Full Game Notes (.pdf) | Western Illinois Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
South Dakota (3-5, 2-2 MVFC) at Western Illinois (0-8, 0-4 MVFC)
Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. CDT
Macomb, Ill. (Hanson Field)
TV: None
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor, Gary Culver, John Thayer)
Watch Online: ESPN+ (subcription required)
Series: Western Illinois leads 5-4 (South Dakota has won the last two)

About the Coyotes:  Turnovers and allowing big plays stopped South Dakota's three-game win streak ... USD has committed 11 turnovers in its last two games while allowing 15 plays of 20 yards or more ... Kai Henry is coming off a career-high 116 yards rushing ... Caleb Vander Esch has led the team in receiving for six consecutive games ... QB Austin Simmons (271 ypg, 18 TDs) has been the Valley's top passer all year ... impact players Kody Case (WR) and Mark Collins Jr. (CB) have returned from injury in recent weeks ... junior ILB Jack Cochrane is the Valley's third-leading tackler

About the Leathernecks:  Western Illinois has lost six of its eight games by double digits ... the team was outgained 524-260 in last week's 59-14 loss at Youngstown State ... injuries have led to a stable of running backs ... true freshman Jordan Schippers led WIU with 85 yards last week, but has been credited with four games played ... junior QB Connor Sampson has averaged 163 yards per game ... WR Dennis Houston, who has a pair of 100-yard efforts this year, returned from injury last week and caught three passes for 60 yards ... the defense has produced 12 sacks and 10 turnovers ... senior LB Zach Glisan leads the team in tackles ... junior DE Kyle Williams has three sacks and 5.5 TFL

Quick Hits
-South Dakota's Bob Nielson coached at Western Illinois from 2013-15
-South Dakota has won each of the last two meetings with Western Illinois by five points
-WIU has 54 yards rushing in the last two meetings combined (33, 2017; 21, 2018)
-Four of the seven meetings as Valley foes have been decided by a touchdown or less
-Austin Simmons is within reach of 6,000 yards and some heavy hitters on the Coyotes' all-time passing list (see below)
-Darin Greenfield is third amongst Division I's active leaders for tackles-for-loss with 51.0
-Kai Henry ran for a career-high 116 yards last weekend against Southern Illinois
-Caleb Vander Esch leads the Valley with 40 catches, and is third in both receiving yards (546) and touchdown receptions (5)
-Brady Schutt is FCS's third-leading punter (46.3 yards per punt)

The Notes
South Dakota looks to snap a two-game skid and stay in the upper echelon of the Valley standings Saturday when the Coyotes take on Western Illinois at Hanson Field in Macomb. It will be the fourth matchup between USD head coach Bob Nielson and his former team. The Coyotes with Nielson have won two of the three meetings and all three were decided by five points or less.

Saturday is the final outdoors game of the regular season for South Dakota. The Coyotes are 2-1 in games played outdoors this year with the one loss coming against Oklahoma in Norman back in week two. USD topped Northern Colorado and Missouri State in outdoor road games earlier this season.

South Dakota is working to pick up its second Valley road win of the season, a feat it has not accomplished since joining the conference back in 2012. The Coyotes' 45-10 win at Missouri State was their first double-digit road win inside the MVFC.

South Dakota is 2-2 all-time at Hanson Field. The Coyotes won a thriller, 38-33, the last time the team was in Macomb. USD, No. 10 in the national rankings at the time, led the 13th-ranked Leathernecks 38-6 with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter. Western Illinois, behind quarterback Sean McGuire (441 yards, 4 TDs) and receiver Jaelon Acklin (19 rec, 343 yds, 3 TDs), cut the lead to 38-33 with 2:11 left and got the ball back with 34 seconds remaining. But Danny Rambo intercepted McGuire on the first play of the drive to clinch the win.

It was defense that carried the Coyotes to a 17-12 win inside the DakotaDome a year ago. Austin Simmons passed for 220 yards and a touchdown while Kai Henry added 70 yards and a score on the ground. But Western Illinois, which had averaged 34 points during a three-game win streak, totaled 272 yards and mustered just two long field goals against the Coyotes. Western Illinois entered the red zone once and was intercepted. The Leathernecks' lone touchdown came off a blocked punt with 5:12 left to play, and USD's offense drained all but eight seconds to secure the win.

South Dakota has been doomed by turnovers in recent games. The Coyotes totaled 10 turnovers during their first six games of the season, but have thrown six interceptions and lost five fumbles during their last two games. UNI's offense wasn't able to capitalize on the turnovers, but Southern Illinois cashed four of the five last week into touchdowns. The fifth effectively ended the game.

