VERMILLION, S.D. - Senior linebacker
Adam Broders had 14 tackles and two interceptions - including a key pick-6 in the third quarter as the 19th-ranked South Dakota football team topped visiting UC Davis, 27-24 in Great West Conference action Saturday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D. With the win, the Coyotes improved to 5-3 overall and 2-0 in the Great West, while the Aggies fell to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in the Great West.
Broders (Bloomfield, Neb.) finished the game with 11 unassisted tackles, three assists and two tackles for loss. The Coyote defense delivered big in the game, forcing five turnovers.
"It was a good overall win by our team," South Dakota head coach Ed Meierkort said. "Our defense is pretty good. We scored a touchdown, forced some turnovers. We play with a rhythm and a tempo. We played better up front in the second half than we did in the first half and that was the difference in the game."
Senior linebacker Shea Williams (Alexandria, S.D.) added 10 tackles and a sack, while sophomore defensive lineman Tyler Starr (Little Rock, Iowa) had five tackles, including a sack and a crucial forced fumble.
Senior quarterback Dante Warren completed 10-of-21 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown; he also rushed for a touchdown. Senior receiver Jeremy Blount (Tampa, Fla.) had four catches for 88 yards and a score, while junior receiver Will Powell (Sioux Falls, S.D.) added three catches for 59 yards.
With the game tied at 17-17 in the third quarter, it was Broders who delivered the game-turning play. He picked off a deflected pass and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown to push the Coyotes back in front, 24-17 with 9:00 left in the third quarter.
"The ball got tipped; I saw it go up in the air," Broders said. "It was kind of in slow motion. As soon as I got to the sideline, I figured I had a touchdown."
"That was certainly a huge play," Meierkort said. "He turned into a tailback in a hurry and did a great job getting it in the end zone."
It was another turnover that helped the Coyotes add an insurance score in the fourth quarter. Starr hit Aggie quarterback Randy Wright and forced a fumble, his team-leading fourth forced fumble of the season, which was recovered by junior defensive lineman David Giese (Chicago, Ill.). The Coyotes turned the turnover into a 43-yard field goal from sophomore Kevin Robb (Rapid City, S.D.), putting the Coyotes up 27-17 with 4:43 left.
The South Dakota defense delivered again as senior Marquis Butler (Los Angeles, Calif.) hit Wright on a scramble; the fumble was recovered by Starr to end a big UC Davis threat.
The Aggies did score with 1:01 left to cut the lead to 27-24, but the ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Coyotes, and they ran out the clock to preserve a 27-24 win.
The first quarter was a defensive battle. The Coyotes did have success dictating the field position, which led to their first score. They forced a three-and-out by UC Davis after pinning the Aggies inside their own 10-yard line, and, after a punt, took over at the UC Davis 46-yard line.
Warren found Powell for a 42-yard pass to bring the Coyotes inside the UC Davis 5-yard line. One play later, Warren scored on a 4-yard run, putting the Coyotes up 7-0 with 6:38 left in the first quarter.
The Coyotes led 7-0 after one quarter, thanks to holding the Aggies to just 27 yards of total offense in the opening frame. The Coyotes had 96 yards.
UC Davis cut the lead to 7-3 with a 23-yard field goal with 12:15 left in the first half, but the Coyotes responded with three points on the ensuing possession. A 72-yard kick return by senior Jim Thompson (Hayward, Wis.) set up a 33-yard field goal by Robb, pushing the South Dakota lead to 10-3 with 11:04 left in the half.
UC Davis went on a 9-play, 79-yard drive and found the end zone, tying the game at 10-10 with 6:23 left in the half.
Again, the Coyotes answered - and it took just two plays. Warren found Blount on a short pass near the line of scrimmage, and Blount turned it into a big 67-yard score to push the Coyote lead to 17-10 with 5:25 left in the half.
"Both of those guys - Will Powell and Jeremy Blount - are big-play guys," Warren said. "You get the ball to them, anything is liable to happen."
UC Davis came back to tie the game at 17-17 with 2:13 left in the half. The Coyotes looked to add more points in the final seconds of the half, but Robb's 45-yard field goal missed to the left, leaving the score at 17-17, which was the halftime tally.
Warren threw for 154 yards and a touchdown in the first half, while Blount had two catches for 83 yards and a score. UC Davis held a slight 228-199 edge in total yards.
In the third quarter, the defenses dominated much of the play. The two teams combined for just 86 yards of offense, with the Aggies committing two turnovers and the Coyotes one. In the end, it was the Coyote defense which came up with the big plays to preserve their 2011 unbeaten home record (5-0 at the DakotaDome.).
South Dakota returns to the road for a vital Great West Conference game on Oct. 29. The Coyotes will play at Cal Poly for an 8 p.m., CT contest. Both teams are 2-0 in the Great West.
"It's great to be undefeated in the conference this time of year," Broders said.
Notes: It was the first collegiate touchdown for Broders...the Coyotes are now 39-5 (.887) at the DakotaDome under Meierkort...it was the first time the Coyotes have beaten UC Davis since moving to Division I; the Aggies had won the previous two meetings...the last three meetings have been decided by a combined eight points. The five wins by the Coyotes marks the first time they have won five games in a season since going 5-5 in 2009.
