GAME 11: SOUTH DAKOTA (4-6, 3-4 MVFC) VS. NORTH DAKOTA STATE (9-1, 6-1 MVFC)
When	Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016 | 2 p.m. CDT
Where	DakotaDome (10,000) | Vermillion, S.D.
Television	MidcoSN (Jay Elsen, Andre Fields, Carla Metts)
Watch Online	FREE webcast | ESPN3
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor, Gary Culver, John Thayer)
Live Stats	Live Stats
South Dakota Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
NDSU Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
MVFC Links	MVFC Notes | Website | MVFC Stats
Social Media	Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Game
South Dakota hosts five-time defending national champion and fourth-ranked North Dakota State Saturday on the final day of the regular season. The Bison are going for at least a share of their sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference title. The Coyotes are looking to equal their MVFC record at 4-4, which would be their best in five seasons of Valley play.
 
South Dakota is one of five teams who have beaten the Bison in the last five seasons. It was a little more than a year ago when the Coyotes stunned North Dakota State 24-21 in Fargo, ending the Bison's MVFC record 26-game home winning streak against Valley competition. Ryan Saeger passed for 202 yards and two scores, Trevor Bouma ran for 94 yards and had a 73-yard reception, Drew Potter caught a game-tying touchdown pass, and Miles Bergner drilled the winning field goal. All mentioned are seniors who will be recognized in a pregame ceremony.
 
The Seniors
Fourteen players will be honored as part of this year's senior class, which has boasted a signature win in all four seasons at USD. In 2013, it was a double-overtime victory on the road at No. 13 Northern Iowa, game USD trailed 287. In 2014, it was a home win against No. 23 Northern Arizona, a playoff team from the previous season. Last year, it was beating the Bison in Fargo. This season, you could argue it was the Coyotes' 27-24 win against Illinois State, a team that defeated USD 46-0 last season.
 
The Series
South Dakota and North Dakota State resume a rivalry that dates back to 1903. The teams met almost every year as North Central Conference rivals from the last 1920s until NDSU made the jump to Division I following the 2003 season. This will be the sixth meeting between the two programs since 2003. The Bison lead the all-time series 52-26-2.
 
The Season
What could have been for a team picked to finish seventh in the Valley. The Coyotes lost 47-44 in double overtime to North Dakota, a team that ran the table in the Big Sky and who trailed USD 34-14 in the second half. The Coyotes also had a 31-14 halftime lead on Western Illinois when a victory would have meant first place in the Valley with three weeks to go. Instead it was the Leathernecks' who pulled out a 35-34 win.
 
Eight of the Coyotes' last nine games have all been decided within the game's final 80 seconds. Five were determined on the final play of the game. Last week, it was the second-to-last play of the game. Three went to double overtime.
 
What to Watch For
Senior Miles Bergner is FCS' active leader in career field goals with 56, but it is his punting numbers that bear watching Saturday. Bergner is the nation's leading punter with a 47.1-yard average. Jake Tyder of Towson is in second place with a 45.7-yard average. USD's single-season record is 43.9 set by Bill Moats in 1978. The program's career record is 42.2 held by Moats and Cole Zwiefelhofer. Bergner's career average stands at 42.6.
 
On the defensive side, senior linebacker Jet Moreland has 99 tackles, which ranks 16^th nationally. With one stop Saturday, he will be the second Coyote since 2000 to record 100 tackles in a single season, joining Adam Broders who had 102 tackles in 2011. Fourteen tackles would tie him with Ben Long (1977) for 10^th place on USD's single-season list.
 
Offensively, senior running back Trevor Bouma (2,406 yards) is 107 yards shy of Jared Schwenn (1994-97) for fourth place on South Dakota's all-time rushing list. Junior quarterback Chris Streveler needs 123 yards rushing to equal the Coyotes' single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback currently set at 883 by Scott Jones (10 games in 1986).
 
One Last Thing
Seniors Miles Bergner, Sean Bredl, Colin Mertlik, Jet Moreland and Drew Potter have competed in all 45 games for South Dakota during the last four seasons. Tyson Graham competed in 44 consecutive games before missing last week's game due to injury. He is expected to make one final appearance Saturday.