Jackrabbits cruise in chilly FCS semi

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SDSU set to play North Dakota State for national title

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South Dakota State players leap into a snow pile as they celebrate beating Montana State in an FCS semifinal on Saturday in Brookings, S.D. ERIN WOODIEL — THE ARGUS LEADER VIA AP

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The Associated Press

BROOKINGS, S.D. >> Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third and top-seeded South Dakota State dominated fourth-seeded Montana State 39-18 on a frozen field Saturday in the FCS semifinals.

The Jackrabbits (13-1), who have won 13 straight, head to Texas next month for a Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown with third-seeded North Dakota State (12-2). SDSU beat the defending national champion Bison 23-21 on Oct. 15.

Gronowski led South Dakota State to touchdowns on its first five drives with a balanced offense that had 281 yards rushing and 192 passing.

The game started with the temperature at 10 degrees and the wind chill at minus-7. It was the coldest game ever played at South Dakota State.

Oregon State 30, Florida 3

LAS VEGAS >> Deshaun Fenwick came off the bench to rush for 107 yards, and No. 17 Oregon State nearly dealt Florida a rare shutout, winning the Las Vegas Bowl 30-3 on Saturday.

The Beavers (10-3) reached 10 victories for the third time program history and the first time in 16 years. They first accomplished the feat in 2000, when coach Jonathan Smith was the team’s quarterback.

Oregon State won seven of its final eight games.

Louisville 24, Cincinnati 7

BOSTON >> Jawhar Jordan ran for 115 yards, breaking free for two long touchdowns, and Louisville beat erstwhile rival Cincinnati in the twice-delayed first edition of the Fenway Bowl at the chilly home of the Boston Red Sox.

With a gridiron laid out over the diamond and “Fenway Park” in the end zones using the baseball team’s traditional font, Jordan scored from 49 yards out at the end of the first quarter and 40 at the end of the second to help clinch the Keg of Nails for Louisville (8-5).

NC Central 41, Jackson State 34, OT

ATLANTA >> Quarterback Davius Richard ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns, including a 1-yard scoring plunge in overtime, and North Carolina Central beat Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl to spoil coach Deion Sanders’ bid for an undefeated season in his final game with the Tigers.

Fresno State 29, Washington State 6

INGLEWOOD, Calif. >> Jordan Mims rushed for a career-high 205 yards and two scores, Jake Haener threw two TD passes and Fresno State completed the biggest in-season turnaround in Football Bowl Subdivision history with a victory over Washington State in the LA Bowl.

Fresno State — which won the Mountain West Conference title — is the first team to get to 10 wins after dropping four of the first five. The Bulldogs (10-4) were 1-4 in early October before winning their final nine games.

Southern Miss 38, Rice 24

MOBILE, Ala. >> Frank Gore Jr. ran for an NCAA bowl-record 329 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to help Southern Miss hold off Rice in the LendingTree Bowl.

Gore, the son of the former NFL star, had a 64-yard scoring run in the second quarter, threw an 18-yard touchdown pass in the third and ran for 55 yards for another score in the fourth. He also ran 59 yards to set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Golden Eagles (7-6).