VERMILLION, S.D. -- The fifth-ranked South Dakota football team (7-0, 3-0 NCC) will face its biggest test of the season when the Coyotes hit the road for an North Central Conference game with 12th-ranked St. Cloud State (6-1, 2-1 NCC) at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud, Minn., at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15. USD won its seventh-straight game to open the season with a 35-14 win over Minnesota State on Dakota Day, Oct. 8 at the DakotaDome. St. Cloud State handled Augustana, 34-7, at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud, Minn., last Saturday. USD, which is fourth in the regional rankings and fifth in the AFCA national poll, will attempt to move to 4-0 in the NCC and retain its hold on first place in the league.

Coyote Tracks The Coyotes will try and go 8-0 for the first time since the 1902 squad, which finished with a 9-0 record. The 1902 team, coached by A.H. Whittemore, remains the only unbeaten, untied team in school history. The 1902 squad held all nine opponents without a point, while rolling up 204 points or 22.4 per game. The 2005 Coyotes are ranked fifth or higher by all four Division II ranking services or polls. The rankings include second, College Sports Report Route 66 Rankings; third, D2football.com; third, Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette; and fifth, AFCA coaches poll. The top-five rankings are the best since 1987, when USD was ranked first in the country for the initial six weeks of the season. USD was also a preseason No. 1 by the Football News in 1987. Last Saturday, the Coyotes' 35-14 win over Minnesota State, Mankato extended its home-winning streak to a school-record tying 11 games. The Coyotes tied the record for most consecutive wins at home set during the 1986-1987 and the 1984-85 seasons. The 11-game winning streak in 1984-85 was stopped by NDSU, who took a 16-7 win in the national Division II playoff semifinals at the Dome. USD had defeated NDSU, 38-14, earlier that season in a game also played at the DakotaDome. In the 1986-87 season, USD's 11-game home winning streak ended against St. Cloud State, who defeated USD, 13-10, at the Dome in week seven of the 1987 season. USD has scored 54 TDs this season, which ties the school record set in 2004. The Coyotes are just 37 points away from breaking USD's season scoring mark of 418 points, also set last year.

Series South Dakota trails in the all-time series with St. Cloud State, 14-9. A year ago, USD claimed a 37-21 win over the Huskies and snapped a three-game losing streak to St. Cloud State. SCSU won the first two games in the series, including a 20-7 decision in the first meeting of the series in 1955. The Coyotes defeated St. Cloud State, 22-21, in the third game of the series. In terms of streaks, USD won three in a row from 1994-96, including a double overtime 38-31 win in 1996 at the DakotaDome. St. Cloud State, which has won the last two games against USD at home, won three straight games in 1987-89, 1991-93 and 2001-03. USD recorded its highest point total against the Huskies in a 52-0 win at the DakotaDome in 1986. In that game, USD had five runners surpass 100 yards rushing, which remains an NCAA record across all divisions. St. Cloud State's highest output was a 45-0 win in 1991. The winning team has scored more than 30 points in each of the last three meetings (SCSU, 36-15, 2002; SCSU, 33-21, 2003; USD, 37-21, 2004).

Coyotes Broadcasts South Dakota football games (home-and-away) will be broadcast on the Coyote Sports Network. All USD football games will be held on Saturday afternoons and broadcast on Sports radio 1570 (AM) "The Ticket" ( Vermillion/Yankton, S.D.) and KSQB 1520 AM (Sioux Falls, S.D. ). Kevin Culhane, '77, will handle play-by play duties with Jeff Culhane and Max Hawk serving as color analysts. Lane Grindle, '04, will serve as the sideline reporter with Joe Van Goor as the studio host. The broadcast will be available on the internet at www.usdcoyotes.com or at www.kvht.com. Additionally, the Coyote games will be available on Teamline at 1-800-846-4700 (team code: 6056). Teamline is a fee-based phone service in which Coyote fans can call to listen to the broadcast.

Reaching Out to the Public The Ed Meierkort Football Show can be heard each Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. on Sports radio 1570 (AM) "The Ticket" in Yankton/Vermillion, S.D. Meierkort will also address a booster club meeting each Monday at 7 p.m. (during the season) at C.J. Callaways in Sioux Falls.

