU head coach)? Beyond the life-changing money, Mason could potentially raise his NFL stock — and there is plenty, according to NFL scouts Mason and Dan Jackson converse — by playing against the highest level of CFB competition in front of 70,000-plus seat stadiums and millions of weekly national TV viewers.  NFL stock aside, just the P4 QB1 experience alone appears intoxicating and once-in-a-lifetime, as one of Mason's former teammates Mark Gronowski made it appear at times at Iowa after leaving SDSU for a reported $1,000,000 to $2,000,000.  Mason made it clear in his 68-minute chat with Happy Hour on Monday — "never in a million years" did he consider transferring, and no prospects of seven figure NIL dough will change his mind and convince him to enter the CFB portal, which will be open Jan. 2-16. The former Viborg-Hurley state champion quarterback, FBS-offered, and University of Nebraska baseball player said NFL scouts have told Jackson that he does not need to play at a higher level in 2026 to raise his stock. But more than anything, Mason cited over and over again during the Monday chat that, to him, nothing compares to the culture and "brotherhood" he experiences at SDSU and he doesn't want to discover the downsides to exploring if the grass is greener beyond the Benjamins at a big-league school. Again, some wonder — there has to be a catch, right? Perhaps he isn't worth mondo money and knows it and he actually doesn't have any higher-level interest. Perhaps anyone who claims he is a legitimate NFL QB prospect is either overblowing that notion or flat-out lying. Listening to Mason's entire Happy Hour chat could clear some confusion, but for good measure, Tuesday's show features the Sioux Falls Live sports reporter who has covered Mason closer than anyone the last seven years back to his high school days. Matt Zimmer helps the Twitter keyboard warriors and fans of other fan bases make sense of all the Mason-is-staying hype from the last 24 hours. In particular, Zim revisits Mason's past and why he transferred from Nebraska to SDSU and changed sports in the first place four years ago. NFL? There's a Jackrabbit track record of the last decade that's beyond decent. There's a comparison between Gronowski and Mason regarding their NFL stock that Zim finds worth noting. And now that Mason is coming back, should we project SDSU to take a leap back to the status of the FCS elite after a 9-5 season that ended in the second round? What kind of talent can we assume is coming back to surround Mason to make a national championship run in 2026? (After all, the portal window isn't open until Jan. 2-16, so nobody really knows which 2025 Jacks besides Mason are going to stay). Zim lays out his current outlook and explains why Jackson is looking more to the Div. II and NAIA ranks than the FBS for transfers to fill positions of need. Speaking of South Dakotans announcing they are staying in their powerhouse programs, Zim dives into Kalen DeBoer's remaining the coach at Alabama despite being a floated name in the media as a candidate at Michigan and Penn State. Why is Alabama — as hot as the seat appears to be sometimes — a better gig for DeBoer than the jobs in Ann Arbor and Happy Valley? Then, some words about the 7-6 start for SDSU men's hoops, which included Monday's 87-72 loss to Wyoming. Does this feel like a "down" year without a clear Summit League star like Oscar Cluff, Zeke Mayo, Baylor Scheierman, David Jenkins, or Mike Daum?  

Dissecting some under-the-radar teams of intrigue, previewing some prime time matchups on the horizon, and more with Jamie Steyer Johnson and Helen Williams. HerHoopStats.com: Unlock better insight about the women's game.The Her Hoop Stats Newsletter: https://herhoopstats.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Know what you call a group of Panthers? A claw.Know what we call our group of calls of the game for Panther Women's Basketball? Claw Calls of course.Hear game highlights plus post-game thoughts from Head Coach Tanya Warren, Jenna Twedt, and Abby Tuttle.The UNI Panthers dropped a pair of non-conference matchups to South Dakota State and Iowa State. UNI has one more non-conference tilt at St. Thomas before heading back into Valley play on 12/29 at Valpo. All UNI women's basketball games can be heard locally on 106.5 FM Corn Country and anywhere via the Varsity Network App.This is the Panther Point of View, your source for all things Panthers. Listen on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAnd MORE! Follow UNI Athletics onXFacebookInstagramYouTube Follow the Voice of Panther Volleyball and WBB Chris Kleinhans-Schulz:XSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp joins Colter Nuanez to talk about the return of Keon Loud, the accelerated performance of Solomon Tuliapupu and the Griz defense morphing into an elite unit + we preview the quarterfinal game against South Dakota in Missoula on Saturday afternoon.

