VERMILLION, S.D. -- The eighth-ranked South Dakota football team (8-1, 3-1 NCC) faces a critical road test when the Coyotes meet Minnesota-Duluth (6-3, 2-2 NCC) at Griggs Field, Malosky Stadium in Duluth, Minn., at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Both teams face a must-win situation with conference and regional implications at stake. USD is fourth in the region and second in the NCC, while UMD is 11th in the region and fourth in the NCC. Last week, USD rolled to a 63-17 win over Upper Iowa in nonconference play. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs lost a 26-23 decision on the road to Augustana. The Coyotes sit in second place in the NCC, one game behind North Dakota (9-0, 4-0 in the NCC) with two games to play in the season. North Dakota will come to the DakotaDome in two weeks (Nov. 5) for a key game with the Coyotes.

Coyote Tracks With its win on Saturday, USD moved up four spots in the AFCA poll (see page two for poll) and is ranked eighth. The Coyotes also moved from ninth to fifth in the D2football.com poll and are ranked 10th by the College Sports Report Route 66 rankings and 14th by the Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette. USD has been ranked all nine weeks this season in the national polls. The Coyotes' ranking in the polls is as follows: AFCA - 8th, 10/25; 12th, 10/18; 5th, 10/11; 5th, 10/4; 8th, 9/27; 14th, 9/20; 16th, 9/13; 16th, 9/6; 20th, 8/30; and 25th, 8/23 (preseason poll). D2football.com - 5th, 10/25; 9th, 10/18; 3rd, 10/11; 3rd, 10/4; 4th, 9/27; 9th, 9/20; 10th, 9/13; 11th, 9/6; 13th, 8/30; 17th, 8/23 (preseason poll). The top-five rankings two weeks ago were USD's were 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. Two weeks ago, the Coyotes' 24-17 loss to 12th-ranked St. Cloud State ended a seven-game Coyote winning streak. The 7-0 start was the best since the 1902 team had a 9-0 record. The 1902 team remains the only unbeaten and untied team in school history. For the first time since 1995 and 1996, USD has recorded consecutive winning seasons. Last weekend, USD set a school record with its 12th consecutive win at the Dome. USD also won its 11th straight nonconference game with the win over Upper Iowa. USD has recorded consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 1994-95 seasons. The Coyotes have also won eight games or more in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1985 and 1986 seasons. UMD is 23-4 in its last 27 engagements at Malosky Stadium and 3-1 this fall. USD is 3-1 in road games in 2005.

Home Cooking The Coyotes have a tradition of winning at the DakotaDome, owning an overall mark of 102-52. With a win on Saturday, USD set a new mark for home consecutive wins in the DakotaDome with 12. The win against Upper Iowa broke 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. 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. Since the start of the 2004 season, USD has a 11-0 record and is averaging 48.63 points per game at home. USD has scored 276 points in the Dome in 2005 which is an average of 55.2 points per game. A year ago, when USD was 9-2 overall and 6-0 in the Dome, the Coyotes scored 260 points or 43.3 points per game.

Series South Dakota will meet Minnesota-Duluth for the fifth time with the series tied at 2-2. UMD won the first two games of the series, earning a come-from-behind, 14-10, decision in 2001 in Duluth, Minn., and taking a 23-21 decision at the DakotaDome in 2002. The Coyotes have won the last two games, both at the DakotaDome. USD won 10-7 in 2003 and had a 48-21 decision on Oct. 30, 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 Sportsradio 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 Sportsradio 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.

Media Requests All media requests must be made through the South Dakota Sports Information Office. Contact Sports Information Director Dan Genzler to arrange interviews with Coyote players and coach Ed Meierkort. Please provide 24-hour notice. On game day, interviews with players and Coach Meierkort will not be allowed until the conclusion of the football game. Genzler will help you arrange interviews after the game. Call Genzler at 605-677-5927, 605-677-7833 (cell) or email dgenzler@usd.edu.

USD Head Coach Meierkort Stands 17-3 at South Dakota 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 17-3 record in 20 games. Meierkort, who has the best 20-game start in Coyote history, has compiled a 72-58 career record as a coach. His teams have an 11-0 record in the DakotaDome. He is 7-3 in NCC games, including 1-0 vs. Minnesota-Duluth. 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 46-14 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 eighth-ranked Coyotes at 8-1 and 3-1 in the NCC 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. 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.

