VERMILLION, S.D. -- 22nd-ranked South Dakota (5-1, 1-1 NCC) face a crucial road test when the Coyotes meet Minnesota State University, Mankato (3-3, 1-1) at Blakeslee Field in Mankato, Minn., on Saturday at 1 p.m. On Oct. 2, South Dakota defeated Augustana, 23-0, on Dakota Day while Minnesota State took a -34-13 road win over Minnesota-Duluth. USD will face MSU on its homecoming.

At Stake Both USD and Minnesota State are in a three-way tie (North Dakota) for third in the North Central Conference with 1-1 records and a win is critical to both teams to stay in the league race. 15th-ranked St. Cloud State (6-0) leads the NCC with a 2-0 mark with Nebraska-Omaha (4-2) in second with a 1-0 NCC mark.

Notes South Dakota's 5-1 start is the best since the 1996 team opened with five wins in six starts. USD will try and go 6-1 for the first time since the 1987 team opened 6-0 en route to a 7-4 season. The 1985 Coyotes, which advanced to the Division II semifinals, opened the season with seven wins in its first eight games and finished 10-3. In the most recent AFCA Division II Poll, USD moved up to a ranking of 22nd in the country. The Coyotes were ranked 25th a week ago.

Coyotes Broadcasts The University of South Dakota football game against Minnesota State on Saturday, Oct. 9, will be broadcast on Sports Radio 1570 AM, Vermillion/Yankton, S.D. This season, USD will have expanded coverage including KJAM 103.1 FM in Madison and K-Talk 1340 AM in Rapid City. The Voice of the Coyotes, Kevin Culhane, will provide the play-by-play. Veteran broadcaster Joe Van Goor and Hall of Fame coach Max Hawk will provide commentary. Lane Grindle will pre-game duties. The game is also available on the Internet at www.usdcoyotes.com and on Teamline at 1-800-846-4700 (team code - 6056).

On South Dakota Head Coach Ed Meierkort Ed Meierkort is in his first season as head football coach at South Dakota. He was named South Dakota's 25th head football coach following a nationwide search in December 2003. Meierkort had served as head coach at Wisconsin-Stout since 1993. With the win over Truman State on August 28 in Kirksville, Mo., Meierkort is now 5-1, and 1-1 in the NCC, in his career at USD and 60-56 overall as a collegiate head coach. Meierkort has recruited and coached 16 All-Americans and had two players move on to the National Football League. Meierkort left Wisconsin-Stout as its all-time wins leader with an overall mark of 55-55. Meierkort also served as an assistant (assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator, defensive coordinator and strength coach) at Southwest Minnesota State from 1983-93. He was the assistant head coach from 1989-93 and defensive coordinator from 1984-89. During his time with the Mustangs, the squad twice won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and qualified for the NAIA playoffs two times. Southwest Minnesota State finished in the top-10 twice, including a No. 5 ranking in 1990. He was the defensive coordinator for the NAIA's number-one ranked defense in 1988 and defensive coordinator for the nation's No. 2 ranked team in 1991. Prior to going to Southwest Minnesota State, he served as a graduate assistant at South Dakota State in 1983. During the 1982 season, he was the defensive coordinator and head baseball coach at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. Meierkort earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration in 1982 from Dakota Wesleyan. Originally of Chicago, Ill., he also has a Master of Arts degree in athletic administration from South Dakota State University in 1987. He and his wife, Terri, have two sons, Reid and Chase.

Series Info The Coyotes lead the overall series with MSU, 16-11, including wins in three of the last five meetings between the schools. In the last 10 games, both teams have five wins in the series, which began in 1968 with a 28-14 USD win. The Coyotes won four straight to open the series before MSU won a 57-40 encounter in 1974. After that, USD won six straight, which gave the Coyotes 10 wins in the first 11 games of the series. A year ago, the Coyotes snapped a two-game losing streak against the Mavericks with a 30-0 shutout on Dakota Day at the DakotaDome. Two years ago at Mankato, the Mavericks won 23-17. USD's last win at Mankato was a 35-29 win in 1999.

About Minnesota State Mankato On Maverick Head Coach Jeff Jamrog Jeff Jamrog has led MSU to a 3-3 overall record and 1-1 in the NCC in his first year as head coach of MSU. Jamrog was named the school's 13th coach this summer. A 1987 graduate of Nebraska, Jamrog was an Academic All-American for the Cornhuskers as a starting linebacker in his senior season. Prior to taking the head job at MSU, Jamrog served as an assistant at South Dakota (1990-93); Nebraska-Omaha (1994-96); New Mexico State (1997-99); and Nebraska (1988-89, 2000-03).. He has been part of 14 teams that have posted winning records (21 seasons), with 10 of those teams earning double-digits in victories and four claiming conference titles.

