South Dakota State, Montana advance to 2023 FCS playoff national championship game.

South Dakota State looked like the No. 1 team in the country Friday night, while No. 2 Montana had to work overtime on Saturday.

Playing in the FCS semifinals, South Dakota State crushed No. 5 UAlbany 59-0 to reach the championship game for the third time (all in the past four years). SDSU (14-0) has won 28 straight games, dating back to its season opener last year, and it has outscored its three playoff opponents this year (Mercer, Villanova and Albany) by a combined score of 123-12.

The Jackrabbits will try to win their second straight national title on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas, against Montana. The Grizzlies won a thriller, 31-29 in double-overtime, on Saturday and have a shot at their first title since 2001.

SDSU finished with 661 yards Friday night (336 passing and 220 rushing), and its defense forced four turnovers. Isaiah Davis led the rushing attack with 107 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Mark Gronowski completed 15-of-19 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those passing touchdowns went to Zach Heins.

Montana (13-1) has won 10 straight games after holding off North Dakota State for its second straight overtime win. The Grizzlies led 10-9 going into the fourth quarter and stretched their lead to 16-9 on Junior Bergen’s 47-yard punt return, but the Bison forced overtime with a touchdown in the final minute.

Both teams scored and made the extra-point try in the first overtime. In the second overtime, Eli Gillman scored on a 13-yard run to put the Grizzlies back ahead, and they added the two-point try on Bergen’s end-around pass to Keelan White. North Dakota State scored a touchdown, but the Grizzlies stopped the Bison’s two-point try for the dramatic win.

The Grizzlies routed Delaware in their first game in the playoffs, but in the quarterfinals, they needed overtime to beat Furman 35-28. Montana leads the all-time series with South Dakota State 8-0.

In the Division II championship on Saturday, Harding won its first title, beating Colorado School of Mines 38-7.

In the Division III championship on Friday, Cortland beat North Central (Ill.) 38-37 for the first national title in program history.