SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (SEPT. 23, 2001) - GAMETIME - 7 PM: Kickoff for the North Central Conference encounter between South Dakota (1-3) and #2 ranked North Dakota State (3-0, 1-0 in the NCC) begins at 7 p.m. at the Fargo Dome. This is the 917th game for South Dakota since beginning play in 1889. South Dakota's overall record is 453-428-34 (.514).

THE SERIES: NDSU leads the overall series, 46-23-3, including wins in the past 13 games. The last South Dakota win came during the 1987 season when the Coyotes prevailed 28-12. From 1938-1951 South Dakota won nine straight games. The Bison have won 16 of the past 18 games against the Coyotes. In terms of points, the Coyotes defeated NDSU, 54-20. The Bison defeated the Coyotes, 66-8 for their highest output in the series between the two NCC squads. The Coyotes' largest margin of victory over the Bison was 35 points in a 41-6 win in 1948.

A BIT OF CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: South Dakota and North Dakota State met in the 1986 NCAA Division II Title game with the Bison prevailing, 27-7. It is the only time that two NCC teams have met in the title game. The game, held 15 years ago at Muscle Shoals, Ala., was South Dakota's only appearance in the NCAA Division II championship, although the Coyotes' have appeared in playoffs on f our occasions.

LOSING CLOSE: Since their season opening 44-21 win over Winona State in Yankton, the Coyotes have suffered through a bit of hard luck in the past three games. South Dakota has lost three straight games by a grand total of eight points. Minnesota-Duluth defeated the Coyotes, 14-10 while St. Cloud State edged South Dakota, 22-21; and UNO nudged past the Coyotes, 19-16.

LAST TIME: A year ago, NDSU recorded a 45-20 victory over South Dakota in week 4 of the 2000 season. The then #3 ranked NDSU Bison, led by a school-record 260 yards rushing by senior running back Lamar Gordon, defeated South Dakota in a North Central Conference game before 13,046 fans in the FargoDome. South Dakota jumped to a 7-0 lead as sophomore quarterback Ryan Justice hit freshman wide receiver Ronnie McDougle with a 56-yard scoring toss at 13:27 of the first quarter. The touchdown was McDougle's first at USD. NDSU answered with a 52-yard field goal by Aaron Pederson. Then the Coyotes recovered a fumbled punt by the Bison but failed to convert when Adam Hicks' field goal hit the upright. On the next play, Gordon scored the first of his four touchdowns on a 68-yard touchdown jaunt. Gordon scored his second touchdown of the night from one yard at the 3:55 mark of the first quarter to give NDSU a 17-7 first quarter lead. The Bison added a touchdown at the 5:36 mark of the second quarter on a six-yard pass from Ryan Johnson to Eric Nelson. The Coyotes answered that score by driving the ball 59 yards in nine plays but were forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Hicks with a 1:03 to play in the second quarter and trailed 24-10 at the break. Early in the second half, the Coyotes drove 59 yards in 13 plays and used another Hicks field goal, this one from 50 yards, to cut the margin to 24-13 early in the third quarter. Then, the Bison used 75-yard and one-yard touchdown runs and a 82-yard punt return by Richard Lewis to grab a 45-13 lead. Late in the final quarter, the Coyotes scored on their second long pass play of the game when backup quarterback Brian Litecky hit freshman wide receiver Charles Johnson with a 50-yard touchdown pass. South Dakota had 69 yards rushing on 38 attempts and 279 yards passing for 348 yards total offense. The Bison, who also had 18 first downs, 284 yards rushing and 129 yards passing for 413 yards of total offense. Special teams played a big role as the Bison had 111 yards in punt returns including the long touchdown return by Lewis late in the game. Justice completed 18 of 32 passes for 216 yards one touchdown and an interception. The interception was Justice's first in six games dating back to last year. He threw a school-record 139 passes without an interception until the errant throw in the fourth quarter. Coyote punter Filip Filopovic had five punts for 215 yards (43-yard average) and a long of 53.

LAST WEEK: Nebraaska-Omaha 19 South Dakota 16 - For the third time in four weeks, The University of South Dakota Coyotes' football team (1-3, 0-2 in the NCC) dropped a close, nailbiting decision. On this night, #5 Nebraska-Omaha (4-0, 2-0 in the NCC) scored a late touchdown and turned back South Dakota, 19-16 in North Central Conference football action at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls on Saturday night (Sept. 22) before 3,200 in attendance. It was the Coyotes' third consecutive defeat. South Dakota has lost those three games by a combined eight points.

Like the previous three games, the Coyotes again struggled with turnovers but a strong defensive effort kept the game close early. The Coyotes lost three fumbles and had an interception in the first half. After the South Dakota failed on a 4th down and one play from their own 30-yard line, UNO took advantage, moving the ball 28 yards on eight plays with quarterback Seth Turman scoring on a three-yard run for a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. The Mavericks pushed the margin to 10-0 after Chad Geiger intercepted a pass and returned the ball to the USD 18-yard line. However, UNO was unable to move the ball and had to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Troy Severson.