Notes on Mavericks MSU has opened the season with three wins in six games. The Mavericks opened the season with a 42-35 loss to Bemidji State before defeating Oklahoma Panhandle State, 49-35, as Sean Treasure has 212 yards rushing on 25 carries. MSU dropped a 40-0 decision at Northern Iowa on Sept. 11 before returning home and defeating Concordia- St. Paul, 45-20. The Mavericks lost a 38-17 decision to St. Cloud State on Sept. 25, depite four receptions and a career-high 130 receiving yards by Michael Lawrence. Last weekend, the Mavericks evened its NCC record at 1-1 with a 34-13 win at Minnesota-Duluth. After playing South Dakota on MSU's homecoming day, the Mavericks will host Upper Iowa on Oct. 16 before traveling to North Dakota on Oct. 23. MSU returns home on Oct. 30 to face Augustana before playing a Nov. 6 game at home against Nebraska-Omaha. In 79 seasons of football, MSU has a 338-340-29 record in 707 games. The Mavericks are in its 26th season as an NCC member, owning a 95-120-2 overall record, including two NCC titles. Junior Sean Treasure leads the offense, ranking sixth in the nation in all-purpose yardage at 187.2 yards per game. Linebacker Adam Stroik is tied for second in the nation in tackles at 15.6 per game. Senior returner Calen Wilson is sixth in Division II in punt return average at 17.5 yards per return. MSU, led by Treasure's 641 rushing yards, has rolled up 1,127 rushing yards and 2,132 yards in total offense or 355.3 yards per game. Ben King is another offensive leader, completing 69 of 136 passes for 985 yards and eight TDs. He has thrown three interceptions. Kyle Krivoruchka has a team-best 25 catches for 314 yards and three TDs while Michael Lawrence has 323 yards receiving and four TDs.

Last Week -- Minnesota State 34 Minnesota-Duluth 13 Minnesota State rolled to a 34-13 win over Minnesota-Duluth on Oct. 2 before 3,716 at Minnesota-Duluth. Junior running back Sean Treasure had his third 100-yard rushing game at MSU with 132 yards on 26 carries. Sophomore quarterback Ben King completed 11-of-23 passes for 117 yards and a TD and an interception. Kyle Krivoruchka have five catches for 49 yards and a TD. On the afternoon, MSU outgained Minnesota-Duluth, 266 to 239 yards. The Mavericks limited the Bulldogs to 78 yards in passing while winning the time possession, 30:57 to 29:03. Defensively, MSU was led by linebacker Michael Adams with eight tackles and forced a fumble. Linebacker Adam Stroik had eight tackles, an interception, and blocked a punt. Senior kicker Ryan Caperoon tied a career -high with 10 points on two field goals and four PATs.

Last Time - 2003 -- USD 30 MSU 0 The South Dakota football team won its second straight game with a strong defensive performance in a 30-0 shutout of Minnesota State-Mankato in North Central Conference action on Dakota Day before 6,117 at the DakotaDome on Oct. 11, 2003. South Dakota limited the Mavericks to 29 rushing yards on 28 carries and just 140 yards passing. USD had three quarterback sacks, and a pair of interceptions, including a 35-yard interception return for a TD by senior defensive back Dwight Anderson early in the fourth quarter. It was a game that started slowly as neither team mounted any sustained offense in the first 28 minutes of action. Then, USD was able to put two field goals -- 20 yards (1:54, second quarter) and 36 yards (:09, 2nd quarter) by junior place-kicker Cody Butler -- in the last two minutes of the half and led 6-0 at halftime. The second half was dominated by South Dakota. With 9:59 to play in the third quarter, USD quarterback Wes Beschorner scored on a 15-yard run to cap a four-play, 69-yard drive and with Butler's PAT gave USD a 13-0 lead. On their next possession, USD had a field goal blocked by MSU-Mankato. However, on the ensuing Maverick possession, linebacker Josh Gassen picked off a pass by Maverick back-up quarterback Chad Metelak and USD was in business again, this time deep in Maverick territory (14-yard line). Five plays later, Beschorner connected with wide receiver Chris Mikkelsen on a four-yard scoring pass. With Butler's kick, USD led, 20-0. The Coyotes added to their lead when Anderson picked off a pass by Metelak and returned it for a TD. USD added the final points of the game on a 32-yard field goal by Cody Butler with 5:45 to play for a 30-0 lead. Butler, who made three field goals (20, 36, 32) and three extra points, scored 12 points. On offense, USD was led by freshman running back Stefan Logan, who had 18 rushes for 109 yards. Wesley Beschorner had 11 rushes for 56 yards and a TD. After being picked off on the first play of the game, Beschorner settled in, completing 10-of-16 passes on the day for 129 yards and a TD. Mikkelsen had five catches for 59 yards. Overall, the Coyotes totaled 368 yards in total offense on 65 plays. USD had 209 yards rushing on 45 carries and 159 yards passing. Defensively, redshirt freshman linebacker Ryan Hedden led USD with seven tackles, including five solo stops. He had one of USD's eight tackles for loss. USD totaled three sacks (Drew Barns, Mike Meekins, and Aaron Dietrich) and two interceptions (Anderson, Josh Gassen).MSU was led by Bobby Ruffin, who had 62 yards rushing on 21 carries. Quarterback Ben King completed 11-of-25 passes for 114 yards. Overall, the Mavericks had 169 yards in total offense on 60 plays. They totaled 29 yards rushing and 140 yards passing. All-American Jared Ziemke had 11 tackles, including 10 solo stops and 3 tackles for loss.