Most college football observers did a double-take when reading last Saturday’s FCS small college playoff scores. The undefeated defending FCS champion North Dakota State Bison lost – at home!  They were eliminated from the playoffs by Illinois State 29-28. NDSU’s loss has opened the door for a new national champion to be crowned in less than one month.  Villanova’s 2008 national championship was the most recent title won by a member of this year’s remaining eight quarterfinalist teams. What happened to North Dakota State last weekend? North Dakota State came into last Saturday’s home playoff game with Illinois State with a perfect 12-0 record in 2025.  The Bison had already defeated the Redbirds 33-16 at Illinois State a couple of months ago. However, my weekly FCS report last week noted, “That game saw the Bison leading by only two points (18-16) after three quarters before NDSU tacked-on two late scores for the final margin of victory”. Illinois State came into Fargo, North Dakota last Saturday with the knowledge that they had come really close to taking down the Bison in that previous meeting. By contrast, North Dakota State confidently entered last week’s game knowing they had won 14 straight games against their Missouri Valley Football Conference rivals. The Bison wasted no time in taking a 14-0 first quarter lead in NDSU’s always-noisy FargoDome stadium last Saturday. The first offensive play from scrimmage produced a 79-yard touchdown pass completion to Bryce Lance (yes, he is the younger brother of former Bison and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance).  North Dakota State tacked-on a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown to take a 14-point lead in the opening quarter. North Dakota State’s usually punishing offense was throttled all day. Illinois State held the Bison to just six first downs – for the entire game!  NDSU still led 28-14 early in the fourth quarter as Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse tossed five interceptions which allowed the Bison to maintain the lead. However, the Redbirds’ quarterback saved his best for last. Rittenhouse tossed two touchdowns in the game’s final three minutes plus a two-point conversion to give Illinois State a thrilling 29-28 win. Illinois State controlled the ball – well, when they weren’t throwing one of those five interceptions to North Dakota State. The Redbirds kept possession of the football for 42 minutes compared to just 18 for the Bison. NDSU finished its season at 12-1. Illinois State improved to 10-4 and now travels west this week to play UC-Davis on Saturday afternoon. Let’s preview this week’s four FCS quarterfinal playoff games! #7 seed Stephen F. Austin (11-2) at #2 seed Montana State (11-2) – FRIDAY – 8PM CST on ESPN Two mirror image teams will meet on Friday night in Bozeman, Montana. The SFA Lumberjacks opened the season with two straight losses and have reeled-off a school-record 11 straight victories to reach Friday’s FCS quarterfinal game. The Southland Conference champions defeated the United Athletic Conference winner Abilene Christian 41-34 at home Saturday in Nacogdoches, Texas to advance to this weekend’s game. Ditto for Montana State! The Bobcats dropped a road “money game” at Oregon and were surprised in their home opener by South Dakota State. After an 0-2 start, Montana State’s defense has only allowed one team (Montana) to score more than 17 points in their current 11-game winning streak.  The Big Sky Champion Bobcats edged Ivy League winner Yale 21-13 last Saturday in Bozeman to advance into the quarterfinals at home on Friday night. Stephen F. Austin’s defense is doing its part this season, too.  The Jacks have allowed just 16 points per game over their current 11-game winning streak. Offensively speaking, Montana State ranks #9 nationally in scoring 36.8 points per game. Stephen F. Austin is #14 in the FBS in scoring by producing 36 points per game. The explosive Lumberjacks’ offense has produced 57 plays of more than 20 yards this season. Montana State expects nearly 20,000 fans for Friday night’s game.  The weather will be chilly with gametime temperatures around 40 degrees and brisk winds of 15-20 mph during this game. 11-2 Villanova at #4 seed Tarleton State (12-1) – Saturday at 11AM on ESPN The Wildcats come into Saturday’s quarterfinal game in north Texas on a 10-game winning streak. Villanova went on the road last Saturday to end the season for previously undefeated Lehigh 14-7 in a game played in Bethlehem, PA.  The Wildcats from the Coastal Athletic Conference took advantage of two Lehigh turnovers to secure a win in this tightly-contested game. Villanova’s fans must travel nearly 1,600 miles southwest to Stephenville, Texas (near Fort Worth) to attend this Saturday’s quarterfinal game. The Tarleton State Texans prevailed 31-13 over the University of North Dakota last week to advance into Saturday’s quarterfinals. The 12-1 Texans’ only blemish on its record came after a last minute field goal gave eventual United Athletic Conference champion Abilene Christian a 31-28 win on November 1. Tarleton State’s defense is ranked #10 nationally and allows just 18 points per game. The weather in north central Texas should be terrific on Saturday.  Sunny skies with gametime temperatures in the mid-60’s and light winds will make for perfect football weather conditions. Univ. of South Dakota (10-4) at #3 seed Montana (12-1) – Saturday 2:30PM on ABC The Coyotes of South Dakota and the Grizzlies of Montana will meet on Saturday afternoon for the first time in a playoff setting. These two FBS schools are spaciously separated by nearly 1,100 miles.  The University of Montana football team has never lost to USD (5-0) since the Coyotes moved up into the FCS football group in 2008. South Dakota wants to change that on Saturday. The Coyotes’ 10-4 record is deceiving.  Their losses came at FBS member Iowa State and against three other FCS playoff qualifiers (Lamar University, Illinois State, and North Dakota State). USD from the Missouri Valley Football Conference has blasted two consecutive playoff opponents. Last week’s 47-0 ambush at #6 seed Mercer raised a lot of eyebrows.  The Coyotes’ offense ran for 309 yards and passed for another 241 on Saturday in Macon, Georgia.  South Dakota’s defense stifled Mercer’s vaunted passing attack as it produced four interceptions. The Montana Grizzlies of the Big Sky Conference will have the home field advantage on Saturday.  This will mark the first-ever football game to be televised by ABC at picturesque Washington/Grizzly stadium in Missoula.  Montana is the FCS’ all-time leader in post-season appearances (29) with national championships won in 1995 and 2001. The Griz is #3 nationally in scoring (41.5 points per game). Their prolific passing attack produces almost 300 yards per game with an efficient 70% completion percentage. The weather forecast for Saturday’s game calls for afternoon sunshine and a balmy (by Montana standards) high temperature of 52 degrees. Illinois State (10-4) at #8 seed UC-Davis (9-3) – Saturday at 4PM on ESPN+ The final FCS quarterfinal game of this weekend will be played just west of Sacramento on the campus of UC-Davis.  UC-Davis and Illinois State are both seeking their schools’ first FCS national football championship. These two teams played each other in the second round of last year’s FCS playoffs.  The Aggies of UC-Davis cruised in a 42-10 home field decision over the Redbirds from Normal, Illinois. As we covered earlier, Illinois State (which finished in 3rd place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference regular season) will not be intimidated after traveling to #1 seed North Dakota State last weekend and taking a 29-28 victory over the defending champs. The “Road-birds” are now 13-1 over the past two seasons as a visiting team against FCS opponents.   Senior wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz added three touchdowns against North Dakota State last week. He now owns the Illinois State school record with 36 TD catches in his career. Meanwhile, the UC-Davis Aggies of the Big Sky Conference feature one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the entire FCS.  Last week’s home playoff win over Rhode Island saw the Aggies pass for 277 yards and rush for 276 more as they pulled away in the second half in a 47-26 victory over the Rams. UC-Davis is hosting a quarterfinal game at home for the first time since 2001. Saturday’s weather in northern California will feature plenty of sunshine and a kick-off temperatures at a cool 47 degrees.  Enjoy this weekend’s FCS quarterfinal games! The post FCS Quarterfinals – No Mo’ Bison to worry about! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out!Is it time for the Coyotes to take a seat at the FCS "grownup" table? In other words, to make room to expand the "Big Four" of FCS football — North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Montana State, Montana — to the "Big Five?"USD has made three consecutive quarterfinals, something NDSU and SDSU — who have split the last four national titles, two apiece — can't say after losing in the round of 16 on Saturday (but the Bobcats and the Grizzlies can).Unlike the Big Four, the Coyotes haven't played in an FCS national title game within the last four years, or ever. We'll find out how they stack up against a blue blood Saturday on ABC in a time window when Army-Navy will be the only other football game to watch on over-the-air TV.But Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and Happy Hour host John Gaskins dig in to what three years of USD reaching this round means, particularly for a 2025 team that has won five consecutive games — four against ranked teams — and left a 47-0 bruise on SoCon champ Mercer, the nation's best (statistical) offense and rush defense, by holding the Bears to 277 total yards (227 short of their average) and bulldozing them for 316 rushing yards (226 over their average).So, will the Coyotes stack up to the Grizzlies better than the Jackrabbits, who were 50-burgered? Zim and John kick that around as well in this week's edition of their five-years-and-running weekly podcast "Nobody's Listening Anyway."Also on the docket:* Why is Zim happy for Jimmy Rogers at Iowa State, and why does he find it nonsense to bash his character for leaving Washington State after less than a year to take his third head coaching job in four years? And why, in hindsight, was he still the best choice to take over for John Stiegelmeier?* Why does Zim feel Chase Mason doesn't need to go to the Big Ten or SEC or any FBS school to show NFL pros he is worthy of an early rounds NFL Draft selection?* What is Zim's sense of how many SDSU players who aren't out of eligibility will stick around?* Does NDSU's early round exit from the FCS Playoffs make the postseason more interesting or more boring? Does it make the FCS stronger? Does it strengthen or weaken the case that the Bison should want to stay in the FCS?* Oh, and should James Madison's entry into the CFB Playoffs make the case for NDSU and SDSU to "move up?" Actually, Zim says no. Why?* Bowl games — yeah, their prestige has been weakened over the decades by the sheer volume of them, the number of top players sitting them out, and now the number of teams refusing to play in them. Does that mean they should all go away? Zim says no. Hear why.

