DAVIS, Calif.—South Dakota junior running back Trevor Bouma ran for a career-high 186 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Coyotes to a 27-17 win against UC Davis Saturday at Aggie Stadium.
The win improved South Dakota to 1-1 while the Aggies fell to 0-2. It capped a 4-0 day for the Missouri Valley Football Conference against the Big Sky Conference.
Bouma answered two quick UC Davis scores with a career-long 68-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter that proved to be the final score of the game. He ran in from 10 yards away early in the second quarter to give USD a 14-3 lead. His final carry went for 18 yards, a first down and sealed the win.
The Coyote defense forced four turnovers and had four sacks – three on the Aggies' final drive. Jacob Warner picked off two passes in the first half. His second led to a Miles Bergner 30-yard field goal that extended South Dakota's lead to 17-3. Bergner connected from 45 yards away with four seconds left in the first half to give the Coyotes a 20-3 advantage at the break.
UC Davis ran 31 plays for 95 yards in the first half. The Aggies got a 40-yard field goal from Brady Stuart on the game's opening possession. UC Davis netted 26 yards on its next six drives before halftime.
Momentum shifted in the third quarter when the Coyotes turned it over for the second time. A backwards pass was broken up and Ryan Parenteau jumped on the loose ball to give the Aggies possession at the Coyotes' 26. A personal foul after a third-down incompletion extended the ensuing drive and Manusamoa Luuga plowed in from 2 yards out to make it 20-10.
It was 20-17 with 6:47 left in the third quarter following a 75-yard touchdown strike from Aggie quarterback Ben Scott to Chris Martin who got behind the defense. Scott finished 21 of 39 for 240 yards. Martin had five catches for a game-high 127 yards.
Bouma's touchdown run came two plays later. He sprinted threw a hole up the middle and had only a safety to beat. He shrugged off the defender near the 10-yard line and carried across the goal line to push the lead back to 10 points.
Bouma averaged better than 10 yards a carry against the Aggies. He was also the Coyotes' leading receiving, hauling in three catches for 48 yards. He had an 85-yard screen pass called back due to a downfield hold late in the first half.
South Dakota gained 240 yards on the ground a week after being limited to 61 yards at Kansas State. The Aggies, meanwhile, netted 60 yards rushing on 32 carries. The four Coyote sacks wiped out 38 yards. Luuga led UC Davis with 30 yards on 10 carries.