Schellhammer Named NCC Defensive POW Tim Schellhammer, a senior defensive end for the 25th-ranked South Dakota Coyotes football team, was named the North Central Conference Defensive Player of the Week, according to an announcement Oct. 4 by the league office. A 6'4, 240 pound senior from Chatfield, Minn., Schellhammer had six tackles, three tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks to lead the Coyotes to a 23-0 shutout over Augustana on Dakota Day Oct. 2 at the DakotaDome. In helping USD improve to 1-1 in the NCC and 5-1 overall, Schellhammer had a career best with his three quarterback sacks, all coming in the first half. He was part of a defense that limited Augustana to 53 yards rushing and 148 yards passing and 201 yards in total offense. USD's defense had six QB sacks on the day. He is the fifth Coyote to receive NCC Player of the Week honors this season. Schellhammer becomes the second defensive player (Jordan Davis, Sept. 20) to earn the weekly honors. In addition, quarterback Wes Beschorner was named Offensive Player of the Week on August 30. In addition, place-kicker Cody Butler (Sept. 13) and kick returner/cornerback Ricardo Sorrell (Sept. 20) have earned NCC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

About South Dakota Mikkelsen Closing in on All-time Reception Leaders; Moving Up All-Purpose Yardage Chart With 48 receiving yards against Minnesota State, senior Chris Mikkelsen of Gregory, S.D., would become just the second Coyote ever to reach the 2,000-yard receiving plateau, moving into second-place all-time and past Coyote Sports Hall of Fame member Dwight Duncumbe, who had 87 catches for 1,987 yards and 16 TDs from 1972-74. Currently, Mikkelsen has 1,952 receiving yards and 12 total TDs, including 11 by reception. Mikkelsen, who has 24 receptions for 305 yards and three TDs in 2004, is just 12 catches away from tying the all-time USD receptions leader - Rod Tweet, who accumulated 140 receptions and 2,557 yards from 1982-85. Mikkelsen caught a career-best 68-yard TD pass from Wes Beschorner against Augustana on Oct. 2. In addition, Mikkelsen now ranks in the top-10 in career all-purpose yards at South Dakota. Mikkelsen has 567 all purpose yards (-1 rushing, 305 receiving, 174 in punt returns and 89 in kickoff returns) in 2004 and has 2,929 in his career (56 rushing yards, 1,647 receiving, 190 punt returns and 409 kickoff returns). He recently passed James Gregory, a former Sioux City, Iowa, star, who had 2,765 all purpose yards at USD from 1989-92.

