The Game
South Dakota looks to start 3-0 in Valley play for the second consecutive season when the 24
th-ranked Coyotes host the UNI Panthers in the first USD night game in Vermillion since 2009. South Dakota has won back-to-back games by seven points, including last week's 35-28 Dakota Days win against Missouri State. UNI shutout Indiana State 33-0 and led North Dakota State into the fourth quarter last week before falling 56-31.
Wear Black!
In conjunction with the first night game in nine seasons, the Coyotes are encouraging fans to wear black to tonight's game. Shop for your official USD Coyotes clothing at USDCharliestore.com online or at Charlie's located at 2 E Main Street in downtown Vermillion. Use discount code DOME20 when shopping online to take an extra 20 percent off orders thru this weekend.
Parking
Click here for parking information. Know that ALL University lots are available on game day including the lots near the Muenster University Center and lots 14, 15 and 24 next to the Center for Fine Arts (marked green on the map below). Also, new this season is the Southwest Lot off Alumni Street located west of the DakotaDome (marked yellow on the map below).
The Coyotes
Junior quarterback
Austin Simmons is averaging 319 yards passing for the fourth-highest average in the nation. He has a variety of pass catchers to choose from including leaders
Levi Falck (26 rec, 289 yds, 1 TD) and
Dakarai Allen (23 rec, 392 yds, 3 TDs). The running game is coming off its best performance of the year due in part to
Ben Klett's career-best 96 yards and three scores.
Defensively, USD is allowing more than 400 yards per game, but stops in the red zone and turnovers have kept points off the board. The Coyotes haven't recorded a sack since game three, but pressure has been there at times and the secondary has broken up passes. Twin brothers Alex and
Andrew Gray are the team's top tacklers.
The Panthers
How good is UNI? We will learn a lot more today. The Panthers' losses are to Iowa and nationally-ranked Montana (by three) and NDSU. Their wins are against Hampton and Indiana State, both of which are 2-3.
Quarterback Eli Dunne is coming off his best performance of the year, a 362-yard, three-touchdown effort against the defending champs. Trevor Allen and Marcus Weymiller are capable backs. Tight end Briley Moore (20 rec, 276 yds, 2 TDs) is Dunne's top target.
Defensively, UNI is typically good in the front seven and is allowing fewer than 200 yards per game passing. A redshirt freshman, Chris Kolarevic, is averaging more than 10 tackles per game. Defensive end Rickey Neal is an all-Valley performer who leads the team 2.5 sacks and 4.5 TFL. Five different defenders have come away with an interception.
The Series
The home team has won the last three games in a series that dates back to 1899. The Coyotes outgained UNI 490-283 last year in Cedar Falls, but settling for field goals inside the red zone and four USD turnovers were the difference.
One Last Thing…
The Coyotes are 9-3 inside the DakotaDome since the start of the 2016 season including a 2-0 mark this season. South Dakota has averaged 174 yards rushing inside the DakotaDome compared to a 72-yard average in three road trips.
