Full Game Notes (.pdf) | Indiana State Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
Indiana State (2-2, 0-0 MVFC) at South Dakota (1-3, 0-0 MVFC)
Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. CDT
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 on GoYotes.com | ESPN+ (with subscription)
Series: South Dakota leads 3-2 (Indiana State won 51-48 in triple overtime last season in Indiana)

About the Coyotes:  USD is looking to put all phases together ... the team was all offense in a 53-52 loss to Houston Baptist, a game decided by a successful two-point conversion in the final minutes ... the Coyotes were all defense in besting Northern Colorado, limiting the Bears to 223 yards of total offense ... QB Austin Simmons is the nation's ninth-leading passer at 302 yards per game ... DE Darin Greenfield is a two-time All-American who has moved into third place on USD's all-time sacks and TFL lists ... USD is hopeful to return WR Kody Case and CB Mark Collins Jr. from injury following the bye

About the Sycamores:  Indiana State is moving forward with redshirt sophomore QB Kurtis Wilderman following the news of a torn ACL for Ryan Boyle, the 2018 MVFC Newcomer of the Year ... Wilderman threw his first collegiate passes last time out and is expected to earn his first start ... junior RB Peterson Kerlegrand is enjoying a breakout season and heads an offense that averages better than 200 yards rushing ... ISU boasts the nation's 15th-best defense through four games ... its last two opponents combined for 179 yards passing ... LB Jonas Griffith is an All-American who led the Valley in tackles a year ago ... next to him is fellow senior LB Clayton Glasco who has become a solid No. 2

Quick Hits
-Saturday will be the 103rd Dakota Days (homecoming) football game
-The Coyotes are 64-33-5 (.652) all-time on Dakota Days and have won 14 of their last 18
-Indiana State is USD's 13th different Dakota Days foe in the last 16 years
-USD and ISU have went to overtime in two of the last three meetings (both in Indiana)
-The two teams combined for 1,111 yards in last year's triple-overtime affair in Indiana
-The Coyotes have won their last two MVFC openers (Youngstown St. & Southern Illinois)
-All-American DE Darin Greenfield has produced a sack in three straight games
-Austin Simmons stands 255 yards shy of 5,000 career passing yards. He would become the fifth USD quarterback to reach that plateau.
-Forty-eight FCS teams have attempted fewer passes than Austin Simmons has completed

The Notes
Two teams fresh off a bye and still with playoff aspirations meet in the DakotaDome Saturday on the first weekend of Missouri Valley Football Conference play. It continues a highly entertaining series of late. USD beat Indiana State 33-30 in double-overtime in 2016, and the Sycamores won a 51-48, triple-overtime decision last year. Both of those games were in Indiana. Sandwiched in between was a 56-6 Coyote victory inside the Dome in 2017.

Saturday marks the 103rd Dakota Days football game. The first took place in 1914 against Yankton. This is the first time Indiana State has been the homecoming foe. A year ago, it was a goal-line stand against then-No. 24 Missouri State that gave South Dakota a 35-28 victory. It was the third consecutive win for the Coyotes on Dakota Days.

Dakota Days Facts:
-USD is 64-33-5 on Dakota Days (28-12 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 (L, 23-24 vs. UC Davis)
-The last shutout came in 2004 (W, 23-0 vs. Augustana)

Last time out: USD mustered two long touchdown drives while its defense limited Northern Colorado to 223 yards in a 14-6 Coyote victory. Austin Simmons threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Connor Herrmann in the first half, and Ben Klett rumbled for a 12-yard score early in the fourth quarter. The defense got five sacks from five different players and UNC finished with 37 yards rushing. USD, meanwhile, ran for a season-high 203 yards.

Last year's meeting: USD forced overtime with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Austin Simmons to Brett Samson with 16 seconds remaining that tied the game at 31-31. Just three plays were needed in overtime one to make it 38-38. A 10-yard run by USD running back Kai Henry made it 45-45 at the end of two overtimes. But USD settled for three on its next possession, and Indiana State quarterback Ryan Boyle threw a 3-yard, throwback pass to Dante Hendrix for the winning score. Boyle accounted for seven touchdowns in the contest.

Outside of Boyle, many of the key players from last year's thriller are back for the rematch. For USD, Austin Simmons passed for 375 yards and three scores, Kai Henry ran for 113 yards and two scores and Dakarai Allen caught nine passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. For Indiana State, running back Titus McCoy ran 21 times for 123 yards and Dante Hendrix caught 11 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Darin Greenfield had eight tackles and a sack for USD's defense. Jonas Griffith had 16 stops and a sack for Indiana State's.

