University of South Dakota Athletics

Full Game Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
No. 4 South Dakota (6-0, 3-0 MVFC) at No. 24 Illinois State (4-2, 2-1 MVFC)
Saturday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m.
Normal, Ill. (Hancock Stadium)
TV: CSN Chicago (Kurt Pegler, Chris Highland, Craig Bertsche)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor, Gary Culver, John Thayer)
Watch Online: ESPN3/WatchESPN
Series: Illinois State leads 5-1

About the Coyotes:  South Dakota is 6-0 for the first time since 2005, and 3-0 in the Valley for the first time ... the team has outscored foes 181-42 in the first half, and trailed on the scoreboard for just 10 minutes all season ... offensively, QB Chris Streveler has totaled 25 touchdowns without committing a turnover ... he leads the nation's top offense at 565 yards per game ... defensively, the Yotes' improved run defense (91 ypg) is combined with an attack that has generated 24 sacks and 53 tackles-for-loss

About the Redbirds:  Illinois State has lost its last two after starting 4-0 ... the Redbirds have turned it over eight times in those two losses (six interceptions), while surrendering 771 yards and eight TDs threw the air ... defensively, Illinois State is No. 5 against the run as only two of six opponents have reached 50 yards ... offensively, QB Jake Kolbe is averaging 254 yards passing ... Spencer Schnell and Christian Gibbs have nearly half the team's receptions, though Gibbs missed last week's game with a toe injury ... James Robinson (371 yds, 4 TD) and Markel Smith (280 yds, 3 TD) share the load at running back

Quick Hits
-South Dakota, one of seven unbeaten FCS teams, is seeking its first 7-0 start since 2005, and first 4-0 start to Valley play
-USD's No. 4 ranking is the program's highest since reaching No. 1 in 1987
-QB Chris Streveler has been named national offensive player of the week for the second time
-Streveler has accounted for 56 touchdowns (39p, 17r) in 16 starts at USD. He has 25 TDs against no turnovers thru six games.
-A lost fumble last week is USD's only offensive turnover in seven games dating back to 2016 (1st turnover in 544 plays spanning 26 quarters)
-The Coyote offense ranks first in total offense (565 ypg) and second in scoring (47 ppg). USD racked up 705 yards last week vs. Indiana St.
-The Coyotes have led for 308 minutes and trailed for 10 out of 360 this season
-USD ranks second nationally in sacks (24) and is fifth in tackles-for-loss (53)
-Brandt Van Roekel has caught a touchdown pass in each of his four games this season (7 rec, 108 yards, 2 TDs last week)

The Notes
South Dakota goes for its seventh straight win when it takes on Illinois State Saturday at Hancock Stadium. The Coyotes will be going for their first win in four tries in Normal. The last meeting in Illinois was a 46-0 Redbird win on the final week of the 2015 regular season. Illinois State advanced to the FCS quarterfinals that year.

South Dakota won last year's meeting with Illinois State 27-24 in Vermillion. It was the Coyotes' first win in the series in six tries. Austin Simmons threw two touchdown passes while the defense forced three turnovers, two of which occurred inside USD's 10-yard line.

Coyote quarterback Chris Streveler did not compete against Illinois State last season. He sustained a head injury at Indiana State the week prior, and returned after the Illinois State game. Ryan Saeger and Austin Simmons rotated at quarterback early against Illinois State before the Coyotes rode the hot hand of Simmons, who passed for 205 yards with two touchdowns.

Many of the key offensive players are back for this rematch of last season. For Illinois State, that's quarterback Jake Kolbe (241 yds, TD, INT in last year's game), running back James Robinson (44 yds, TD), and receivers Spencer Schnell (9 rec, 83 yds), Christian Gibbs (3 rec, 61 yds, TD), and Anthony Fowler (6 rec, 72 yds). For USD, Michael Fredrick is back at running back (24 yds, TD), as are receivers Riley Donovan (2 rec, 64 yds, TD), Aaron Ramsey (3 rec, 31 yds) and Randy Baker (4 rec, 21 yds).

South Dakota is 3-0 on the road this season. It is the first time since 2005 that the Coyotes have won their first three road games. Each of the three wins took place in outdoor stadiums. This is the final outdoor game left on the Coyotes' regular season schedule. Illinois State has won its last five home games dating back to last seaon. The Redbirds defeated Butler in their season opener and topped Indiana State 24-13 at home three weeks ago.

South Dakota's offense has scored 87 points in the first quarter and 181 points in the first half this season. Illinois State's defense has allowed 13 points in the first quarter, and 46 points in the first half.

