University of South Dakota Athletics

Full Game Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
No. 7 South Dakota (6-1, 3-1 MVFC) vs. Southern Illinois (4-3, 2-2 MVFC)
Saturday, Oct. 28, at 3 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: ESPN3/WatchESPN
Series: Southern Illinois leads 2-1

About the Coyotes:  South Dakota is rebounding from a loss for the first time following its 6-0 start ... after trailing for 10 minutes all season, the Coyotes never led last week at Illinois State ...  QB Chris Streveler, the nation's seventh-leading passer, has accounted for 27 scores against two turnovers and is a national player of the year candidate ... he leads the nation's top offense at 563 yards per game ... defensively, the Yotes rank third nationally in creating negative plays ... DE Darin Greenfield leads the nation with 15 TFL and has five sacks

About the Salukis:  Southern Illinois has posted impressive wins against Illinois State and Indiana State to get back on track following losses to UNI and South Dakota State ... QB Sam Straub averages 266 yards passing, but has totaled 720 yards and seven TDs in his last two ... he has been sacked twice all season ... defensively, the Salukis have forced 19 turnovers, sixth-best nationally ... safeties Jeremy Chinn and Ryan Neal have three interceptions each and lead the team in tackles ... defensive end Anthony Knight has four of the team's 18 sacks ... SIU is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009

Quick Hits
-South Dakota is going for its first seven-win season at the Division I level
-The Coyotes are off to their best start since the 2005 season when the team started 7-0. USD has been ranked in the top 10 for five weeks.
-USD is 3-0 at home this year where the Coyotes have outscored teams 132-41
-South Dakota's remaining four regular season games will be played indoors
-USD QB Chris Streveler has been added to the Walter Payton Award Watch List. He leads the nation in points responsible for (23 ppg).
-The Coyotes average an FCS-best 563 yards per game (43 ppg ranks third)
-USD was the last college football team to commit an offensive turnover this season
-The Coyotes have led for 308 minutes and trailed for 65 out of 420 this season (trailed for 55 minutes last week at ILST)
-USD ranks fourth nationally in sacks (25) and is third in tackles-for-loss (64)
-South Dakota has scored at least 20 points in all 18 games under Bob Nielson

The Notes
South Dakota is responding to a loss for the first time this season. The Coyotes were one of seven unbeaten FCS teams before falling 37-21 at Illinois State last weekend. Now four undefeated teams remain. USD is one of 11 FCS teams with a 6-1 record.

The Coyotes totaled 554 yards of offense against the Redbirds last week, but two empty trips inside the red zone were the difference. A go-ahead touchdown pass was wiped off the board due to an offensive pass interference penalty in the third quarter. A fourth-quarter drive to take the lead with less than seven minutes remaining was stalled at the 7 yard line. It marked the first time this season that USD failed to score 30 points.

South Dakota set program records for pass completions (39) and attempts (63) against Illinois State. Quarterback Chris Streveler passed for 440 yards, the second-highest total in program history and 12th-highest tally by an FCS player this season. Tight end Aaron Ramsey caught a career-best eight passes for 67 yards to lead 10 different Coyote pass catchers.

This week's opponent is Southern Illinois, fresh off back-to-back wins against Illinois State (42-7) and Indiana State (45-24). This is the fourth meeting between the two programs and the home team has won all three contests. Southern Illinois held off a Coyote comeback last season in a 35-28 victory in Carbondale. USD ran four plays from inside the 5 in the final seconds, but couldn't punch it in.

The top two quarterbacks in the Valley take center stage in this one as South Dakota's Chris Streveler goes against Southern Illinois' Sam Straub. Streveler is the nation's fourth-leading passer at 329 yards per game. Straub averages 266, but has totaled 720 yards and seven touchdowns in his last two. Both accounted for three touchdowns in last year's matchup in Carbondale. Both led their respective teams in both rushing and passing that day. Straub was making his first collegiate start.

Streveler needs 243 yards passing to move into second place on the Coyotes' single-season passing list.