Colter Nuanez opens the show with Pete Hamill of Vertical Raise to break down Montana's latest win over South Dakota State  from the game's biggest momentum swings to standout performers and what the victory means moving forward. The two also unveil the final Prep AA Vertical Raise Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. (3:11)Next, Geoff Safford sits down with Sentinel women's basketball head coach Maddie Kiest for a full preview of the Spartans' upcoming season as they prepare to tip off this Friday. (22:18)To close the show, Colter delivers his Treasure State Stars of the Week, spotlighting standout performances from across Montana. This week's honorees include Griz Football's Dillon Botner, the newly named FCS National Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and 2019 world champion steer wrestler Ty Erickson, who is off to a blazing start this season. (40:14)

From South Dakota State to Virginia Tech—Hannah Whitbred shares her journey in collegiate strength and conditioning.As an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports at Virginia Tech, Hannah works with student-athletes across multiple sports, each with unique physical demands and performance goals. In this conversation, she breaks down what it's really like to train diverse athletes, from track and field to soccer to swimming, and how she tailors programs to meet each sport's specific needs.We discuss her transition from South Dakota State to a Power 4 conference program, the lessons she learned working with Jackrabbit athletes, what it takes to succeed in collegiate strength and conditioning, and the realities of building relationships with coaches and athletes across multiple teams.Whether you're a student interested in strength and conditioning, a practitioner looking to break into college athletics, or simply curious about what happens behind the scenes in Olympic sports training, this episode offers valuable perspectives on the profession.

Former Montana running back Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to talk about message boards, disagreements and the things UM showed in a 50-29 win over South Dakota State that helps make the Griz a true national title contender.

Colter Nuanez opens the show by breaking down the biggest matchups across the FCS landscape, starting with Illinois State's unbelievable upset win over NDSU, UC Davis' impressive performance in their victory over Rhode Island, and South Dakota's dominant showing against Mercer.From there, Colter dives into a wild weekend in Montana football, unpacking the Grizzlies' statement win over South Dakota State and Montana State's nail-biter against Yale. He digs into the defining moments of each game and what they signal for both teams moving forward. The episode also features conversations with coaches Brent Vigen, Bobby Hauck, and Dan Jackson, as well as players Solomon Tuliaupupu and Drew Deck, offering fresh insight straight from the field and locker rooms. Whether you follow the Griz, the Cats, or the wider FCS landscape, this episode delivers sharp, timely analysis from top to bottom.

Colter Nuanez is joined by former Griz quarterback and longtime NFL coach Marty Mornhinweg to break down Montana's huge win over South Dakota State, highlighting Ay Yat's standout performance and a Griz offense that erupted for 50 points. They also dig into the postgame scuffle involving Brent Vigen and Julius Davis and what it reveals about the rivalry's intensity.From there, Colter and Marty turn to the NFL, unpacking the Chiefs' surprising loss to the Texans, the Packers' huge divisional win over the Bears, and their take on a big Monday Night Football matchup between the Eagles and Chargers. 

Montana posted a 50-29 win over South Dakota State on Saturday to advance to the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs for the 15th time in program history. UM head coach Bobby Hauck, senior DE Kellen Detrick and senior RB Stevie Rocker Jr., addressed the media ahead of the Elite 8 game against South Dakota State.

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central recap all the second-round games of the 2025 FCS Football Playoffs. The duo discusses Illinois State's historic upset over North Dakota State, Montana's offensive explosion against South Dakota State, South Dakota's statement win against Mercer, Tarleton State's impressive performance against North Dakota, Villanova's defensive battle against Lehigh, and Stephen F. Austin's exciting win over Abilene Christian. All this and more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I recap all the FCS Playoff games from the 2nd round (outside of Montana vs SDSU; you can see that in the other recap). There were some wild games in the 2nd round, and one that is historic. Stay tuned for the entire episode this week.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro2:01 - Montana State/Yale Recap13:38 - NDSU/Illinois State Recap21:28 - UC Davis/Rhode Island Recap28:32 - South Dakota/Mercer Recap35:12 - SFA/ACU Recap41:08 - Tarleton State/North Dakota Recap47:51 - Villanova/Lehigh Recap54:39 - Final Thoughts 56:30 - End  

In this week's Akems Analysis, Keenan and I recap a wild 2nd Rd Montana playoff victory over South Dakota State. We get into the highs and some of the lows we saw on Saturday. Stay tuned for the whole episode.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior captain linebacker Solomon Tuliapupu and wide receiver Drew Deck + South Dakota State head coach Dan Jackson, defensive tackle Logan Green and quarterback Chase Mason addressed the media following UM's 50-29 win over SDSU in Missoula in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. 