Top Scoring Games for USD in Meierkort Era The Coyotes have scored 40 points or more in 12 of 20 games during the coaching career of Ed Meierkort at USD. The Coyotes are unbeaten in those games. The top-10 scoring games include: 1. USD 77, Minnesota-Crookston 0, Aug. 25, 2005; 2. USD 63, Truman State 24, Sept. 3, 2005; 3. USD 63, Upper Iowa 17, Oct. 22, 2005; 4. USD 59, Nebraska-Omaha (fourth ranked) 14, Sept. 24, 2005; 4. USD 56, Peru State 0, Sept. 2, 2004; 6. USD 56, Minnesota-Moorhead 10, Sept. 10, 2005; 7. USD 51, Minnesota-Moorhead 3, Sept. 11, 2004; 8. USD 48, Augustana 17, Oct. 1, 2005; 8. USD 48, Minnesota-Duluth 21, Oct. 30, 2004; 10. USD 45, Wisconsin-LaCrosse, 44, Sept. 18, 2005; 10. USD 45, Upper Iowa, 12, Oct. 23, 2004.

Attendance Figures with Meierkort as Head Coach Ten times in 11 home games since the beginning of the 2004 season, USD teams coached by Ed Meierkort have drawn more than 5,000 fans to the DakotaDome. USD has won all nine games, leaving Meierkort's teams 10-0 when attendance breaks 5,000. A review -- 1. 9,577, MSU-Mankato, 35-14 win, Oct. 8, 2005, Dakota Day 2. 9,473, Augustana, 23-0 win, Oct. 2, 2004, Dakota Day 3. 8,969, Nebraska-Omaha, 59-14 win, Sept. 24, 2005, Hall of Fame game 4. 7,537, St. Cloud State, 37-14 win, Oct. 16, 2004 5. 6,268, Minnesota-Duluth, 48-21 win, Oct. 30, 2004 6. 6,166, Minnesota-Moorhead, 56-10 win, Sept. 10, 2005 7. 5,512, Peru State, 56-0 win, Sept. 2, 2004 8. 5,329, Truman State, 63-24 win, Sept. 3, 2005 9. 5,817, Upper Iowa, 63-17 win, Oct. 22, 2005 10. 5,014, Wisconsin La-Crosse, 45-44 win, Sept. 18, 2005

Coyote Notes South Dakota Leads Nation in Three Categories The South Dakota Football Team leads NCAA Division II in three categories, according to statistics released by the NCAA this week. The Coyotes rank first nationally in total offense at 582.6 yards per game; quarterback Wes Beschorner is the passing efficiency leader at 236.8 and defensive end A.J. Schable is first in sacks per game at 1.7 per game (16 total). He is also third in tackles for loss with 2.2 per game (19.5 on the season) Beschorner is eighth in total offense at 304.3 yards per outing. USD, which has led the nation for most of the season in points and rushing yards per game, now sit second in scoring at 51.3 points per game (Pittsburg State, 53.1 ppg) and are second in rushing offense at 306.3 yards per game (Pittsburg State, 326.8). The USD passing offense is 12th in the nation at 276.2 yards per game. Stefan Logan is sixth in the nation with 151.8 rushing yards per game and fourth in all-purpose yards at 208.1 yards per game. Wide receiver Derek Gearman is 14th in receiving yards at 101.4 per game. USD Leads NCC in Nine Team and Seven Individual Categories The South Dakota Football Team leads the North Central Conference in eight team categories, including scoring offense, total offense, rushing and passing offense. USD is averaging a league-best 51.3 points per game, accumulating 462 points on 65 TDs, 59 extra points, a pair of two-point conversions and three field goals. The other categories which USD leads include: rushing offense (306.3 yards per game); pass offense (276.2 yards per game); total offense (582.6 yards per game); pass efficiency (219.9 rating); first downs (224); third down conversions (48-95, 50.5 percent); field goals (3-3, 1.000) and tied for sacks (34, -182 yards). As a team USD is second in total defense (280.9 yards per game). The Coyotes also lead in seven individual categories, including quarterback sacks, A.J. Schable, 16; rushing, Stefan Logan, 151.8 yards per game (1,366 yards, 168 att., 8.1 avg., eight TDs); passing, Wes Beschorner, 266.4 yards per game (2,398 yards, 131-183, 33 TDs, 71.6 completion pct.); pass efficiency, Beschorner, 236.8; total offense, Beschorner, 304.3 per game; receiving yards per game, Derek Gearman, 101.4 per game (32-913-12 TDs, 28.5.0 avg.); and all-purpose yards, Logan, 208.1 per game (1,873 yards). USD linebacker Ryan Hedden is seventh in the league with 63 tackles. Schable is 15th with 52 tackles.

