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

The Basics
South Dakota (0-0) at No. 7 Illinois State (0-0)
Saturday, Feb. 27 at Noon (CST)
Normal, Ill. (Hancock Stadium)
TV: NBC Sports Chicago
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Jay Elsen)
Watch Online: ESPN+ (subcription required)
Series: Illinois State leads 6-1 (last meeting in 2017)

About the Coyotes:  USD won two of its final three games in 2019 including a 24-21 upset of SDSU in the season finale ... the offense returns starters at every position except quarterback where a competition for the top spot has been underway ... the defense begins its second year in coordinator Travis Johansen's 3-4 scheme ... the linebackers, behind all-MVFC honoree Jack Cochrane, are expected to be the strength of the unit ... the Coyotes return preseason all-American punter Brady Schutt and kicker Mason Lorber, the highest scoring kicker in Valley play by a wide margin a year ago

About the Redbirds:  Illinois State was an FCS quarterfinalist last year behind running back James Robinson and one of the top defenses in the country ... but Robinson is in the NFL, quarterback Brady Davis called it a career, and the Redbirds lost their top six tacklers for a variety of reasons ... despite the new roster, expectations remain high as evidenced by a preseason top-10 ranking ... senior offensive tackle Drew Himmelman is an all-Valley performer, and defensive lineman John Ridgeway, linebacker Zeke Vandenburgh and defensive back Charles Woods are preaseason all-Valley picks

Quick Hits
-USD has won its last three MVFC openers, two of which came on the road
-USD and Illinois State are meeting for the first time since 2017
-The Coyotes have knocked off a ranked opponent every year since 2013
-USD has five wins against top-10 teams in the last five seasons
-Brady Schutt (P), Caleb Vander Esch (WR), Brett Samson (TE) and Jack Cochrane (LB) are returning all-Valley honorees
-Cochrane was the Valley's leading tackler during the regular season last year (106)
-USD's five preseason all-MVFC picks are tied for third-most in the league (full list on pg. 9)
-The Coyotes have led the Valley in passing three years in a row, but have not yet named a starting quarterback for this season
-RB Kai Henry needs 81 yards rushing to reach 2,000 career yards

The Notes
Head Coach Bob Nielson begins his fifth season with South Dakota, and for the first time, he has not announced a starting quarterback ahead of opening week. Chris Streveler and Austin Simmons were two-year starters who finished in the top-four all-time on USD's career passing list. Streveler averaged 264 yards and threw 54 touchdowns in 23 games. Simmons averaged 264 yards and threw 45 touchdowns in 23 games. The Coyotes have led the Valley in passing in each of the last three seasons.

Those auditioning for the position include fifth-year senior Tyler Tsagalis (Arlington Heights, Ill.), Simmons' backup the last two years. Tsagalis competed in four games and orchestrated six drives last season. Redshirt junior Jakob Parks (Clearwater, Fla.) has been the number three the last two years. He quarterbacked two series last season. The two young guns are redshirt freshman Hayden Ekern (Chicago, Ill.) and Carson Camp (Bloomington, Ill.), who graduated high school early and started at USD in the 2020 spring semester.

Camp attended Normal Community West High School, which rests two miles from Hancock Stadium.

Regardless of who earns the job, he will be surrounded by returning starters at every offensive position. The list includes preseason all-Valley honorees Kai Henry at running back, Caleb Vander Esch at wide receiver and Brett Samson at tight end. Plus, USD returns all five starters on the offensive line.

South Dakota's game one offensive line in 2019 entered with 26 combined starts (24 by Mason Scheidegger). USD's game one offensive line in 2020 enters with 84 combined starts. Scheidegger has started all 36 games the last three years. He is flipping back to left guard to start this season where he spent the majority of his time in 2017. The other changes are  Austin Wallace moving from left guard to right tackle, and Isaac Erbes moving from right tackle to right guard.

South Dakota posted three 300-yard rushing performances inside Valley play a year ago, their first such efforts in eight seasons in the conference. USD had more yards rushing than passing five times in 12 games in 2019, and had a higher national ranking in rushing (31) than passing (37).

Senior Kai Henry is the featured back. He is 81 rushing yards shy of 2,000 for his career. He finished as the fifth-leading rusher in the Valley last season at 72.5 yards per game.

Henry is one of five running backs on USD's roster. The other four are freshmen including redshirt freshman Travis Theis, who carried 17 times for 51 yards in four games last year. Michael Mansaray (Columbus, Ohio) and Shomari Lawrence (Pompano Beach, Fla.) are expected to make their Coyote debuts.