USD Head Coach Meierkort Wins 71st career game Ed Meierkort has made a major difference in just his second season as head football coach at South Dakota. With Meierkort as head coach, the Coyotes have a 16-2 record in 18 games. Meierkort has compiled a 71-57 career record. His teams have an 10-0 record in the DakotaDome. He is 7-2 in NCC games. A year ago, he led USD to a 9-2 overall record and 4-2 in the NCC. In his last five-plus seasons (USD and Wisconsin-Stout), Meierkort has a 45-13 overall record. The Coyotes, who had a perfect 6-0 record at the DakotaDome (first time ever), was ranked seventh in the American Football Coaches Association Poll late in 2004. USD finished ranked 16th in the country. He has his fifth-ranked Coyotes at 7-0 this season. Before taking over the head coaching duties at USD, he had a 55-55 record at Wisconsin Stout, although his teams compiled a 29-11 mark in his last four seasons at that school. Meierkort recruited and coached 16 All-Americans at Wisconsin Stout and had two players move on to the National Football League, Tony Beckham (115th pick, Tennessee Titans) and Jeff Hazuga (FA, Minnesota Vikings). At USD, he has had six all league selections and an All-American (Brian Alderson). Meierkort served as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator, defensive coordinator and strength coach at Southwest Minnesota State from 1983-89. At SMSU, he was the assistant head coach during 1989-93 and defensive coordinator from 1984-89. At SMSU, the squad twice won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and qualified for the NAIA playoffs twice. SMSU 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 SMSU, he served as a graduate assistant at South Dakota State in 1983. In 1982, he was defensive coordinator and head baseball coach at Dakota Wesleyan. 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 SDSU in 1987. He is a member of the NCAA National Rating Committee, AFCA, Wisconsin State High School Coaches Association and the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association. Meierkort also served on the Chancellor's Athletic Advisory Board and the Chancellor's Commission for Gender Equity at Wisconsin-Stout. He and his wife, Terri, have two sons, Reid and Chase.

Coyote Notes South Dakota Leads Nation in Four Offensive Categories The fifth-ranked South Dakota Football Team is the highest-scoring and most productive unit in NCAA Division II in 2005, according to statistics released by the NCAA this week. Overall, the Coyotes lead the nation in four offensive categories (individual or team). The Coyotes rank first nationally in total offense at 613.3 yards per game; scoring at 54.6 points per game; rushing offense at 316.3 yards per game and passing efficiency (individual, Wes Beschorner), 254.7 rating. USD also ranks ninth in passing offense at 297 yards per game. USD is 22nd in total defense (273.3 yards per game); 23rd in scoring defense (17.1 ppg); and 24th in rushing defense (103.9 yards per game). Individually, Wesley Beschorner is first in passing efficiency at 254.7 per game. He is fourth in total offense (330.6 yards per game). Stefan Logan ranks third in all-purpose yards with 221.6 per game. and seventh in rushing at 150.0 yards per game. Senior defensive end A.J. Schable is third in sacks with 1.4 per game (10 sacks overall) and 15th in tackles for loss at 1.8 per game. Derek Gearman ranks 10th in receiving yards at 105.4 per game. South Dakota Leads NCC in Nine Team Categories The South Dakota Football Team leads the North Central Conference in 11 team categories, including scoring offense, total offense, rushing and passing offense. USD is averaging a league-best 54.6 points per game, accumulating 382 points on 54 TDs, 48 extra points, a pair of two-point conversions and two field goals. The other categories which USD leads include: pass offense, 297 yards per game; rushing offense, 316.3 yards per game; total offense, 613.3 yards per game; pass efficiency, 232.3 rating; first downs, 177; sacks against, five; field goals percentage, 1.000; quarterback sacks, 28; and red zone offense, 86.5 percent (32-37). The Coyotes also lead in seven individual categories, including quarterback sacks, A.J. Schable, 10; rushing, Stefan Logan, 150.0 yards per game (1,050 yards, 122 att., 8.6 average, seven TDs); passing, Wes Beschorner, 284.7 yards per game (1,993 yards, 100-135, 25 TDs, 74.1 completion pct.); pass efficiency, Beschorner, 254.7; total offense, Beschorner, 330.6 per game; receiving yards per game, Derek Gearman, 105.4 per game (24-738-8 TDs, 30.8 avg.); and all-purpose yards, Logan, 221.6 per game (1,551 yards). In key defensive team categories, USD is third in scoring defense (17.1 points per game), second in pass defense (169.4 yards per game); fourth in rushing defense (103.9 yards per game); and third in total defense (273.3 yards per game).