Alderson Named to Three Preseason All-America Squads Brian Alderson, a senior on the South Dakota Football Team, was named to 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 31 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. This season he has 43 knockdown blocks and allowed just one sack.

Logan Records 22nd 100-yard Rushing Game in his Career Junior running back Stefan Logan of Miami, Fla., rushed for 148 yards on 14 carries against Upper Iowa on Oct. 22, surpassing 100 yards in a game for a school-record 22nd time in his career. He has eight 100 yard rushing games in nine games this season. He now has a school-record 3,866 rushing yards on 523 carries in his career. Logan, who broke USD's career rushing mark against MSU on Oct. 8 at the DakotaDome, has surpassed 1,000 yards for the third straight season, another school record. Dating back to last season, he has run for 100 yards or better in 14 of the last 15 games. In the last four weeks, Logan has recorded 140 yards rushing or better four straight times. He had 22 carries for 178 yards against Augustana; 19 carries for 155 yards vs. MSU; 168 yards rushing against St. Cloud State; and 148 yards rushing against Upper Iowa. 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 a league-best 1,366 yards rushing on 168 carries with eight rushing TDs (10 overall, two receiving) in nine games. He is averaging 8.1 yards per carry and 151.8 yards per game, which ranks first in the NCC and sixth in Division II. In his career, he has 139 runs or receptions of 10 yards or more. He owns school records for both the longest TD pass reception (90 yards) and longest TD run (98 yards). In NCC games, Logan is averaging 137.29 yards per game in 17 games during his career. He had 142 carries for 793 yards in 2003 followed by 118 carries for 978 yards in 2004. He has 563 yards on 86 carries in 2005 NCC games. Logan has rushed for 2,334 yards on 346 carries or 6.7 yards per carry in NCC encounters during his career. He has broken the 100-yard mark in 13 of those 17 games with a pair of 200-yard rushing games in 2004. In nine of the NCC games, he has bettered 150 yards rushing.

Logan Builds on All-Purpose Career Mark at USD With 148 all-purpose yards against Upper Iowa on Oct. 22, Stefan Logan continued to build on his career mark in all purpose yards the career leader at USD in all-purpose yards with 4,709 yards. He has 3,866 rushing yards, 701 receiving yards and 142 return yards. Logan passed former Coyote great Chul Schwanke (1982-85), who had held the record with 4,449 yards. In 2005, Logan has accumulated 1,873 all-purpose yards (1,366 rushing, 404 receiving, 103 kickoff returns), which already ranks as the second-best single season total in school history. Jamel White owns the school mark with 2,403 yards (1,796 rushing, 607 receiving) in 1999.

Harlon Hill Candidate Beschorner Ranks 2nd on Career Passing List With 165 passing yards against Upper Iowa, Harlon Hill Trophy nominee and senior quarterback Wes Beschorner extended his school-record season passing total to 2,398 yards. He became USD's all-time single season passing leader against Augustana four weeks ago. Beschorner had a school-record six TDs passes against Upper Iowa, which gives him a school-record 58 in his career and a school-record 33 this season. He now has amassed 5,589 yards (374 comp., 601 att., 5,589 yards, 58 TDs), which places him second on USD's career passing chart. He trails only former Coyote standout Ryan Justice, who had 5,924 yards from 1999-02. Beschorner needs 335 yards passing to take over the career passing lead at USD. This season, Beschorner has completed 131-of-183 passes (71.6 pct.) for 2,398 yards and 33 TDs with four interceptions. He has the nation's best pass efficiency rating of 236.79 and is averaging 266.4 passing yards per game. Beschorner also has 341 yards rushing on 66 carries with six TDs. He is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 37.9 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). Beschorner's 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 6,715 yards on 873 plays or 7.7 yards per play, which is the best in school history. This season, Beschorner has a school-record 2,739 yards in total offense on 249 plays, which averages to 304.6 per game and 11.0 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 marks in total offense (2,126, 2004; 2,739, 2005).