UNO was in business again when they recovered a fumble by James Augustus at the USD 29-yard line. But the Coyote defense rose to the occasion, stuffing the Mavericks on a fourth down play. South Dakota sophomore linebacker Shawn Kenworthy forced a fumble on a fourth down play and the Coyotes rebuffed the Mavericks' scoring opportunity.

With 5:06 to play in the second quarter, the Coyotes used a 77-yard scoring drive to get back into the game. John Kayl, who in his first career start at tailback, rushed for 120 yards and had a touchdown on the night. He was a key player in the Coyotes' initial scoring drive of the night. He had 24 yards rushing in six attempts on the drive, scoring from one-yard with 1:22 to play in the second quarter. A key play in the drive was a 47-yard pass completion to freshman Chris Mikkelsen from quarterback Ryan Justice that gave USD a first down at the UNO nine-yard line. Three plays later, Kayl and the Coyotes were in the end zone. For the first time all season, kicker Filip Filipovic missed an extra point as UNO led 10-6.

The Coyotes continued to play strong defense and kept the game close, producing some opportunities to cut the lead or take the lead. Midway through the third quarter, the Coyotes had an opportunity to cut the margin but a botched field goal attempt led to an incomplete pass in the end zone by Mikkelsen, who holds on kicks. With 3:36 to play in the third quarter, Derrick Jelks intercepted UNO's Turman and returned the ball to the UNO 11-yard line. The Mavericks' defense kept the Coyotes out of the end zone and Filipovic field goal attempt from 25 yards was good as USD cut the Mavericks' lead to 10-9.

On the Coyotes' ensuing possession, South Dakota took the lead for the first time all night when Justice and sophomore wide receiver Ronnie McDougle hooked up on a 10-yard scoring play. The Coyotes moved the ball 42 yards on seven plays as South Dakota led 16-10 with 11:32 to play in the game.

Again the Coyote defense stopped the Mavericks but a 51-yard punt by UNO's Kevin Ruch put the Coyotes at their own one-yard line and in a precarious situation. When South Dakota couldn't move the ball, UNO blocked Filipovic's punt, recording a safety as the ball went out of the end zone. After Filipovic's free kick, UNO regained possession at their own 48-yard line. The Mavericks moved the ball down the field and Turman completed a 16-yard pass to the South Dakota one-yard line, which set up the go-ahead score. On the next play. Turman scored from one-yard out and Severson's kick gave the Mavericks a 19-16 lead with 3:14 to play.

South Dakota had 265 yards total offense, including 114 yards rushing and 151 yards passing. Justice was 9-27 for 138 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Mikkelsen caught three passes for 85 yards, including the 47-yard pitch and catch with Justice, and he also had a 13-yard pass completion.

James Johnson led UNO with 89 yards on 30 carries as UNO had 143 yards rushing on 51 rushing attempts. Turman completed five of 14 passes for 49 yards and one interception. UNO had just 192 yards total offense.

Defensively, Josh Gassen, who had 12 tackles including a tackle for loss, led the Coyotes. Korey Ebel had 11 tackles and a tackle for loss while Shawn Kenworthy had six tackles, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. The Coyotes had seven tackles for loss, and one interception. Abrian Stovall led UNO with eight tackles.

North Dakota State 27, Augustana 3 -- North Dakota State took advantage of six Augustana turnovers and the defense took the Vikings out of their rhythm to post a 27-3 win before a Shrine Game crowd of 6,016 at Sioux Falls. Augustana, averaging 513 yards a game, was held to 154 yards by the NDSU defense. The Vikings, who avoided costly turnovers in their first three games, had six against the Bison. Quarterback Mike Herman, who hadn't thrown an interception in his first three starts, was picked off three times. He completed 10 of 23 passes for 95 yards. Augie's defense was also impressive, yielding 289 yards. Steve Olinger intercepted a pass, and Justin Viger recovered a fumble. Clay Brosz scored NDSU's first touchdown, returning a pass interception 42 yards. Wade Kittelson's interception set up the second Bison touchdown, a 16-yard run by All-America running back Lamar Gordon. Augustana got on the board with 2:18 left in the first half on Adam Brinkman's 35-yard field goal. Bison quarterback Craig Gorder accounted for all the scoring in the second half on runs of 12 and 4 yards. Gordon, a Harlon Hill Candidate, rushed 24 times for 105 yards.

TEAM MVPS (Nebraska-Omaha) OFFENSE - MVP: Jimmie Terwilliger (Guthrie Center, Iowa). Hustle Award: John Kayl (Sioux City, Iowa). Big Plays: Ryan Justice (Ankeny, Iowa), Kayl, Vinnie Olson (Pierre, S.D.) Tom Moore (Centerville, S.D.), Chris Mikkelsen (Gregory, S.D.), and Ronnie McDougle (Pompano, Fla.); Scout Team MVP: Matt Matthes (North English, Iowa) DEFENSE - Defensive MVP: Shawn Kenworthy (Ft. Pierre, S.D.); Honorable Mention MVP: Bill Gassen (Rapid City, S.D.) and Mark Blackburn (Moreno Valley, Calif.). Hustle Award: Josh Gassen (Rapid City, S.D.), and Derrick Jelks (San Francisco, Calif.). Big Plays: Jelks, Kenworthy. Scout Team MVP: Ryan Molencamp (Clear Lake, Iowa). SPECIAL TEAMS -- Special Teams MVP: Dan Chatham (Sioux City, Iowa); Big Plays: Jelks, Chatham, and Filip Filipovic (Belgrade, Serbia).