Alderson Named to Three Preseason All-America Squads Brian Alderson, a senior on the South Dakota Football Team, has been named three preseason All-America squads this fall. He earned first-team offense honors on the www.CollegeSportsReport.com team and was a second-team selection on the D2Football.com website team. He was also selected to the Don Hansen Football Gazette's Preseason All-America offensive squad. Alderson, who has started 33 straight games at offensive tackle since his sophomore season, was named to a pair of All-America squads after the 2004 season, including the Daktronics, Inc., All-America Division II second-team and the Associated Press Little All-America third-team. In 2004, Alderson, a native of Hartford, S.D., was one of eight finalists for the inaugural Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award, which is presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club of Lancaster, Pa. Last fall, Alderson also was selected to the All-Northwest Region Team by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. A first-team All-NCC selection, Alderson recorded 58 knockdown blocks and anchored an offensive line that produced the nation's eighth-best and the NCC's top rushing attack (269.1 yards per game) in 2004. He allowed just two quarterback sacks.

Logan Becomes USD's Career Rushing Leader Junior running back Stefan Logan of Miami, Fla., rushed for 155 yards on 19 carries against Minnesota State, Mankato on Oct. 8 at the DakotaDome, and became the school's career rushing leader. Logan broke the mark in the second quarter against MSU and with his 155 yards built his career total to 3,550 yards or 126 yards per game over his career. He broke the career mark in just 28 games. The career rushing record had been 3,427 yards held by former Coyote standout Chul Schwanke in 1982-85. Against MSU, Logan surpassed 1,000 yards for the third straight season, another school record. Last Saturday, Logan also rushed for 100 yards or more for a school-record 20th time in his career. Dating back to last season, he has run for 100 yards or better in 12 of the last 13 games. Earlier this season, he set two single-game records with the best rushing performance in school history in a 63-24 win over Truman State at the DakotaDome on Sept. 3. Logan rushed for 295 yards on just 13 carries and scored three rushing TDs. He broke the old single game mark of 285 yards rushing in 1999 by Jamel White. Logan had TD runs of 42, 77 and a school-record 98-yard score against Truman State A two-time All-NCC selection, Logan has three 200-yard rushing games in his career. Logan has 1,050 yards rushing on 122 carries with seven TDs in seven games. He is averaging 8.7 yards per carry and 150.0 yards per game. In his career, he has 124 runs or receptions of 10 yards or more. Already this season he has nine overall TDs. He owns school records for both the longest run of 98 yards vs. Truman State and longest pass reception with his 90-yard TD on a screen pass against UNO on Sept. 24.

Logan Moves Closer to USD Career All-Purpose Yards Mark With 63 yards, Logan will become the career leader at USD in all-purpose yards. Logan is now second on the Coyotes' career all-purpose yards chart with 4,387 yards. He has 3,550 rushing yards, 695 receiving yards and 142 return yards. Ahead of Logan on the all-purpose chart is Chul Schwanke (1982-85), first, 4,449. In 2005, Logan has accumulated 1,551 all-purpose yards (1,050 rushing, 398 receiving, 103 kickoff returns), which already ranks as the fourth-best single season total in school history. He is just 12 yards from his third-best total of 1,563 a year ago. Jamel White owns the school mark with 2,403 yards (1,796 rushing, 607 receiving) in 1999 and Bob Koch is second with 1,654 yards (662 rushing, 384 receiving, 183 punt returns, 465 kickoff returns) in 1968.

