Full Game Notes (.pdf) | North Dakota Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
No. 20 South Dakota (1-0) at No. 4 North Dakota (2-0)
Thursday, March 4, at 5 p.m. (CST)
Grand Forks, N.D. (Alerus Center)
TV: MidcoSN (Alex Heinert, Ryan Kasowski)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Carter Woodiel)
Watch Online: ESPN+ (subcription required)
Series: North Dakota leads 62-30-5

About the Coyotes: USD won two of its last three games in 2019 including a 24-21 upset of SDSU in the season finale ... the Coyotes finished 5-7 overall, 4-4 in the MVFC ... Carson Camp became the first true freshman QB to start a season opener in recorded history last week ... the Coyotes forced seven turnovers at Illinois State and turned them into 24 points ... true freshman CB Myles Harden had two of USD's four interceptions ... the Coyotes also posted five sacks (two strip sacks) ... punter Brady Schutt and PK Mason Lorber are two of the best at their position ... USD is in year two of coordinator Travis Johansen's 3-4 defense ... the Coyotes have led the Valley in passing each of the last three seasons

About the Fighting Hawks: UND boasts top-25 wins at Southern Illinois (44-21) and at home vs. SDSU (28-17) to climb to its highest ranking at the FCS level ... this is the Hawks' first season in the Valley after leaving the Big Sky and two seasons as an independent ... UND reached the playoffs and finished with a 7-5 mark last season ... the Hawks return all five offensive linemen from last year and that unit has yet to yield a sack ... Otis Weah, playing for the first time since 2018, has 179 yards rushing and 3 scores through two games ... UND has forced 8 turnovers and blocked a punt this season

Quick Hits
-USD is back in the national rankings for the first time since 2018
-USD has won back-to-back games against top-10 teams dating back to last season
-USD has five wins against top-10 teams in the last five-plus seasons
-No. 23 USD beat No. 10 UND 45-7 in Vermillion in 2017 (last meeting)
-USD's last win in Grand Forks came in 1985 (0-13 since)
-Bob Nielson hired Bubba Schweigert to be head coach at Minnesota Duluth in 2004
-Brady Schutt (P), Caleb Vander Esch (WR), Brett Samson (TE) and Jack Cochrane (LB) are returning all-Valley honorees
-RB Kai Henry needs 46 yards rushing to reach 2,000 career yards
-Carson Camp was USD's first true freshman QB to start a game since 1999. He passed for 221 yards and accounted for all three TDs.

The Notes
A pair of nationally-ranked teams fresh off top-10 victories meet in a rare Thursday night bout this week in Grand Forks. South Dakota and North Dakota first met in 1903 and competed against one another every year from 1946-2011 (66 consecutive years). They split a home-and-home series in 2016 and 2017. They meet for the first time this week as MVFC foes.

The Coyotes are trying to snap a 13-game losing streak in games played in Grand Forks. A blocked extra point turned out to be the difference in a 38-37 North Dakota win there in 2011, a game in which USD took a 37-17 lead into the fourth quarter. USD led UND 34-14 in the third quarter of the meeting in 2016 before North Dakota rallied for a 47-44 win in double overtime.

No current Coyotes have competed in Grand Forks, though several played a role in USD's 45-7 revenge win in Vermillion in 2017. Kai Henry ran 12 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns in that win and caught two passes for 27. Brady Schutt put two of his four punts inside the 20. Kody Case returned punts and kickoffs. Mason Scheidegger was the starting center on a day the Coyotes ran for 285 and passed for 290.

Scheidegger was a late scratch from last week's game at Illinois State. It was his first missed game as a Coyote, ending a string of 36 consecutive starts to begin his career. Bob Nielson stated Tuesday that Scheidegger has been cleared to return to the field. He also stated receiver Kody Case has been cleared to return, but remains day-to-day.

Like North Dakota, South Dakota returns all five starting offensive linemen from last season. But there are changes. Scheidegger is moving to left guard where he spent the majority of his time in 2017. Austin Wallace moved from left guard to right tackle. Isaac Erbes moved 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).

Carson Camp played high school ball at Normal Community West High School, which rests two miles from Hancock Stadium where he started and earned his first collegiate win last week. Camp graduated high school early and joined USD at the spring 2020 semester.

Camp had to come out during a red zone drive against Illinois State and redshirt freshman Hayden Ekern made his collegiate debut. Jakob Parks also took a snap at quarterback during that drive.

Camp is surrounded by returning starters at every offensive position. The before mentioned offensive line is on that list as are preseason all-Valley honorees Kai Henry at running back, Caleb Vander Esch at wide receiver and Brett Samson at tight end.

Henry is now the 15th-leading rusher in program history. He needs 46 yards to become the 14th player in program history to reach 2,000. Henry finished as the fifth-leading rusher in the Valley last season at 72.5 yards per game. He totaled 35 yards on 16 carries against Illinois State on a day when USD mustered 79 on the ground.

Carter Bell has quickly proven to be a capable receiver with Kody Case's injury providing opportunity. Bell caught four passes for 64 yards including a 5-yard touchdown last week. It was his second touchdown catch in three games dating back to last sesaon. The Coyotes also got their first look at Nebraska transfer Jaevon McQuitty, who caught two passes for 42 yards in his South Dakota debut.

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.

South Dakota trailed 17-0 in the second quarter last week when DeValon Whitcomb stripped Redbird quarterback Bryce Jefferson and Jacob Matthew recovered. It was the first of five consecutive possessions where the Coyote defense posted a turnover and it led to 24 unanswered points. Elijah Reed sealed the win with an interception in the end zone in the final minute, USD's seventh takeaway.

The Coyotes' four interceptions were their most since a 42-0 win against Southern Illinois back in 2017. Also, USD recovered four fumbles in beating South Dakota State at the end of last season. The Coyotes recovered three fumbles in last week's win at Illinois State.

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 Brendan Webb and Jackson Coker appeared in nearly all 12 games a season ago. Minnesota transfer Micah Roane earned a start last week and produced the strip sack that led to the Coyotes' go-ahead score early in the third quarter.

Inside linebacker Jack Cochrane became the 14th Coyote since 2000 to reach 200 tackles last week. Cochrane is a second-team all-MVFC honoree and a first-team academic all-MVFC selection. He led all Valley players in tackles last season during the regular season with 106.

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.

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). Reed and McDaniels both had interceptions in last week's season opener.

With the exception of Camp at quarterback and Myles Harden at cornerback, 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.

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.

Schutt is the reigning MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week. It is the third such honor of his career. He averaged 45 yards on seven punts, pinned two inside the 20 and allowed just two returns for seven yards. His final punt pinned the Redbirds on their 15 with 1:34 to go and needing a touchdown to tie.

Fun with numbers:
In Nielson's first four seasons, South Dakota...
-is 14-0 when surrendering fewer than 27 points
-has averaged 31.4 points and scored no fewer than 10
-is 16-6 when scoring at least 30 points