VERMILLION, S.D. -- The 16th-ranked South Dakota football team (8-2, 3-2 NCC) will play seventh-ranked North Dakota in what shapes up to be a North Central Conference title game on Senior Day at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the DakotaDome.

With a USD win, up to four NCC teams can claim a share of the title, including the St. Cloud State-Minnesota-Duluth winner, as well as Nebraska-Omaha, if it defeats Minnesota State-Mankato at home, and USD and UND. A win by USD can also put the playoff picture in the Northwest Region in disarray. Up to 12 teams can make an argument for a post-season berth by winning this weekend. USD is ninth in the region while North Dakota sits third. The top ten includes: 1. Grand Valley State; 2. Nebraska-Omaha; 3. North Dakota; 4. Saginaw Valley State; 5. St. Cloud State; 6. Northwood; 7. Central Washington; 8. Minnesota-Duluth; 9. South Dakota; 10. Ashland; 11. Winona State; and 12. Concordia St. Paul. The USD-UND game pits the nation's most prolific offense (USD) against a very stingy defense (UND), which ranks among the nation's elite. The Coyotes average 585.9 yards per game in total offense and has scored 505 points. Meanwhile, North Dakota has allowed just 10.1 points per game and 232.9 yards in total offense each game. North Dakota has its merits on offense with 39.4 points per game and 380.9 yards per game in total offense. The game may hinge on the ground game. USD is first in the league with 305.2 rushing yards per game while UND permits just 53.1 rushing yards per game. On the flip side, UND averages 164.4 rushing yards per game while USD allows 102.7 yards rushing per game (third in the league).

USD to Recognize 17 Seniors Prior to the game, USD will recognize its 17 seniors, who will play their final regular season game. The seniors have been part of a major transformation in Coyote football fortunes. From a 3-8 season in 2002, the Coyotes improved to 5-6 in 2003 and then 9-2 in 2004. This season USD is 8-2 and has an opportunity to bring a share of an NCC title to USD for the first time since 1978. The South Dakota football program has never before played for a share of the title in the DakotaDome. In fact, USD's last title was a shared crown in 1978. Needless to say, this is a big game for the seniors. In the past two seasons, this group of seniors has led USD to a 17-4 record and consecutive eight-win seasons for the first time since 1985 and 1986. In different ways, every senior has made an imprint on the Coyote football program. This group of seniors has helped re-write the South Dakota record book with over 50 tied or broken records and more to come. It is a group of seniors that has put together one of the greatest two-year runs in Coyote school history and their accomplishments and on and off the field will long be remembered by the Coyote nation. The group of seniors includes: All-American offensive tackle Brian Alderson of Hartford, S.D., business major, son of Larry and Joyce Alderson; Harlon Hill trophy candidate Wesley Beschorner of Lohrville, Iowa, history education major, son of Duane and Jane Beschorner; offensive lineman Nick Bliek of Larchwood, Iowa, business major, son of Larry and Connie Bliek; defensive end Garon Borowski of Ralston, Neb., history major, son of Ty and Teri Borkowski; defensive back Kellen Burch of St. Paul, Minn., recreation major, son of Windal and Vivian Burch; offensive lineman Nate Carruthers of Omaha, Neb., history education major, son of Dan and Connie Carruthers; tight end Nick Cunningham of Albert Lea, Minn., psychology major, son of Steve and Heidi Cunningham; offensive tackle Nick Hagemann of New Vienna, Iowa, computer science major, son of Jim and Deb Hagemann; linebacker Rex McDonald, of Iowa City, Iowa, psychology major, son of Paul and Sharon McDonald; fullback Ryan Molencamp of Clear Lake, Iowa, psychology major, son of Rod and Kristy Molencamp; defensive end A.J. Schable of Ida Grove, Iowa, health, physical education and recreation major, son of Carl and Ellen Schable; linebacker Steve Schermerhorn of Sioux City, Iowa, business major, son of George and Pam Schermerhorn; defensive tackle Adam Schwab of Mantorville, Minn., business major, son of Dan and Lisa Schwab; defensive end Adam Schwaderer of Delmont, S.D., history major, son of Tim and Val Schwaderer; defensive back Ricardo Sorrell of Las Vegas, Nev., health, physical education and recreation major, son of Brenda Walker; wide receiver Tim Triplett of Iowa City, Iowa, contemporary media and journalism major, son of Dave and Mary Ann Triplett; and linebacker Alex York of Guthrie Center, Iowa, business major, son of Greg and Sue York.

USD's Wesley Beschorner Named Harlon Hill Trophy Candidate Wesley Beschorner, a senior quarterback on the 16th-ranked South Dakota football team (8-2) is among the 26 candidates in the running for the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year, according to an announcement released on Monday by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee. The list of candidates includes six players each from the Southeast, Northeast and Northwest regions and eight from the Southwest region. Sports Information Directors at the 150 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions nominate and vote on the Harlon Hill Trophy candidates. The 26 initial candidates will be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national ballot when regional voting concludes on November 14. The winner of the 2005 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 20th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 9, at the Florence (Ala.) Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year's Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the seventh induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame. Tickets are $45 each or $360 for a table of eight and can be purchased calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661. The NCAA Division II Championship Game is scheduled for December 10 at Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium at 3 p.m. The Hill Trophy is sponsored by Coca-Cola, the City of Florence, Ala., Trustmark Construction, TNT Fireworks and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa. A total of 36 candidates were nominated by the sports information directors at their respective schools and those nominations were then reviewed by the Hill Regional Advisory Committees, which trimmed the list of candidates to 26.

Coyote Tracks With its loss to Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday, USD fell to 16th in the AFCA poll. The Coyotes also dropped to 13th (from fifth) in the D2football.com poll and are ranked 18th by the College Sports Report Route 66 rankings and 20th by the Don Hansen Weekly Football Gazette. USD has been ranked all 10 weeks this season in the national polls. The Coyotes' ranking in the polls is as follows: AFCA - 16th, 11/01; 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 - 13th, 11/01; 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 three 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. USD's 7-0 start this season 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.

Home Cooking The Coyotes has a tradition of winning at the DakotaDome, owning an overall mark of 102-52 (.662). With its win over Upper Iowa two weeks ago, USD won its school-record 12th consecutive game at the DakotaDome. The Coyotes had tied the Dome-winning streak in the 35-14 win over Minnesota State on Oct. 8 (11, 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 an 11-0 record and is averaging 48.8 points per game at home. USD has scored 276 points in the Dome in five home games during 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. USD's last loss at home was a 37-3 decision to UND in 1993.

Series South Dakota will meet North Dakota for the 87th time with UND owning a 54-37-5 series record. UND won the match up last year, 41-21, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D. UND has won nine consecutive meetings, dating back to USD's 35-0 win at the DakotaDome in 1995. USD's longest winning streak in the series was five straight wins from 1982-86 while UND won 11 straight from 1928-41. Currently, UND owns a three-game winning streak at the Dome. The most points scored by each team in the series were USD's 45-3 win in 1985 and UND's 55-0 decision in 1963. USD's largest margin was a 44-0 win in 1912 and UND's largest margin of victory occurred in its 55-0 win in 1963. From 1912 to 1919, the teams played four times with USD recording shutouts each time (1912, 44-0; 1914, 33-0; 1915, 19-0; and 1919, 13-0). A total of 24 shutouts have been recorded in the series (UND 15, USD 9). In the DakotaDome, UND has held the upper hand with three straight wins and an overall mark of 18-8 against USD.

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 will be heard this week on Thursday 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.

USD Head Coach Meierkort Stands 17-4 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 17-4 record in 21 games. Meierkort, who has the best 21-game start in Coyote history, has compiled a 72-59 career record as a coach. His teams have an 11-0 record in the DakotaDome. He is 7-4 in NCC games, including 0-1 vs. North Dakota. 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 46-15 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 16th-ranked Coyotes at 8-2 and 3-2 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. Meierkort's teams are 10-0 when attendance breaks 5,000 at the Dome. Coyote Notes South Dakota Leads Nation in Total Offense, Pass Efficiency The South Dakota Football Team leads NCAA Division II in two categories, according to statistics released by the NCAA this week. The Coyotes rank first nationally in total offense at 585.9 yards per game; and quarterback Wesley Beschorner is the passing efficiency leader with a rating of 215.8. Defensive end A.J. Schable is second in sacks per game at 1.6 per game (16 total). He is also fourth in tackles for loss with 2.0 per game (19.5 on the season) Beschorner is seventh in total offense at 305.1 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 50.5 points per game (Pittsburg State, 53.1 ppg) and are second in rushing offense at 305.2 yards per game (Pittsburg State, 323.3). The USD passing offense is 11th in the nation at 280.7 yards per game. Stefan Logan is fifth in the nation with 165.0 rushing yards per game and third in all-purpose yards at 217.8 yards per game. Wide receiver Derek Gearman is 12th in receiving yards at 101.7 per game. USD Leads NCC in Seven Team and Eight 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 50.5 points per game, accumulating 505 points on 71 TDs, 63 extra points, a pair of two-point conversions and four field goals. The other categories which USD leads include: rushing offense (305.2 yards per game); pass offense (280.7 yards per game); total offense (585.9 yards per game); pass efficiency (203.6 rating); first downs (251); and third-down conversions (53-111, 47.7 percent). The Coyotes also lead in eight individual categories, including quarterback sacks, A.J. Schable, 16 (1.6 per game); tackles for loss, Schable, 19.5 (1.95 per game); rushing, Stefan Logan, 165.0 yards per game (1,650 yards, 194 att., 8.5 avg., 11 TDs); passing, Wes Beschorner, 271.9 yards per game (2,719 yards, 155-226, 34 TDs, 68.6 completion pct.); pass efficiency, Beschorner, 215.8; total offense, Beschorner, 305.1 per game; receiving yards per game, Derek Gearman, 101.7 per game (40-1,017-12 TDs, 25.4.0 avg.); and all-purpose yards, Logan, 217.5 per game (2,175 yards). Kicker Frank Leibfarth has recorded the most PATS (60) and made PATS (59) and is second in scoring (kickers) with 7.1 points per game. USD linebacker Ryan Hedden is 10th in the league with 67 tackles. Schable is 16th with 57 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 49 knockdown blocks and allowed just one sack.

Logan Surpasses 4,000-yards Rushing Junior running back Stefan Logan of Miami, Fla., has surpassed another rushing milestone by breaking the 4,000-yard plateau. Logan has 4,150 rushing yards on 549 carries in his career. In the loss to UMD, Logan had 284 yards rushing on 26 carries with three TD runs. As a result, he recorded his school-record 23rd 100-yard rushing game. He has surpassed 100 yards rushing in nine of 10 games this season and now has reached the 100-yard rushing mark 15 times in the last 16 games. Logan's 284 rushing yards vs. UMD is the most by a USD running back ever in a road game. Logan, who broke USD's career rushing mark against MSU on Oct. 8 at the DakotaDome, has rushed for 1,000 yards or more for the third straight season, another school record. He is the only player in school history to rush for 280 yards or more in two games in the same season. In 18 NCC games in his career, the junior running back has recorded 14 100-yard plus rushing 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 a school-record four 200-yard rushing games in his career. Logan has a league- best 1,650 yards rushing on 194 carries with 11 rushing TDs (13 overall, two receiving) in 10 games. He is averaging a league-best 8.5 yards per carry and 165 yards per game, which ranks sixth in Division II. In his career, he has 144 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 146 yards per game in 18 games during his career. He has a combined total of 2,628 yards or an average of 7.06 per rush in those NCC games. He had 142 carries for 793 yards in 2003 followed by 118 carries for 978 yards in 2004. He has 857 yards on 112 carries in 2005 NCC games. Logan has broken the 100-yard mark in 14 of those 18 games with a three 200-yard rushing games. In 10 of the NCC games, he has bettered 150 yards rushing.

Logan Builds on All-Purpose Career Mark Stefan Logan continues to build on his career mark in all-purpose yards at USD and has surpassed 5,000 yards. Logan, who is third nationally with 217.5 all-purpose yards per game, has totaled 5,011 in his career, which is a first on USD's all-time chart. He becomes USD's only player ever to break 5,000 all-purpose yards. Logan has 4,150 rushing yards, 701 receiving yards and 160 return yards. In 2005, Logan has accumulated 2,175 all-purpose yards (1,650 rushing, 404 receiving, 121 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 On Verge of Setting Passing Mark With 34 passing yards against North Dakota on Saturday, Harlon Hill Trophy nominee and senior quarterback Wes Beschorner will become the school's career passing leader. Beschorner has 5,891 passing yards and trails Ryan Justice, who had 5,924 passing yards from 1999-02. Already the season record-holder at USD, Beschorner has completed 155-of-226 passes for 2,719 yards with a nation-leading 34 TD passes and just four interceptions in 2005. Beschorner's pass efficiency ranking of 215.75 is the best in the nation by almost 35 points. Beschorner, who had a school-record six TDs passes against Upper Iowa, has a school-record 59 TDs in his career. He now has amassed 5,891 yards (398 comp., 645 att., 5,891 yards, 59 TDs). Beschorner, who has a school-record 41 combined TDs this season, has 332 yards rushing on 73 carries with seven TDs. He is averaging 4.5 yards per carry and 33.2 rushing yards per game. He has set a USD record for total 300 passing yards games in a season with four (302 vs. Colorado Mines; 479 yards vs. UNO and 306 yards vs. Augustana; 321 yards vs. Minnesota-Duluth). Beschorner's 479 yards passing vs. UNO is also a school-record.

Beschorner Owns Career Total Offense Mark Beschorner is the career offense leader at USD with 7,027 yards on 923 plays or 7.6 yards per play. He is also the season total offense leader at USD with 3,051 yards on 299 plays (10.2 yards per play) or 305.1 yards per game. The total is nearly 1,000 yards more than the record of 2,126 he set a year ago. Beschorner's 10.22 yards per play average leads the NCAA. 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; 3,051, 2005).

More on Beschorner - Eyes NCC Marks in Total Offense These days it is harder and harder to snap conference records because teams play fewer league games than a few years ago. Still, Wesley Beschorner and the USD offense are on the verge of a couple of league marks. With 80 yards, the USD offense, which is averaging 561.2 yards in total offense in five league games this season, can break the total offense average mark of 497.5 set by NDSU in 1969. Beschorner, who is putting up 321.8 total offense yards per game in league play, can snap the mark of Mark Sedinger of Northern Colorado, who averaged 281.3 yards in total offense per game in 1988. To break the record, Beschorner needs 80 yards in total offense against UND on Saturday.

Beschorner Vies for One of the Best Pass Efficiency Rankings Ever in NCAA Division II Wesley Beschorner's efficiency rating of 215.8 places the senior quarterback in some pretty select company. Only two players ever in D-II have ever finished a season with better than a 200.0 pass efficiency mark. If Beschorner maintains his current mark, he would rank second to Curt Anes of Grand Valley State, who had a 221.6 rating in 2001. Boyd Crawford of College of Idaho is the only other D-2 player with a pass efficiency ranking over 200 (210.1, 1953).

Gearman Continues to Move Up Receiving Charts Derek Gearman, a junior wide receiver from Lennox, S.D., had his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season with eight catches for 104 yards in USD's loss to Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday. He became just the second player in school history to surpass 1,000 yards in a season. Gearman now has 40 catches for 1,017 yards (101.7 per game, 25.4 yards per reception) with 12 TDs in 2005. To set the USD receiving yardage record for a season, Gearman will need 70 yards vs. UND. Rod Tweet owns the single-season pass receiving yardage record with 1,086 yards on 47 receptions in 1984. Gearman has set the 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 101.7 receiving yards per game, which is 12th nationally.

USD Is One of Two D-II Teams Over 500 Points This Season USD and Pittsburg State (Kan.) have been the nation's two top-scoring outfits in 2005. Pittsburg State is averaging 53.4 points per game while South Dakota is second nationally with 50.5 a contest. The two squads are the only teams that have broken the 500-point plateau this season (through 10 games). USD has 505 points (Pittsburg State, 534), which crushes the school mark of 418 points, set a year ago in 11 games. Prior to 2004, the USD school record was 358 points by the 1986 team. The Coyotes' 50.5 points per game average is tied for 10th best all-time (New Haven, 1992). Grand Valley State averaged 58.4 points per game in 2001 to set the season average in D-II. Tex Noel of 1st-N-Goal (Stat Research), also noted some interesting notes about scoring 505 points. USD's mark of 505 points betters the 504 mark set by the 1912 Carlisle team, led by Jim Thorpe. In 1944, the Army team, featuring Felix "Doc" Blanchard and Glenn Davis, also scored 504 points as did Jim McMahon's 1981 Brigham Young team and the 1972 Nebraska squad. USD's current 10-game total of 505 points ranks 251st all-time and across all divisions (among 131 teams that have scored 500 or more points). According to Noel, the first team to break 500 or more points in a single season was Princeton in 1985 (539 points). Pittsburg State set the record for most points with 837 in 2004. Noel said that 54 times in D-II, a team has scored 500 points or more, including USD's 505 and Pittsburg State's 534 this season.

Coyotes by the Numbers South Dakota continues to lead the NCAA Division II in total offense at 585.8 per game. A breakdown of the yardage numbers shows that USD leads the nation with 8.64 yards per play, while averaging a nation's best 7.1 yards per rush and 11.32 yards per pass. USD has outscored opponents by a 505 to 217 (50.5 ppg to 21.7 ppg) margin this season. South Dakota owns a 132 to 23 first quarter scoring margin over opponents and has dominated in the second quarter with a 179 to 72 advantage. USD owns a 107 to 56 scoring advantage in the third quarter, and an 84 to 66 margin in the fourth quarter. In the first half, USD has a 311 to 95 scoring advantage and a 286 to 128 advantage over opponents in the second and third quarters. This season, USD has totaled a school-record 5,859 yards in total offense per game, which amounts to 585.9 per game. USD has scored 71 TDs (second nationally to Pittsburg State, 73 TDs) this season and recorded four converted field goals. USD is averaging 305.2 yards rushing and 280.7 yards passing per game. The Coyotes have a huge edge over opponents in first downs with a 251-164 advantage. The Coyotes have outrushed opponents by a margin of 3,052 to 1,027. In passing, USD outdistances opponents by 2,807 yards to 2,076. Remarkably, USD has throw 248 passes with just five interceptions. USD is 53 of 111 (48 percent) on third-down conversions and 10-of-17 on fourth-down plays. Defensively, USD has 34 sacks for 182 yards in losses. The Coyotes are averaging 7,172 fans in five home dates (35,858). In NCC play, USD is averaging 40.4 points, while allowing 25.0 per game. The Coyotes have outscored opponents, 202 to 125, in league games. USD owns a 49-10 scoring advantage in the first quarter and 101 to 55 in the first half against league opponents. USD also outscores NCC opponents in the second half by a 101 to 70 margin. The Coyotes owns a 257.4 to 126.2 rushing average advantage over NCC foes, while holding a passing yards advantage over league competitors by a 303.8 to 236.6 margin. USD is averaging 561.2 yards per game in total offense, while opponents total 362.8 per game. USD has a 28 to 17 advantage in TDs vs. NCC opponents. In two league home games, USD is averaging 9,273 in attendance at the Dome.

USD Team MVPs for Minnesota-Duluth game The South Dakota coaching staff announced the team MVPs for the Minnesota-Duluth game. They include: Offensive MVP - Stefan Logan, junior, running back, Miami, Fla.; Brian Alderson, senior, offensive tackle, Hartford, S.D.; Defensive MVP - Alex York, senior, linebacker, Guthrie Center, Iowa; Offensive Scout Team MVP - Dan Skelly, freshman, quarterback, Champlin, Minn.; Defensive Scout MVP - Kevin Kruse, linebacker, Harlan, 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 57 tackles, including a league-best 16 quarterback sacks. His average of 1.6 sacks per game ranks first in Division II. Schable has 40 solo stops and 19.5 tackles for loss, which ranks fourth, nationally (2.0 per game). He has recorded two or more sacks six games this season and has at least one sack in eight of the 10 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 50 receptions for 743 yards and seven TDs. He is averaging 14.9 yards per reception and 74.3 yards per game. He is tied for fifth on the USD single-season receiving chart with former Coyote tight end Dustin Sagedahl. He needs four 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. 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 13 catches for 157 yards or 12.1 yards per catch. But what makes Allison unique is his scoring ability. On seven of his 13 receptions, he has hauled in a TD pass, many of acrobatic variety. 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. Then last week, he made two receptions against Minnesota-Duluth that set up Coyote scores. One of those plays came on a 4th and 21 play and his 31-yard reception from Wesley Beschorner set up a first-and-goal in the first half.

Coyote Defense Led by Hedden Junior linebacker Ryan Hedden of Fairmont, Neb., leads South Dakota with 67 tackles, including two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. He is just ahead A.J. Schable (Ida Grove, Iowa), who has 57 tackles and Alex York (Guthrie Center, Iowa), who has 53 tackles, three interceptions and a sack. USD has 84 tackles for losses of 296 yards and 34 quarterback sacks for 182 yards in losses. USD has recovered 11 fumbles and picked off 10 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 and attempted PATs. He has extended the total PAT conversions to 59 and attempted PATs at 60. Leibfarth, who is second in the league with 7.1 points per game (kicker), has made four of five field goals for a total of 71 points.

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.