COMMENTS FROM COACH JOHN AUSTIN: ON UNO GAME: "I was very happy with our effort against UNO. I feel we were a better team this past Saturday than we were previously. Obviously, I was disappointed that we lost the game. We missed out on some opportunities that we failed to capitalize on. The team played very hard but we have to learn how to finish games. John Kayl had an outstanding game and the offensive line blocked well but we have to improve our passing game."

ON NDSU: "The Bison are a good football team. They excel against the run and teams have difficulty throwing against them. Offensively, they are a big play team with Lamar Gordon and Richard Lewis. This is a big challenge for us."

NCC LEADERS FOR SOUTH DAKOTA (FOUR GAMES): Team: Scoring Offense, 6th, 22.8 per game; Scoring Defense, 76h, 19.0 per game; Pass Offense, 3rd, 208 yards per game; Pass Defense, 6th, 216.2 yards per game; Kickoff Returns, 4th, 21.2 per game (12-254); Punting, 2nd, 37.7 per punt, net of 37.1; Turnover Margin, South Dakota, 8th, -.075; Rushing Offense, 7th, 124.8 yards per game; Rushing Defense, 4th, 100.2 per game; Total Offense, 7th, 332.8 yards per game; Total Defense, 6th, 316.5 yards per game; Punt Returns, 6th, 6.9 yards (9-62); Pass Efficiency, 6th, 109.1; Pass Defense Efficiency, 7th, 98.4; First Downs, 7th, 64; Opponent First Downs, 6th, 68; Sacks, 4th, 11 (-68); Penalties, 7th, 73.8; Opponent Penalties, 8th, 43.8; 3rd Down Conversions, 7th, 22-62, 35.5 percent; Opponent 3rd Down Conversions, 8th, 25-66, 37.9; Sacks Against, 3rd, 3 (-16); Field Goals, 1st, 3-3; PAT Kicking, 4th, 10-11; 4th Down Conversions, 7th, 3-11 (27.3 percent); Opponent 4th Down Conversions, 2nd, 2-9; Time of Possession, 4th, 125:15 (avg. 31:18 per game); Kickoff Coverage, 1st, 14.2 (18-256). Individuals: Rushing: Eric Tarasewicz, 2nd, 125.0 (53-250); Passing Average Per Game, Ryan Justice, 2nd, 54-116-819-3 TDs, 3 int., 204.8 yards per game; Total Offense, Ryan Justice, 2nd, 202.5 yards per game (132-819); Receptions/Game, Dustin Sagedahl, 8th, 5.0 rec. per game (20-226); Receiving Yards, Mikkelsen, 5th, 79.0 per game (16-316, 19.8 yards per catch); All Purpose Yards: Eric Tarasewicz, 125.0 per game (250 yards; Interceptions, James Augustus, 4th (2 interceptions for 104 yards, including 89-yard touchdown return), 0.67; Pass Efficiency, Ryan Justice, 8th, 109.2; Punt Return Average, Grant Brecher, 7th, 8.2 yards (8-66); Kick Return Average, Wade Mitchell, 2nd, 28.7 (6-172); Punting, Filip Filipovic, 4th, 39.6 yards per kick; Scoring, Eric Tarasewicz, 3rd, 12.0 (24 points, four touchdowns; Scoring-Kicking, Filipovic, 4th, 4.8 (10-11 PAT, 3-3 FG); Field Goals, Filipovic, 3rd, 0.75 (3 field goals); Field Goal Percentage, Filipovic, 1st, 3-3 (38, 31, 25); PAT Kicking, Filipovic, 5th, 10-11 90.9%; Tackles for Loss, Shawn Kenworthy, tied for 1st, 2.25 per game, (9, -26), Aaron Dietrich, 3rd, 2. 0 per game (8, -35), Bill Gassen, 4th, 1.75 (7, -15), Josh Gassen, 4th, 1.75 (7, -19); Sacks, Mark Blackburn, tied for 2nd, 1.33 (4, -34); Shawn Kenworthy, 7th, 1.0 (4, -13); Dietrich, 10th, 0.75 (3, -22). Tackles, Blackburn, 6th, 7.7 (23); J. Gassen, tied for 9th, 6.8 (27); Korey Ebel, 15th, 6.5 (26).

COYOTES IN NCC INDIVIDUAL/TEAM HIGHS: Eric Tarasewicz, 1st, rushing attempts, 38; James Augustus, 1st, longest interception return, 89 yards, touchdown. In team totals, South Dakota is second in interception returns in a game, 104; and second in quarterbacks sacks in a game, eight.