Beschorner Ranks Second on Career Passing List With 165 passing yards against MSU, senior quarterback Wes Beschorner extended his school-record season passing total to 1,993 yards. He became USD's all-time single season passing leader against Augustana two weeks ago. Beschorner had two TDs passes against MSU, which gives him a school record 50 in his career and a school-record 25 this season. He now has amassed 5,174 yards (345 comp., 558 att., 5,174 yards, 50 TDs), which places him second on the career passing chart. He trails Ryan Justice (1999-02), 5,924 yards. This season, Beschorner has completed 100-of-135 passes (75.2 pct.) for 1,993 yards and 25 TDs with three interceptions. He has the nation's best pass efficiency rating of 254.75 and is averaging 284.7 yards per game. Beschorner also has 321 yards rushing on 52 carries with six TDs. He is averaging 6.2 yards per carry and 45.9 yards per game. He has set a USD record for consecutive and total 300 yards in a season with three (302 vs. Colorado Mines; 479 yards vs. UNO and 306 yards vs. Augustana). His 479 yards passing vs. UNO is also a school-record.

Beschorner Sets New Career Total Offense Mark Beschorner continues to build on his USD career total offense mark with 6,288 yards on 807 plays or 7.8 yards per play, which is the best in school history. This season, Beschorner has a school-record 2,314 yards in total offense on 187 plays, which averages to 330.6 per game and 12.37 yards per play. He had a career-best and school record 519 yards in total offense vs. Nebraska-Omaha. He has four games with 300 yards more in total offense this season, which is also a school record. He now owns the two best single season performances in total offense (2,126, 2004; 2,314, 2005).

Gearman Continues to Move Up Receiving Charts Derek Gearman, a junior from Lennox, S.D., set a school-record with three straight 100 yard receiving games earlier this season. Against Augustana on Oct. 1, he had 119 yards on four receptions with TDs of 83 and 27 yards. He had 179 yards receiving on five receptions with TDs of 74 and 75 yards against UNO on Sept. 24. He also had 151 yards on five receptions and an 80-yard TD catch vs. Colorado Mines. Overall, he has 24 receptions for 738 yards and eight TDs in 2005. He is averaging 30.8 yards per catch, which would be a school record for receivers with over 15 receptions. He has had eight receptions of over 43 yards or better. Gearman already has the third most receiving yards in a single season. Rod Tweet has the two highest single season total of 869 yards on 53 receptions in 1983 and 1,086 yards receiving on 47 receptions in 1984.

Coyotes Set New Total Offense Record Against Truman State The South Dakota football team accumulated a school-record 746 yards on 50 plays in total offense in the 63-24 win over Truman State on Sept. 3. The Coyotes rolled up 459 yards on 30 carries on the ground and had 287 yards passing. It was the second straight week that USD broke its single-game total offense mark. On Aug. 25, USD broke the 1986 team's mark of 648 yards in total offense when the Coyotes rolled up 667 yards vs. Minnesota-Crookston. Against Truman State, a member of the MIAA Conference who had defeated then 13th-ranked Winona State in week one, the Coyotes averaged 14.9 yards per play on offense.

Coyotes By the Numbers South Dakota has outscored opponents by a 382-120 (54.6 ppg to 17.1 ppg) margin this season. South Dakota owns a 104-13 first quarter scoring margin and has dominated in the second quarter with an 127-34 advantage. USD owns a 90-14 advantage in the third quarter while opponents have a 59-8 advantage in the fourth quarter. The Coyotes have a 3-0 scoring advantage over opponents in overtime. In the first half, USD owns a 231-47 scoring advantage and a 217-48 advantage in the second and third quarters. This season USD has totaled 4,293 yards in total offense per game , which amounts to 613.3 per game. Opponents have 1,913 yards in total offense or 273.3 per game. USD has scored 54 TDs this season and recorded two converted field goals. USD is averaging 316.3 yards rushing and 297 yards passing per game. The Coyotes have a huge edge over opponents in first downs with a 177-102 edge and TDs, 54-15. USD has 98 first downs by rushing the ball and 69 by pass with 10 by penalty. The Coyotes averaged 7.3 yards per rush and 13.4 yards per pass play. USD receivers average 18.7 yards per catch. USD Team MVPs for MSU Game The South Dakota coaching staff announced the team MVPs for the Minnesota State, Mankato game on Oct. 8. They include: Offensive MVP - Brian Alderson, senior, offensive tackle, Hartford, S.D..; Defensive MVP - Ryan Hedden, junior, linebacker, Fairmont, Neb.; Special Teams MVP - Lucas Mikkelsen, junior, punter, Gregory, S.D.; Offensive Scout Team MVP - Ben Wampler, freshman, offensive lineman, Spencer, Iowa; Defensive Scout MVP - Kommonyan Quaye, freshman, defensive lineman, Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Schable Making All-American Moves A.J. Schable, a senior defensive end from Ida Grove, Iowa, is having an All-American caliber season. Schable, who has received several looks from NFL scouts already this season, has 34 tackles, including a team-best 25 solo stops. He has accumulated a league-best 10 quarterbacks sacks, which ranks 11th nationally. He is second in the league in tackles for loss with 12.5. In addition, he recorded his first career punt block in the Coyotes' 59-14 win over then-fourth-ranked Nebraska-Omaha on Sept. 24.

