University of South Dakota Athletics

Full Game Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
No. 3 Youngstown State (3-1, 1-0 MVFC) at No. 6 South Dakota (4-0, 1-0 MVFC)
Saturday, Oct. 7, 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: YSU leads 5-0

About the Coyotes: South Dakota is 4-0 for the first time since 2006, and 1-0 in the Valley for the first time in six tries ... the team has outscored foes 132-22 in the first half, and outgained them 1,445-635 ... the run defense, which allowed 250 yards per game in 2016, has allowed 289 yards total thru four games ... USD's 16 sacks have come from 11 different players ... offensively, QB Chris Streveler has totaled 17 touchdowns while averaging 292 yards passing and 79 yards rushing ... USD has forced eight turnovers and committed one (0 on offense)

About the Penguins: The defending national runners-up, Youngstown State's early-season resume includes an overtime loss at Pittsburgh and last week's impressive 19-7 win against South Dakota State ... the Penguins ran 86 plays to the Jacks' 37 (11 in the second half) and held the ball for 45 minutes ... the defense is led by all-Valley LB Armand Dellovade and ranks fifth nationally in total defense and fourth nationally in scoring defense ... RB Tevin McCaster leads the Valley and ranks ninth nationally in rushing at 111 yards per game ... if QB Hunter Wells can't go (shoulder), backup Nathan Mays is a capable dual-threat option

Quick Hits
-South Dakota, one of nine unbeaten FCS teams, is seeking its first 5-0 start since 2005, and its first win against Youngstown State
-USD's No. 6 ranking is the program's highest since reaching No. 5 in 2005
-This is one of two FCS matchups featuring top 25 teams (No. 18 WIU at No. 21 UNI)
-This is the 101st Dakota Days football game. The first took place in 1914 against Yankton.
-South Dakota is 62-33-5 (.645) all-time on Dakota Days weekend and has won 12 of its last 16 homecoming contests (beat UNI in 2016)
-QB Chris Streveler leads the nation in points responsible for per game (25.5). He has totaled 17 touchdowns against no turnovers.
-The Coyote offense ranks second in both total offense (550 ypg) and scoring (48.8 ppg)
-The Coyote defense ranks 24th in scoring (18.5 ppg) and 38th in total defense (336 ypg)
-Eleven Coyote defenders have combined for 16 sacks thru four games
-This is USD's second home game and YSU's second road game

The Notes
Sixth-ranked South Dakota hosts third-ranked Youngstown State in the 101st Dakota Days football game Saturday at
2 p.m. It marks the second time in three years that the Coyotes have welcomed the Penguins for homecoming. Youngstown State spoiled the festivities two years ago with a 31-3 victory inside the DakotaDome. South Dakota beat UNI 28-25 in last year's Dakota Days game.

Dakota Days Facts:
-USD is 62-33-5 on Dakota Days
-USD is 26-12 on Dakota Days inside the DakotaDome
-The most points USD has scored in a homecoming game is 60 (60-7 vs. Morningside in 1973)
-The highest scoring Dakota Days game was in 1968 when South Dakota defeated SDSU 55-32 (87 points)
-The last overtime game came in 2009 (W, 24-23 vs. UC Davis)
-The last shutout came in 2004 (W, 23-0 vs. Augustana)
-USD faced 12 different Dakota Days foes from 2004-15: Augustana, Minnesota State, Central Washington, Western Washington, Missouri S&T, UC Davis, North Dakota, Southern Utah, Western Illinois, Missouri State, UNI, Youngstown State

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 four games this season. The 20 points against Youngstown State last year are the fewest the Yotes have scored under head coach Bob Nielson. USD has averaged 35 points in 15 games under Nielson and coordinators Ted Schlafke and Bill O'Boyle.

Youngstown State quarterback Ricky Davis passed for 281 yards and ran for 66 to lead the Penguins to the win against South Dakota last year in Ohio. YSU scored on its first three possessions to take a 17-3 lead and got a late pick-six off a deflected pass to secure the victory. YSU entered that game averaging 294 yards rushing, but needed 56 carries to get to 169 yards against the Yotes. This year's Penguin squad enters Vermillion averaging 288 yards rushing per game.