JUSTICE MOVES UP TO FOURTH PLACE ON PASSING CHARTS: Junior quarterback Ryan Justice (Ankeny, Iowa) has completed 54 of 116 passes for 819 yards with three interceptions and three touchdowns. He has passed for over 200 yards five times in his career, including his second 300-yard passing game in the Coyotes' season-opening 44-21 win over defending Northern Sun Intercollegiate champions Winona State. Justice has now moved into fourth place in career passing. With 138 yards passing against UNO, Justice passed Tom Engelman (1969-72), who had 3,576 career yards passing (213-563-24 TDs). Justice has completed 279 of 559 passes for 3,705 yards. With three touchdowns this season, he has thrown 25 in his career. Justice is just 36 yards passing from taking over the #3 spot on the career chart. He needs 122 yards passing to move into second place all-time.

All-time passing leaders: Jason Seurer, 1989-92, 390-799-4,759 yards, 27 TDs Chris Daniel, 1979-82, 325-700-3,826 yards, 24 TDs Mark Jenkins, 1972-75, 202-506-3,742 yards, 30 TDs Ryan Justice, 1998-, 279-559-3,705 yards, 25 TDs Tom Engelman, 1969-72, 213-563-3,576, 24 TDs

JUSTICE MOVES INTO SIXTH PLACE ON ALL-TIME TOTAL OFFENSE CHARTS: With 647 attempts for 3,852 yards, Justice has moved into sixth place in total offense on South Dakota's all-time charts. This past weekend, he passed Scott Jones, 1983-86 (701-3756 yards) for 6th place.

All-time total offense leaders (top five) Mark Jenkins, 1972-75, 848-5,409 yards Chris Miller, 1994-97, 883-5,120 yards Jason Seurer, 1989-92, 1,049-4,638 yards Chris Daniel, 1979-82, 1,047-4,317 yards Tom Engelman, 1969-72, 826-4,097 yards

AUGUSTUS SETS INTERCEPTION RETURN RECORD: James Augustus (Lake Los Angeles, Calif.) had an 89-yard interception return for a touchdown which set a new South Dakota team record. He broke the mark held by teammate Korey Ebel ( 88 yards vs. Minnesota-Duluth, Sept. 8, 2001); and John Jackson (88 yards vs. North Dakota State, 1939).

80-YARD PLUS INTERCEPTIONS: In 1939, John Jackson picked off a pass and rumbled 88 yards for a touchdown. Now, 61 years later, the Coyotes have recorded two 80-yard interception returns for scores. First, junior linebacker Korey Ebel tied Jackson's mark with an 88-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Minnesota-Duluth in week two (14-10 loss). Then last week, senior defensive back James Augustus had an 89-yard interception return for a touchdown in the NCC season opener vs. St. Cloud State (22-21 loss). Overall the defense and special teams have three touchdowns this season.

MIKKELSEN SETS FRESHMAN MARK: Chris Mikkelson (Gregory, S.D.) tied a freshman receiving record with his six receptions for 116 yards vs. Winona State in the Coyotes' season opener. The freshman receiving record was originally set by Chul Schwanke, who had six receptions for 88 yards vs. North Dakota in 1982. Mikkelsen has 16 catches for 316 yards this season. He has caught two passes over 40 yards (41, 47). Against UNO, he had three catches for 85 yards and also completed a pass for 13 yards. His 19.8 per catch average ranks second in the NCC.

TACKLING FOR LOSS: South Dakota has four of the top five individuals in the NCC's tackle for loss category. Shawn Kenworthy is tied for first with nine or 2.25 per game. Also among the leaders are Aaron Dietrich with eight or 2.0 per game; Bill Gassen, seven or 1.75 per game; and Josh Gassen, seven or 1.75 per game. In conference games only, Kenworthy leads the NCC with eight or 4.0 per game. Bill Gassen has four in NCC play only or 2.50 per game which ranks him fourth. Overall South Dakota has 46 tackles for loss (-161 yards) as well as 11 sacks (-68 yards).

SAGEDAHL BREAKS SINGLE GAME RECORD: In the Coyotes' 14-10 loss to Minnesota-Duluth, first-team all-NCC tight end Dustin Sagedahl (Spicer, Minn.) set a new school record for single game pass receptions for a tight end with eight receptions for 80 yards vs. Minnesota-Duluth (Sept. 8, 2001). He broke the mark of seven catches held by Russ Dokken, who had seven receptions for 117 yards vs. Augustana in 1979. This season, Sagedahl has 20 receptions for 226 yards (11.3 average) with a long of 22 yards.

FILIPOVIC'S DOUBLE DUTY: Filip Filipovic, who averaged 40.7 yards per punt in 2000 and finished seventh in the nation, has had double duty for the Coyotes this season. He is averaging 39.6 yards per kick (20-792) and converted three of four field goals (38, 31, 25) and 10-11 extra points. Already this season, he has booted two punts over 60 yards (61, 65 - career long), and has placed six kicks inside the 20-yard line.

