The Tailgate
Headed to the game on Saturday? Join fellow Coyote fans and friends for a pregame party at The Copper Bar (810 Wabash Ave.) starting at 10:30 a.m. (ET) in Terre Haute, Indiana. Howling Pack members eat and drink free while supplies last. Not a member? Not a problem! The cost is just $10 at the door.
The Game
If South Dakota is going to make a move, it has to be made Saturday when the Coyotes start a new month with a road trip to Indiana State. USD will be trying to snap a three-game skid against a team it beat handily, 56-6, inside the DakotaDome last season. But this is not 2017 and Indiana State is red hot. The Sycamores ended a 14-game Valley losing streak with a win at Southern Illinois two weeks ago and backed that up with a convincing win at Youngstown State last weekend. If Indiana State can win out, it would follow an 0-11 season with an FCS playoff berth.
The Coyotes
South Dakota features the Valley's leading passer in junior quarterback
Austin Simmons, but after throwing for at least 325 yards in three straight games, he has totaled 310 in the last two. Defenses have deployed more troops to stopping the pass the game in recent weeks, placing more pressure on a run game that is averaging less than four yards a carry.
Defensively, the Coyotes feature two of the top players in the country in defensive end
Darin Greenfield and safety
Andrew Gray, both on the watch list for national defensive player of the year. As a unit, South Dakota has kept just two offenses to fewer than 400 yards. Turnovers, which carried the team earlier in the year, have been tougher to come by in recent weeks.
The Sycamores
The trees were dealt a tough blow when running back Ja'Quan Keys, the Valley's top rusher, was lost to a season-ending injury two weeks ago. No matter, Indiana State quarterback Ryan Boyle passed for 325 and ran for 68 in stunning Youngstown State 43-17 last week in Ohio. You could say that was slightly out of character for Boyle, who entered the game with two touchdown passes all season and exited with five. He was averaging less than 150 yards passing prior to last week's gem.
Defensively, Indiana State has been gashed by the run in Valley play where five foes have averaged 254 yards. That said, no Valley team has passed for more than 229 against the Sycamores. Linebackers Jonas Griffith and Katrell Moss are the leaders of the unit. Pishon Powell has two sacks and 4.5 TFL. The unit has picked off two passes in eight games.
The Series
South Dakota has won three straight against Indiana State including a 33-30, double-overtime win in Terre Haute two years ago. This is the fifth game of the series, which began in 2012 in Indiana.
One Last Thing
It is a close matchup on paper, so look for penalties and turnovers to influence the outcome. The Coyotes have committed five penalties for 33 yards total in their last two games. USD leads the turnover battle on the year 15-11, but opponents have scored 10 touchdowns and kicked a field goal off those 11 miscues.