Know what you call a group of Panthers? A claw.Know what we call our group of calls of the game for Panther Women's Basketball? Claw Calls of course.The UNI Panthers won their fourth game in their last five tries, 68-52 over Toledo on the road on Saturday. Ryley Goebel led the way with 17 points, while Elise Jaeger notched 10 points and 10 rebounds, her 3rd double double in the last four games. UNI plays their final home game of the 2025 calendar year on Wednesday night against South Dakota State at 6 PM. All UNI women's basketball games can be heard locally on 106.5 FM Corn Country and anywhere via the Varsity Network App.This is the Panther Point of View, your source for all things Panthers. Listen on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAnd MORE! Follow UNI Athletics onXFacebookInstagramYouTube Follow the Voice of Panther Volleyball and WBB Chris Kleinhans-Schulz:XSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Colter Nuanez breaks down the latest hardwood action for both the Griz and Bobcat men's and women's basketball teams. (2:16)Then Colter sits down with South Dakota State head football coach Dan Jackson to preview the Jackrabbits' upcoming showdown with Montana at Washington–Grizzly Stadium on Saturday. (12:26)Next, Geoff Safford delivers rink-side insight, featuring interviews with Bobcats captain Hayden Klem (33:45) and defenseman Mack Kline (41:46) as we gear up for the Brawl of the Wild: Hockey Edition this Friday at Glacier Ice Rink in Missoula.And finally, Colter reacts to Josh Margolis's tip about an NAIA playoff team reportedly being removed from the postseason. (50:10)

Former Griz All-American and NFL linebacker Jordan Tripp joins Colter Nuanez to talk about his impressions of Montana State's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula plus key matchups as the Griz get ready for the FCS Playoffs with a second round matchup against No. 14 South Dakota State. 

Colter sits down with Medium contributor and South Dakota State insider Tanner Castora to break down the Jackrabbits' roller-coaster season and analyze their high-stakes showdown with Montana inside a roaring Washington–Grizzly Stadium this Saturday. Tanner brings sharp insight, key matchups to watch, and what SDSU must do to survive in Missoula. (2:24)Then, Colter catches up with Montana star running back Eli Gillman, fresh off an 11–1 regular season. Gillman reflects on the Griz's dominant year, the mindset in the locker room, and what it will take to punch their ticket past South Dakota State. (32:42)

Colter Nuanez is joined by FCS expert and HERO Sports contributor Sam Herder to break down the latest action across the FCS landscape and preview the upcoming playoff matchups—including Montana's showdown with South Dakota State and Montana State's clash with Yale. (6:17)Then, Colter sits down with Missoula native Adam Jones to discuss the Cats securing the outright Big Sky title, what it means for a hometown kid to win inside Washington–Grizzly Stadium, and how Montana State is gearing up for Saturday's matchup with Yale.(31:35)To close the show, Colter shares his thoughts on Eli Gillman being left off the Walter Payton Award watch list despite his standout season for the Grizzlies. (40:18)

Montana running back Eli Gillman joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now to talk about winning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and UM's second-round playoff matchup against South Dakota State this week. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I'm previewing all the 2nd round FCS Playoff matchups. There are a lot of interesting games, for a lot of reasons. Only 8 teams will remain after this weekend. Find out what I think about all the matchups.