SCORING BIG: During the Austin tenure, the Coyotes have scored over 30 points nine times, including three 40-plus games.

26 GAMES AND COUNTING FOR EBEL: Junior linebacker Korey Ebel (Hartley, Iowa) is a rock on defense. In his third season at South Dakota, Ebel has started 26 straight games. Ebel has an 88-yard interception return for a touchdown against Minnesota-Duluth. He has 26 tackles, three tackles for loss (-6 yards), and two pass breakups.

COYOTES PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH: South Dakota was picked to finish fourth in the North Central Conference pre-season media and coaches polls. North Dakota was tabbed by both the media and the NCC coaches to win the conference in 2001. Defending NCC champion Nebraska-Omaha, 9-0 in the conference in 2000, was picked to finish second. The media and the coaches concurred on almost every pick with the only difference being a jumble in the middle between Augustana, Northern Colorado and South Dakota State. The media have correctly picked the NCC champion in 14 of the past 19 seasons. In all, the media have successfully chosen the NCC champion 26 times in the 46 years of the poll's existence. The NCC coaches have made predictions for the past 18 years and the group has correctly picked the champion 11 times.

AGAINST THE NCC: South Dakota has winning records vs. four of the eight other NCC schools. The Coyotes lead in series with Nebraska-Omaha (23-19-1), South Dakota State (51-43-7), Minnesota State-Mankato (15-9), and Augustana College (37-18-0). They trail in series with North Dakota (28-49-4), North Dakota State (24-46-3), St. Cloud State (8-12-0), and Northern Colorado (12-18-0).

THIS AND THAT ON SOUTH DAKOTA: ~ The Coyotes have won seven of the past 11 games. ~ With head coach John Austin, the Coyotes are 4-2 in nonconference games. His teams are 9-11 in NCC games and 13-13 overall. ~ South Dakota was 8-3 a year ago, including a 6-3 mark and third place in the NCC. The Coyotes opened the season 2-0 and won six of their last seven games. They had a four-game winning streak to end the season. ~ The Coyotes were the seventh most improved team in NCAA Division II in 2000. The Coyotes improved by four games, (4-7 to 8-3). ~ South Dakota returns nine starters and lost 14 from the 2000 team. The Coyotes have 31 returning letterwinners, losing 22.

SOUTH DAKOTA LEADERS: Rushing: Eric Tarasewicz (53 carries, 250 yards, 4 TDs, long of 19 yards); Michael Williams (53 carries, 134 yards, and long of 32 yards); John Kayl (32-120-1 TD) Passing: Ryan Justice (54-116-819 yards, 3 int., 3 TDs, 109.2 passing efficiency) Receiving: Dustin Sagedahl (20 receptions, 226 yards, long of 22 yards); Chris Mikkelsen (16-316, 19.8 avg.) Tackles: Josh Gassen (27); Korey Ebel (26) TFLS: Shawn Kenworthy (9, -26); Aaron Dietrich (8, -35); Bill Gassen (7, -15); Josh Gassen (7, -20) SACKS: Mark Blackburn (4, -34), Shawn Kenworthy (4, -13) INTERCEPTIONS: James Augustus (2-104 yards, TD)

2001 TEAM TOTALS - OFFENSE: South Dakota has accumulated 65 first downs, including 38 by pass, 23 by rush and four by penalty. The Coyotes average 3.1 yards per rush, gaining 509 yards on 164 rushing attempts for 127.2 yards per game. South Dakota has 832 passing yards or 208 yards per game. The total includes a 7.1 average per pass and 15.1 average per catch. The Coyotes have attempted 217 offensive plays for 358.7 total offense yards per game. In kickoff returns, the Coyotes have 12 returns for 254 yards, including an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by senior Wade Mitchell (Parkston, S.D.). In punt returns, the Coyotes have nine returns for 62 yards (8.2 avg.). In terms of time of possession, the Coyotes have a 31:19 to 28:41 advantage. South Dakota is 22 of 61 on third down conversions and three of 11 on fourth down conversions.

DEFENSE: South Dakota has 257 tackles, including 46 tackles for loss (-161 yards), 11 sacks (-68 yards), seven pass interceptions for 201 yards including two touchdowns. The Coyotes have 14 pass breakups and one recovered fumble. Already this season, South Dakota has two interceptions returns for touchdowns of over 85 yards (Korey Ebel, 88 yards vs. Minnesota-Duluth; James Augustus, 89 yards vs. St. Cloud State). The Coyotes have allowed 68 first downs, including 23 by rush and 34 by pass with 11 by penalty. South Dakota is allowing 2.7 yards per rush, permitting a total of 401 yards rushing or 100.2 per game. The Coyotes have given up 865 yards passing, allowing four touchdowns. Opponents have converted 25 of 66 third down conversions and two of nine fourth down conversions. South Dakota has not allowed an opponent to rush for 100 yards this season. James Johnson of UNO has the high with 89 yards on Sept. 22.