Little Leading Coyotes in Pass Receptions Brooks Little, a sophomore from Castlewood, S.D., leads South Dakota with 37 receptions for 588 yards and six TDs. He is averaging 15.9 yards per reception and 84.0 yards per game. He needs three more catches this season to move into the top-10 season chart at USD. He is eighth on the USD season receiving chart for yardage (559). Little's six TD receptions ranks fifth for a season in school history. Little owns two career 100-yard receiving games with both coming in the 2005 season. He had a career-best eight catches for 162 yards and two TDs against Truman State. He also had seven catches for 122 yards and a TD in the win over UNO. Little, who is also a member of the USD basketball team, has had five games with 70 or more receiving yards. Coyote Defense Led by Hedden Junior linebacker Ryan Hedden of Fairmont, Neb., leads South Dakota with 46 tackles, including two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. He is just ahead of Steve Schermerhorn (Sioux City, Iowa) who has 38 tackles and A.J. Schable (Ida Grove, Iowa) with 34 stops. Alex York (Guthrie Center, Iowa) also has 35 tackles. USD has 63 tackles for losses of 186 yards and a league-best 28 sacks for -153 yards.

Beschorner Named D2football.com and Don Hansen Football Gazette National Offensive Player of the Week South Dakota senior quarterback Wesley Beschorner was named national offensive player of the week by a pair of national media outlets on Sept. 18. Beschorner was named the D2football.com National Co-offensive Player of the Week and selected the Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette honoree on Wednesday. Beschorner was an honorable mention selection by D2football.com in its player of the week honors on Sept. 11. The Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette also selected Beschorner its national offensive player of the week on Sept. 18. Beschorner, a senior from Lohrville, Iowa, set or tied six school records and amassed seven total TDs, 519 yards total offense and 479 yards passing in the Coyotes 59-14 win over Nebraska-Omaha on Sept. 24. Beschorner completed 18-of-23 passes for a school-record 479 yards and tied a school record with five TD passes. He also threw a school-record 90-yard TD pass to Stefan Logan. In addition, he rushed seven times for 40 yards and had two rushing TDs. Beschorner is the second Coyote named D2football.com's national offensive player of the week. Junior running Stefan Logan of Miami, Fla., was honored by D2football.com after rushing for a school-record 295 yards in a 63-24 win over Truman State on Sept. 3.

Travis Mlady Earns NCC Offensive POW Honor South Dakota's Travis Mlady, a junior running back from Bloomfield, Neb., was selected the North Central Conference Football Offensive Player of the Week, according to an announcement Oct. 3 by the league office. Mlady rushed for 117 yards on 20 carries and scored four TDs to lead eighth-ranked South Dakota (6-0, 2-0 NCC) to a 48-17 win over Augustana (3-3, 0-2 NCC) on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, S.D., before 8,018 in attendance on Vikings Days. Mlady scored USD's first two TDs on one and two-yard runs. Later, he added a three-yard scoring run in the third quarter and added a 6-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. He had a long of 26 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per rush. Mlady has rushed for 292 yards on 45 carries with eight TDs. He is averaging 6.5 per carry and 48.7 yards per game. Eight times this season, USD student-athletes have received football player of the week honors from the league office. The honorees include: Wes Beschorner, Offense, Aug. 29; Adam Schwaderer, Defense, Aug. 29; Stefan Logan, Offense, Sept. 6; Frank Leibfarth, Special Teams, Sept. 19; Beschorner, Offense, Sept. 26; A.J. Schable, Defense, Sept. 26; Leibfarth, Special Teams, Sept. 26; and Travis Mlady, Offense, Oct. 3.