Gearman Continues to Move Up Receiving Charts Derek Gearman, a junior from Lennox, S.D., has put together one of the best seasons by a Coyote wide receiver in school history. Gearman has set or tied four school receiving records. With five catches for 129 yards and three TDs against Upper Iowa, he set a new school record for receiving TDs in a season with 12. He also tied the career TD receptions mark of 16 and tied the game mark for receiving TDs with three. Earlier this year he set a school-record with three straight 100-yard receiving games. 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 vs. Colorado School of Mines. An All-American in track and field, he is averaging a league-best 101.4 receiving yards per game, which is 18th nationally. He has had nine receptions of over 43 yards or better. Gearman already has the second-best receiving yards in a single season with 913 yards on 32 receptions for 28.5 yards per catch. He only trails Rod Tweet who had 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 462 to 161 (51.3 ppg to 17.9 ppg) margin this season. South Dakota owns a 125 to 16 first quarter scoring margin and has dominated in the second quarter with an 165 to 58 advantage. USD owns a 97 to 28 scoring advantage in the third quarter, while opponents have a 72 to 59 advantage in the fourth quarter. The Coyotes have a 3-0 scoring advantage over opponents in overtime. In the first half, USD has a 290 to 74 scoring advantage and a 262 to 86 advantage in the second and third quarters. This season USD has totaled a school-record 5,243 yards in total offense per game, which amounts to 582.6 per game. Opponents have 2,528 yards in total offense or 280.9 per game. USD has scored a school-record 65 TDs this season and recorded three converted field goals. USD is averaging 306.3 yards rushing and 276.2 yards passing per game. The Coyotes have a huge edge over opponents in first downs with a 224-138 edge and TDs, 65-20. USD has 127 first downs by rushing the ball and 86 by pass with 11 by penalty. The Coyotes average 7.1 yards per rush and 12.1 yards per pass play. USD receivers average 17.4 yards per catch. In NCC play, USD averages 39.8 points, 248.0 rushing yards, 299.5 passing yards and 547.5 yards in total offense. The Coyotes have outscored NCC opponents, 159 to 69. The Coyotes are averaging 5.6 yards per rush, 12.5 yards per pass and 8.1 yards per play overall in the NCC games.

USD Team MVPs for Upper Iowa Game The South Dakota coaching staff announced the team MVPs for the Upper Iowa game. They include: Offensive MVP - Wes Beschorner, senior, quarterback, Lohrville, Iowa, ; Defensive MVP - Ricardo Sorrell, senior, defensive back, Las Vegas, Nev.; Special Teams MVP - Josh Sprecher, linebacker, sophomore, Huron, S.D.; Offensive Scout Team MVP - Adam Ives, freshman, fullback, Rapid City, S.D.; Defensive Scout MVP - Travis Pitts, defensive back, Sioux City, Iowa.

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 52 tackles, including a league-best 16 quarterback sacks. His average of 1.7 sacks per game ranks first in Division II. Schable has 36 solo stops and 19.5 tackles for loss, which ranks third nationally (2.2 per game). He has recorded three sacks in consecutive games for the first time in his career. He has recorded two or more sacks six games this season and has at least one sack in eight of the nine games. In addition, he recorded his first career punt block in the Coyotes' 59-14 win over then-fourth-ranked Nebraska-Omaha on Sept. 24. Schable's 16 sacks breaks a school-record of 13 sacks set by Doug Nielsen in the 1988 season.

Coyotes' Sack Total of 34 Ranks 10th All-time Led by A.J. Schable's 16 sacks, USD has 34 as a team which ranks 10th best in school history. The 1985 squad recorded 46.5 sacks (Steve Glienke, 11) while the 1993 team had 44.5 sacks (Chad Burtsch, 11.5).