Keep in mind that the NCAA has granted a "free" year of eligibility for all football players during the 2020-21 academic year. That also means that even true freshmen can play in every game and retain their freshmen status.

Vander Esch, a second-team all-MVFC honoree last year, ranked fourth in the Valley in receiving yards (651) and touchdown catches (6) in 2019. Samson, a second-teamer at tight end, had 26 catches for 301 yards and five scores.

Nielson said there is a "night-and-day difference" in the Coyotes' defense from last year to this year, its second under coordinator Travis Johansen. And the defense certainly had its moments in 2019. The team allowed just 16 points and an average of 248 yards during a three-game win streak that included wins against Indiana State and Missouri State at the start of Valley play. The unit also stopped three fourth-quarter drives to preserve the lead in a 24-21 upset of SDSU in the final game of the season.

Inside linebacker Jack Cochrane, a true senior who made his collegiate debut at Illinois State in 2017, is a second-team all-MVFC honoree and a first-team academic all-MVFC selection. In addition to leading the team in tackles last year, Cochrane led the team with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

There were no seniors in USD's 18-member linebacker crew in 2019, and although the unit remains relatively young, they are certainly more experienced. All four starters are back including Jakari Starling, a Valley all-newcomer selection, and Brock Mogensen, USD's fifth-leading tackler as a redshirt freshman last season. Senior Jacob Matthew perhaps benefited the most from this new defense. He moved to outside backer and led USD with 5.0 sacks and 11.5 tackles-for-loss in 2019.

All-American defensive end Darin Greenfield has graduated and tackle Kameron Cline is in the NFL, but team captain DeValon Whitcomb is back at nose tackle and projected starters Brendan Webb and Jackson Coker appeared in nearly all 12 games a season ago.

The safety crew is highlighted by two-year starter Elijah Reed, an honorable mention all-MVFC pick last season who finished as the team's second-leading tackler. Isaiah McDaniels, a redshirt junior, started and was instrumental in USD's upset of SDSU in the final game of 2019. He had nine tackles and forced two crucial turnovers (fumbles).

Two of the four cornerbacks on the Coyotes' game one two-deep are true freshmen Josiah Ganues (Miramar, Fla.) and Myles Harden (Miami Gardens, Fla.). Tre Jackson is a redshirt sophomore expected to make his first collegiate start. Cori Fant Jr. started five games at corner as a true freshman in 2019.

Take out the unnamed starter at quarterback, and all 21 projected starters on offense and defense are in at least their third collegiate season except for Harden (first) or Fant Jr. (second) at cornerback. Fourteen of 21 are in at least their fourth collegiate season.

Fun with numbers:
In Nielson's first four seasons, South Dakota...
-is 13-0 when surrendering fewer than 27 points
-has averaged 31.5 points and scored no fewer than 10
-is 16-6 when scoring at least 30 points

South Dakota has five wins against top-10 teams in the last five seasons, and 10 wins against top-10 teams dating back to 2003. Five of USD's eight opponents this season are currently ranked in the top 14. The Coyotes have averaged nearly six games a year against top-25 teams since joining the Valley in 2012.

Last time against Illinois State:
No. 24 Illinois State, behind James Robinson (193 rush yds, 2 TDs) and Spencer Schnell (191 rec yds, 2 TDs), handed Chris Streveler and No. 4 USD its first loss of the 2017 season, 37-21, in Normal. The Coyotes had 1st-and-5 from the ISU 7 trailing 27-21 with less than eight minutes to go, but couldn't get in.
    Seven current players - Kai Henry (31 yds, TD), Brett Samson (50-yd TD catch), Kody Case (43 yds), Brady Schutt (46.2 ypp), Jack Cochrane (3 tackles), Mason Scheidegger and Jackson Coker - competed. Case, Scheidegger and Schutt started.

Carson Camp's proximity to Illinois State was mentioned earlier, but right tackle Austin Wallace competed at Metamora Township High School, which rests 40 miles northwest of Hancock Stadium.

Specialists were indeed special for USD in 2019. Brady Schutt was the nation's fourth-leading punter with a 45.1-yard average and USD's punt coverage unit ranked seventh as a result. Mason Lorber was the most accurate kicker in Valley play last season, making all 35 extra points and going 7-of-8 on field goals. Dalton Godfrey starts his third season as long snapper. He was the MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week in the final game of 2019 after forcing and recovering a fumble and downing two punts inside the 5-yard line in USD's upset of SDSU.