This week, the so-called “big names” of college football are still waiting and arguing about which teams should be selected for their upcoming 12-team College Football Playoffs. The television networks will feature a limited slate of major conference championship games this weekend.  Most of this weekend’s FBS teams (win or lose) will probably make the 12-team playoff field. Yawn! By contrast, the FCS small college playoffs are now entering week #2 of their 24-team competition.  Yes, that is double the number of playoff teams compared to the major college football teams! Here’s how the FCS Playoffs work The 11 FCS playoff conferences do not play championship games. In the event of a tie for first place, each conference utilizes a set of tiebreaker rules to determine the league’s top team. Each of the 11 conference winners received an “automatic bid” into the 24-team FCS playoff field.  The other 13 teams were selected by the FCS Playoff Committee (comprised of one Athletic Director from each of the 11 participating conferences). The 11 conference winners are not guaranteed to host a home playoff game.  In fact, the winners of the Ivy League (Yale), Northeast Conference (Central Connecticut State), and Pioneer Football League (Drake) played on the road in Week #1. Last weekend’s first round had the top eight FCS seeds with a bye.  The remaining 16 teams were in action, though.  The next eight highest seeded teams (Seeds #9-16) hosted first round games last Saturday.  Their opponents were selected by the playoff committee with geographic considerations to minimize team travel costs (a very smart idea). Three road teams pulled Week #1 upsets last weekend. Surprising North Dakota clobbered #13 seed Tennessee Tech 31-6 in Cookeville.  Yale scored the final 29 points of the game in the second half to surprise #15 seed Youngstown State 43-42.  Illinois State prevailed over #16 Southeastern Louisiana 21-3 in Hammond. The other five teams eliminated last weekend were Central Connecticut State, Harvard, New Hampshire, Drake, and Lamar. The FCS is now down to its “Sweet 16” round on Saturday.   Let’s review each of the match-ups!  (All kickoffs shown are CST) #12 Villanova (10-2) at #5 Lehigh (12-0) – 11AM on ESPN+ When you’re hot, you’re hot!  The Villanova Wildcats lost two of their first three games of the season (to FBS Penn State and 9-3 FCS member Monmouth).  Since then, Villanova has won nine straight games.  That includes last Saturday’s 52-7 opening round shellacking of formerly 9-1 Harvard.  The Coastal Athletic Association runner-up Wildcats ran for 319 yards as part of a 519-yard offensive output in their home rout over Harvard. The Lehigh Mountain Hawks of the Patriot League enjoyed a first round bye.  Lehigh features the fourth best rushing offense in the FCS with more than 235 yards per game on the ground.  Lehigh (which was the SwampSwamiSports.com #1 regular season team) has limited eight of its 12 opponents to 14 points or less during the season.  Tickets for the first Lehigh home playoff game in Bethlehem, PA since 2004 are scarce.  Saturday’s game will be played in dry but chilly (upper 30’s) weather conditions. #11 South Dakota (9-4) @ #6 Mercer (9-2) – 11AM on ESPN+ South Dakota’s Coyotes from the Missouri Valley Conference eliminated Pioneer Football League champion Drake 38-17 last week in Round 1.  USD has won seven of their last eight games.  This week’s game is the first-ever football match-up of South Dakota and Mercer.  The Coyotes have advanced into the second round of the FCS playoffs for three consecutive seasons. The pass-happy Mercer Bears had a first round bye.  Mercer is second in the FCS with nearly 334 passing yards per game.  Alas, the forecast for Macon, Georgia features a 60% chance of rain with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees.  The weather conditions may dampen the effectiveness of the So-Con champion Bears’ dangerous passing attack. Illinois State (9-4) @ #1 North Dakota State (12-0) – 12 Noon on ESPN+ This is a Missouri Valley Football Conference rematch of North Dakota State’s 33-16 win over the Redbirds on October 4th in Normal, Illinois.  That game saw the Bison leading by only two points (18-16) after three quarters before NDSU tacked-on two late scores for the final margin of victory. Indiana State’s Redbirds are led by quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.  He passed for 28 touchdowns and ran for seven more scores this season. North Dakota State is the defending FCS champion and is participating in the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season.  The Bison score 42 points per game (#3 nationally) and are #1 in defense by allowing less than 12 points per outing.  Expect another sell-out crowd in the noisy 18,700 seat FargoDome to cheer-on the unbeaten Bison this Saturday afternoon. North Dakota (8-5) @ #4 Tarleton State (11-1) – 12 Noon on ESPN+ I admit it.  It was quite surprising to learn that the 7-5 North Dakota Fighting Hawks were being selected to participate in the FCS playoffs over several other teams with much better season records.  UND finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Missouri Valley Conference.  They were dispatched 1,200 miles to the south to play a first round road game at 11-1 Ohio Valley/Big South champion Tennessee Tech.  The Fighting Hawks soared in the final quarter as North Dakota scored 21 points to secure a 31-6 win and advance into the second round. This week’s “reward” is a nearly 1,300 mile road trip to #4 seed Tarleton State of Stephenville, Texas (runner-up in the United Athletic Conference).  The North Dakota defense forced six turnovers last week in its win over Tennessee Tech. Tarleton State is no slouch on defense, either.  The Texans lead the FCS in turnover margin with a 2.42 “plus” turnover ratio.  Quarterback Victor Gabalis passed for 25 touchdowns and only four interceptions this year to lead Tarleton State’s offense.  Sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-60’s should make for a perfect day for playoff football in north Texas. Yale (9-2) @ #2 Montana State (10-2) – 1PM on ESPN+ Yale may be destiny’s darling in this year’s FCS playoffs.  After handing unbeaten Harvard its first loss and winning the Ivy League, the Bulldogs found themselves down 35-7 at the half at Youngstown State in last Saturday’s first round playoff game.  A furious second half rally saw Yale escape with an improbable 43-42 win to advance into Round 2. This week’s opponent is also on a roll.  Montana State defeated previously unbeaten Montana two weeks ago to win the Big Sky Conference title.  After a first round bye, the Bobcats can’t wait to play Yale this Saturday in Bozeman, Montana as snow and 38 degrees await the visitors from Connecticut.  Montana State rushes for more than 230 yards per game, so expect a ball-control offensive effort from the Bobcats on Saturday. #14 South Dakota State (9-4) @ #3 Montana (11-1) – 1PM on ESPN+ It took an overtime win in the regular season finale at North Dakota for the Jackrabbits to end their shocking four-game losing streak.  South Dakota State was rewarded by the FCS Playoff committee with a playoff spot.  The Jackrabbits (which finished 4-4 in the Missouri Valley this year) quickly dispatched New Hampshire 41-3 to advance to Round 2 and earn a visit to Missoula to play the University of Montana this Saturday. The hungry Montana Grizzlies are still seething from a season-ending 31-28 loss to rival Montana State.  Even with the loss, the Big Sky runner-up received a first round bye based on their sterling 11-1 regular season record.  The Griz want to avenge last season’s 35-18 playoff loss to South Dakota State in a game played in Brookings, SD.  Running back Eli Gillman (the Big Sky offensive player-of-the-year) leads the team with 105 yards per game and a team-high 17 touchdowns.  Light freezing rain and snow showers are expected during Saturday’s game with temperatures in the upper 30’s. #10 Abilene Christian (9-4) @ #7 Stephen F. Austin (10-2) – 1PM on ESPN+ These two Texas-based conference champions will tee-it up for a second time this season.  This time, the game will be played in Nacogdoches on Saturday.  The Wildcats beat Stephen F. Austin 28-20 in Abilene in early September.  United Athletic League champion Abilene Christian has won seven of its last eight games.  ACU dispatched third-place Southland Conference finisher Lamar 38-20 last weekend in Abilene during Round #1 of the FCS playoffs. The SFA Lumberjacks went 8-0 in the Southland Conference this year to take the league title for the first time since 2010.  Stephen F. Austin has won its last ten games and is allowing only 15 points per game on defense.  SFA was awarded a first round bye, and the school is “jacked” about hosting a home playoff game against the team which beat them in Week #2. #9 Rhode Island (11-2) @ #8 UC-Davis (8-3) – 9PM on ESPN2 “Road” Island is making a 3,000 mile cross-country trip to play this game on Saturday night in northern California.  The CAA regular season champion Rams earned the trip west by winning an opening round playoff game 27-19 at home last weekend over the stubborn Central Connecticut State Blue Devils.  Rhode Island quarterback Devin Ferrell leads the Rams’ offense with nearly 3,500 yards via the air and 22 touchdowns passes. UC-Davis finished third in the Big Sky Conference behind Montana State and the University of Montana.  The Aggies’ explosive offense passes for 258 yards per game and rushes for another 180.  Saturday’s match-up against Rhode Island will be the first-ever for these two teams.  This game will kick-off under clear skies with temperatures falling into the upper 40’s. Enjoy the second round of the FCS Playoffs this Saturday! The post FCS – Previewing the “Sweet 16” Playoff games appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Colter Nuanez is joined by University of Montana Assistant Club Sports Director Tucker Sargent to break down the latest developments in UM club athletics. Tucker also weighs in on the New England Patriots holding the best record in the NFL, and, as an East Coast native, offers his unique perspective on Yale traveling to Montana to face Montana State on Saturday. (1:35)Later, Colter catches up with Havre native Kellan Detrick after practice for a quick interview to preview the Grizzlies' huge showdown with South Dakota State this Saturday at Washington–Grizzly Stadium. (40:43)

