The FCS playoffs have been a wild ride with six road winners across the first two rounds. The 24-team field is down to eight, including South Dakota vs. Montana in a quarterfinal.
The Big Sky-MVFC Challenge is a series that’s held in the regular season, and Montana and South Dakota are quite familiar with defeating teams from the other conference.
The series is a bit of a primer for the FCS playoffs because matchups tend to come back to the top-two conferences.
In the Challenge series, which began in 2017, Big Sky power Montana has the overall high of eight wins, including two back in September. South Dakota collected a win as well this season and has seven overall, tying for the Missouri Valley high.
But Saturday’s showdown means even more.
It marks Montana’s 16th appearance in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs – which ranks second all time – and South Dakota’s third. UM went on to be the 2023 national runner-up, while USD was a semifinalist last year.
Following is a preview capsule of their quarterfinal. Campus sites are utilized for all rounds prior to the FCS championship game on Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Third FCS Playoff Quarterfinal:No. 11 seed South Dakota (10-4) at No. 3 seed Montana (12-1), 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ABC)Who's your pick for a win?
— Opta FCS Football (@OptaAnalystFCS) December 8, 2025No. 11 Seed South Dakota (10-4) at No. 3 Seed Montana (12-1)
Kickoff – 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ABC) at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana
Series – Montana leads 14-6 (last meeting: Montana won 24-7 at home on Sept. 10, 2022)
Wins in 2025 FCS Playoffs – South Dakota: Drake (38-17), at Mercer (47-0); Montana: South Dakota State (50-29)
Coaches – South Dakota: Travis Johansen (10-4, first season); Montana: Bobby Hauck (150-42, 15th season; 165-91 overall)
3 Players to Watch – South Dakota: QB Aidan Bouman (9,051 pass yards and 66 TD passes in career), RB L.J. Phillips Jr. (1,847 rush yards, 6.6 ypc, 18 TDs), DE Caden Crawford (75 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 5.0 sacks); Montana: QB Keali’I Ah Yat (3,514 pass yards, 69.6 completion%, 29 TDs, 8 INTs; 7 rush TDs), RB Eli Gillman (216 carries, 1,396 yards, 21 overall TDs), LB Peyton Wing (62 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 3 INTs)
Notable – Montana, unbeaten at home in playoff games since a 2013 loss to Coastal Carolina, is seeking a fourth win over a MVFC opponent this season following North Dakota and Indiana State in the regular season and SDSU last Saturday. USD defeated Northern Colorado from the Big Sky in the regular season. … USD, coming off the 2025 playoffs’ only shutout, has committed just one turnover while winning eight of its last nine games. The Coyotes had eight in a 2-3 start. … Bouman has 45 consecutive starts behind center, with 32 wins. His go-to receiver, Larenzo Fenner (43 receptions, 983 yards, 15 TDs), leads the FCS with 22.9 yards per catch. … Montana’s big-play threat is WR/KR Michael Wortham, who is third in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game (155.8) and has provided 14 TDs to the FCS’ No. 3 scoring offense (41.5-point average). … The Grizzlies defense has been bend-but-not-break, as opponents are averaging 399.8 yards and 23.9 points per game. … In his career, Coyotes PK Will Leyland is perfect on 145 extra-point attempts and has made 39 of 46 (84.8%) field-goal attempts.
Up Next – The winner will play No. 2 seed Montana State (11-2) or No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin (11-2) in a national semifinal on Dec. 20.
Prediction – Montana 31, South Dakota 24
Top photos via South Dakota and Montana Athletics. For more FCS coverage, follow on social media at X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
FCS Playoffs Quarterfinal: South Dakota vs. Montana Preview & Predictions Opta Analyst.
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