Little Leading Coyotes in Pass Receptions Brooks Little, a sophomore from Castlewood, S.D., leads South Dakota with 45 receptions for 696 yards and seven TDs. He is averaging 15.5 yards per reception and 77.3 yards per game. He is tied for fifth on the USD single season receiving chart with former Coyote tight end Dustin Sagedahl. He needs eight more receptions to become the single season leader at USD. The all-time leader is Rod Tweet, who recorded 53 receptions in 1983. Mark Neumann is second with 51 receptions in 1976 with Tweet also owning the third-best single season total of 47 catches in 1984. Chris Mikkelsen is fourth on the list with 46 receptions a year ago. He is fourth on the USD season receiving chart for receiving yardage. Little's seven TD receptions rank third for a season in school history. Little owns three career 100-yard receiving games with all three 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 and last week had eight receptions for 108 yards and a TD. Little, who is also a member of the USD basketball team, has had six games with 70 or more receiving yards. Allison Making Efficient Use of Catches Desmond Allison, a junior wide receiver from Tampa, Fla., is making efficient use of his catches this season. He has seven catches for 58 yards or 8.3 yards per catch. But what makes Allison unique is his scoring ability. On five of his seven TDs, the junior wide out has scored a TD. He had a brilliant, one-handed TD catch against MSU that ranks among the best plays in a season when big plays have been a frequent occurrence.

Coyote Defense Led by Hedden Junior linebacker Ryan Hedden of Fairmont, Neb., leads South Dakota with 63 tackles, including two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. He is just ahead A.J. Schable (Ida Grove, Iowa), who has 52 tackles and Steve Schermerhorn (Sioux City, Iowa) who has 44 tackles. USD has 80 tackles for losses of 296 yards and 34 quarterback sacks for 182 yards in losses. USD has recovered 10 fumbles and picked off nine passes.

South Dakota Kicker Frank Leibfarth Sets PAT Record South Dakota kicker Frank Leibfarth is excelling on and off the field. The red shirt freshman, who did an internship at Columbia University this past summer, recently set a school record for converted PATs with 55 and PATs attempts with 56 (old records of 51 PATs and 52 PAT attempts held by Cody Butler in 2004). Leibfarth has scored 64 points which ranks third on the team. He has made all three of his field goal attempts. He own s a 3.924 grade point average in chemistry and biology.

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. 26. Beschorner was named the D2football.com National Co-offensive Player of the Week and selected the Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette honoree on Sept. 26. Beschorner was an honorable mention selection by D2football.com in its player of the week honors on Sept. 18. 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.

Beschorner Earns NCC Co-Offensive POW Honor on Oct. 24 South Dakota quarterback Wesley Beschorner has been named the North Central Conference Football Co-Offensive Player of the Week, according to an announcement by the league office on Oct. 24. Beschorner, who was honored by the league for the third time this season, was recognized with Kyle Kasperbauer of Nebraska-Omaha. Beschorner, the nation's pass efficiency leader at 236.79, set a school-record by throwing six TD passes as 12th-ranked South Dakota (8-1) won its 11th straight nonconference game with a 63-17 decision on Saturday before 5,877 at the DakotaDome. Beschorner, who played just two series in the second half, had the six TDs on 10 completions. He now has a nation-leading 33 passing TDs and 39 combined TDs. He threw TD passes of 34 yards, 33 yards and 44 yards to Derek Gearman (Lennox, S.D.), as well as a six-yard strike to Desmond Allison (Tampa, Fla.), two-yards to Nick Cunningham (Albert Lea, Minn.) and six-yards to Tim Triplett (Iowa City, Iowa). Overall, Beschorner completed 10-of-15 passes for 167 yards. He had 174 yards in total offense. Beschorner has completed 71.6 percent of his passes this season and increased his school-record season passing yardage total to 2,398. Nine 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; and Beschorner, Oct. 24.

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.

