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

The Basics
South Dakota (1-2) at Youngstown State (0-4)
Saturday, March 20, at Noon (EDT)
Youngstown, Ohio (Stambaugh Stadium)
TV: WBCB-TV & KELO-TV (Drae Smith, Chris Sammaron)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Carter Woodiel)
Watch Online: ESPN+ (subcription required)
Series: Youngstown State leads 6-2 ... USD won 56-21 in 2019 ... YSU is 4-0 at home

About the Coyotes: USD is coming off a loss to Missouri State in which the Coyotes outgained their foe 440-324 ... MSU's defense and special teams units both had touchdowns to counter the yardage tally ... USD had top-10 wins against SDSU (2019) and ILST (2021) prior to these last two losses ... Carson Camp became the first true freshman QB to start a season opener in recorded history ... WR Carter Bell ranks fourth in the Valley in yards per game (75 ypg) ... USD is in its second year in coordinator Travis Johansen's 3-4 defense ... punter Brady Schutt is a preseason all-American

About the Penguins: Youngstown State is looking for its first win under head coach Doug Phillips ... the team has played tight games with top-10 teams Southern Illinois (30-22) and South Dakota State (19-17) the last two weeks ... the Penguins totaled seven points in their first two weeks ... YSU has ran the ball 66 percent of the time and averages 83 yards passing per game ... QB Mark Waid is a redshirt freshman and the team's second-leading rusher at 44 yards per game ... RB Jaleel McLaughlin was one of the top Division II running backs in 2018 and 2019 ... defensively, YSU is still looking for its first sack ... leading tackler Grant Dixon is a senior transfer from Marist

Quick Hits
-USD is seeking its first win at Stambaugh Stadium in five tries
-The Coyotes outgained YSU on the ground 327-66 in last year's 56-21 win
-RB Kai Henry needs 83 yards to move into the top 10 of the Coyotes' all-time rushing list
-True freshman QB Carson Camp passed for a season-high 339 yards last week
-Redshirt freshman Carter Bell has been USD's leading receiver in all three games
-Caleb Vander Esch eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving during last week's game vs. MSU
-The Coyotes forced nine turnovers (4 fum., 5 INTs) in their first two games (zero last week)
-Brady Schutt (P), Caleb Vander Esch (WR), Brett Samson (TE) and Jack Cochrane (LB) are returning all-Valley honorees
-True freshman cornerback Myles Harden ranks second nationally in passes defended (2 INTs, 7 PBUs)

The Notes
South Dakota returns to the road for the third time this season when the Coyotes take on Youngstown State Saturday in Ohio. It is the third home game for the Penguins which hosted UNI (0-21) and Southern Illinois (22-30) in back-to-back weeks before traveling to South Dakota State (17-19) last week. The Coyotes won't have to leave their home state after this one. The team's lone road game remaining is at South Dakota State.

Cold, windy and wet proved the perfect forecast for the Penguins the last time South Dakota flew out to Youngstown back in 2018. Youngstown State built a 22-0 halftime lead in what turned out to be a 29-17 win. The closest the Coyotes have come to a win at YSU was 2014 when USD led 17-7 after three quarters only to see the Penguins rally for a 28-17 victory.

Good news for Coyotes in that Saturday's forecast is calling for a high of 51 on a mostly sunny day.

Both teams enter looking to gain momentum heading into the final half of the regular season. Youngstown State was within a point in the fourth quarter against Southern Illinois two weeks ago and lost last week at SDSU on a last-minute field goal. South Dakota forced seven turnovers in stealing a win at Illinois State in the season opener, but let one slip away last week at home. The Coyotes gave up a kickoff return for a score, gave up a defensive score, missed a 24-yard field goal and had another kick blocked that set up Missouri State's winning score.

Both teams will feature young quarterbacks, but the offenses couldn't be more different. Youngstown State is a run first, second and third team trying to shorten the game. The Penguins feature running back Jaleel McLaughlin and have passed for 100 yards once in four games. The Coyotes are a high-tempo, pistol-formation offense which has led the Valley in passing three years in a row. Carson Camp is currently the second-leading passer in the conference at 251 yards per game. Only Western Illinois' Connor Sampson averages more at 298 yards per game.

Just three running backs have carried the ball for Youngstown State this year, and only two have run for South Dakota. Kai Henry is averaging 18 carries and 65 yards per game while Travis Theis is averaging 10 carries and 31 yards.

