University of South Dakota Athletics

Full Game Notes (.pdf) | Montana Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
Montana (6-5, 4-4 Big Sky) at South Dakota (4-7, 3-5 MVFC)
Saturday, Aug. 31 at 2 p.m. CST
Vermillion, S.D. (DakotaDome)
TV: MidcoSN (Jay Elsen, Andre Fields, Elaina Lanson)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor, Gary Culver, John Thayer)
Watch Online: FREE webcast on GoYotes.com | ESPN+ (subscription required)
Series: Montana leads 12-6 (won the last five)

About the Coyotes:  USD is unveiling a "positionless" defense with new coordinator Travis Johansen that utilizes mainly a 3-4 look ... the names on the D-line and secondary are familiar, while MLB Jack Cochrane heads a young linebacker corps ... senior DE Darin Greenfield is a two-time All-American ... the offense is headed by senior QB Austin Simmons, the Valley's leading passer last season ... he has returning talent around him at the skill positions and youth on the line that protects him ... Mason Scheidegger at right guard is the lone returning starter on the initial depth chart

About the Griz:  Montana was one yard away from a playoff berth last season, but a fumble in the closing seconds to rival Montana State dashed its hopes ... three of the team's five losses were by four points or less ... returns entire offense and eight defensive starters ... senior LB Dante Olson finished third in the voting for national defensive POY ... dual-threat, senior QB Dalton Sneed is the 2018 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year ... Sneed passed for 2,723 yards and ran for 675 while combining for 28 TDs ... preseason All-American WR Sammy Akem caught 59 passes for 879 yards and 13 TDs last year ... the Griz are looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2015

Quick Hits
-South Dakota is opening at home for the first time since 2013 and for just the second time since 2010
-The Coyotes have won 16 consecutive home openers since 2003 (t-5th longest in FCS)
-Due to ongoing construction, Sunday was the team's first practice inside the DakotaDome
-The DakotaDome is undergoing a $26.3 million renovation to its west side that will be ready ahead of the 2020 home opener
-This is the second game of the 2019 Big Sky/MVFC Challenge. USD is playing in two of the 10 games of this year's series (at UNC, 9/21).
-Bob Nielson is one of 14 active NCAA coaches with 200 career victories
-Travis Johansen, who spent the previous six seasons at Grand View University, is USD's new defensive coordinator
-DE Darin Greenfield and WR Dakarai Allen are returning all-Valley performers. Greenfield is a two-time All-American.

The Notes
Welcome to the 150th anniversary of college football, the 41st season of Coyote football inside the DakotaDome, and the fourth year of the Bob Nielson era at USD. This is also the ninth time South Dakota and Montana have met in a season opener. The last time was 2012 in Missoula (Montana won 35-24). The last time in Vermillion was 1972 (USD won 35-0 as part of a 9-1 campaign).
    South Dakota's last win in the series was 1974 in Vermillion. Montana has won all five since including four in Missoula. An Ellis Henderson 98-yard kickoff return with 1:36 remaining led to a 31-27 Montana win in Vermillion during the 2013 campaign.

South Dakota has won 16 consecutive home openers dating back to 2003. That is tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the FCS. The Coyotes have faced 15 different opponents during the streak. The average score was 45-15. USD's defense has pitched five shutouts in that run. Here are the longest active FCS streaks:
    1.    20 - North Dakota State (1999-pres.)
    2.    19 - Central Arkansas (2000-pres.)
    3.    18 - Wofford (2001-pres.)
           18 - Harvard (2001-pres.)
    5.    16 - South Dakota (2003-pres.)
            16 - James Madison (2003-pres.)
    7.    15 - Montana (2004-pres.)

The DakotaDome, which opened in 1979, is undergoing a $26.3 million renovation to its west side. These renovations will include:
    •  A football locker room, team meeting spaces and offices
    •  New permanent seating, club seating and concessions
    •  Smart lighting, sound and operational efficiencies
    •  Two new main entrances on the west side
More information on the project can be found at GoYotes.com/DakotaDome.

South Dakota has faced at least four FCS top-25 opponents every year since 2011. The Coyotes faced eight such opponents in 2017, going 4-4 and advancing to the round of 16 in the FCS playoffs. Of the team's 11 FCS opponents on this year's slate, five are ranked in the STATS Preseason FCS poll. Also, Oklahoma is preseason No. 4 in the FBS rankings.