MORE ON SOUTH DAKOTA ON SOUTH DAKOTA HEAD COACH JOHN AUSTIN: South Dakota Head Coach John Austin has restored winning into a Coyote football program rich with tradition. A year ago, Austin directed the Coyotes to an 8-3 record, the school's best mark since 1995. In the turnaround season, the Coyotes won six of their last seven games, including four in a row to end the season. The Coyotes finished with a 6-3 record and a third place finish in the North Central Conference. Entering his third year at South Dakota, Austin has led the squad to a 13-13 overall record, including 9-11 in the NCC. His teams are 4-2 in nonconference games. Originally of Watertown, Austin is a 1980 graduate of USD. A tireless recruiter with a staff to match, he has recently completed his third straight recruiting class. Austin has deep roots in South Dakota. An all-state performer at Watertown High School (1973-74), he played for head coaches Bernard "Beanie" Cooper and Dave Triplett during his career at South Dakota. He was a three-year starter and four-year letterwinner. In 1979, he was named honorable mention all-NCC and was a co-captain for Triplett's first team at South Dakota. He spent nine years at the University of Iowa under head coach Hayden Fry (now retired), including four years as the team's defensive line coach. He was also Iowa's football recruiting coordinator and assistant offensive line coach for three years. With Austin as Iowa's recruiting coordinator, the 1994 recruiting class was rated third best in the Big Ten and 16th nationally. At Iowa, he coached three all-Big Ten lineman and two all-Americans. Seven players he recruited are playing in the NFL, including four of whom he coached. Several of those players have returned to the USD campus to help Austin reshape the football program. Two players he coached at South Dakota (Josh Stamer and Jamel White) are in NFL camps in 2001. He had a 22-21 record at Watertown High School from 1985-89, including a 9-3 record in 1987 and an ESD conference championship. Twice, he was named to coach the South Dakota High School All-Star Game. He was also a head coach at LaJunta, Colo., High School and he spent the 1980-81 season as a student assistant at USD. John and his wife, Jill, have three children: Kelsie, Erin and Samantha.

AUSTIN BY YEAR 1998 - 4-7 (3-6 in the NCC, seventh) 1999 - 8-3 (6-3 in the NCC, third) 2000 - 1-3 (0-2 in the NCC)

COYOTE COACHES: Brent Salem, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks; Brad Salem, recruiting coordinator/wide receivers and tight ends; Scott Bruning, offensive line; Bob Forsyth, defensive secondary; Brett Chambers, defensive line and strength coach; Kirby Garry, running backs and tight ends; Miguel Regalado, offensive line; Brett Kramer, defensive line; and Travis Senters, linebackers.

COYOTE CAPTAINS: senior linebacker Mark Blackburn (Moreno Valley, Calif.); senior offensive tackle Josh Burr (Lancaster, Wisc.); senior fullback Ryan Garry (Humboldt, S.D.); junior linebacker Korey Ebel (Hartley, Iowa); junior defensive lineman Bill Gassen (Rapid City, S.D.) and junior quarterback Ryan Justice (Ankeny, Iowa).

RETURNING PLAYERS: The Coyotes return nine starters and 31 letterwinners from the 2000 team.

ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA STATE ON NORTH DAKOTA STATE: NDSU has a 3-0 overall record, including 1-0 in the NCC. A year ago, they finished 12-2 and advancing to the national semifinals. In the past two seasons, the Bison have a 25-4 record. This season, NDSU is averaging a NCC-leading 47.0 points per game while permitting just 7.3 points per game, which leads the NCC. The Bison are averaging 200.0 yards rushing per game, second in the NCC. Defensively, they allow just 16.8 yards per game. In total offense, NDSU is averaging 400 yards per game, which is second in the NCC. Overall, the Bison allow 165.3 yards per game, which is second in the NCC. This season, NDSU has defeated Angelo State, 48-9; Western State, 66-10; and Augustana, 27-3. In the three games, opponents have scored a total of 22 points while scoring 141. The Bison feature two big play performers in all-American running back Lamar Gordon who has 338 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Richard Lewis has returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, has 10 punt returns for 100 yards and 145 yards receiving on seven receptions and a touchdown.

ON NDSU'S BOB BABICH: In his fifth season at NDSU, Babich's teams have compiled a 40-11 record. He is 29-8 in the NCC and twice NDSU has earned berths in the NCAA Division II playoffs (1997, 2000). Babich came to NDSU in 1997 from the University of Pittsburgh where he was the linebacker coach for three seasons. He has been an assistant at Tulsa, Wisconsin, Bowling Green, and East Carolina. He was an assistant at Division I schools for 12 seasons. Babich played collegiately at Tulsa during the 1981-82 seasons. His record at NDSU, includes: 1997, 9-3; 1998, 7-4; 1999, 9-2; 2000, 12-2.

POLLS: NDSU is ranked #2 in the AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll and ranked #1 in the d2football.com poll. NDSU is ranked #2 in the DBS Division II Football Power Ratings (2151.619) while the Coyotes are #52 (577.763).