State of the playoff race (1:02)Friday games (11:46): Kennesaw State at Jacksonville State, Troy at James Madison, UNLV at Boise State, North Texas at TulaneSaturday noon games (20:25): BYU vs. Texas Tech, Miami (OH) vs. Western MichiganSaturday afternoon (25:41): Georgia vs. AlabamaNight games (31:31): Indiana vs. Ohio State, Duke vs. VirginiaFCS games (40:24): Villanova at Lehigh, South Dakota at Mercer, Illinois State at North Dakota State, Abilene Christian at Stephen F. Austin, North Dakota at Tarleton State, Yale at Montana State, South Dakota State at Montana, Prairie View A&M at Jackson State, Rhode Island at UC DavisPredictions (44:13): South Dakota State at Montana, Kennesaw State at Jacksonville State, Western Michigan vs. Miami, UNLV at Boise State, Troy at James Madison, Duke vs. Virginia, Georgia vs. Alabama, BYU at Texas Tech, North Texas at Tulane, Indiana at Ohio State 

South Dakota State head coach Dan Jackson ahead of Saturday's second round game in the FCS Playoffs against Montana.

South Dakota State first-year head coach Dan Jackson joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now to discuss the Jacks' trip to Missoula for the third playoff matchup in as many years against Montana.

Skyline Sports analyst Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez to talk about final reactions to the Cat-Griz rivalry, the draws for the FCS playoffs, the results of the first round of the postseason + the matchups for the three Big Sky Conference teams playing in the second round.  

Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to break down home renovations, Christmas options, Montana's playoff draw + the reasons Montana will and the reasons Montana will not make a run in the FCS Playoffs with No. 14 South Dakota State coming to town on Saturday.

In this week's ESPN Roundtable on 102.9 FM ESPN Montana, Colter Nuanez is joined by Tanner Castora, a journalist and author who covers South Dakota State with multiple mediums as the Jackrabbits make their way to Missoula for the second round of the FCS playoffs to play the No. 3 Montana Grizzlies. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I look back at all the games from the 1st Round of the FCS Playoffs. Yale was the headliner with its big-time upset victory over Youngstown State. Another Ivy League brother of Yale's didn't fare as well; Harvard got dominated by Villanova on the road. SDSU had Chase Mason back, and they look to be back to their early-season form. All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro 1:48 - Yale/YSU Reaction 8:06 - North Dakota/Tenn Tech Reaction15:35 - SDSU/New Hampshire Reaction21:25 - Villanova/Harvard Reaction28:11 - ACU/Lamar Reaction33:45 - South Dakota/Drake Reaction39:48 - Rhode Island/CCSU Reaction 44:45 - Illinois State/SELA Reaction49:55 - Final Thoughts 51:09 - End

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck along with first-team All-Big Sky wide receiver Michael Wortham and defensive end Hunter Peck addressed the media ahead of the No. 3 seeded Grizzlies' second round playoff matchup against South Dakota State. 

Joe DeLeone & Sean Anderson react to the full slate of FCS playoff round 1 games. Yale shocked Youngstown State, South Dakota State is back to form & the MVFC is rolling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NOTICE: This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out! Just how big of a win was South Dakota State's 34-31 thriller at North Dakota? Ask the reporter who has been on the Jackrabbit beat for 10 years and gets far more access than most college football beat reporters, and he'll tell you it changed the tenor of the entire 2025 season. Ask him if it may have changed the tenor of where the program is headed after the first full season of a new head coach and entirely new staff, and, well, you'll want to hear the answer. Sioux Falls Live's Matt Zimmer was in Grand Forks and gives you even more insight into the relevance of the victory than he does in his articles. It can't be underestimated. But, how much does it evaporate all the issues that led to SDSU losing four games in a row, particularly the embarrassment against Indiana State and the swift, early 35-0 tailspin against Illinois State? How did that latter loss actually fuel Saturday's win? Can we now definitively say the Jacks can beat New Hampshire or even No. 3 Montana — which awaits the winner — without Chase Mason? We might not ever know the answer to that question, because head coach Dan Jackson on Monday told Happy Host John Gaskins he is "confident" in Mason being able to play in Saturday's home playoff game. So how does this change things for SDSU's postseason, if Mason indeed plays?  And, what do we make of others who cover the FCS accusing Jackson — we're paraphrasing here — of trying to use Jedi mind tricks and keep opponents guessing if Mason will play or not each of the last few weeks? On his daily "Hot Mic" show in Fargo, WDAY-TV's Voice of the Bison Dom Izzo said this on Monday: "The Chase Mason thing is beyond infuriating. And, I said it after the Bison game. FCS writer/analyst) Craig Haley and got ripped for it — and Craig was dead-on about it — it's just completely unnecessary. They warmed up Chase Mason again just for this illusion for the (FCS Playoffs) Committee that, 'Hey, he might be coming back.' He's not! "Jack Henry played and won the game. I think it was out there, like, 'Hey, if we lose, we might get our quarterback back. It's just so stupid unnecessary." You'll want to hear what Zimmer, who regularly goes to practice and was on the field observing Saturday's warmup, has to say about that assertion. SDSU also scored what appears to be a major recruiting victory on Friday night when Sioux Falls Lincoln quarterback Brody Schafer announced on social media his commitment to SDSU. Schafer is on pace to easily break older brother Tate Schafer's career passing and total yards and touchdowns in Class 11AAA, the state's highest level of high school football. Sanford Sports Academy's football director and veteran high school football analyst Kurtiss Riggs has called Schafer the best high school football quarterback talent to come from South Dakota. Riggs also feels like USD missed a golden opportunity to offer Schafer a scholarship before SDSU. Does Zimmer agree? Also in this episode, our latest conversation about a watered-down FCS playoff field thanks to the numerous departures from the subdivision to FBS the last several years. Does it make watching these playoffs so uninteresting that Zimmer pines for the Jacks to move up to the FBS the way many Bison fans and media do?  