Turnovers are always a factor in football games. A lost fumble last week was South Dakota's first offensive turnover in seven games dating back to last season. Illinois State has committed eight turnovers in the last two weeks, though the defense has allowed just one score off them.

How good has Streveler been thru six weeks? He is the nation's ninth-leading passer and 40th-leading rusher. He has accounted for 25 touchdowns and hasn't committed a turnover despite 187 pass attempts and 98 carries. He leads the nation in points responsible for per game (25 ppg), and is the third-most efficient quarterback. He heads an offense that leads the nation in total offense and ranks second in scoring.

South Dakota's receiving corp is diverse and unpredictable. Fifteen players - 9 WRs, 3 TEs, 3 RBs - have caught passes. Shamar Jackson had a program-record 229 yards receiving two weeks ago. Brandt Van Roekel has two 100-yard games and caught two touchdowns a week ago. Kody Case had two touchdowns last week after making one catch during the three weeks prior. Levi Falck has 16 catches, but none in the last two weeks. Randy Baker has scored in back-to-back weeks after recording no catches in the three games prior.

Handoffs from Streveler are split between junior Michael Fredrick (330 yds, 3 TD), true freshman Kai Henry (293 yds, 4 TD) and redshirt freshman Ben Klett (200 yds, 3 TD). Fredrick had a 53-yard touchdown run last week, while Klett added a 25-yard score. Henry had a 4th-and-goal score in the win against Youngstown State the week prior.

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 three starts at center. Team captain Stetson Dagel is the left guard. Right guard Cody Jennings won a national title at Garden City Community College last season. Right tackle Tanner Anderson is a returning starter.

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 548 yards rushing thru six games (91 ypg), 15th-best nationally. Illinois State has fared even better, allowing 420 yards thru six games (70 ypg), fifth-best nationally. Offensively, USD is averaging 236 yards rushing while Illinois State averages 161 yards rushing.

Team sacks and other tackles-for-loss all factor into those rushing totals and both South Dakota and Illinois State have racked them up this year. For the Coyotes, 14 different players have combined for 24 sacks and 23 USD players have a tackle-for-loss. On the other side, seven Redbirds have combined for 19 sacks and 15 Illinois State players have a tackle in the backfield.

Coyote defensive end Darin Greenfield leads the nation in tackles-for-loss with 13.5, and is amongst the leaders in sacks with 5.0. Senior defensive tackle Taylor Lambert has 3.5 saacks and 6.0 tackles-for-loss.
    Illinois State's leaders are senior defensive end Adam Conley, who has four sacks and nine tackles-for-loss. Junior linebacker Tyree Horton, the Redbirds leading tackler, has two sacks and five TFLs.

Coyote linebackers took a hit earlier in the season when transfer Ray Dixon was injured against Bowling Green. Senior captain John Wessel was injured against Western Illinois, and his backup, Brian Woodward, was out with an injury last week against Indiana State. That said, the Yotes have three capable veterans in place in Jim Litrenta, Alex Gray and Alex Coker. Litrenta's nine tackles led a Coyote defense that limited Indiana State to 232 yards and six points a week ago.

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 35 tackles. Rambo had the game-clinching interception against Western Illinois three weeks ago. Also at the position has been redshirt freshman Mark Collins Jr. who has one of USD's five interceptions.

Redshirt freshman Brady Schutt has filled in just fine for the departed All-American Miles Bergner. Schutt averaged a season-best 42 yards in the win against Youngstown State. He was called on just twice last week when USD's offense piled up points against Indiana State. Of Schutt's 27 punts this season, 13 have been placed inside the 20.

Ryan Weese, a senior who transferred to USD from Kansas, is 39-for-39 on extra points and has made 3 of 5 field goals, including a game-winning 29-yard field goal to beat Youngstown State two weeks ago. Ethan James, the Vermillion native, handles kickoffs.

True freshman Kody Case has handled kickoff and punt return duties since the injury to Paul Anderson. The Coyotes totaled 25 yards on 12 punt returns all last season. Case has 132 punt return yards on 14 tries thru six games.

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 six games this season. USD has averaged 36 points in 17 games under Nielson and coordinators Ted Schlafke and Bill O'Boyle. The Yotes have reached 30 points in every game this season.

The Coyotes have faced no fewer than five nationally-ranked FCS teams in each of their five seasons in the MVFC (since 2012). Not included in those numbers are six games against FBS foes. That means 38 of 63 games (60 percent) over the last five-plus years have been against either a FBS team or a nationally-ranked FCS foe. USD is 3-0 against ranked teams this season (4-25 five years prior).