NDSU LEADERS Rushing: Lamar Gordon (63-338, 6 TDs, long of 39 yards); Darrin O'Leary (22-118, 1 TD, long of 29 yards); DeShawn Perkins (26-94, 2 TDs, long of 38 yards) Passing: Graig Gorder (23-51-422 yards-1 int., 2 TDs) Receiving: Richard Lewis (7-145-1 TD, long of 37 yards) Tackles: Bill Erenberg (14); Wade Kittelson (14); and Mike Sheppard (14) Sacks: Sheppard, Andrew LeClair (1) Tackles for loss: Erenberg, Kittelson, LeClair (2) Interceptions: Nate Kellar (3)

GAMES ON SATURDAY: South Dakota at North Dakota State, 7 p.m. South Dakota State at North Dakota, 1:30 p.m. Nebraska-Omaha at Northern Colorado, Noon Augustana at St. Cloud State, 1 p.m. Minnesota State - Mankato at New Haven, Noon

UPDATE ON JAMEL WHITE WHITE EXCELLING FOR BROWNS: In the Cleveland Browns' 24-14 win over Detroit in week two of the NFL season, former South Dakota all-American running back Jamel White had three rushes for 15 yards, including a long run of 16 yards. He returned one kick for 22 yards and had one pass reception for four yards. Overall this season, he has 13 rushes for 67 yards (5.2 average) with four pass receptions for 30 yards and two kickoff returns for 33 yards. In his second year with the Browns, he has 212 yards rushing, 130 receiving yards and 968 yards in kickoff returns.

RADIO, INFORMATION RADIO: The University of South Dakota football games home and away can be heard on KVHT- FM 106.3, Vermillion/Yankton, S.D. Kevin Culhane begins his fifth year as voice of the Coyotes. Veteran broadcaster Joe Van Goor will provide color. Former NCC coach Mike Daly is the game analyst. A pre-game show begins one hour prior to kickoff. The game is also available on the internet at www.usdcoyotes.com and on Teamline at 1-80-846-4700 (team code - 6056). Since 1990, Teamline has provided live coverage of over 40,000 events annually for over 500 college and pro sports teams, directly to consumers over any telephone in the world. JOHN AUSTIN SHOW: The John Austin Show is held every Thursday at 6:05 p.m. on ESPN Radio 1570 KVTK-AM, Vermillion, S.D.

FOOTBALL OFFICE Coach John Austin (605) 677-5309 Jbaustin@usd.edu Brett Chambers (605) 677-5954 Bob Forsyth (605) 677-5898 Kirby Garry (605) 677-6949 Scott Bruning (605 677-6932 Brad Salem (605) 677-5925 Brent Salem (605) 677-5923

SPORTS INFORMATION Director: Dan E. Genzler Office Phone: 605-677-5927 Home Phone: 605-624-3302 Email: dgenzler@usd.edu Information Specialist: Julia Meyer Office Phone: (605) 677-5927 Email: jmeyer@usd.edu Mailing Address: South Dakota Sports Information, DakotaDome 226, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, S.D., 57069 FAX: (605) 677-6273 Pressbox: 605-677-5761 Stadium Address: DakotaDome, 1101 North Dakota Street, Vermillion, S.D., 57069

UNIVERSITY PROFILE: LOCATION: Vermillion, S.D. (10,000) FOUNDED: 1862 ENROLLMENT: 7,334 PRESIDENT: James W. Abbott NATIONAL AFFILIATION: NCAA Division II CONFERENCE: North Central Conference UNIVERSITY VICE PRESIDENT: Roger Kozak DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS: Kelly Higgins

SCHEDULE: August 30 -- SOUTH DAKOTA 44 Winona State 21 Sept. 8 - Minnesota-Duluth 14 SOUTH DAKOTA 10 Sept. 15 - St. Cloud 22 SOUTH DAKOTA 21 Sept. 22 - Nebraska-Omaha 19 SOUTH DAKOTA 16 Sept. 29 - *at North Dakota State, 7 p.m. Oct. 6 - *at Augustana, 1 p.m. Oct. 13 - *NORTHERN COLORADO, 2 p.m. Oct. 20 - OPEN Oct. 27 - *SOUTH DAKOTA STATE, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3 - *at Minnesota State - Mankato, 1 p.m. Nov. 10 - *NORTH DAKOTA (Hall of Fame), 6:30 p.m. Home games in bold and caps. Home games are played at the DakotaDome unless noted. *North Central Conference games

2000 REVIEW Season Record: 8-3 North Central Conference: 6-3 (third) Home: 4-1 Road: 4-2

Season Summary - SOUTH DAKOTA 17 Missouri Western 13 *SOUTH DAKOTA 38 Truman State 14 North Dakota 42 SOUTH DAKOTA 14 North Dakota State 45 SOUTH DAKOTA 20 *SOUTH DAKOTA 15 Augustana 10 SOUTH DAKOTA 37 St. Cloud State 0 *Nebraska-Omaha 21 SOUTH DAKOTA 7 *SOUTH DAKOTA 27 Northern Colorado 6 SOUTH DAKOTA 30 Morningside 7 SOUTH DAKOTA 41 South Dakota State 28 *SOUTH DAKOTA 24 Minn. St.-Mankato 3 Home games noted with *