Redshirt sophomore wide out Kody Case is tied for the Valley lead in touchdown catches, ranks fourth in receptions and is sixth in receiving yards despite not appearing in the last two games. Case tied a program record with 11 catches and had 144 yards and two scores in the season opener against Montana. He had six catches for 68 yards and a score before being injured in the game at Oklahoma. Case dressed for the game two weeks ago in Colorado, but did not compete.

Another position group looking to get back to full strength out of the bye week is Coyote cornerbacks. Mark Collins Jr., who led the nation in passes defended last year, was injured while making an interception against Montana in the season opener and has not returned. He is hopeful to be ready to go for Saturday. In addition, Bakhari Goodson and Cameron Tisdale also did not compete at Northern Colorado and are looking to make a return to the lineup this week.

South Dakota, behind three rushers at 50 yards or more, racked up a season-best 203 yards on the ground against Northern Colorado. It marked the first time in 17 games dating back to 2017 that the Coyotes' offense netted more yards on the ground than through the air. Take out the four sacks, and USD rushers averaged 5.7 yards per carry against the Bears.

Last time inside the DakotaDome, Austin Simmons set program single-game records for passing yards (537), attempts (65) and completions (48) in a game against Houston Baptist. The 537 yards in one game is the second-highest total by any player at any level of the NCAA this season. From a receiving standpoint, Randy Baker tied a program record with 11 catches and had 102 yards against the Huskies. Caleb Vander Esch had seven catches for 103 yards and a score.

South Dakota's offense has converted 17 of 32 third downs during its last two games (53 percent). Indiana State's defense has permitted 15 third-down conversions all season
(15 of 49 for 31 percent).

Seven Coyotes in program history have caught 11 passes in a single game. It has now happened twice in each of the last three seasons (since 2017). Kody Case caught 11 passses in the season opener, and Randy Baker caught 11 passes against Houston Baptist. Levi Falck (vs. Kansas State in 2018) is the other active Coyote to achieve the feat.

Darin Greenfield has registered a sack in three consecutive games and ranks third on USD's all-time sacks and tackles-for-loss lists. His 22.0 sacks are five shy of the record shared by A.J. Schable and Tyler Starr. His 45.5 TFL trail Scott Larson (48.0) and Bill Gassen (50.5).

Greenfield is one of seven Coyotes who have registered a sack this season. Five different players had a sack last time out against Northern Colorado. Those five sacks were the most by a Coyote defense since netting six against Youngstown State on Dakota Days 2017.

South Dakota is working in a new "positionless" defense headed by coordinator Travis Johansen, who was the defensive coordinator at Grand View (Iowa) from 2013-18. In those six seasons, the Vikings were 61-11 with five conference championships, six NAIA playoff appearances and the 2013 national title (14-0).

There are no seniors in USD's 18-member linebacker crew. Jack Cochrane is a true junior and an all-MVFC Academic Team honoree who serves as the Coyotes' second-leading tackler. Junior Jake Matthew and redshirt freshmen Jakari Starling have started all four games and redshirt freshman Brock Mogensen has started the last two.

Right guard Mason Scheidegger has started all 28 games since the start of the 2017 season, and has played all five positions during his career. Left guard Michael Bianchi is the only senior within the position group. Other members of this year's line include redshirt freshmen Kian Rexroat-Potts (center) and Isaac Erbes (right tackle). Sophomore Alex Jensen is at left tackle after competing at tight end the previous two seasons.

On special teams, Brady Schutt has the nation's seventh-best punting average at 46.4 yards per boot. Mason Lorber had made eight consecutive kicks dating back to last season before missing his last three, one of which was blocked.

Austin Simmons ranks fifth nationally in total offense (329.5 ypg), sixth for completion percentage (69.4 percent) and ninth for passing (302.8 ypg). His nine touchdown passes are tied for the Valley lead and rank 24th nationally.
    Here is where Simmons stands on USD's all-time lists:
    USD career touchdown pass leaders:
    4. Ryan Justice (1999-2002)    36
    5. Dante Warren (2008-11)    35
    6. Austin Simmons (2016-pres.)    34

    USD career passing leaders:
    5. Jason Seurer (1989-92)    4,759
    6. Austin Simmons (2016-pres.)    4,745 (-14)