Theis scored on a nifty, 31-yard touchdown run in the first half against Missouri State last week for his first collegiate score. It was the Coyotes' longest run from scrimmage this season. Theis carried just once in the second half Saturday and coach Bob Nielson cited an injury was to blame. That injury is not expected to limit Theis this week at Youngstown State.

One injury that Nielson did mention was one to starting left tackle Mason Scheidegger who is not expected to return this spring. Joey Lombard, who started the season opener for Scheidegger and competed for most of the game Saturday, will start in his place.

The Coyotes averaged 185 yards on the ground last season, but have mustered a 103-yard average through three games this season. Part of the reason is that Austin Simmons was an effective weapon with his legs the past two seasons, much like Chris Streveler the two years before that. Carson Camp is a pocket passer and 15 sacks in three games have subtracted from USD's total. The Coyotes have been balanced in their run-pass playcalling.

Red zone performance was another area Nielson addressed Tuesday with reporters. The Coyotes have two touchdowns and three field goals on six goal-to-go situations, and the two touchdowns were Kai Henry runs of eight and seven yards. USD had 1st-and-goal from the UND 3 two weeks ago and 1st-and-goal from the MSU 2 last week and settled for two field goals.

On the other hand, South Dakota's goal-to-go defense has been incredibly effective. The Coyotes have allowed two touchdowns on six chances, forced three field goals and recovered a fumble in another spot.

Henry ran 13 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters of work in last year's 56-21 win against Youngstown State. He had runs of 50, 28 and 12 yards in that contest. Here is where Henry ranks on the Coyotes' all-time rushing list:
    10.   2,197 - Noah Shepard (2005-09) (+159)
    11.   2,173 - Carl Johnson (1954-56) (+135)
    12.   2,116 - Tony Higgins (1984-87) (+78)
    13.   2,114 - Kai Henry (2017-pres.)

South Dakota started last year's win against Youngstown State with four consecutive touchdown drives, each spanning at least 75 yards.

Carter Bell's first collegiate touchdown was a 15-yard touchdown catch against the Penguins last year. Bell has been Carson Camp's top receiver in all three games this season. He had a 5-yard touchdown catch in the season opener at Illinois State and hauled in a 36-yard touchdown catch last week at home.

With the exception of Camp at quarterback, Myles Harden at cornerback, and now Joey Lombard at left guard, all projected starters on offense and defense are in at least their third collegiate season. Fourteen of 22 are in at least their fourth collegiate season. That goes with upperclassmen at all three special teams positions.

Much has been made of Carson Camp at quarterback, but USD's true freshman at cornerback, Myles Harden, has been fantastic through three games. He picked off two passes in his collegiate debut at Illinois State and has been close on several others. He has seven pass breakups in three games and ranks second nationally in passes defended.

Coyote punter Brady Schutt is a preseason all-American and has performed as one through three games. He was MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week following the team's win at Illinois State, but was even better in game two. He netted 43.7 yards on six punts at North Dakota and pinned three of them inside the 10-yard line. Last week, he averaged a season-high 47.6 yards per punt and pinned two more at the 10 or closer.

Placekicker Mason Lorber had just one blocked kick through his first two campaigns, but has seen two sent back this year. The first was an edge rush that got home against Illinois State. Last week's was a bull rush up the middle on a longer attempt that gave him no chance.

Turnovers have certainly played a role early this season. USD used a +6 margin against Illinois State, including an interception late in the end zone, to pull the upset, and forced two more turnovers at North Dakota. On the other hand, South Dakota has yet to put the ball on the turf and Camp has just three interceptions. His one late against North Dakota was effectively a fourth-down punt.

DeValon Whitcomb had two sacks last year against Youngstown State and Jack Cochrane and Jacob Matthew also had one each. The Coyotes had five sacks in their season-opening win at Illinois State, but have just one since. Youngstown State, always known for its physical, aggressive defense, incredibly has yet to produce a sack in four games this season.

Youngstown State has yet to score more than 22 points in a game this season and is averaging 11 per game. USD has lost just once under Bob Nielson when holding opponents to less than 27 points and it came in week two at North Dakota.

Transfers have helped bolster the Penguins' lineup this year, and for South Dakota, receiver Jaevon McQuitty (Nebraska) and defensive tackle Micah Roane (Minnesota) have been instant contributors. McQuitty is the team's third-leading receiver with eight catches for 126 yards. Roane has eight tackles including 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks.