VERMILLION, S.D. -- The 16th-ranked South Dakota Football Team (9-3) will face its biggest challenge of the season when the Coyotes meet top-ranked and defending national champion Grand Valley State (11-0) in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at noon (CST) in Lubbers Stadium (capacity of 8,550) in Allendale, Mich., on Saturday. USD and Grand Valley State will meet for the first time. USD is 1-1 all-time against the GLIAC.

This past Saturday, the Coyotes won its first playoff game in 20 years with a 31-28 overtime win over Northwood (8-3) at Hantz Stadium in Midland, Mich. Like the 1986 team, the Coyotes rallied from a halftime deficit to record a playoff win. USD is 4-3 in the NCAA Division II playoffs. In 1986, the sixth-ranked Coyotes trailed second-ranked California-Davis, 17-6, at halftime before rallying for a 26-23 win in Davis, Calif. The Coyotes overcame a 14-0 deficit in the win over Northwood. USD will face its fourth straight ranked opponent in Grand Valley State on Saturday. The other ranked opponents include Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, and Northwood. USD is 2-1 in the previous three games.

Grand Valley State is one of the nation's top programs with the best winning percentage in DII football at 274-114-3 (.704). The Lakers are 87-13 in its past 100 games and has won a school-record 24 straight games. The last loss by Grand Valley State was to North Dakota on Nov. 27, 2004 in the Northwest Regional final at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.

Northwood Game Breakdown Season-saving drive: When the Coyotes look back at the Northwood game, it might point to a 78-yard, 14-play drive in the second quarter that was a season-saver. The drive resulted in a TD that allowed the Coyotes to cut the deficit to 14-7. In that drive, USD converted a fourth down run and also was aided by an offsides penalty that gave USD life after a fake punt failed. With six seconds on the clock in the first half, the senior wide receiver Desmond Allison put an imprint on the game with a 17-yard TD reception from redshirt freshman Noah Shepard.

Returning a Favor: Two second half returns also played a critical role for South Dakota in its win over Northwood. First, Travis Mlady had a 53 yard return to open the second half that allowed USD to move in for the tying score. Then, Harlon Hill Trophy finalist Stefan Logan had a 42-yard punt return that set up USD's third quarter go-ahead score (21-14).

Coyotes vs. Michigan teams: The win vs. Northwood was USD's first-ever against a GLIAC team. The only other game USD has played against a GLIAC team was with Wayne State of Michigan, who won 69-14 in the second game of the 1950 season. Among other Michigan schools , USD has a 0-1 record vs. the University of Michigan and an 0-5-1 mark vs. Michigan State. In 1912, a team coach by Rev. James Henderson dropped a 7-6 decision to Michigan in a 5-1 season for USD. It was one of the Coyotes' greatestall-time teams. That 1912 team defeated Minnesota, 10-0, and handled SDSU, 73-7, and North Dakota, 44-0. In 1913, the Coyotes played Michigan State for the first time, dropping a 19-7 decision. The Coyotes and Michigan State met again in 1916, playing to a 3-3 tie. USD fell to Michigan State, 13-0, in 1919 and 14-0 in 1921. USD barely dropped a 7-0 decision in 1922 to the Spartans.

Playoff Notes: The Coyotes were seeded fifth by the NCAA selection committee and met Northwood in Midland, Mich., on Nov. 18. The Coyotes took a 31-28 decision in overtime against the Timberwolves. The Coyotes last appearance in the playoffs was in 1986 when South Dakota, led by head coach Dave Triplett and six Coyote Hall of Fame members, advanced to the national title game. In that magical season, the Coyotes finished 11-3 , including a first-round road victory over California-Davis, 26-23, in Davis, Calif. USD followed up the first round win by outscoring Troy State, 42-28, in a national semifinal game at the DakotaDome. The Coyotes dropped a 27-7 verdict to North Dakota State in the national championship at Florence, Ala.

South Dakota Records First Playoff Win in 20 Years with 31-28 OT Decision Against Northwood: A 40-yard field goal by junior placekicker Frank Leibfarth (Yankton, S.D.) lifted 16th-ranked South Dakota (9-3) to a come-from-behind 31-28 overtime win over 17th-ranked Northwood (8-3) in a NCAA Division II national playoff first round contest on Saturday afternoon at Hantz Stadium. South Dakota rallied from a 14-0 first quarter deficit to grab a 28-21 lead in the fourth quarter before Leibfarth had his overtime heroics. The Coyotes registered its first playoff win since the 1986 season. South Dakota was led by senior running back Stefan Logan (Miami, Fla.), who had 160 yards rushing and 250 all-purpose yards. With his rushing total, Logan moved into 12th place on the career rushing chart in NCAA Division II with 5,863 yards. He had his 34th 100-yard rushing game, which tied Damien Beane of Shepherd (1996-99) for an NCAA record. The Coyotes totaled 374 yards in total offense on 76 plays. USD had 199 yards passing and 175 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Northwood totaled 146 yards on the ground and had a surprising 171 yards passing. USD redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Shepard (Thornton, Colo.) completed 16-of-32 passes for 199 yards and four touchdowns. Three of his scores went to senior wide receiver Desmond Allison (Tampa, Fla.), who finished with five catches for 78 yards. Allison tied a school record with his three TD catches, which was also a career-best. Junior wideout Brooks Little (Castlewood, S.D.) had six catches for 78 yards. Defensively, senior cornerback Jordan Davis (San Antonio, Texas) led the Coyotes with 11 tackles on the game, nine of which were solo stops. Junior linebacker Justiss Scales (Columbus, Ohio) added five tackles along with snaring an interception, recovering a fumble and being credited with one pass deflection. After gaining good field position at its own 47-yard line, Northwood scored on a 53-yard TD pass from Kyle Kolbe to Philip Davis at the 4:40 mark of the first quarter. After a Coyote punt, USD was penalized for a personal foul which set up Northwood at the South Dakota 47-yard line. From there, Northwood had a 47-yard, seven-play drive which was capped by a two-yard run by Torris Childs that gave the Timberwolves a 14-0 lead at the 14:55 mark of the second quarter. Northwood had an opportunity to build on its lead but lost a fumble at the Coyote 22-yard line. Then USD used a methodical 78-yard, 14 play drive that drew the Coyotes within 14-7. With just three seconds left on the clock before the half, Shepard completed a 17-yard scoring pass to Allison. Travis Mlady set up the Coyotes tying score when by returning the opening kickoff of the second half 53 yards to a 39-yard line. After a nine yard run by Logan, Shepard and Allison again hooked up on a scoring play, this time from 27-yards as USD tied the game at 14-14. Later, another return helped set up the Coyotes for their first lead of the day. Logan returned a punt 42 yards to the Northwood 35-yard line. On a key third down play, Allison caught his third TD pass of the game from Shepard from 14 yards out, making the score 21-14 in favor of USD. Northwood tied the game on a three-yard TD run with 14:03 to play in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves moved the ball 86 yards on seven plays in 3:17 to tie the game. Sophomore tight end Brandon White (Chester, S.D.) caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Shepard with 3:43 to play to give USD a 28-21 lead. The catch was both White's first career reception and TD reception. Then Northwood answered with a 62-yard scoring drive to tie the game on an eight yard TD run by Casey Steffen. That score, which came with 43 seconds left on the clock, set up the dramatic overtime session. The Timberwolves won the coin toss and chose to go on defense to start the overtime session. USD's drive only went three yards, but Leibfarth connected from 40-yards out to give the Coyotes a 31-28 lead. It was the second time in Leibfarth's career he hit a field goal in overtime to give South Dakota a victory, with the first coming last season at Colorado School of Mines. Northwood trailed by three, but had the ball with a chance to force a second overtime period with a field goal, or win it outright with a touchdown. After gaining five yards on their first two plays, a Timberwolf pass play fell incomplete on third-and-five. Northwood kicker Chris Kollias came out for a 37-yard field goal attempt to tie the game, but his kick sailed wide left.

Coyotes Tracks: For third straight season, USD has recorded at least nine wins in a season, which is a first in school history. USD was 9-2 in the 2004 season and 9-2 a year ago when the Coyotes captured a share of its first NCC title since 1978. This season, the Coyotes won its ninth game against three losses with the 31-28 overtime verdict against Northwood. USD is now 3-3 in road games this season and 6-0 in games played at the DakotaDome. The last USD squad to reach eight wins for three consecutive seasons was the squads coached by Hall of Fame Coach Dave Triplett, who directed the 1984 (8-3), 1985 (10-3), and 1986 (11-3) squads. The last time, USD had at more than three consecutive years of .500 or better dates to the 1980s when Triplett had seven-straight .500 years from 1982-88.

About South Dakota Head Football Coach Ed Meierkort: Meierkort has an overall record of 27 -7 (.794) in his third season at USD. He owns a 14-6 (.700) record in league play, including 6-2 in 2006. Meierkort is 82-62 (.569) in his collegiate coaching career of 13 seasons. Meierkort's 27-7 record is the best start by a Coyote coach in school history. He has directed USD to its first playoff appearance and win since 1986. Meierkort is 1-0 in the NCAA Division II playoffs. He is the first coach ever to lead USD to at least nine wins in three consecutive seasons. A year ago, he led USD to an NCC title (shared with three others), which was the Coyotes' first crown since the 1978 season. He has led USD to back to back 9-2 seasons, which included consecutive 4-2 league records, in both 2004 and 2005. He has led USD to back to back 9-2 seasons, which included consecutive 4-2 league records. USD finished second in the NCC in 2004. He has a 18-0 record at the DakotaDome. He is just one of two Coyote head coaches ever to win nine games as a first-year coach. He already ranks sixth on the Coyote coaches career wins list. A year ago, Meierkort led USD to top-five national rankings and his team finished as the highest scoring team in the nation at 49 points per game while USD also led the nation in total offense at 583.3 yards per game. His football team has been ranked in the top 24 for the past 25 weeks, dating back to the start of the 2005 season. He was hired at USD in 2004. A 1982 graduate (B.A., business administration) of Dakota Wesleyan, Meierkort came to USD from Wisconsin-Stout where he had coached since 1993. He also has a M.A. (athletic administration) from South Dakota State. He also coached at Southwest Minnesota State and was a graduate assistant at SDSU.

USD in the Playoffs: This will be USD's fourth invitation to the national playoffs with the Coyotes owning a 4-3 overall record, including 2-1 in road games, 0-1 on a neutral field and 2-1 at the DakotaDome. In 1973, USD dropped a first round West Central Regional game to Boise State, 53-10, at Boise, Idaho. USD finished 1-1 in 1985. USD defeated Central State, 13-10, at the DakotaDome before falling to North Dakota State, 16-7, in the national semifinals in a game at the DakotaDome. In 1986, USD was 2-1. USD is 1-0 in 2006 with a 31-28 win over Northwood (see review on P. 2) in overtime. USD is now 2-0 in overtime games in the playoffs with its first extra session victory a 13-10 decision in 1985 against Central State at the DakotaDome.

A breakdown of all of USD's playoff games follows:

1973 Division II Playoffs @ Boise, Idaho, West Region, First Round Boise State 53 South Dakota 10 In its first playoff appearance, the South Dakota Football Team dropped a 53-10 decision to Boise State in a West Region first round playoff game in 1973. Boise State, now unbeaten in Division IA and a top-12 BCS squad, was a Division II team in 1973. The Coyotes scored first on a 26-yard field goal by Barry Blue with 6:42 to play in the first quarter. Blue's field goal followed an 18-play, 76 yard drive. Then, Boise State took control and scored 40 unanswered points to take a 40-3 lead in the fourth quarter. USD scored its only TD on a one-yard run by Jeff Juneau, who finished with 74 yards on 17 carries, with 14:56 to play as USD cut the lead to 40-10. Boise State added two more TDs in the fourth quarter. USD, which won a share of the NCC title and had an 8-3 overall mark, finished with 225 yards rushing on 57 carries and 60 yards passing. Boise State had 189 yards rushing and 299 yards passing for 469 yards in total offense.

1985 Division II Playoffs @ DakotaDome, Vermillion, S.D. First Round - USD 13 Central State 10 In a match-up of fourth-ranked South Dakota and fifth-ranked Central State, the difference was a 41-yard field goal by Mark McLoughin in the second overtime as USD won its first ever playoff game, 13-10, played at the DakotaDome before 5,900 in attendance. Central State scored first on a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter. Mark McLoughlin, now a Coyote Hall of Fame member, connected on a 44-yard field to tie the game at 3-3 midway through the second quarter. The game went into overtime tied 3-3. USD scored in the first overtime on a one-yard run by Scott Jones, also a member of the Coyote Sports Hall of Fame. Central State used a one-yard run to tie the game at 10-10 in the first overtime. Then, McLoughlin's field goal in the second overtime helped propel USD to the win. This was the first Division II playoff game played indoors. It was just the second overtime game in DII history and it was the longest game in the history of the playoffs up to that time. The Coyotes finished with 220 yards in total offense, including 131 yards rushing and 89 yards passing. In the defensive struggle, Central State had 252 yards in total offense, including 184 yards on the ground and 68 yards passing. The Coyotes recorded four quarterback sacks, two interceptions and recovered a fumble. Jones had 68 yards rushing and 89 yards passing, completing 6-of-16 passes with three interceptions. Rod Tweet, also a Coyote Sports Hall of Fame member, had 62 yards receiving on four receptions. For Central State, Corbin had 58 yards rushing and Kevin Cummings added a team-high 61 yards on the ground.

1985 Semifinals @ DakotaDome, Vermillion, S.D. North Dakota State 16 South Dakota 7 After jumping to a 7-0 lead, South Dakota was outscored, 16-0, as North Dakota State rallied to defeat the Coyotes, 16-7, in a Division II playoffs semifinal game at the DakotaDome before 10,000 in attendance. The Coyotes, who had earlier defeated NDSU, 38-14, during a regular season game at the Dome, opened the scoring on a 74-yard TD pass from Scott Jones to Rod Tweet at the 6:21 mark of the first quarter. In the second quarter, NDSU used a 68-yard run by James Molstre to pull within 7-6 as the Bison's kick was missed. Later in the second quarter, NDSU's Ken Kubisz hit a 28-yard field goal to give NDSU a 9-7 lead with three seconds left in the half. NDSU added a third quarter score on a one-yard TD run by Jeff Bentrim with 6:55 left on the clock. Scott Jones, who had 50 yards rushing, completed 13 of 25 passes for 159 yards with two interceptions and a TD. Tweet finished with 111 yards receiving on five catches. James Hambrick led USD with 69 yards rushing. Bentrim finished with 96 yards on 29 carries while Molstre had 140 yards rushing. NDSU had 344 yards rushing and 377 total offensive yards. The Coyotes had 187 yards rushing and 159 yards passing for 346 total yards on offense. The Coyotes ended the season with a 10-3 record, including 7-2 and second in the NCC.

1986 Division II First Round Playoffs @ Davis, Calif. South Dakota 26 Cal-Davis 23 Scott Jones scored a pair of TDs and passed for another in the second half to rally sixth-ranked South Dakota past second-ranked Cal-Davis in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Jones broke several tackles and scored with 5:49 left in the game to give USD the lead. Jones, who was a Harlon Hill candidate, engineered a pair of second half scoring drives to help the Coyotes rally from a 17-6 halftime deficit. He scored on a 10-yard run and hit Kurt Southwick on a 23-yard TD pass on a dramatic fourth down play early in the fourth quarter (13:48). Jones finished with 205 yards in total offense, including 131 yards rushing. Coyote Hall of Fame member Robb White deflected a pass which was intercepted by teammate Tim Hood to stop a drive late in the game. Cal-Davis, led by the top-rated passer in NCAA Division II Chris Petersen, was stopped on its last drive when White forced a Petersen fumble which was recovered by Murl Dodds. Hood had 13 tackles while Doug VanderEsch had 10 tackles. USD had 442 yards in total offense against Cal-Davis, including 372 on the ground. Tailback Tony Higgins had 101 yards rushing and fullback Darryl Colvin had 98.

1986 Semifinals @ DakotaDome, Vermillion, S.D. South Dakota 42 Troy State 28 In the last playoff game played at the DakotaDome, the sixth-ranked Coyotes won an offensive showdown with third-ranked Troy State, 42-28, before 10,999 in attendance in a semifinal Division II playoff game in 1986. Troy State, which won an NCAA title in 1984, entered the game as one of the best offensive teams in the country, averaging 319.9 rushing yards per game. Scott Jones led USD with 155 yards rushing and two TDs. However, Jones was hurt in the third quarter and backup quarterback Joe Longueville directed the winning TD drive to send USD to its first championship game in the Division II playoffs. Jones had 131 yards rushing in the first half as USD grabbed a 21-7 lead. The Trojans rallied to tie the game at 28-28 on a two yard run by Eddie Brundidge, who scored his second TD of the game at the 13:53 mark of the fourth quarter. USD had taken a 28-14 lead on a 12-yard run by Jones at the 7:33 mark of the third quarter. Then, Greg Harris caught a 51-yard TD pass from Mike Turk at the 6:52 mark of the third quarter. Things looked precarious for USD with Jones out due to injury. In stepped backup Joe Longueville, who led a nine-play, 71-yard fourth quarter scoring march. He had a five yard run to give USD a 35-28 lead with 9:46 to play. Then, running back James Hambrick scored a five-yard TD at the 6:04 mark to ice the win. In the offensive showdown, the Coyotes finished with 440 yards rushing on 75 carries while Troy State had 231 yards rushing and 248 through the air. USD had 52 yards passing. In total offense, the Coyotes finished with 492 yards and Troy State, 479. Tony Higgins had 111 yards rushing and a TD. Hambrick finished with 77 yards rushing and two TDs. Longueville had 24 yards on seven carries and threw for 36 yards. Mike Turk completed 8-of-15 passes for 185 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 59 yards. Brundidge ended with 83 yards rushing. Harris caught five passes for 111 yards and Kenny Eddenfield had 108 yards receiving.

Division II National Title Game @ Braly Stadium, Florence, Ala. North Dakota State 27 South Dakota 7 Top-ranked North Dakota State opened up a 14-0 lead and ended the sixth-ranked Coyotes' title hopes with a 27-7 win in the 1986 NCAA Division II title game at Braly Stadium in Florence, Ala., on Dec. 13. It was the first and last time that two teams from the same conference played for the national championship. NDSU opened the scoring when Jeff Bentrim scored on a four-yard run at the 7:38 mark of the second quarter. With just 36 seconds left in the first half, NDSU used a one-yard run by Gary Barta to build a 14-0 halftime lead. With 12:32 left in the third quarter, the Bison's Tyrone Braxton, who later played with the Denver Broncos, put the Coyotes in a deep hole by returning a punt 84 yards for a score. The back-breaking special teams score gave NDSU a 20-0 lead. The Coyotes answered with a one-yard run by Scott Jones at the 3:18 mark of the third quarter. Bentrim preserved the game for NDSU with a four-yard TD run at the 2:45 mark of the fourth quarter. South Dakota finished with just 232 yards in total offense on 64 plays while NDSU had 354 yards on 65 plays. USD had 163 yards rushing and 69 yards passing. NDSU had 307 yards on the ground. Bentrim, named the MVP of the game, finished with 111 yards rushing on 20 carries. He also completed 4-of-6 passes for 47 yards and an interception. Jones had 51 yards on 19 carries to lead USD. He also completed 5-of-8 passes for 65 yards. The Coyotes finished the season with a school record 11-3 record, including 8-1 and second in the NCC. The Coyotes finished fourth in the nation with 319.4 rushing yards per game.

Coyote Notes

Logan Named Finalist for Harlon Hill Trophy: All-American South Dakota running back Stefan Logan has been named one of eight finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Player of the Year, according to an announcement on Nov. 21 by the Harlon Hill National Committee. The eight Harlon Hill Trophy finalists were selected by the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors in regional voting. Logan is now on a national ballot where all 152 of the division's SIDs will select the 21st Harlon Hill Trophy recipient. Logan, a senior from Miami, Fla., is the second consecutive student-athlete from the South Dakota Football Program (Wesley Beschorner, 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy runner-up) named as a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy honor. Logan broke the 1,000-yard mark for fourth straight season, tying an NCAA record held by many and becoming the first back ever in the North Central Conference to accomplish that feat. Logan, who was selected the NCC's Most Valuable Offensive Back, is the third player in league history to earn All-NCC honors for all four seasons of his career. He is the second straight Coyote (Wesley Beschorner, 2005) named the league's Most Valuable Back. A native of Miami, Fla., Logan has been named to the All-NCC team a total of five times, including four times as a running back and one as a return specialist (2005). The top two players from each of the Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest regions advanced through regional voting. The list of 2006 finalists is comprised of four running backs, three quarterbacks, and one defensive lineman. Six of the finalists helped lead their teams into the NCAA Division II playoffs this season and three of the eight finalists were also Hill finalists in 2005. The finalists included Logan (5'7, 185) and Cullen Finnerty (6'2, 210, senior) of Grand Valley State from the Northwest Region; Jimmy Terwilliger (6'0, 172, senior) of East Stroudsburg and running back Lorenzo Perry (5'6, 185, senior) of Bryant from the Northeast region; Scott Eyster (6'3, 205, senior) of Delta State and Alton Pettway (6'3, 258, senior) of Albany State from the Southeast Region; and Danny Woodhead (5'9, 200, junior) of Chadron State and Germaine Race (5'11, 225, senior) of Pittsburg State from the Southwest region. The Hill Trophy is sponsored by Coca-Cola, the City of Florence, Ala., Trustmark Construction, TNT, Fireworks, the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa and Opti-Net. Candidates for the 2006 Hill Trophy 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. National voting will conclude on December 1 and the top three finishers will be invited to the Shoals for the presentation banquet. The winner of the 2006 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, December 15 in Florence, prior to the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game on Dec. 10. Tickets are $45 each or $360 for a table of eight and can be purchased by calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661. The initial Harlon Hill Trophy was won by North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim in 1986, followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville running back Johnny Bailey in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Another North Dakota State quarterback, Chris Simdorn, claimed the 1990 award, followed by Pittsburg State receiver Ronnie West in 1991, Pittsburg State running back Ronald Moore in 1992, New Haven running back Roger Graham in 1993 and Valdosta State University quarterback Chris Hatcher in 1994. North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon became the first defensive player to win the award when he claimed the Hill Trophy in 1995. Truman State University running back Jarrett Anderson won the 1996 award and Bloomsburg running back Irvin Sigler claimed the Hill Trophy in 1997 award. Running back Brian Shay of Emporia State won in 1998, followed by Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999 and Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001, and Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes in 2002. The 2003 trophy was awarded to North Alabama quarterback Will Hall, and Chad Friehauf of the Colorado School of Mines won the 2004 award.

Leibfarth, Murphy, Mikkelsen Named to ESPN The Magazine Academic District VII First Team: Four South Dakota Football Team members have been named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine District VII Academic Squad. Frank Leibfarth, Matthew Murphy and Luke Mikkelsen all were named to the District VII first team and will be eligible for Academic All-American honors. Ryan Mach was a second team selection. Academic All-District selections are voted on by members of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), and student athletes must have a 3.2 grade point average or higher to be eligible for the honor. Leibfarth, a junior place-kicker from Yankton, S.D., owns a 3.922 grade point average in chemistry/biology. Murphy, a senior defensive lineman from Rapid City, S.D., owns a 3.944 grade point average in business. Luke Mikkelsen, a senior punter from Gregory, S.D., has a 3.59 grade point average in contemporary media and journalism. Ryan Mach, a senior from Prague, Neb., owns a 3.257 grade point average in business management. Leibfarth, Murphy and Mach were all named to the Academic All-NCC squad earlier this month.

Home Cooking: The Coyotes continued its winning ways at the DakotaDome with its 19th straight home win in a 45-28 win over Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 4. USD improved its overall mark at the Dome to 109-52 (.677) since beginning play at the facility in 1979. USD is 6-0 at home this season and 18-0 while head coach Ed Meierkort has been at South Dakota. USD has gone 6-0 at home in each of the past three seasons while Meierkort has been head coach at USD.

Logan and Davis Named NCC MVPs as 10 Coyotes Earn All-League Honors: South Dakota All-American running back and Harlon Hill Trophy candidate Stefan Logan and defensive back Jordan Davis were named North Central Conference MVPs at their respective positions and are among USD's five first-team selections on the all-league football team, the conference office announced on Nov. 21. A total of 10 Coyotes were named to the first or second all-conference teams. In addition, three other student-athletes from USD were named honorable mention All-NCC. The 31-member All-NCC first team included 21 seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen. Logan, who was selected the NCC's Most Valuable Offensive Back, is the third player in league history to earn All-NCC honors for all four seasons of his career. He is the second straight Coyote (Wesley Beschorner, 2005) named the league's Most Valuable Back. A native of Miami, Fla., Logan has been named to the All-NCC team a total of five times, including four times as a running back and one as a return specialist (2005). Richard Ryan of North Dakota (1951-54) and Vance Lechman of Northern Colorado (1986-89) were also four-time selections. Davis, a senior from San Antonio, Texas, is a three-time all-league selection and he was named the NCC's Most Valuable Defensive Back. The other Coyotes named first team All-NCC included junior offensive center Christian Morton of Norfolk, Neb., as well as defensive tackle John Barker of Sioux City, Iowa, and defensive back Chris Reid of Hills, Minn. Second-team selections included three more members of the Coyotes' offense and two USD defenders. The USD honorees included junior offensive tackle Tim Schneider (6-7, 286, Adams, Minn.); junior offensive guard Nick Walters (6-5, 290, Parkersburg, Iowa); senior fullback Tyler Evans (6-1, 235, Stewart, Minn.); sophomore linebacker Blake Hojer (6-2, 241, Lake Preston, S.D.) and junior linebacker Justiss Scales (6-3, 218, Columbus, Ohio.). Senior tight end/wide receiver Desmond Allison (6-5, 231,Tampa, Fla.), redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Shepard (6-2, 213, Thornton, Colo.) and senior punter Lucas Mikkelsen (6-4, 218, Gregory, S.D.) were honorable mention honorees. Davis, a preseason All-American, has been a main cog for a Coyote defense that ranks third in rush defense nationally and first in the NCC at 68.8 yards per game. Davis and his teammates have held 10 of 12 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing per game. The Coyotes finished the season as the league's top scoring defense, and led the NCC in total defense and rushing defense. Davis, who recorded a career-high 11 tackles against Northwood, had 49 tackles this season, including two tackles for loss, three interceptions, a forced fumble, blocked kick and six pass breakups. Barker and Reid were also cogs on the Coyote defense. Barker had 40 tackles, including 18 solo stops, 7.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks, a pass breakup, two forced fumbles and several quarterback hurries. Reid was third on the Coyotes with 52 tackles, including 31 solo stops. He had 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception return for a TD, forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Morton, a nominee for the Gene Upshaw Lineman of the Year National Award, was one of three Coyote offensive lineman named to the first or second all-league squad. Morton, along with second-team selections Schneider and Walters, helped the Coyote offense lead the NCC with 429.8 yards in total offense. The Coyotes were second in the NCC and fourth nationally in rushing yards at 259.0 per game. The Morton, Schneider and Walters have led an offensive line that has allowed just 12 sacks in 12 games. Hojer and Scales played prominent roles on the Coyotes' defense. Hojer led the Coyotes with 60 tackles, including 33 solo stops, eighth tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery. Scales, who had a big interception against Northwood last weekend, finished with 43 tackles, including 21 solo stops. He had 3.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback sack, interception, fumble recovery, blocked kick and three pass breakups. Shepard completed 98-of-180 passes for 1,724 yards, which is a new freshman record (passing yards) and the sixth-best total in school history. He had 19 TD passes which is the second-highest total in school history and his total offense mark of 2,066 yards ranks third all-time at USD. He has done all that in just six starts for the Coyotes, going 4-2 and leading the Coyotes to a playoff win over Northwood with four TD throws which was a career-best. Allison tied a school-record with his three TD receptions on Saturday. Heading into the Grand Valley State game, Allison has 28 catches for 471 yards and eight TDs. Mikkelsen averaged 38.1 yards per kick (32 punts for 1,218 yards) with nine kicks placed inside the 20-yard line.