Coyote set Four School Records, So Far ~The 88-yard pass play from quarterback Wes Beschorner (Lohrville, Iowa) to Derek Gearman (Lennox, S.D.) in the third quarter vs. Truman State set a USD game record for longest pass and longest reception, previously held on an 84-yard pass play from Tom Engelman to Joe Trudeau against Idaho State in 1971. ~Junior kick returner Ricardo Sorrell has established a kickoff return yardage mark of 165 yards on five returns against Wisconsin-LaCrosse. The returns included an 88-yard kickoff return for a TD in the third quarter of USD's 45-44 win. His mark bettered the mark of 151 yards in kickoff returns by Mike Maguire against Nevada-Las Vegas in 1976. ~USD has also established a new scoring record for a three-game span to open the season. With 156 points in its first three games, USD bettered the mark of 142 points set by the 1996 team. ~ USD also set a school-record for most points in a four-game span with 201 points. Coyotes Unleash Big Play, Quick Strike Offense Coyotes By the Numbers After six games, the Coyotes have 2,662 yards in total offense on just 388 plays for an average of 6.9 yards per play, or 443.7 per game, which is second in the NCC. USD has 1,709 yards rushing on 266 attempts or 6.4 yards per rush. USD's 284.8 rushing yards per game ranks first in the NCC and fourth nationally. USD has also passed for 953 yards, or 158.8 per game. Quarterback Wes Beschorner (Lohrville, Iowa), who is 16th in Division II in pass efficiency, has completed 63-of-103 passes for 817 yards and 10 TDs. He has a 150.12 passing efficiency ranking. On the ground, sophomore Travis Mlady (Bloomfield, Neb.) has gained 626 yards on 67 carries and a team-high sevenTDs. He is averaging 9.3 yards per carry. Sophomore Stefan Logan (Miami, Fla.) has gained 469 yards on 69 carries or 6.8 yards per game. Chris Mikkelsen leads the team in receptions with 24 for 305 yards and threeTDs. Tight end Paul Tschetter has 13 catches for 160 yards while Derek Gearman has 12 catches for 248 yards or 20.7 yards per catch. The Coyote defense has limited opponents to 651 yards on 207 carries and has recorded -156 yards in losses. That translates to just 3.1 yards per rush and 108.5 rushing yards per game. The opponents have passed for 871 yards and have just 1,522 yards in total offense on 349 plays or 4.4 yards per play. USD has six pass interceptions, including three by Chris Reid (Hills, Minn.) and two by sophomore safety Tim Dacy (Gregory, S.D., and the Coyotes have recovered two fumbles.

Mlady Making Noise as Key Backup Despite just one start in six games, sophomore running back Travis Mlady is making a big impression on the Coyotes' offense. Mlady, who has three 100-yard rushing games, has rushed for 626 yards on just 67 attempts or 9.3 yards per rush. He has seven TDs and only -13 yards in losses. He ranks 33rd in the nation at 104.3 yards per game. He rushed for 62 yards and had a TD run vs. Augustana; 59 yards on nine carries and a TD vs. Nebraska-Omaha; 67 yards vs. Wisconsin-LaCrosse after gaining 128 yards on 14 carries and two TDs against MSU Moorhead on Sept. 11. This season he has totaled 22 runs over 10 yards and has four runs of 35 yards or longer. Mlady also has 14 runs of 15 yards or longer. Mlady rushed for 158 yards in the win over Truman State and 152 yards in the Peru State victory.

South Dakota Produces 100-yard Rushers In 11 of its last 12 games, dating back to the 2003 season, USD has produced a 100-yard rusher. This season, Travis Mlady has three- 100-yard rushing games and Stefan Logan has two 100-yard plus games. That goes with the six straight games to end the season that Stefan Logan rushed over 100-yards. Last week, Logan had 151 yards rushing on 18 carries, including seven runs of more than 10 yards vs. Augustana. Three weeks against against Wisconsin-LaCrosse, Logan rushed for 130 yards on 25 carries. Logan has nine career 100-yard rushing games, including a career-best 199 yards vs. Lincoln in 2003. USD did not produce a 100-yard rusher against UNO on Sept. 25, ending a 10-game streak.

South Dakota Ranks Fourth in the Nation in Rushing One of the key reasons behind the Coyotes' 5-1 start is its rushing attack. The Coyotes are averaging 284.8 yards per game, which ranks fourth nationally. The Coyotes, which have 18 TDs on the ground, has produced 1,709 yards on 266 carries or 6.4 per rush

Beschorner Off to Quick Start Junior quarterback Wes Beschorner (Lohrville, Iowa) has had a quick start to the 2004 season. Beschorner has completed 63-of-103 passes for 817 yards with 10 TDs and five interceptions. He has a 150.12 efficiency ranking and has completed 61.2 percent of his passes. Beschorner's pass efficiency ranking places second in the NCC and 16th in the nation. He is averaging 136.2 passing yards per game. He also has three rushing TDs which means accounting for 13 of USD's 30 TDs this season.

USD Utilizing Several Receivers Senior Chris Mikkelsen (Gregory, S.D.) leads USD with 24 catches for 305 yards. His catch total places him third in the NCC in receptions per game (4.0 rpg). He is just one of several players making a mark catching the ball. Sophomore Derek Gearman (Lennox, S.D.) has caught 12 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns. Gearman has caught a school-record 88-yard TD pass from Beschorner and is averaging 20.7 yards per reception. Senior tight end Paul Tschetter (Sioux Falls, S.D.) has 13 catches for 160 yards or 12.3 yards per catch. Tschetter has three TD receptions. Seven other players have at least one reception as USD has rolled up 953 yards passing. USD is averaging 12.9 yards on 74 receptions as a team.