FCS games (00:53): Tuskegee State at Alabama State, Southern at Grambling State, Harvard at Villanova, Central Connecticut at Rhode Island, Drake at South Dakota, Illinois State at Southeast Louisiana, Drake at South Dakota, Lamar at Abilene Christian, New Hampshire at South Dakota State, North Dakota at Tennessee TechThanksgiving (FBS): Navy at Memphis (2:44)Friday noon games (3:33): Iowa at Nebraska, Utah at Kansas, Ole Miss at Mississippi StateFriday afternoon games (8:38): Georgia at Georgia Tech, Temple at North TexasFriday night games (14:34): Texas A&M at Texas, Indiana at Purdue, Arizona at Arizona State Saturday noon games (19:02): Ohio State at Michigan, Miami at Pitt, Clemson at South Carolina, Kentucky at Louisville, Texas Tech at West Virginia, UCF at BYUSaturday afternoon games (28:25): WKU at Jacksonville State, Boston College at Syracuse, Oregon at Washington, Vanderbilt at Tennessee, LSU at Oklahoma, Wake Forest at Duke, Wisconsin at Minnesota, Troy at Southern Miss, Florida State at FloridaSaturday night games (37:02): Oregon at Washington State, Virginia Tech at Virginia, Charolette at Tulane, Northwestern at Illinois, UCLA at USC, Alabama at Auburn, SMU at Cal, Notre Dame at Stanford Predictions (43:02): Wake Forest at Duke, Arizona at Arizona State, Ole Miss at Mississippi State, Miami at Pitt, Oregon at Washington, Vanderbilt at Tennessee, Alabama at Auburn, Texas A&M at Texas, Georgia at Georgia Tech, Ohio State at Michigan 

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central discuss the official 2025 FCS Playoff bracket and recap all the FCS football action from Week 13. The duo discusses Montana State's impressive victory over Montana, South Dakota State's overtime thriller against North Dakota, & Yale's dominant win over Harvard. The two also analyze the official 2025 FCS Playoff bracket, highlighting the key matchups, potential upsets, and some questionable seeding choices by the playoff committee. All this & more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us a textWe dive into a chaos-heavy sports week where FCS seeding flips, MLS redraws the calendar, and World Cup qualifying opens doors for surprise entrants. The stakes spike across rivalry games, while a few programs and federations make bold, risky bets on timing, talent, and identity.• South Dakota State's slide and what the committee values• Bracketology snapshots, seeds, and the real bubble• Rivalry week impact: Brawl of the Wild, Lehigh–Lafayette, Harvard–Yale• MEAC decider in Dover and Celebration Bowl path• FBS vs FCS upsets worth monitoring and why they matter• MLS's fall-to-spring pivot and USL's opportunity• International breaks, player availability, and transfer timing• CONCACAF chaos: Suriname and Curacao push for first World Cup trips• UEFA qualification pressure points and Nations League backdoors• NHL pulse check: pace-setters, slides, and the Sweden series“Stay tuned for tomorrow because I have a poem, maybe even an epic to read of the return of the rise of the ashes of Mason Rudolph.” Support the showMake sure to follow the Dad Hat Chronicles: https://linktr.ee/TheDadHatChronicles

NOTICE: This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out! What is there to say that hasn't already been said about South Dakota's 24-17 win over South Dakota State on Saturday, or already been written in columns like this one by Matt Zimmer or this one by John Gaskins?As it turns out, of course, plenty.In their weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast from Gibs Sports Bar in Sioux Falls, Zim and John sink their teeth into the following aftermatch topics:* Are both teams now playoff-worthy at seven wins apiece, no matter what happens in the No. 17 Coyotes' final game at No. 21 Southern Illinois on Saturday, or the No. 16 Jackrabbits' two games remaining against No. 14 Illinois State and at No. 13 North Dakota?* Why does Zim feel USD has what it takes to go on a run and contend for the national championship?* For that matter, what can SDSU's ceiling still be, with or without Chase Mason?* Would SDSU have won the game if Chase Mason had played?* How can the Jacks win either or both of their last two games if Chase Mason doesn't return?* How do we look at NDSU and UND after the Fighting Sioux almost took down the Bison?* Should Jacks fans be upset about the coaching this year, particularly the last three games?* How do we now look at the final season of Aidan Bouman and his USD legacy no matter what?* How do we see the Missouri Valley Football Conference's quality now that we've seen several Top 25 teams play each other close?* Is NDSU still head-and-shoulders above the rest of the Valley, if not the entire FCS?Then, some words about Augustana and University of Sioux Falls suffering blowout home losses in the snow. How much do those losses hurt the Div. II Sioux Falls teams' postseason picture?Next, a review of the wins for No. 1 Brandon Valley and No. 2 Lincoln in the Class 11AAA state semifinals, setting up a rematch of last year's championship game, where the Patriots repeated as champions.Will it be a Lincoln three-peat? Mark Gronowski continued to rip off monster runs and even had a couple clutch passes in Iowa's 18-16 loss to Oregon. Is Tim Tebow (Light) a fair comparison for what the former Jackrabbit has brought to Iowa City? Even further, have the Hawkeyes wasted Gronowski's arm and throwing ability by becoming so run-heavy? Finally, an examination of the wild pendulum swings of J.J. McCarthy. After a dagger-throwing, season-saving win in Detroit, the Vikings quarterback regressed to rookie mode in Sunday's loss to Baltimore, but how much was he really to blame? How much slack should we cut him and how much time should we give him?And we dare bring it up — can we now say things would have gone better if Minnesota signed Aaron Rodgers? 

