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VERMILLION, S.D.—Sophomore Austin Simmons passed for 171 yards and quarterbacked two touchdown drives in leading Team White to a 21-16 win against Team Red in South Dakota's Spring Game Friday night inside the DakotaDome.
 
Nearly 2,000 fans were in attendance to watch the Coyotes' 15^th and final practice of the spring season. The game consisted of two 10-minute quarters, a five-minute third quarter, and a six-minute fourth quarter.
 
The teams, drafted by captains earlier in the week, combined to run 97 plays for 535 yards. Red outgained White 277-258, but two interceptions, including one by Ben Garlock on the final play of the game, helped determine the winner.
 
White scored touchdowns on three of its first five possessions and led 21-3 near the midpoint of the second quarter. An 87-yard catch by senior captain Brandt Van Roekel setup a 4-yard touchdown run by Ethan Falaniko less than three minutes into the game. A 39-yard touchdown toss from Brevin Kaiser to Dakarai Allen made it 14-0 with 5:19 left in the first quarter.
 
Simmons rolled to his left and threw across the field to a wide open Josh Hale for a 45-yard touchdown with 4:47 to go in the second quarter. Simmons' six completions during the game averaged 28 yards each. He led five of nine series for White.
 
While White scored touchdowns, Red settled for field goals. Ethan James, in his first audition to replace Miles Bergner, made kicks from 38, 36 and 40 yards, the latter making the score 21-9 through one series in the second half.
 
Senior quarterback Chris Streveler, the MVFC Newcomer of the Year last season, helped Red close the gap to 21-16 with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Randy Baker with 3:34 left in the fourth quarter. Streveler played seven of 10 series for Red and completed 10 of 21 passes for 121 yards. The no contact rule for quarterbacks limited his efficiency on the ground. He learned that lesson when his read-option carry on 4^th-and-3 early in the game was blown dead one yard short of the line to gain when a defender first placed a hand on him.
 
Tyler Tsagalis quarterbacked the other three series for Red. His first two drives resulted in field goals and included a 22-yard pass to Caleb Vander Esch and a 17-yard pass to Randy Baker. His third was the final drive of the game.
 
Tsagalis started from his own 29 with 2:06 remaining. A first-down run was stuffed and he threw incomplete on second down. Tsagalis rolled to his right on 3^rd-and-11 and threw a prayer downfield that was easily intercepted by Garlock. He finished 8 of 16 for 85 yards.
 
If there was a defensive MVP, it likely would have gone to redshirt freshman linebacker Andy Aune of Golden Valley, Minn. Aune had 10 tackles and was credited with a pass breakup for White. No other player had more than four tackles during the game. Linebacker Brian Woodward intercepted a long pass near the goal line on Red's third play from scrimmage. Isaac Armstead, Darin Greenfield and Jake Richardson – all of team Red – recorded sacks.
 
Redshirt freshman Ben Klett carried seven times for 61 yards for Red and led all rushers. Falaniko had seven carries for 33 yards to lead White, which mustered just 31 yards on 20 carries when sacks were factored into the total.
 
Van Roekel had a second catch for 11 yards and a third was called back by a penalty. He led all receivers with 98 yards. Levi Falck caught a 40-yard pass from Streveler on the second play from scrimmage for Red and had a second catch for 10 yards. Riley Donovan was targeted nine times by Red quarterbacks. He led all receivers with four catches and totaled 41 yards.