Similarly, USD's defense had allowed a combined 16 plays of 20 yards or more to five FCS foes before facing UNI. Those plays averaged 32 yards and four went for scores. South Dakota has allowed a combined 15 such plays in the last two weeks. Those plays averaged 41 yards and five went for scores.

During South Dakota's three-game win streak, the Coyotes outrushed their opponents 738-141 and outscored them 97-16. The 16 combined points in a three-game span was its fewest surrendered since 2008.

Kai Henry carried 18 times for a career-high 116 yards last week against Southern Illinois, and is averaging a career-high 5.5 yards per carry. Henry has two 100-yard performances this season and four for his career.

In addition to being the top passer in the Valley, Austin Simmons is second amongst league quarterbacks in rushing. In fact, if you didn't account for yardage lost in sacks, Simmons would be a top-10 running back averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Even with sacks, Simmons has been the Coyotes' leading rusher three times this year including a 9-carry, 138-yard and 3-score performance in the team's win against Indiana State.

Austin Simmons ranks ninth nationally in total offense (314 ypg) and completion percentage (66.9 percent) and 19th for passing (271 ypg). His 18 touchdown passes rank 17th nationally.
    Here is where Simmons stands on USD's all-time lists:
    USD career touchdown pass leaders:
    3. Chris Streveler (2016-17)    54
    4. Austin Simmons (2016-pres.)    43
    
    USD career passing leaders:
    2. Wesley Beschorner (2002-05)    6,240 (+532)
    3. Chris Streveler (2016-17)    6,081 (+373)
    4. Ryan Justice (1999-2002)    5,944 (+236)
    5. Austin Simmons (2016-pres.)    5,708

Simmons has found 18 different receivers this season. USD has had at least nine pass catchers in every game but two, including eight last week against Southern Illinois.

Kody Case had three catches for 39 yards last week in his first full game since week two at Oklahoma. He had 17 catches for 212 yards and three scores thru two games, but had missed all but nine snaps since due to an ankle injury.

Caleb Vander Esch has averaged 80 yards receiving per game and caught four touchdowns since Case went down in week two. He had a 103-yard performance against Houston Baptist, a two-touchdown day against Missouri State, and is coming off a career-high nine catches last week against the Salukis.

Junior linebacker Jack Cochrane racked up a career-high 17 tackles last weekend against Southern Illinois. That is the most by any Coyote since 2012. Cochrane leads the Coyotes, ranks third in the Valley, and is 29th nationally with 73 tackles this season. Saluki safety Qua Brown leads the league with 76.

Linebacker Jake Richardson forced a fumble and safety Mike Johnson returned the loose ball 31 yards for a touchdown last week against Southern Illinois. That marked the first non-offensive touchdown by the Coyotes since the season opener against Kansas State last season, and the first fumble recovery for a score since Jake Leohr returned one 46 yards against William Penn back in 2014 (first in 65 games).
    Mike Johnson has scored two collegiate touchdowns. Both came against Southern Illinois (pick-6 in 2017, and fumble return).

True freshman Cori Fant Jr. is expected to make his sixth start at cornerback Saturday opposite veteran Mark Collins Jr. Fant Jr. ranks seventh on the team in tackles and has been credited with four pass breakups this season. UMass transfer Bakhari Goodson was injured against UNI and has not returned to the lineup.

Fant Jr. is one of eight true freshmen who have competed for the Coyotes this season. He and Stephen Hillis have played in all eight games. Wide receiver and return man Billy Conaway (4 games) is the only other true freshman who has appeared in multiple games this season.

Ten different Coyotes have registered a sack this season. There are 18 FCS teams that haven't reached double-digit sacks. Two-time All-American defensive end Darin Greenfield leads the Coyotes with 4.0 sacks and is 4.0 sacks shy of the program's all-time record of 27.0. Outside linebacker Jake Matthew has 3.0 sacks and is second to Greenfield in tackles-for-loss.

Right guard Mason Scheidegger has started all 32 games since the start of the 2017 season, and has played all five positions during his career. Redshirt freshman Isaac Erbes was named Valley Offensive Lineman of the Week following his performance against Indiana State. Sophomore Alex Jensen is starting at left tackle after competing at tight end the previous two seasons. Another redshirt freshman, Kian Rexroat-Potts, starts at center. Austin Wallace has started at guard the last four games.

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 and the 2013 national title (14-0).