Three Coyote Wide Receivers Record More Than 100 Yards For the first time in school history, three Coyote receivers recorded more than 100 yards receiving in a single game (UNO game, Sept. 24). The trio was led by junior wide receiver Derek Gearman of Lennox, S.D., who had a career-best 179 yards receiving on five receptions and two TDs (75, 74). Running back Stefan Logan of Miami, Fla., had three receptions for a career-best 156 yards and a school-record 90-yard TD reception. Sophomore wide receiver Brooks Little of Castlewood had seven catches for 122 yards and a 33-yard TD reception with three seconds left in the first half of the USD-UNO game on Sept. 24.

Notes on St. Cloud State The 12th-ranked Huskies have opened the season with an 6-1 record and 2-1 in the NCC. SCSU opened with a 35-0 home win over Wayne State before throttling Minnesota-Crookston, 53-7. The Huskies defeated Western Washington, 38-20, on the road and had a 38-7 win over Northern State in week four. SCSU defeated Minnesota State, 18-14, at Mankato, Minn., before dropping a 37-14 decision to second-ranked North Dakota at Grand Forks. Last weekend, the Huskies defeated Augustana, 34-7 at Husky Stadium. SCSU is averaging 193.1 yards rushing (third in the NCC) and 251.9 yards passing per game (second in the NCC). Matt Birkel leads the rushing attack with 133.3 yards per game (933 yards on 158 carries, 12 TDs), which is second in the league. Quarterback Daniel Kaczor is third in the league in passing with 222.4 yards per game. Kaczor has completed 119-of-186 passes with 14 TDs and eight interceptions. He has thrown for 1,557 yards and owns a pass efficiency rating of 150.53, which is seventh in the NCC. Ryan Koch leads the receiving corps with 41 receptions for 631 yards and nine TDs. His reception total ranks second in the league and his 90.1 yards per game is third in the NCC. Ed DeShazer has 22 receptions for 328 yards and two TDs. Kicker Shaun Braunagel has converted 24-of-26 PATs and 6-of-9 field goals for 42 points. The Huskies have outscored opponents, 230 to 92, including 129 to 37 advantage in the first half. They outscored opponents, 101 to 55 in the second half. Defensively, Mark Henderson leads the Huskies with 49 tackles, including 29 solo stops, six tackles for loss, one quarterback sack and an interception. Philip Hedlof has 39 tackles. Overall, the Huskies rank second in the NCC in scoring defense at 13.1 points per game. The Huskies lead the league in pass defense by allowing just 163.6 yards per game. SCSU also leads the NCC in total defense, allowing 237.4 yards in total offense per game. In addition, the Huskies have been tough against the run and limited opponents to 73.9 yards per game.

