Jackrabbits' Chase Mason shares a glimpse into the “future” with his big day as backup QB – Mitchell Republic

BROOKINGS – Chase Mason is the future for South Dakota State's offense.

Many who follow SDSU football believe so, and that's exactly what Jackrabbits coach Jimmy Rogers said Saturday afternoon.

But Mason delivered a game on Saturday that showed why, helping No. 10-13 Hobo Day-rolling. 1 Jackrabbits scored two touchdowns and threw for another against Youngstown State. Mason has now played in five games this season, but his role or impact has never been greater than it was on Saturday.

The final line for Mason: five carries for 161 yards and two touchdowns, plus 2-for-2 passes for 12 yards, with Marcus Preston catching a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

On the ground, his first touch of the game was a 38-yard touchdown run in which he took a handoff from Mark Gronwoski, flew up the sideline, appeared to be cornered around the 10-yard line and then just over the Youngstown State defender strolled around for a touchdown.

In the second quarter, Mason managed a 48-yard touchdown drive in which he took the direct snap, faked a handoff to Gronowski and stormed untouched down the middle for a score that increased SDSU's lead to 35-3 moved to 20th place – consecutive win against a Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent and 24th straight home win.

Marcus Traxler/Mitchell Republic

It was part of a day full of powerful rushing plays for the Jacks. They had 12 runs longer than 10 yards for a total of 366 yards, with Mason responsible for three of the four longest runs of the day. Mason also had a 69-yard rush in the fourth quarter where he was caught at Youngstown State's 5-yard line, for which his teammates teased him.

“Today it seemed like everyone could run the ball,” Mason said. “A few times I was just the one in the game who happened to get the ball. On my second touchdown, I don't think anyone (at Youngstown State) got to me. So if it's one of our other running backs, they score too. It just happened to me.”

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Mason, who was a nine-man standout at Viborg-Hurley High School, transferred to SDSU to play football after spending a semester playing baseball at the University of Nebraska and planned to play the outfield, effusively praised the mentorship role Gronowski gave him.

“I wouldn’t be here if Mark hadn’t helped me over the last few years,” Mason said after the game. “When I came here I had no idea what was going on. All I’ve done is repeat what Mark did here and take notes from him.”

“I was so proud of him,” Gronowski added. “I told you at the beginning of the year that he was going to get some opportunities and that whenever he's out there he's one of the top five athletes on the field. It was great to see him thrive out there and I’m excited to see what he can do for the rest of the year.”

Both Gronowski and Rogers pointed to the success Montana State has had using two quarterbacks in their offense as a guide for the Jackrabbits. The Bobcats won 32 games from 2021 to 2023 with Tommy Mellott and Sean Chambers taking snaps.

“He’s too good to be on the sidelines and we have to take advantage of him,” Rogers said of Mason. “We did a good job as an offensive team and (offensive coordinator Ryan) Olson did a good job of calling those at the right time.”

Entering his career on Saturday, Mason had a career-high 35 carries for 279 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, adding much to those totals against the Penguins' porous defense.

Mason has filled a number of roles in the first six games of the season, including as a wide receiver and tight end, as a running back in the backfield and as a replacement for Gronowski's regular duties at quarterback. Those roles have slowly expanded over the course of the Jacks' season, and Mason said he would do whatever he could to be out there and help the team.

Marcus Traxler/Mitchell Republic

“Chase is making the most of his opportunities and he is one of the most talented players on this team and one of the most talented players to come through here in terms of his size, speed, athleticism and arm strength,” Rogers said. “We believe in Chase. We will continue to develop roles for him as long as he continues to do what he does.”

Interestingly, the Jacks face another powerhouse that likes to use two quarterbacks in its offense, with Cam Miller and Cole Payton among the stars for No. 2 North Dakota State. The Jacks and Bison will play in the latest Dakota Marker competition on Oct. 19 in Fargo.

Given the lopsided result, Rogers said he was glad Mason had the chance to lead the Jacks' regular offense in the win, as those would be his future duties as regular quarterback. The head coach said he expects Mason's roles to continue to change and adapt as the season progresses.

“I wouldn't say we're quite there yet with any of this, and if that's what we're going to get to,” Rogers said. “We’re just going to do what works at the moment and we’re going to stick with it and develop a package that’s about having the best players on the field.”

Marcus Traxler is deputy editor and sports editor at the Mitchell Republic. A former state Outstanding Young Journalist award winner and 2023 South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year, he has worked for the newspaper since 2014, covering a wide range of topics. Traxler is a Minnesota native and can be reached at [email protected].