University of South Dakota Athletics

Full Game Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
Indiana State (0-5, 0-2 MVFC) at No. 4 South Dakota (5-0, 2-0 MVFC)
Saturday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m.
Vermillion, S.D. (DakotaDome)
TV: MidcoSN (Jay Elsen, Andre Fields, Kelly Stewart)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor, Gary Culver, John Thayer)
Watch Online: FREE webcast | ESPN3/WatchESPN
Series: South Dakota leads 2-1

About the Coyotes:  South Dakota is 5-0 for the first time since 2005, and 2-0 in the Valley for the first time ... the team has outscored foes 153-36 in the first half, and outgained them 1,728-818 ... the run defense, which allowed 250 yards per game in 2016, has allowed 477 yards total thru five games ... USD's 22 sacks have come from 13 different players ... offensively, QB Chris Streveler has totaled 20 touchdowns while averaging 305 yards passing and 73 yards rushing ... USD has forced eight turnovers and committed one (0 on offense)

About the Sycamores:  Indiana State is 0-5 for the first time since 2009, though the schedule makers have not been kind to the Sycamores ... this is the fifth straight top-25 opponent for ISU, which followed a two-point loss to Eastern Illinois in the season opener ... ISU has switched from a spread offense to a pro-style offense, and from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 under new head coach Curt Mallory ... RB LeMonte Booker is back a year following injury and is the nation's 16th-leading rusher at 97 yards per game ... R-Fr. QB Cade Sparks has supplanted returner Isaac Harker and passed for 678 yards and four TDs ... ISU is 11 of 63 on third down (17%)

Quick Hits
-South Dakota, one of seven unbeaten FCS teams, is seeking its first 6-0 start since 2005, and first 3-0 start to Valley play
-USD's No. 4 ranking is the program's highest since reaching No. 1 in 1987
-The Coyotes are the only program in college football at any level that has yet to commit an offensive turnover
-USD's offense has been turnover free for six games dating back to last season (492 plays)
-The Coyote offense ranks first in total offense (537 ypg) and second in scoring (45.2 ppg)
-The Coyotes have led for 258 minutes and trailed for seven out of 300 this season
-Darin Greenfield (2 sacks, 3 TFL) and Ryan Weese (GW FG) earned MVFC POW honors
-WR Shamar Jackson's program-record 229 yards receiving last week were tops amongst FCS performers
-USD ranks second nationally in sacks (22) and is eighth in tackles-for-loss (44)
-QB Chris Streveler has accounted for 51 touchdowns (35p, 16r) in 15 starts at USD

The Notes
Saturday marks the fourth meeting between South Dakota and Indiana State. The Coyotes have won each of the last two, each by a field goal, including last year's 33-30, double-overtime victory in Indiana. Here is a look at the series history:
Oct. 27, 2012: INST 45, USD 14 (Terre Haute)
Oct. 12, 2013: USD 17, INST 14 (Vermillion)
Oct. 15, 2016: USD 33, INST 30 in 2 OT (Terre Haute)

Last year, the Coyotes led Indiana State 17-3 less than 10 minutes into the game, had a 17-10 advantage at halftime, and was in front 27-17 with three minutes to go. The Sycamores got within three on a touchdown pass from Isaac Harker to Miles Thompson with 1:59 to go, and kicked a 42-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in regulation.
    Miles Bergner made two 41-yard field goals in overtime and Jacob Warner intercepted a pass near the goal line to give the Coyotes the win.

Coyote quarterback Chris Streveler sustained a head injury that forced him to miss the second half against Indiana State and the next game back at home against Illinois State. Streveler threw for 122 yards including a 69-yard touchdown pass to Alonge Brooks before exiting. Ryan Saeger took over at quarterback in the second half for the Yotes.

A year ago in this matchup, South Dakota converted 2 of 16 third downs while Indiana State converted 1 of 15. This year, the Coyotes rank ninth nationally on third down at 48 percent. The Sycamores are last amongst FCS programs at 17 percent. Last week's opponent, Youngstown State, was the national leader and converted 8 of 16 against the Yotes.

Indiana State junior Isaac Harker completed 24 of 40 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns against USD. He is backing up redshirt freshman Cade Sparks in new head coach Curt Mallory's offense this season. Thru five games, Sparks has completed 45 of 96 passes for 735 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. Harker has thrown 27 passes this season.

South Dakota is 5-0 following a 31-28 win against Youngstown State on Dakota Days last weekend. Quaterback Chris Streveler passed for a season-high 360 yards and three touchdowns. Shamar Jackson caught 11 passes for a program record 229 yards and a score. Darin Greenfield and Taylor Lambert combined for four of USD's six sacks on Youngstown State quarterback Nathan Mays. Ryan Weese kicked a go-ahead 29-yard field goal with seven seconds left. Niether team committed a turnover.