CSN Expands Broadcast Network: South Dakota Football games will be broadcast on the Coyote Sports Network, which has add KELO-AM (1320), Sioux Falls, S.D.; KSQP 1450 AM, Pierre, S.D.; and KJRV 93.3 FM of Mitchell/Huron, S.D., to the broadcast radio network. The broadcast team for the USD-Grand Valley State game will be Kevin Culhane handling play by play and Jeff Culhane serving as the color analyst. All Coyotes games will be available on the internet at www.usdcoyotes.com or at www..kvht.com.

Reaching out to the Public: The Ed Meierkort Show can be heard every Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. on Sportsradio KVTK 1570 AM "The Ticket" in Yankton/Vermillion, S.D.

USD Reaches 400 Point Mark for Second Straight Season: After having never scored 400 points in a season until 2004, the Coyotes now have totaled 400 or more points in three consecutive seasons. The high-scoring Coyote era included 460 points (38.3 ppg) in 2004, a school record 547 points in 2005, when USD led Division II at 49.7 points per game, and 403 points in 12 games for a 33.6 point per game average in 2006. Over the last three seasons, USD has 1,410 points in 34 games or 41.47 per game. This season the Coyotes are averaging an NCC-best 33.6 points per game while allowing 18.2 to its opposition. USD has outscored opponents, 214 to 123 in the first half and 189 to 95 in the second half. By quarter, USD owns a significant advantage, including first quarter, 84-58; second quarter, 130-65; third quarter, 102-44; and fourth quarter, 84-51. USD also has a 3-0 advantage in overtime games.

Ground Tough: South Dakota's defense has been ground tough on defense in 2006, leading the NCC in rushing defense. During the 2006 regular season, the Coyotes allowed just 61.8 yards per game or 2.3 yards per carry. The USD defense has allowed just one opponent - Nebraska-Omaha - more than 85 rushing yards in a game this season. UNO had 179 yards but USD limited the Mavericks to nearly 100 yards below its average. Twice this season, the defense has limited its opponents to less than 10 yards rushing in a game, including Minnesota-Crookston, who had 25 carries for seven yards and Central Washington, who had -3 yards on 29. The longest run against the defense this season was a 26-yard TD run by Russ Brown in the fourth quarter of a 24-0 loss to Central Arkansas and a 26-yard jaunt by Western Washington's Calvin McCarty on Oct. 14. Western Washington finished with 58 yards on 23 carries but was held to a -2 yards rushing by USD in the first half. Augustana had 55 yards in the first half but had just 23 yards on nine carries in the second half. The Coyotes have allowed just 11 rushing TDs all season. Game by Game Breakdown Quincy - 33 carries, 47 yards Minnesota-Crookston - 25 carries, 7 yards Minnesota-Duluth - 24 carries, 70 yards St. Cloud State - 28 carries, 48 yards Central Arkansas - 22 carries, 85 yards Central Washington - 29 carries, 0 yards Western Washington -- 23 carries, 58 yards Augustana - 26 carries, 78 yards Minnesota State -- 22 carries, 40 yards Nebraska-Omaha -- 35 carries, 179 yards North Dakota -- 24 carries, 71 yards Northwood -- 45 carries, 146 yards Total Rushing Defense - 336 carries, 826 yards, 2.5 yards per carry

All-American Stefan Logan Update: All-American running back Stefan Logan, a candidate for the Harlon Hill trophy (Division II Player of the Year), has totaled an NCC-best 1,612 rushing yards on 219 carries for an average of 7.4 yards per carry. He has 13 overall TDs, including nine by rush. He is averaging an NCC-best 134.3 yards per game (ninth in DII) and owns an 88-yard run this season. Logan is averaging 207.7 all purpose yards per game, which ranks third in NCAA Division II and leads the NCC. Logan had 250 all purpose yards in the win over Northwood on Nov. 18. He also had 210 all-purpose yards vs. Nebraska-Omaha; and a season-best 283 all purpose yards vs. Minnesota State on Oct. 28. In the season finale, he had 170 all purpose yards vs. North Dakota. He has 14 kickoff returns for 392 yards (28.0 yard average) including a 94-yard return for a TD. He also has 15 punt returns for 303 yards or 17.8 yards per return, which is sixth in DII. He also owns a 66-yard punt return for a TD. On Oct. 7, Logan became the 11th player in NCAA Division II history to surpass 5,000 yards rushing and 6,000 all purpose yards in his career. In his career, Logan has rushed for a school-record 5,863 yards on 791 carries or 7.4 yards per carry. He had 160 yards on 25 carries in the playoff win vs. Northwood, which was his NCAA Division II record-tying 34th career 100 yard rush game. He also had 163 yards vs. Nebraska-Omaha. He has rushed for 100 yards in 27 of his last 30 games. Logan owns a school-record 7,681 all purpose yards in his career. He surpassed the 6,000 all-purpose yard mark in USD's 20-10 win over St. Cloud State on Sept. 23. Against MSU, he broke the 7,000 yard mark in all purpose yards.

