100^th Dakota Days Game
Saturday marks the 100^th Dakota Days football game at the University of South Dakota. The first Dakota Days game took place in 1914 when the Coyotes defeated Yankton 33-3. No homecoming game took place during the war years of 1918, 1943 and 1944.
 
South Dakota has won 11 of its last 15 Dakota Days games and is 61-33-5 all-time during the celebration weekend. The visiting, though, has won the last two including 2014 when UNI topped the Coyotes 27-16. USD had hosted 12 different opponents in its last 12 Dakota Days games, but that string ends with UNI back in Vermillion.
 
Home Sweet Home
South Dakota is competing at home for the first time in a month and for just the second time this season. The Coyotes beat Weber State 52-49 in double-overtime back on Sept. 10. USD erased a 42-21, fourth-quarter deficit to record the biggest comeback in MVFC history. South Dakota wrapped up non-conference play with a 47-44, double-overtime loss at North Dakota on Sept. 17, and opened Valley play last weekend with a 30-20 loss against Youngstown State in Ohio.
 
About the (11^th-ranked) Panthers
Northern Iowa doubled up Southern Illinois 42-21 at home last weekend to begin Valley play. That followed one of the toughest non-conference slates inside the FCS. The Panthers opened their season with a 25-20 win at Iowa State, then lost 20-14 at home against then-No. 14 Montana and fell 34-30 at then-No. 7 Eastern Washington. Thus, despite a 2-2 mark, the Panthers enter ranked No. 11 in all three FCS polls.
 
Similar Styles
Prepare for two similar, spread, read-option offenses. For South Dakota, its junior quarterback Chris Streveler (90 yards rushing per game) and senior running back Trevor Bouma (89 ypg); and for Northern Iowa, its senior quarterback Aaron Bailey (80 ypg) and senior running back Tyvis Smith (80 ypg). Both duos have handled more than 80 percent of their team's rushes this season. Both quarterbacks have four rushing scores. Smith has two touchdowns and Bouma has one.
 
On Defense
UNI's four opponents combined to run 100 times for 351 yards with zero touchdowns. When you factor in 15 sacks, UNI foes are averaging 68 yards rushing per game for the fourth-best run defense in the nation. Karter Schult, a senior defensive end for the Panthers, is the nation's leader in both sacks (7.5) and tackles-for-loss (13.0). He and UNI's front seven will battle a Coyote team that enters averaging nearly 200 yards rushing per game.
 
South Dakota's defense had a new look to it last week against Youngstown State. Senior Tyson Graham, a preseason all-MVFC safety, converted to outside linebacker and senior Jet Moreland moved from outside linebacker to middle linebacker to help fill the void created by the loss of John Wessel. The move pushed Andrew Gray into the starting role at safety and he responded with a career-high 10 tackles and an interception. Graham was second with nine tackles and Moreland third with eight.
 
Bouma Watch
South Dakota senior running back Trevor Bouma stands with 2,083 career rushing yards. He needs 90 yards more to tie Carl Johnson for 10^th place on USD's all-time rushing list, and 202 yards to climb into the top five.

For the Fans
A near sellout crowd is expected for Saturday's game and as such, concession stands and restroom facilities will be available on both the first and second floors of the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Saturday in addition to the normal locations on the DakotaDome concourse.
 
One Last Thing
Turnovers have been a story in each of the Coyotes' first four games of the year. USD has committed three turnovers in all but one game this season and had two in the other. Those 11 turnovers have resulted in nine touchdowns and one field goal for opponents. Five of the turnovers were returned for touchdowns (4 INT, 1 fumble). Five others happened in USD territory [USD 6-yd line, 26 (FG), 39, 46, 48].