Hedden Leads Defense Sophomore Ryan Hedden (Fairmont, Neb.) is leading the Coyotes on defense, totaling 47 tackles, including 28 solo stops, five tackles for loss, four quarterback sacks and a pass breakup. Senior defensive end Tim Schellhammer (Chatfield, Minn.) has 31 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks. Chris Reid (Hills, Minn.) leads USD with three interceptions.

Scoring by Quarters South Dakota has shown balanced scoring this season, owning a 237 to 89 overall scoring advantage over opponents. In the quarter-by-quarter breakdown, USD owns a 62 to 26 advantage in the first quarter, 62 to 17 in the second quarter, 55 to 17 in the third quarter and 58 to 29 in the fourth quarter.

Butler Shows Off Leg as One of the Best Around Cody Butler, a senior from Hastings, Neb., is simply one of the best kickers in NCAA Division II. Placekicker Cody Butler leads the NCC in field goal percentage (7-8, 87.5 percent) and PATs (30-31) and is second in field goals (7). Butler leads all NCC kickers with 51 total points or 8.5 per game. He is just three points from his career-best point total of 54 set a year ago. His 52-yard field goal is the longest in the NCC this season. Butler, who transferred to USD in 2001, has hit 4-of-4 field goals from 20 to 29 yards and is 3-of-4 from 30 to 55 yards. He has made field goals of 23, 23, 26, 27, 37, 48. In his career, the 2003 second-team All-NCC pick has scored 158 points, including 20-of-31 field goals and 68-of-71 PATs. He has made 9-of-10 field goals from 40-to-49 yards. He is one of three on kicks beyond 50 yards. He has a pair of school records, including field goals in a game with four vs. NDSU in a 40-37 4OT win by USD in 2003 (tied with Kurt Seibel, 1983; and Terry Godfrey, 1984); and points in a game with 16 vs. NDSU in 2003 (tied with Kurt Seibel, 1983).

South Dakota Ranks High in National Stats The Coyotes are ranked high in several statistical categories, according to statistics released this week by the NCAA. In team categories, USD ranks fourth in rushing at 284.8 yards per game; 12th in scoring defense (14.8); 13 in total defense (258.7 yards per game); and 13th in scoring offense (39.5 points per game). USD is 21st in total offense (443.7 yards per game) and 27th in rushing defense (109.5 yards per game). Individually, Tim Schellhammer ranks 10th in quarterback sacks with 1.2 per game (8). Ricardo Sorrell is 14th in kickoff returns (27.8 yards per return). Cody Butler is 16th in field goals per game (1.2 per game). Wes Beschorner ranks 16th in passing efficiency (150.12). Chris Mikkelsen is 17th in punt returns (14.5 yards per return).

USD Leads NCC in Five Team Categories After six games, USD leads the conference in five and ranks second in 12 team categories. The Coyotes lead in rushing offense (284.8 yards per game), field goals (7-of-8, 87.5 percent); third-down conversions (29 of 64, 45.3 percent); kickoff returns (26.0 per return) and is tied with UNO in sacks (21). USD is second in scoring offense (39.8 pg); pass defense (149.2 yards pg); punting (35.8 net punt average); total offense (443.7 yards per game); total defense (258.7 yards per game); punt returns (11.7 per return); pass efficiency (149.1); first downs (137); opponent first downs (77); opponent third-down conversions (27-of-83, 32.5 percent); time of possession (30:14 per game; and opponent fourth down conversions (2-of-8, 25 percent). Individually, Luke Mikkelsen continues to lead the league in punting at 41.3 per game. Placekicker Cody Butler leads in field goal percentage (7-8, 87.5 percent) and PATs (30-31) and is second in field goals (7). Butler leads all NCC kickers with 51 total points or 8.5 per game. His 52-yard field goal is the longest in the NCC this season. Travis Mlady is fourth in rushing (104.3 yards per game). Chris Mikkelsen is second in receptions per game (4.00) and fifth in receiving yards per game (50.8 yards per game). In overall scoring, Butler is fourth (8.5 per game) and Mlady is seventh (7.0 per game). Tim Schellhammer is second in quarterback sacks (8.0) and he is sixth in tackles for loss (8.5). Ryan Hedden is seventh in tackles (47, 7.8 per game).