Although the winter solstice is still almost two weeks away, football players from Villanova and South Dakota State battled frigid conditions in Brookings, S.D., on Saturday with hopes of keeping their FCS championship aspirations intact.
Game-time temperatures for the quarterfinal contest were in the upper 20s, but stiff winds led to a wind chill factor of approximately 10 degrees.
With 7:54 to play in the second quarter following a 25-yard touchdown run by Wildcats running back Jalen Jackson to give the Villanova a 6-3 advantage, both teams were seen on the ESPN broadcast retreating to heated trailers to stay warm.
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Ultimately, the top-seeded Jackrabbits (13–0) overcame the three-point deficit and defeated the Wildcats, 23–12, to advance in the FCS bracket.
South Dakota State, which entered Saturday’s game after a second-round win against Mercer, is headed to the FCS semifinals. The Wildcats (10–3) saw their season come to an end with Saturday’s loss after defeating Youngstown State last week.
W.#GoJacks 🐰🏈 pic.twitter.com/ALSvpUJRv6
— SDSU Football (@GoJacksFB) December 9, 2023