Streveler is on a record-setting pace this season. Amongst the numbers he is chasing are:
 - passing yards in a single-season (3,049, W. Beschorner, 2005)
 - completions in a single-season (188, N. Shepard, 2009)
 - attempts in a single-season (314, K. Earl, 2013)

Third-down conversions are always important and may have been the single-most deciding factor in last year's meeting in Carbondale. The Coyotes went 1 for 15 on third down against Southern Illinois while the Salukis were 11 of 22. SIU ran 94 plays and outgained South Dakota 547-444.
    The Coyotes have converted 51 percent of their third downs this season, the fourth-best mark nationally. South Dakota was 9 of 16 on third down last week while facing the nation's top third-down defense. Opponents are converting 33 percent of their third downs against USD, which ranks 30th in third-down defense.

Turnovers are always a factor in football games. A lost fumble two weeks ago against Indiana State was South Dakota's first offensive turnover in seven games dating back to last season. The Coyotes threw two interceptions last week at Illinois State.
    On the other side of the coin, the Coyote defense has forced 11 turnovers, seven of which came in the first two games. South Dakota hasn't registred a point off a turnover since week two at Bowling Green.

Fast starts have been a staple of USD's success this season. The Coyotes have outscored teams 87-27 in the first quarter and 195-59 in the first half. Prior to last week, the Coyotes had trailed for just 10 minutes all season. Southern Illinois has outscored foes 138-96 in the first half.

South Dakota's receiving corps is diverse and unpredictable. Fifteen players - 9 WRs, 3 TEs, 3 RBs - have caught passes. Shamar Jackson had a program-record 229 yards receiving three weeks ago. Brandt Van Roekel had caught a touchdown in every game he has played in prior to last week at Illinois State. He leads the team with five touchdowns. Aaron Ramsey caught eight passes last week after entering the game with nine catches. Randy Baker has five grabs in each of the last two games after totaling four in the five games prior. True freshman Kody Case, who ranks third with 303 yards, is averaging 21.6 yards per catch.

Handoffs from Streveler are split between junior Michael Fredrick (377 yds, 3 TD), true freshman Kai Henry (324 yds, 5 TD) and redshirt freshman Ben Klett (207 yds, 3 TD). Fredrick has led the team in rushing in each of the last two games.

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 four 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 had allowed 548 yards rushing thru six games (91 ypg), but surrendered 331 yards against Illinois State last week. The Redbirds had five rushes of more than 20 yards. The Coyotes had permitted six such rushes thru six games.

Team sacks and other tackles-for-loss all factor into those rushing totals and South Dakota has racked them up this year. For the Coyotes, 14 different players have combined for 25 sacks and 25 USD players have a tackle-for-loss.

Coyote defensive end Darin Greenfield leads the nation in tackles-for-loss with 15,0, and is amongst the leaders in sacks with 5.0. Senior defensive tackle Taylor Lambert has 4.5 saacks and 8.0 tackles-for-loss.

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, has missed the last two games. Two that end, the Coyotes have activated true freshman Jack Cochrane (Mount Vernon, Iowa), who played on special teams and at linebacker last week. He totaled three tackles in his collegiate debut.

Cornerback is a position of strength for the Coyotes this season. Alongside captain Adam Harris, USD features junior Danny Rambo who ranks third on the team with 40 tackles. Rambo had the game-clinching interception against Western Illinois in the Valley opener. Also at the position has been redshirt freshman Mark Collins Jr. who has one of USD's six interceptions.

Redshirt freshman Brady Schutt has filled in just fine for the departed All-American Miles Bergner. Schutt averaged a season-best 46 yards against Illinois State. Of his 32 punts this season, 15 have been placed inside the 20.

Ryan Weese, a senior who transferred to USD from Kansas, is 42-for-42 on extra points and has made 3 of 6 field goals, including a game-winning 29-yard field goal to beat Youngstown State. 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 136 punt return yards on 16 tries thru seven games.