NOTICE: This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out! It was brutal. It was comical. It was full of "third grade mistakes" and looked like a football team "disinterested in playing competent football.There aren't big enough words to describe South Dakota State falling behind 35-0 at home and eventually suffering a fourth consecutive loss after starting the season 7-0.Matt Zimmer tried in his game column on Saturday. With three days to process the debacle — which was followed by an inspired, dizzying 21-point SDSU comeback to lose 35-21 to Illinois State — Zim has even more words and searches for reasons for all the mistakes that had Jackrabbits made.Was it a lack of confidence? A lack of experience in facing this kind of a slump and adversity? How about coaching and play-calling?No matter what it was, it led to a chorus of "boos" from the crowd in Brookings. Was such howling warranted? Should it be in college athletics?Zim tackles all this, plus the latest Chase Mason Magical Mystery Tour that heads to Grand Forks for the regular season finale and what appears to be a "do or die" and "win and you're in" showdown with North Dakota. What is Zim's sense of Mason's availability and playability based on what Dan Jackson is saying — including here on Happy Hour — and how much difference Mason playing would make in the Jacks' chances of beating the Fighting Hawks.  If Mason plays, and plays decent, and the Jacks lose, do they still deserve a playoff spot?Other saucy topics — SDSU's offer to Brody Schafer, his older brother Tate's FCS marketability after lighting things up at USF, the screwiness of the polls, Zim and John's unworn Jackrabbit and Coyote apparel, Outkast, The Replacements, New Kids on the Block, and Larry Bird's trash talking before NBA All-Star 3-point shooting contests.Oh, and how about those USD Coyotes? Yes, Zim has plenty of thoughts on the three-game winning streak, all against Top 25 teams, to finish the season and assure a playoff spot.The Yotes deserve plenty of time. The Jacks, though — with their playoff uncertainty, wild recent tailspin, and the storylines of the game they are playing Saturday while USD is off — take up most of the hour.

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central preview the biggest FCS games on the Week 13 slate. The duo discusses the Brawl of the Wild between No. 2 Montana and No. 3 Montana State, a massive Ivy League clash between No. 8 Harvard and Yale, the battle for the Patriot League auto bid between No. 4 Lehigh and Lafayette, and another Top 25 matchup between No. 13 North Dakota and No. 22 South Dakota State. We also make our “Superdog” upset picks of the week and preview multiple other key Week 13 matchups. All this and more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

OSN's full broadcast of Oregon men's basketball's 83-69 win over South Dakota State.Timestamps are approximate based on podcast player ads.TIP OFF / FIRST HALF 32:3034:30 - OR 4-0 Evans dunk Bittle assist35:30 - OR 7-0 Bittle 349:30 - OR 21-16 Shelstad 3 55:15 - OR 25-20 Evans dunk Lin assist1:05:30 - OR 31-29 Shelstad logo 31:17:25 - OR 41-31 Evans defensive battleSECOND HALF 1:37:201:38:35 - OR 47-36 Bittle block and 3 Shelstad assist2:06:00 - OR 65-58 Evans layup2:22:00 - OR 74-65 Shelstad 32:30:00 - OR 80-67 Bittle pick and roll with Pryor2:47:00 - OR FINAL CALL2:49:00 - Evans postgame interview3:02:00 - Coach Altman postgame interviewSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joe DeLeone & Sean Anderson react to all of the action coming out of FCS week 12 action including Montana State, URI & South Dakota picking up huge wins as well as South Dakota State & Western Carolina dropping rough losses Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Sam and Zach discuss:-3 Game Balls and a Flag from Week 11-USD, Mercer, Lamar, YSU, and NDSU all pick up wins in ranked matchups-Playoff scenarios for teams and conferences, and how some Week 12 games impact the postseason picture-Notable games include No. 14 Illinois State at No. 16 South Dakota State, No. 19 Lamar at No. 15 Stephen F. Austin, No. 17 South Dakota at No. 21 Southern Illinois, No. 9 UC Davis at No. 3 Montana State, and No. 11 Rhode Island at MaineThe podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit HERO Sports for FCS coverage and BetMGM for online betting odds.

“[The marathon] rewards people that are patient, consistent, and build up strength. I've got a good engine, so late in the race I feel like my cardio holds up very well. As long as the body holds up, it's going to be a good day!”My guest for today's episode is Joel Reichow, who could be viewed as a surprise story of the New York City Marathon and the top American finisher in 2025.In a race packed with Olympians and pros backed by some of the biggest brands in running, Joel — a 32-year-old unsponsored athlete from Minnesota — ran the best race of his life, clocking 2:09:56 to finish sixth overall and claim top American honors.At 24 miles, he was still in 12th and starting to get a bit tired. Then he saw the front starting to come back and ripped a 4:45 mile to catch them. He held strong through Central Park and won out for the U.S. honors over the likes of Charles Hicks and Joe Klecker.Joel's marathon journey hasn't been flashy. He ran for South Dakota State under Rod DeHaven, grinded through years on the roads, and is working at a running store while chasing marathon miles.Patience paid off, and finally, he put it all together on one perfect day in New York.We talk about what it takes to break through, how he's supporting the dream and his recollection of Sunday's race. Joel may have come into New York as a name few knew but now he's certainly on most people's radars.____________Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠Guest: Joel Reichow | @joelreichow on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSNOMIO: Made with 80% broccoli sprout juice, 15% lemon juice, and 5% sugar, Nomio activates your body's natural defense systems to reduce lactate, speed recovery, and enhance muscle adaptation. Take one 60 ml shot three hours before training or racing and feel lighter, stronger, and more resilient. Available at The Feed — use code CITIUS15 for 15% off | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thefeed.com/collections/nomio⁠⁠⁠WAHOO: The KICKR RUN isn't just another treadmill; it's a complete rethink of indoor running. With Dynamic Pacing, it automatically adjusts to your stride—no buttons, no breaking form, just pure running freedom. Its Terrain Simulation makes the deck feel like a track or trail, while lateral tilt mimics real-world conditions so you're always prepared for race day. So whether you're chasing your first half-marathon finish, a marathon PR, or your next trail adventure, the KICKR RUN is built to help you Run Your Run. Check it all out at WahooFitness.com and use code CITIUS at checkout.OLIPOP: Olipop's Crisp Apple: it's like sparkling apple juice meets those gummy apple rings from your childhood. It's sweet, fizzy, and comforting. Crisp Apple started as a holiday special, but people went absolutely wild for it. You begged, Olipop listened, and now it's officially part of the family. Like every Olipop, it's made with real ingredients that do good. 50 calories, 5g of sugar, and full of prebiotics and plant fiber that help your gut feel right. You can find Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, or just head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 for 25% off your orders.