Photo courtesy of Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media South Dakota State’s Reece Winkelman chases the University of Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan during their game on Aug. 29, 2019.

BROOKINGS, S.D. – One season ago, Marshall graduate Trey Lance led the North Dakota State University to a win in the FCS Championship game. On Sunday, his tailback and one of his favorite passing targets in high school will get their own opportunity to play for a national champonship as Reece Winkelman, Jefferson Lee V and the rest of the South Dakota State University football team will face Sam Houston State University in Frisco, Texas.

“It’s pretty unreal. Everyone in the locker room’s having a good time that’s for sure,” Winkelman said after the Jackrabbits defeated the University of Delaware on May 8 to advance to the FCS Championship. “We’ve worked hard all this COVID season and we placed ourselves where we needed to be, so it feels good.”

Winkelman recorded 2.5 sacks in the win, as the Jacks defense matched a program playoff record with seven sacks in the 33-3 semifinal win. In total, Winkelman tallied 8 total tackles including 3.5 tackles for loss.

“Relentless effort,” Winkelman added. “We had all 11 hats running to the ball. When you have the momentum going your way, everything kind of seems to keep going that way and we didn’t give up the momentum. Everyone kept running to the ball and doing their one part, and it just worked out.”‘

The Jackrabbits enter Sunday’s matchup with a seven-game winning streak, but the game is the program’s first appearance in the FCS Championship.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Toyota Stadium, with the game played before a national television audience on ABC.