The game
South Dakota and Youngstown State are meeting in the conference opener for the second consecutive season. The Coyotes are looking for their first 1-0 start in MVFC play since joining the league in 2012. Last year's try was a 31-3 loss to a Youngstown team that limited USD starters to 201 yards and a field goal on 12 offensive possessions. The Penguins racked up just over 300 yards, and turned three USD turnovers into 17 points.
Certainly this will be a different USD offense than the one Youngstown State faced a year ago. Coyote quarterback
Chris Streveler is averaging a nation's best 26 points per game. He's thrown four touchdowns in each of his last two games and accounted for 13 of South Dakota's 15 touchdowns during non-conference play. Streveler (115 ypg) and senior running back
Trevor Bouma (94 ypg) are two of the top four rushers in the Valley thru three games. Bouma carried just four times in last year's contest vs. YSU before leaving with an injury.
Both teams were off last weekend, which was timely for Youngstown State. The Penguins are expected to get quarterback Ricky Davis and running back Jody Webb back from injury. Webb and starting tailback Martin Ruiz combined for 127 yards on 36 carries last year against USD. Even without Webb for two games, Youngstown State is averaging 294 yards rushing per game – the fourth-highest average in the nation. Ruiz has 302 yards and four scores thru three games.
The Weather
It was a rainy Friday in Youngstown and more rain is in the forecast for Saturday. There is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. The high is expected to be around 72 degrees with wind of 5-10 mph.
USD offense vs. YSU defense
Youngstown State surrendered 624 yards in a 38-21 loss at West Virginia in Morgantown back on Sept. 10, but was dominant at home against lesser FCS opponents in Robert Morris and Duquesne. Those two teams combined for 21 total rushing yards. Included in that tally are minus-78 yards due to nine sacks. The Penguins haven't allowed a rushing touchdown this season.
The Coyotes have averaged 227 yards on the ground behind Streveler and Bouma. Passing wise, Streveler has completed 60 percent of his passes for 507 yards and nine touchdowns against three interceptions. His top target has been sophomore
Shamar Jackson, who has 10 catches for 137 yards and four touchdowns all in the last two games. Junior
Riley Donovan caught four passes for 103 yards and a score against North Dakota last time out.
Yotes on Defense
South Dakota made a significant change to its defense during the bye week, moving preseason all-MVFC safety
Tyson Graham to outside linebacker and shifting senior
Jet Moreland to the middle of the linebacking core. The move was made in part to fill the void of MLB
John Wessel, who made his season debut against North Dakota only to sustain a separate injury just five plays in. Wessel is not expected to play Saturday.
You could argue that limiting Ruiz and Webb to a combined 3.5-yard per carry average last season was a victory for the Coyote defense. Ruiz is averaging 6.9 yards a tote and Webb carried 11 times for 96 yards in his only game of the season. The Penguins are averaging 6.2 yards per run as a team thru three games.
Davis, a junior, has supplanted last year's starter, Hunter Wells, at quarterback.for YSU. He's completed 23 of 42 passes for 376 yards and four scores in two starts without a turnover. He has also run for 136 yards. Alvin Bailey, a transfer from Florida, leads the receivers with seven catches for 129 yards.
One Last Thing
South Dakota is 0-4 against Youngstown State, but, outside of last year's contest, has had some close calls. The Coyotes lost 13-10 at YSU in 2012, got beat 38-34 on a late touchdown in Vermillion three years ago, and led YSU 17-7 entering the fourth quarter in Youngstown in 2014. The Penguins scored on three consecutive possessions to begin the fourth quarter and won 28-17.