Last Saturday marked the first time the Coyotes didn't score on their opening possession this year. It was also the first time that their opponents did.

South Dakota has outscored foes 80-10 in the first quarter and 153-36 in the first half. Indiana State has been outscored 58-14 in the first quarter and 120-31 in the first half.
    To put it another way, the Sycamores in five first halves have totaled 723 yards and scored four touchdowns. Coyote quarterback Chris Streveler has accounted for 1,309 yards (1,095 passing, 214 rushing) and 16 touchdowns.

How good has Streveler been thru five weeks? He is the nation's 10th-leading passer and 45th-leading rusher. He has accounted for 20 touchdowns and hasn't committed a turnover despite 155 pass attempts and 90 carries. He ranks second in the nation in points responsible for per game, and is the fourth-most efficient quarterback. He leads an offense that leads the nation in total offense and ranks second in scoring.

This year's receiving corps is just as diverse as last years. In addition to nine different receivers, the Coyotes have completed passes to three tight ends and two running backs. Five different Coyotes have caught multiple touchdowns, and six have at least seven catches.
    Last week, in addition to Shamar Jackson's big day, Randy Baker caught his first collegiate touchdown pass, and Brandt Van Roekel hauled in another. Van Roekel has caught a touchdown in all three of his games played this season.

Streveler has mostly handed off to three different running backs this season in junior Michael Fredrick, redshirt freshman Ben Klett and true freshman Kai Henry. Each is averaging more than four yards per carry. Fredrick and Henry have 248 and 245 yards, respectively, while Klett has 146. The trio has combined for eight touchdowns while Streveler has ran for seven more.

Mason Scheidegger, who began the year at center, is now at left tackle following an injury to Nick Jensen. True freshman Tyler Ciurej has made two starts at center.

Improving a run defense that surrendered 250 yards per game a year ago was a topic of discussion throughout the offseason and during fall camp. The Coyotes have allowed 477 yards rushing thru five games:
-Drake:     minus-7 yards on 34 attempts (-0.2 ypc)
-Bowling Green:     161 yards on 34 attempts (4.7 ypc)
-North Dakota:    102 yards on 30 attempts (3.4 ypc)
-Western Illinois:    33 yards on 23 attempts (1.4 ypc)
-Youngstown St:    188 yards on 49 attempts (3.8 ypc)
Average: 95 ypg (2.8 ypc)    INST: 111 yards rushing per game

Thirteen different Coyotes have recorded a sack this season. There are 81 FCS programs that haven't recorded 13 sacks as a team. Also, 21 different Coyote defenders have made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Darin Greenfield leads the nation with 11.5 tackles-for-loss in five games. He also leads the Yotes with five sacks.

Coyote junior safety Andrew Gray had a game-high 12 tackles against Youngstown State last week. It was the first double-digit performance by a USD defender this season.

Cornerback is a position of strength for the Coyotes this season. Alongside captain Adam Harris, USD features junior Danny Rambo who leads the Yotes with 32 tackles. Rambo had the game-clinching interception against Western Illinois two weeks ago. Also at the position has been redshirt freshman Mark Collins Jr. who has one interception this season and earned his first sack on a blitz last week against Youngstown State.

Linebacker and senior captain John Wessel was injured late in the game against Western Illinois and did not compete last week against Youngstown State. Wessel, the team's active leader in tackles with 209, missed all of last season due to injury. Expect Jim Litrenta to fill the middle with Alex Coker and Alex Gray on the outside to begin against Indiana State this week.

Redshirt freshman Brady Schutt has filled in just fine for the departed All-American Miles Bergner. Schutt averaged a season-best 42 yards a boot last weekend, and that included three punts inside the 20. He was close to stopping another inside the 5, but it bounced off a Coyote and into the end zone. Of Schutt's 25 punts this season, 12 have been placed inside the 20.

Last year's Coyote team was the first in program history to score at least 20 points in every game, a string that has continued thru five games this season. USD has averaged 35 points in 16 games under Nielson and coordinators Ted Schlafke and Bill O'Boyle. The Yotes have reached 30 points in every game this season.

It is Hall of Fame weekend at University of South Dakota, and one of Friday night's inductees is quarterback Wesley Beschorner '05, who was the runner-up for Division II National Player of the Year as a senior in 2005. Beschorner led USD to a 7-0 start that year en route to a 9-2 record. He passed for 3,049 yards with 39 touchdowns against four interceptions that year while also running for eight scores. Beschorner set 33 program records during his four-year career that culminated with first-team all-America honors.
    Beschorner, who served as offensive coordinator and associate head coach at USD, is now the quarterbacks coach at Rice University.