COYOTES REVIEW -- 2000 A LOOK AT 2000: On offense, the Coyotes will have five starters and 14 letterwinners. Offensively, the Coyotes outgained opponents both on the ground and through the air. South Dakota had 452 rushes for 1,727 yards (3.8 avg.) and 14 rushing touchdowns. Opponents rushed for 1,112 yards on 367 carries (3.02 avg.). Through the air, the Coyotes had 1,946 yards and 14 touchdowns while opponents had 1,699 yards and nine touchdowns. The offense averaged 333.9 total yards per game. Defensively, the Coyotes limited opponents to 15 points or less in seven games. In five games, the Coyotes held opponents to 10 or fewer points including one shutout. Overall, the defense rolled up 102 tackles for loss for -345 yards and recording 29 sacks for -205 yards. In 2000, the Coyotes had 10 fumble recoveries and an NCC-leading 22 interceptions. In addition, the Coyotes had 53 pass breakups along with three blocked kicks.

NCAA RANKINGS: South Dakota finished sixth in the nation in turnover margin at a plus 16 (1.45 per game). The Coyotes were also sixth in defense passing efficiency nationally. South Dakota was 13th in total defense in NCAA Division II in 2000, allowing just 255.5 yards per game. The Coyotes finished 15th in rushing defense, allowing just 101.1 yards per game.

COYOTE FOOTBALL HISTORY - TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE: South Dakota has a long history of excellence in football. The Coyotes have won nine NCC titles and have had 42 student-athletes named all-Americans. In addition, 207 student-athletes have been named all-NCC performers, including 17 who have been named NCC MVPs. South Dakota last won an NCC crown in 1978 although the 1986 team advanced to the NCAA Division II title game (27-7 loss to fellow NCC mate North Dakota State). The Coyotes fielded their first team in 1889, winning their first NCC title in 1927. Other conference winning teams included squads in 1938, 1939, 1947, 1951, 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1978. In the Coyotes' proud history, 23 individuals have served as head coach with James Henderson holding the best winning percentage of .750 (15-5, 1911-13). The Coyotes have had four unbeaten teams in the NCC, including the 1927 team that has a 5-0 mark under the direction of head coach V.E. Montgomery. Other unbeaten NCC teams included: 1938 (5-0), 1947 (4-0), and 1951 (6-0) teams coached by the all-time leaders in wins, Harry Gamage. Perhaps the greatest Coyote squad was the 1902 team, which rolled up a 9-0 record and held every opponent scoreless. South Dakota was 9-0 with head coach A.H. Whittemore in 1902. The 1968 and 1972 teams, coached by Joe Salem, were both 9-1. B.H. Morrison was the first Coyote head coach, then called a manager, in 1898-99. In two seasons, he had a 5-2-2 mark.

JUST 15 YEARS AGO: South Dakota still holds an NCAA Division II record with the most players on one team gaining 100 yards or more on Nov. 1, 1986 vs. St. Cloud State. James Hambrick led the way with 125 yards while Darryl Colvin had 123 yards, Tony Higgins, 118 yards; Dave Elle, 109 yards and Joe Longueville, 106 yards, for a team total of 581 yards. In 1986, the Coyotes advanced to the NCAA Division II title game, falling 27-7 to fellow NCC mate, North Dakota State. In that season, the Coyotes spoiled a perfect season by UC-Davis, winning 26-23 at Davis, Calif., in the first round of the playoffs. South Dakota advanced to the title game in 1986 with a 42-28 win over Troy State at the DakotaDome before 9,500 in attendance.

IN NCAA RECORD BOOK: Kurt Seibel holds the highest percentage of field goals made by converting 15 0f 1 field goals for 88.2 percent in 1983. He also is 17th on the NCAA all-time charts for career field goals made, converting 44 of 62 (.710) from 1980-83. Bill Moats led NCAA Division II in punting in 1978 by averaging 43.9 yards per punt. During his senior season, he punted 77 times for 3,377 yards. Adam Hicks made 17 of 22 field goals in 2000 for .773 percent which ranks 13th in the NCAA season charts. Jamel White, who is now with the Cleveland Browns, ranks 15th in yards per game for a season with 222.5 (1,796 rushing, 640 receiving). White is also 19th in yards rushing for a season with 1,796 on 316 carries in 2000.

SD IN TOP 20 IN VICTORIES: South Dakota ranks 17th in NCAA Division II victories with a 453-428-34 mark (.514).

ALL-TIME RIVALRIES: The Coyotes and SDSU annual matchup is one of the great all-time rivalries in college football. In NCAA Division II, the 101 games played between the two in-state rivals is second in most played rivalries. The Coyotes lead 51-43-6.

#1 in DII: The Coyotes have twice been ranked #1 in the country for three consecutive weeks in the NCAA Division II poll. The Coyotes were ranked #1 for the first three weeks of the 1985 and 1987 seasons.