USD will tackle that schedule behind fifth-year quarterback Austin Simmons, an honorable mention all-Valley pick who led the league and ranked fourth nationally with 3,124 yards passing during the regular season. That total is second-highest in program history. Simmons was sixth in the nation in total offense (314.2 ypg). He passed for at least 325 yards in four of eight MVFC games. Not accounting for sacks, Simmons was USD's top rusher with 549 yards and a 6.5-yard per carry average.

Simmons returns nine of his top 10 receivers including senior Dakarai Allen, a second-team all-MVFC honoree who led USD with 48 catches for 703 yards and five touchdowns in 2018. Allen and fellow seniors Randy Baker and Trystn Ducker have each played in at least 28 games at USD. Junior Levi Falck caught 45 passes for 492 yards and two scores a year ago. Speedy Kody Case is back after missing most of last season due to injury.

USD averaged 190 yards on the ground two years ago when the team qualified for the FCS playoffs. That average fell to 125 yards per game last season, and it is certainly a number head coach Bob Nielson is working to balance out ahead of this season.
    The Coyotes return their top three rushers including junior Kai Henry, who ran for 336 yards and five scores during the last five games of 2018. Henry has compiled more than 1,100 yards in his two seasons with 13 scores.

Junior captain Mason Scheidegger has started all 24 games on the Coyotes' line since 2017. He has played all five positions in that span, but is slated at right guard on the first depth chart. He is joined by four new starters. Among the group is Alex Jensen, a converted tight end who is now starting at left tackle. Kian Rexroat-Potts (center) and Isaac Erbes (right tackle) both competed as freshmen last year, but not in enough games to burn a year of eligibility. Scheidegger and senior Michael Bianchi (left guard) are the only upperclassmen out of 18 in the unit.

Travis Johansen 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). Grand View finished in the top 15 of the national rankings in all six seasons.

Of the returners to the MVFC this year, no one has recorded more sacks and tackles-for-loss than Darin Greenfield over the last two seasons. A two-time All-American and first-team all-MVFC honoree, Greenfield had 9.0 sacks and 19.5 TFL in 2017. He played through injury to rack up 6.0 sacks and 14.5 TFL in 2018. He is also the team's third-leading tackler in that span.

Greenfield is fourth on USD's career sacks list with 19.0 (third is Brent Peterson, 21.5, 1994-97). He is sixth on USD's career TFL list with 41.0 (fifth is Aaron Dietrich, 42.0, 1999-2003).

Greenfield is part of a defensive line that features four seniors with plenty of starting experience for three positions. Junior Jacob Headlee started all 11 games a year ago. New to the depth chart is redshirt-freshman Brendan Webb who is looking to make his collegiate debut.

There are no seniors in USD's 18-member linebacker crew. Co-captain and middle linebacker Jack Cochrane is a true junior and an all-MVFC Academic Team honoree who returns as the Coyotes' second-leading tackler. Jake Matthew, Jakari Starling and Jonathan Joanis are expected to make their first collegiate starts Saturday. Redshirt freshmen make up half of USD's eight linebackers featured on the depth chart.

Defensive backs, an inexperienced group a year ago, is now a veteran unit in 2019. Mark Collins Jr. at cornerback led the nation in passes defended per game a year ago despite missing the final four games due to injury. Phillip Powell's season was cut short as well, but is set for his junior season. Elijah Reed stepped into a starting role and was the team's second-leading tackler from games 5-11. Cameron Tisdale was one of 12 players named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team in 2018.

Mason Lorber made at least one field goal in all but two games a year ago. He ended the year with six straight makes. Three of his five misses were more than 40 yards. Lorber is adding kickoff duties in 2019.
    Punter Brady Schutt ranked third in the Valley and 12th nationally with a punting average of 42.9 yards. Dalton Godfrey returns as the long snapper.

Since joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2012, 47 of South Dakota's 81 opponents have been either a nationally-ranked FCS team or an FBS opponent (58 percent).

South Dakota has averaged 32 points per game under Nielson and coordinator Ted Schlafke (35 games). The Coyotes are 11-2 over the last two seasons when scoring at least 30 points.

Simmons enters the season opener with 3,534 career yards passing, which ranks 11th in program history. With 36 yards Saturday, Simmons will enter the top-10 list. With 208 yards Saturday, Simmons will surpass Mark Jenkins (1972-75) for seventh place on the Coyotes' all-time list.

There are three true freshmen on this week's depth chart. Offensive linemen Joey Lombard and Siler Tschirhart (CHEER-heart) are listed as is Cori Fant Jr. at cornerback.

South Dakota is 149-77 (.659) all-time inside the DakotaDome including a 35-5 mark in home openers.