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South Dakota State begins defense of its national championship Saturday afternoon by hosting Mercer in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision.

Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. Central Time at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The game will be televised exclusively on the ESPN+ streaming platform (subscription required).

The Jackrabbits, who are the top seed in the 24-team field and have been atop both major Football Championship Subdivision polls all season, enter Saturday's game with an 11-0 overall record after earning the Missouri Valley Football Conference automatic bid after completing a perfect 8-0 mark in league play.

SDSU, which received a first-round bye in making its 12th consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs, ended the regular season unbeaten and untied for the first time in the program's 125-year history.

Mercer, which is located in Macon, Georgia, enters Saturday's matchup with a 9-3 overall record, including a 6-2 mark in the Southern Conference. The Bears made their inaugural appearance in the FCS playoffs a successful one by downing Gardner-Webb, 17-7, on Nov. 25.

The winner of Saturday's game will advance to the quarterfinal round and face the winner between Youngstown State and eighth-seeded Villanova on either Dec. 8 or 9.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between SDSU and Mercer.

The Jackrabbits have yet to face a current member of the Southern Conference. SDSU played four games against former SoCon member Georgia Southern between 2004-09, with the Jackrabbits winning the final meeting between the two squads, 44-6, on Sept. 12, 2009.

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While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.

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Gallery Credit: Stacker