Logan's 1,612 rushing yards ranks third on the USD all-time season chart. He had the second best total in 2005 with 1,751 yards. He has the fourth-best total of 1,378 yards in 2004 and the seventh-best total of 1,155 as a freshman in 2003. Overall, Logan has four of the seven best rushing seasons in school history. If Logan has 185 yards rushing against Grand Valley State, he will set a new school record for a single season which is currently held by Jamel White, who had 1,796 yards in 1999. Logan need 137 yards to break the 6,000 yards rushing mark.

Logan Moves into DII's Top-Eight in All Purpose Yards: All American Stefan Logan, who is one of eight finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the DII Player of the Year, continues to move up the NCAA Division II charts in rushing and all purpose yards. He has 7,681 career all purpose yards and has moved into seventh place all-time in NCAA Division II. Against Northwood, Logan passed Kevin Curtin of Winona State, who had 7,612 yards from 2000-03. Logan's 2005 total of 2,353 yards ranks 20th on the NCAA Division II all purpose yards list for a career. He has a school record 2,492 all purpose yards in 2006, which ranks as the second best total this season in Division II and is the 13th best total in Division II history. The top-12 single season marks in Division II include the following: Kavin Gailliard, American International, 3,064, 1999; Brian Shay, Emporia State, 2,819, 1998; Shay, 2,738, 1996; Shay, 2,723, 1997; Ian Smart, C.W. Post, 2,671, 2001; Steve Roberts, Butler, 2,669, 1989; Clarence Coleman, Ferris State, 2,618, 2001; Chris George, Glenville State, 2,618, 1993; Josh Ranek, SDSU, 2,608, 2001; Justin Gallus, Colorado Mines, 2,602, 2005; Gaillard, 2,588, 1998; Damon Thompson, Virginia State, 2,519, 1998.

Logan's current total of 5,863 yards career rushing yards places him 12th on the all-time DII list. Logan is averaging 7.45 yards per rush and 133.1 rushing yards per game in his career, which ranks 21st all-time in Division II. He moves into the top 20 if he finishes with an average of 136.8 (Philip Moore, North Dakota, 136.7 yards per game, 1995-98).

South Dakota Ranks Fourth in Rushing Offense and Fifth in Rushing Defense in DII: The South Dakota Coyotes continue to be among the nation's best in running and stopping the run. The Coyotes rank four in rushing offense at 259.0 yards per game. USD is fifth in rushing defense at 68.8 yards per outing. In addition, USD is sixth in total offense at 429.8 yards per game. The Coyotes 33.6 points per game is 14th in the nation. USD is 16th in both kickoff returns (22.5 ypr) and punt returns (14.27 ypr). In addition the Coyotes ranked eighth in pass sacks allowed (1.0 per game). South Dakota is 17th in DII in team passing efficiency with a rating of 147.91. Individually, Stefan Logan is ranked in the top eight in four categories. Logan's total of 1,612 yards is fifth in Division II. He is also eight in rushing yards per game at 134.3 and fifth in punt returns at 17.8 yards per return. Logan also ranks third in all purpose yards at 207.7 per game. In addition, he is 14 in kickoff returns at 26.9 yards per return. Redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Shepard is eighth in passing efficiency with a 162.0 rating.

Little Moves Up Career Receiving Chart: With six receptions for 89 yards against Northwood on Nov. 18, junior wide receiver Brooks Little of Castlewood, S.D., became the fourth player in school history to surpass 100 receptions. Little moved into third place all-time with 111 receptions for 1,588 yards and 11 TDs. Little has 39 catches for 539 yards and two TDs in 2006. The top receivers at USD all-time includes Chris Mikkelsen, first, 150 receptions for 2,279 yards and 16 TDs, 2001-04; Rod Tweet, second, 140 receptions for 2,557 yards, 16 TDs, 1983-85; and Phillip Meehan, third, 108 receptions for 1,153 yards, nine TDs, 1995-98. Little has a season best of 100 yards receiving on five catches vs. Minnesota State on Oct. 28 and a season high of seven catches for 57 yards and a TD vs. Central Washington on Oct. 7.

Shepard Continues Strong Play: Noah Shepard, a redshirt freshman from Thornton, Colo., continues to shine after five starts as the play-caller for the Coyotes. Shepard has completed 98-of-180 passes (54.4 pct.) for 1,724 yards with 19 TDs and seven interceptions in 2006. He finished the regular season as the NCC-leader with a pass efficiency rating of 168.65. After 12 games, he owns a rating of 161.95, which ranks eighth in DII. In addition, Shepard has rushed 84 times for 342 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and four TDs. His total of 1,724 passing yards ranks sixth on the USD single season passing chart. His 19 passing TDs is second all-time for a single season at USD. He also sits third in total offense at 2,066 and with 61 yards can move past Wesley Beschorner (2,126, 2005) for second on the single season total offense chart at USD. Shepard has also set a freshman mark for passing yards which was held by Ryan Justice, who had 1,060 yards in eight games in 1999. Shepard also has set a freshman record for total offense, breaking the mark of 1,095 by Ryan Justice in 1999. Shepard put his name into Coyote lore with his pitch and catch to Brooks Little that resulted in the game-winning TD by the Coyotes over Central Washington on Oct. 7 on Dakota Days. Shepard's play helped South Dakota win a school-record sixth straight homecoming game. Shepard made his first career start memorable by completing 11-of-15 passes for 204 yards and a TD in a 42-10 win on the road against Western Washington on Oct. 14. Shepard continued his fine play by accounting for four TDs in USD's 38-14 win over Augustana on Oct. 21. He had a career-best 78 yards rushing against Augustana. Then, he completed 13-of-26 passes for 304 yards and two TDs in the last second loss to Minnesota State. In the win over seventh-ranked Nebraska-Omaha (second seed in the region), Shepard had 195 yards passing with a TD and interception. He also rushed for 41 yards and had a rushing TD. Against UND, Shepard accounted for three TDs, completing 15 of 27 passes for two TDs and one interception. He had 50 yards rushing with a 22-yard TD run. In the playoff win over Northwood, Shepard had a career-best four TD passes.