About SCSU Coach Randy Hedberg A 1977 graduate of Minot State, Randy Hedberg is in his seventh season with the Huskies. His team is 6-1 in 2005 and he owns an overall record of 38-34 at SCSU. He is 83-57-2 overall in 15-plus years as a collegiate coach. Hedberg led St. Cloud to an NCC title in 2002, which marks the second time in team history that the Huskies won an NCC title, A year ago, SCSU posted an 8-3 record (4-2 in the NCC, tied with USD and North Dakota) and advanced to the post season playoffs. SCSU lost a 20-17 double overtime decision to North Dakota in the playoffs. A native of Parshall, N.D., Hedberg was head coach at Minot State (1982-89), assistant coach at Central Missouri State (1990-95), and assistant coach at North Dakota (1996-98). He was an honorable mention All-American quarterback at Minot State. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Bucs of the NFL in 1977. He also played with the Oakland Raiders (1979) and Green Bay Packers (1980). Hedberg is a 1977 graduate of Minot State. Last Year - South Dakota 37 St. Cloud State 21 Game Summary: The 18th-ranked South Dakota Coyotes (7-1, 3-1 NCC) knocked off sixth-ranked St. Cloud State (7-1, 3-1 NCC), 37-21, handing the Huskies their first loss of the season, before 7,537 in attendance in the DakotaDome. Junior quarterback Wesley Beschorner had one of the best games in his career as he threw for 221 yards on 14-of-20 attempts for three TDs and one interception. He also rushed for 47 yards on nine carries. Stefan Logan rushed for 174 yards on 30 carries. Chris Mikkelsen also had a career-day receiving by catching eight passes for 139 yards and two TDs. In total offense, USD had 475 yards on 73 plays, while the Huskies had 284 yards on 53 plays, with 231 of those yards coming through the air. USD held one of the league's top rushers, Matt Birkel to just 66 yards on 19 carries. One of the keys to the Coyotes win was that they held the ball for 37:12 compared to 22:48 for SCSU. Mikkelsen's first TD was the first score of the game, a 12-yard pass from Beschorner at the 8:46 mark of the first quarter. Beschorner added a TD run at 2:57 and Logan got his score at 9:47 in the second quarter before the Huskies put their first points on the board with four minutes left in the first half. Mikkelsen's second TD came with just four seconds left in the first half to give USD a 28-7 intermission lead. The Coyotes added three Cody Butler field goals of 40, 42 and 26 yards in the second half, while SCSU scored two third quarter TDs. Mike Meekins led the Coyotes with nine solo tackles. Fifth-ranked South Dakota Wins Dakota Day Game with MSU The fifth-ranked South Dakota Football Team improved to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the North Central Conference with a 35-14 win over stubborn Minnesota State, Mankato (1-6, 0-3 NCC) on Dakota Day before 9,577 in attendance at the DakotaDome on Saturday. South Dakota scored 35 points or more for the seventh straight game as the Coyotes rolled up 489 yards in total offense. USD was hurt by four lost fumbles and an interception but never trailed in the game. USD led 7-0 after one quarter and 14-7 at halftime. USD scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to build the lead to 35-14. While turnovers hurt the Coyotes on Saturday, USD controlled the game by accumulating 324 yards rushing on 43 carries and passing for 165 yards. USD's Stefan Logan, a junior from Miami, Fla., rushed for 155 yards to become South Dakota's all-time rushing leader. He now has 3,550 yards and passed former Coyote standout Chul Schwanke, who had 3,427 yards from 1982-85. Logan recorded his school-record 20th career 100-yard rushing game and sixth this season. With his rushing totals today, Logan surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season. He now has 1,050 yards on 122 carries and is the only USD running back in school history with three straight 1,000-yard rushing season. South Dakota won its 11th straight home game at the Dome, which tied the record set in 1984-85 and 1985-86. At 3-0 in the NCC, USD is tied atop the league standings with North Dakota. The Coyotes also won its fifth straight D-Day game and improved to 55-29-5 overall on homecoming games. USD senior quarterback Wes Beschorner had 212 yards in total offense to set a single season mark with 2,313. Beschorner, who had 47 yards rushing and a TD, completed 12-of-18 passes for 165 yards and two TDs with an interception against MSU. Travis Mlady of Bloomfield, Neb., added five rushes for 62 yards and two TDs. He now has a career-best and team-high 10 rushing TDs this season. Derek Gearman of Lennox, S.D., had three receptions for 57 yards and a TD. The Coyote defense limited MSU to just 77 yards rushing on 37 attempts and kept the Maverick passing game in check (114 yards). The Coyote defense, which had a fumble recovery and an interception, was led by linebacker Ryan Hedden of Fairmont, Neb., who had 13 tackles, including eight solo stops and 1.5 tackles for loss. Adam Schwaderer of Delmont, S.D., had eight tackles and a quarterback sack. Overall USD had five quarterback sacks, including two by senior defensive end A.J. Schable of Ida Grove, Iowa. South Dakota led 14-7 and used a 21-point fourth quarter to put the game away.