Logan Receives Hon. Mention National Off. POW Honors Stefan Logan, a junior running back for the 16th-ranked South Dakota Football Team (8-2), has been named honorable mention national offensive player of the week by D2football.com. Logan, who earned national offensive player of the week honors from D2football.com on Sept. 5, had 26 carries for 284 yards and three TDs in a 56-43 loss to Minnesota-Duluth (7-3) on Saturday in Duluth, Minn. The 284 yards by Logan is the largest total ever by a USD player in a road game and just 11 yards short of tying his own USD single-game rushing mark of 295 yards set earlier this year in a win over Truman State at the DakotaDome. Against UMD, he averaged 10.92 yards per carry and had runs of 23, 45, 53 and a 64-yard scoring jaunt in the third quarter. He also scored on runs of two and nine yards. The three rushing TDs by Logan is a personal-best as he increased his season rushing TD total to 11 and has 13 overall. Beschorner Named NCC Co-Offensive POW 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 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 Oct. 22 before 5,877 at the DakotaDome. Beschorner, who played just two series in the second half, had the six TDs on 10 completions. Overall, Beschorner completed 10-of-15 passes for 167 yards. He had 174 yards in total offense. 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 UND Head Dan Lennon With a school-record .790 winning percentage, one NCAA Division II title, two NCAA Division II title game appearances, three North Central Conference Championships and three NCC Coach of the Year Awards, head coach Dale Lennon, the 24th head coach in North Dakota history, has cemented his legacy in the annals of UND football in just his seventh season at the helm. Lennon was also named the 2001 American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Coach of the Year, a first in program history. With 68 career wins (18 losses) at UND, Lennon ranks third on the school's all-time list, trailing only C.A. "Jack" West (89) and his former mentor, Roger Thomas (90), now the NCC commissioner. After serving as defensive coordinator from 1990-96 at UND, Lennon was the head coach at the University of Mary, where he posted a 12-9 record during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. In 1998, the Marauders were 8-3, won the league championship and advanced to the NAIA playoffs. A native of Knox, N.D., Lennon graduated from Rugby High School before starting his athletic career at UND. A former running back, Lennon served as team captain in 1983 and was named the team's most valuable offensive back. A three-year letter winner, Lennon earned All-NCC honorable mention honors as a senior. After graduating from UND in 1985, Lennon earned his Master's degree from Northern State (S.D.) in 1986, while serving as a graduate assistant coach. He also spent a season at Valley City State (1986) and Dickinson State (1987) before returning to UND for the 1988 season as a defensive line coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1990 and served in that capacity through the 1996 season. On North Dakota North Dakota (9-1, 4-1 in the NCC) has been ranked in the nation's top three for the majority of the season. UND, now ranked seventh in the AFCA poll, opened the season with nine straight wins, before falling to Nebraska-Omaha, 20-19, last weekend at the Alerus Center. The loss to UNO ended a 23-game home winning streak by UND. North Dakota ranks second in scoring offense at 39.4 per game, while allowing a league-best 10.1 points per game. North Dakota gives up just 53.1 yards per game in rushing and a total of 232.9 yards per game in total defense. The North Dakota defense is led by Digger Anderson, who has five interceptions. On offense, Chris Beatty is third in the league with 908 rushing yards, or 90.8 per game. Quarterback Chris Belmore averages 183.1 passing yards per game. He has completed 146 of 226 passes for 1,831 yards and 18 TDs with eight interceptions. Dan Grossman leads the receiving corps with 55 catches for 820 yards and six TDs. Teammate Weston Dressler has 43 receptions for 548 yards and seven scores. Dressler is fourth in the league in all-purpose yards with 137.8. UND boasts one of the leagues top kickers in Jeff Glas, who is averaging 11.8 points per game. He has made 43 extra points and 25 field goals for a league-best 118 points.

Last Year - North Dakota 41 South Dakota 21 Game Summary: The seventh-ranked South Dakota football team (9-2, 4-2 NCC) dropped a 41-21 decision to 16th-ranked North Dakota (8-2, 4-2 NCC) at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D., ending the Coyotes five-game winning streak. Despite Stefan Logan's second-straight 200-yard rushing game (201 yards), USD couldn't catch up to UND after halftime. Logan tied the game at 14-14 at 5:28 on a 72-yard TD run. UND then added a TD with 3:40 left in the half to take a 21-14 lead. In the second half, UND scored with 7:27 left in the third quarter on a 27-yard pass reception by Caleb Johnson, which capped a 15-play, 86-yard drive that lasted almost seven and a half minutes. Two fourth-quarter TDs gave UND a 41-14 lead before Logan got his second TD of the day with two minutes remaining in the game. USD was limited in the passing game, completing 11-of-26 passes for 113 yards and an interception. Derek Gearman was the leading receiver with three receptions for 47 yards. UND recorded 404 passing yards. John Barker led USD on the defensive side with seven solo stops, while Tim Dacy and Kellen Burch also had seven tackles.