Travis Mlady Has 29 Career TDs: Travis Mlady, a senior from Bloomsfield, Neb., continues to shine as a backup to All-American Stefan Logan. Probably a starter for most other DII squads, Mlady has accumulated 29 career TDs. In 2006, he has accumulated 537 yards on 104 carries or 5.2 yards per carry and nine TDs. In his career, Mlady has 280 carries for 1,745 yards. He had a season-best 113 yards rushing and four TDs against Minnesota State.

Allison Makes Big Catches: In two seasons at South Dakota, Desmond Allison has been on the receiving end of 15 TD throws, many of spectacular variety. This week, the senior from Tampa, Fla., has totaled 28 receptions for 471 yards with eight TDs. He has a season-best catch of 62 yards. Against Northwood last weekend, Allison had five catches for 78 yards and three TDs, which tied a school record for a game. His season-best receiving total was 81 yards and two TDs against Quincy. In his career, he now has 44 receptions for 671 yards and 15 TDs. Hojer Leading Defense: Sophomore linebacker Blake Hojer is leading a balanced and fast defense, which will rank as one of the best in school history. Hojer of Lake Preston, S.D., has 60 total tackles, including 32 solo stops. He has a team-high 8.0 tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks, and a fumble recovery. Ryan Hedden, a senior linebacker from Fairmont, Neb., has 55 tackles, including 4.0 TFLs, a quarterback sack and a fumble recovery. Chris Reid, a senior from Hills, Minn., has 52 tackles, including 30 solo stops, three tackles for loss with an interception and two fumble recoveries. Tyler Spease of Rapid City, S.D., had 49 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Jordan Davis of San Antonio, Texas, has 49 tackles, three interceptions, two blocked kicks and six pass breakups. John Barker, a senior defensive tackle from Sioux City, Iowa, has 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles. USD has 25 sacks (-164 yards), 75 tackles for loss (-298 yards), 12 interceptions, eight fumble recoveries and four blocked kicks. Reviewing Grand Valley State

About Grand Valley State: Located in Allendale, Mich., Grand Valley State has totaled a 82-9 record since 2000. This is Grand Valley State's 11th playoff appearance. The Lakers have a 17-2 mark in its last 19 playoff games since the 2001 season. GVSU has won nine straight home playoff games. All-time the Lakers owns a 17-7 mark. Since 2001, the Lakers own a 42-3 home mark.

Finnerty Leads Lakers Offense: Like USD's Logan, Finnerty is a Harlon Hill finalist. Finnerty, who ranks fourth on the NCAA DII all-time total offense list at 11,970 yards, has 127 TDs in his career. The 2006 GLIAC Player of the Year, he has completed 135 of 228 passes for 2,154 yards with 29 TDs and eight interceptions. Finnerty has a pass efficiency rating of 173.52, which leads Division II. He has also rushed for 328 yards on 81 carries or 4.0 per carry. Astin Martin leads the Lakes in rushing with 805 yards on 165 carries. He has six TDs and averages 73.2 yards per game. Finnery and Eric Fowler combine as one of the nation's top passing combinations. Fowler has caught 51 passes for 1,090 yards with 16 TDs. He averages 21.4 yards per catch and 99.1 yards per game. Terry Mitchell has 21 catches for 329 yards and six TDs.

Adams Leads Defense: Anthony Adams leads GVSU with 64 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. P.J. Beuke also has 64 tackles including two quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery. Brandon Carr, who has 47 tackles, leads the Lakers with four interceptions. On defense, GVSU has 93 tackles for loss, 40 quarterback sacks, 15 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries.

Breaking down Grand Valley State: Overall, Grand Valley is averaging 36.5points while allowing 13.8 per game. GVSU has outscored opponents, 402 to 152, including 108 to 29 in the first quarter and 261 to 53 in the first half. The Lakers have 4,248 yards in total offense or 386.2 per game. They have averaged 175.4 yards rushing per game, including 4.8 yards per rush. The Lakers have 1,929 yards on the ground on 405 carries. Through the air, Grand Valley State has accumulated 2,319 yards by completing 143 of 240 passes for an averaging of 210.8 yards per game. The Lakers have 31 passing TDs and 18 rushing TDs.

About Head Coach Chuck Martin: A graduate of Millikin University in 1990, head coach Chuck Martin is in his third year at GVSU. He owns an overall record of 34-3, including a national title in 2005. This season, he led the Lakers to a GLIAC title. He was an assistant coach for four years before taking over the head job. Martin began his coaching career at Minnesota State in 1992. He also coached at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio where he was the head golf coach and assistant baseball coach. He coached at Millikin for two year before taking over the linebackers job at Eastern Michigan. Martin, a native of Park Forest, Ill., earned All-American honors at Millikin where he was a place-kicker. He earned his degree in 1990 in accounting.