About UMD Head Coach Kyle Schweigert Kyle "Bubba" Schweigert (Jamestown College, 1985) is winding down his second season at UMD; where he has compiled a 10-10 overall record (0-1 vs. South Dakota). Prior to officially being named the school's fifth head coach on Dec. 23, 2003, Schweigert spent 15 seasons at North Dakota. During his tenure, North Dakota also secured an NCAA II playoff berth on eight occasions, making it to the semifinal round four times and the title game twice (including in 2001 when it won the national championship). Prior to his arrival at UMD, Schweigert spent 15 seasons at North Dakota. During his tenure, North Dakota also secured an NCAA Division II playoff berth on eight occasions, making it to the semifinal round four times and the title game twice (including in 2001 when it won the national championship). Just the fifth full-time head coach UMD has employed since it launched its football program back in 1930, Schweigert replaced Bob Nielson, who stepped down following the 2003 season to become the Bulldogs' Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. The recipient of the American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2000, Schweigert was employed for four years (1985-88) as the defensive coordinator at Jamestown College (N.D.) before joining the North Dakota staff. He served as Jamestown's admissions counselor during that time and also was the Jimmies' head baseball coach. A native of Zeeland, N.D., Schweigert, 42 (he was born on 9/15/62), graduated from Jamestown College in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration. He earned a Master of Science degree in physical education from North Dakota ten years later. As an undergraduate student at Jamestown College, Schweigert posted a 3.89 cumulative grade point average and was a College Fellow in business administration, health/physical education and recreation. On Minnesota-Duluth Minnesota-Duluth will attempt to end a two-game losing streak which has done severe damage to its playoff aspirations. The Bulldogs were 6-1 before falling to North Dakota, 33-10, at home and dropping a road encounter at Augustana, 26-23. UMD is 3-1 at home this season. The Bulldogs average 27.2 points per game while allowing 23.0 a contest. UMD averages 91.6 yards rushing and 242.9 yards passing per game for an average of 334.4 yards in total offense each game. Quarterback Ted Schlafke is second in the league in passing at 239.2 yards per game with 21 TDs and 10 interceptions. He has completed 206 of 328 passes for 2,153 yards. The receiving corps is led by Vinny Flury who has 50 receptions for 538 yards and a TD while Greg Aker has 49 receptions for 737 yards with 10 TDs and a 14.8 yard per catch average. Aker is fifth in receptions and receiving yards among NCC players. Tyler Yelk leads the UMD defenders with 67 tackles including 43 solo stops. UMD's Cody Ahmann has 11.0 tackles for loss, which ranks fifth in the NCC. UMD leads the lead in kickoff returns with a 28.6 yard averaged (27-772 yards). Marcus Davis, a defensive back for UMD, leads the league with a 31.6 yard kickoff return average, including a long of 67 yards. He also returns punts at a 13.9 yard clip with one TD.

UMD Drops 26-23 Decision to Augustana UMD's NCAA II post season aspirations were dealt a severe -- if not fatal -- blow on Oct. 22 afternoon in Sioux Falls, S.D. as the Bulldogs suffered a 26-23 NCC loss to Augustana College. Turnovers, namely a pair of interceptions and a fumble, in the final quarter figured prominently in the setback, the UMD's second in as many weekends. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 9-0 first quarter lead on a safety and an 11-yard touchdown strike from freshman quarterback Ted Schlafke to junior wide receiver Greg Aker. Augustana answered by scoring on each of its next three possession to go up 20-9 late in the second quarter. With 30 seconds remaining before halftime, the Bulldogs cut the deficit to 20-16 when sophomore tailback Joe Russell scored on a four-yard run. Following a 22-yard field goal by Viking place kicker Ryan Grossman at the 2:49 mark of the third quarter, UMD knotted the game at 23-23 just 38 seconds later on a Schlafke to Tony Doherty pass from 29 yards out. Grossman's second field goal of the afternoon, a 19-yarder with 5:20 left in regulation, provided the margin of victory for the Vikings, who snapped an 11-game NCC losing streak. Schlafke completed 29 of 41 passes for 280 yards and hooked up with eight different Bulldogs on the afternoon, including sophomore wide receivers Vinny Flury and Ross Schumacher, who had seven pass receptions each.

Last Year - South Dakota 48 UMD 21 Game Summary: The 10th-ranked South Dakota Coyotes downed North Central Conference newcomer Minnesota-Duluth, 48-21, to round out its home schedule on Senior Day in the DakotaDome. Sophomore Stefan Logan rushed for a career-best 219 yards on 20 carries, as USD had 496 yards of total offense on the day. Wes Beschorner threw for 268 yards, while completing 19-of-32 passes and three TDs. Chris Mikkelsen had four receptions for 91 yards and a TD. Cody Butler supplied a pair of 26-yard field goals, one in the second quarter and one in the third, as USD led 24-0 before UMD got on the board with 46 seconds left in the second quarter on a Greg Aker 24-yard TD reception. USD eventually built its lead to 48-14 on an 11-yard reception by Nick Cunningham with 11:10 left in the game. The Bulldogs did get the final score of the game, a blocked punt, which was returned five-yards with 4:52 remaining in the game. Rex McDonald led the Coyotes with eight tackles, while Steve Schermerhorn and John Barker had six and five, respectively.