University of South Dakota Athletics

GAME 11: SOUTH DAKOTA (7-3, 4-3 MVFC) vs SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (8-2, 5-2 MVFC)
When	Saturday, Nov. 18 | 2 p.m. CDT
Where	DakotaDome (10,000) | Vermillion, South Dakota
Television	MidcoSN (Jay Elsen, Andre Fields, Carla Metts)
Watch Online	FREE Webcast | ESPN3/WatchESPN
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor, Gary Culver, John Thayer)
Live Stats	Live Stats
South Dakota Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
SDSU Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
MVFC Links	MVFC Notes | Website | MVFC Stats
Social Media	Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Parking Information

The Game
For just the fourth time in the last 70 years, South Dakota and South Dakota State are meeting in the final game of the regular season. The 112^th installment of the intrastate rivalry kicks off Saturday and this one carries significant playoff implications. Here are the questions that remain:
 
-South Dakota State will be one of the top eight seeds with a win, but what if South Dakota wins? Would the committee place the Coyotes in the top-eight with an 8-3 record?
-With eight wins, SDSU is assured a spot in the 24-team playoff field. USD would be in with its eighth win, but if not, would the Coyotes' 7-4 record be enough to earn one of 14 at-large bids?
-How many teams from the MVFC make the field? If Illinois State can find a way to beat NDSU, six Valley teams would have at least seven wins. The most the Valley has sent to the playoffs is five.
 
In summary, the winner of this game stands a good chance at earning a first-round bye. The loser will play a first-round game and could possibly face either the winner of this game or North Dakota State in round two.
 
The Series
This series dates back to 1889. South Dakota held a 48-34-7 lead in the rivalry at the end of the 1980s, but the Jackrabbits have won 19 of the last 22 games since 1990 to take its first lead in the series at 53-51-7. Each of the last two games were decided by seven points.
 
The Coyotes' last win in the series was a 41-28 decision in Brookings in 2000. The Jackrabbits have won the eight meetings since. South Dakota's last win over the Jacks in Vermillion came in 1997.
 
Top Offenses on Display
Both teams average 38 points per game, which ranks in the top five nationally. Both quarterbacks – South Dakota's Chris Streveler and South Dakota State's Taryn Christion – were the two all-MVFC picks a year ago, and are very much in the mix for national player of the year awards this season. Christion has accounted for 32 of SDSU's 52 touchdowns this season. Streveler has accounted for 31 of USD's 53.
 
Streveler hands off to Michael Fredrick (563 yds, 4 TDs) and Kai Henry (469 yds, 6 TDs), and throws to a diverse group of receivers led by Shamar Jackson (624 yds, 3 TDs) and Brandt Van Roekel (422 yds, 5 TDs). Christion has a pair of All-American targets in tight end Dallas Goedert (849 yds, 5 TDs) and wide out Jake Wieneke (590 yds, 11 TDs). He hands off to Brady Mengarelli (653 yds, 6 TDs) and Mikey Daniel (412 yds, 9 TDs).
 
Winning Third Down
Both offenses convert third downs at a 51-percent clip, which ranks in the top five nationally. The defensive units seeking punts are led by sophomores. South Dakota defensive end Darin Greenfield leads a defense that ranks in the top 10 nationally for both sacks and tackles-for-loss. Greenfield leads the Valley and ranks ninth nationally with 16.5 TFL. His six sacks rank fifth in the Valley. Jacks linebacker Christian Rozeboom is the fourth-leading tackler in the Valley with 94 stops. He and cornerback Jordan Brown have combined for three interceptions and two forced fumbles this season. Both teams have forced 16 turnovers in 10 games.
 
Senior Day
South Dakota will honor 17 seniors in a pregame ceremony that will take place approximately 15 minutes before kickoff. This class has led the program into unchartered waters as the team is knocking on the door for its first Division I postseason bid. The seniors are attempting to go 5-0 at home in their final season. USD has outscored teams 174-41 inside the DakotaDome this year and knocked off two top-10 teams.
 
Record Watch
Streveler, who broke South Dakota's single-season record for total offense last week, needs 100 yards passing to break the Coyotes' single-season record of 3,049 set by Wesley Beschorner in 2005.
 
One Last Thing
The winner of today's game will earn two points for its side of the South Dakota Showdown Series presented by South Dakota Corn. The Coyotes enter with a 3-2 lead in the series thanks to two volleyball wins and USD's Summit League title in women's cross country. South Dakota won last year's Showdown Series 14-13.
 
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