South Dakota was limited to 255 yards against Youngstown State last season, by far its fewest tally under Bob Nielson. Quarterback Chris Streveler was 10 of 27 for 141 yards passing with two touchdowns and two picks. He was sacked four times and finished with 15 yards rushing on 14 carries. Alonge Brooks and Riley Donovan caught touchdown passes while Trevor Bouma earned a team-best 75 yards on 17 carries.

The Coyotes equaled their first 4-0 start since 2006 with the win in Macomb Saturday. It is the team's first 1-0 start in Valley play, and the first time the program has won its first three road games since 2005.

South Dakota scored 28 unanswered points in less than 15 minutes of game play to build a 38-6 lead that proved too much for WIU to overcome. During the run, USD ran 24 times for 123 yards while Streveler completed 9 of 11 passes for 121 yards. The play that preceded this rally, and perhaps the most pivotal play of the game, was South Dakota's stand on 4th-and-2 from its own 29. All-MVFC running back Steve McShane took the hand off and was stood up at the line by Coyotes Spencer Hopkins, Alex Coker and John Wessel. WIU ran 11 plays for 27 yards on its next three offensive possessions while USD's offense piled on the points.

Brandt Van Roekel, who missed the prior two games due to injury, returned to catch six passes for 119 yards last week that included a 32-yard touchdown catch late in the first half. Van Roekel became the 10th Coyote since 2000 to surpass 1,000 receiving yards. He has 1,115 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns as a Coyote.

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 nine have at least five catches. Redshirt freshman Levi Falck leads with 16 catches. Junior Shamar Jackson leads with 224 yards. Senior Alonge Brooks has three touchdowns.

Fast starts have been the recipe for success for USD in 2017. The Coyotes have outscored teams 73-3 in the first quarter and 132-22 in the first half. To put it another way, Streveler has accounted for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns in four first halves this season. Opposing offenses have totaled 635 yards and two touchdowns.

How good has Streveler been thru four weeks? He is the nation's 10th-leading passer and 36th-leading rusher. He has accounted for 17 touchdowns and hasn't committed a turnover despite 120 pass attempts and 74 carries. He leads the nation in points responsible for per game and is the sixth-most efficient quarterback. He leads an offense that ranks second nationally in scoring and yards per game.

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 289 yards rushing with two touchdowns thru four 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)
Total: 289 yards (2.4 ypc)    
YSU: 288 yards rushing per game

Eleven different Coyotes have recorded a sack this season. There are 67 FCS programs that haven't recorded 11 sacks as a team. Also, 19 different Coyote defenders have made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Darin Greenfield ranks seventh nationally with 8.5 TFLs, which includes three sacks.

Cornerback is a position Coach Nielson has stressed as a strength, and that has certainly been the case thru four weeks. Danny Rambo leads the Coyotes with 25 stops and was instrumental in stopping Bowling Green's offense in the victory in Ohio. He also sealed South Dakota's win against Western Illinois with his fourth career interception. On the other side stands returning starter Adam Harris, who was third on the team in stops a year ago. Dale Williamson Jr. and Mark Collins Jr. have provided depth to the position.

Junior left tackle Nick Jensen was injured on the Coyotes' second play from scrimmage against UND. Starting center Mason Scheidegger moved to left tackle and true freshman Tyler Ciurej took over at center. Jensen had been the starting left tackle for USD in every game since the start of the 2015 season (25 consecutive starts).

Both South Dakota and Youngstown State have had success on third down. The Penguins lead the nation on third down at 59.5 percent (66 percent in the last three weeks). South Dakota ranks 14th nationally at 48 percent.

True freshman Kai Henry and junior Michael Fredrick have taken a majority of the handoffs from Streveler this season. Henry has carried 44 times for 229 yards for an average of 5.2 yards per carry. Fredrick has ran 52 times for 212 yards. Redshirt freshman Ben Klett has run 33 times for 132 yards. The trio has combined for seven touchdowns.

South Dakota and Alabama are the only football teams at any level that have yet to commit an offensive turnover this season.