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

The Basics
South Dakota (1-3, 1-3 MVFC) vs. North Dakota State (5-1, 4-1 MVFC)
Saturday, March 27, at 1 p.m. (CDT)
Vermillion, S.D. (DakotaDome)
TV: MidcoSN (Jay Elsen, Andre Fields)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Carter Woodiel)
Watch Online: FREE webcast on GoYotes.com | ESPN+ (subcription required)
Series: NDSU leads 55-26-2 (won last four)

About the Coyotes: USD is coming off a pair of tough losses after earning a top-25 ranking following game two ... the Coyotes outgained MSU 440-324, but gave up a special teams touchdown and a pick-six ... YSU out-rushed the Coyotes 303-12 in last week's outing ... Carson Camp became the first true freshman QB to start a season opener in recorded history ... WRs Caleb Vander Esch and Carter Bell rank fifth and sixth in receiving yards in the Valley, respectively ... USD is in its second year in coordinator Travis Johansen's 3-4 defense ... LB Brock Mogensen is the Valley's second-leading tackler (9.5 tpg)

About the Bison: NDSU lost for the first time in 40 games and the FCS world stopped for a second ... the Bison have won all three games since including a 34-13 thrashing of in-state rival North Dakota last week and the globe started spinning again ... QB Trey Lance left the team to prepare for the NFL draft and the Bison have played both Zeb Nolan and Cam Miller in his place ... those two have combined for 128 yards passing per game with four touchdowns in five games ... regardless of the QB, running the football and stopping the run remain staples for the Bison program ... four different backs have accumulated between 200-300 yards ... 12 different defenders have combined for 14 sacks

Quick Hits
-It was 2015 when USD shocked NDSU 24-21 in Fargo, ending the Bison's 26-game Valley home win streak
-It was 2002 when USD last beat the Bison in Vermillion, though this is just the fourth meeting since
-Caleb Vander Esch is coming off his second collegiate 100-yard receiving performance
-The FCS's top two punters are featured in this game in NDSU's Garret Wegner and USD's Brady Schutt
-RB Kai Henry needs 69 yards to move into the top 10 of the Coyotes' all-time rushing list
-The Coyotes have forced 11 turnovers in four games this season
-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 sixth nationally in passes defended (2 INTs, 7 PBUs)

The Notes
South Dakota, which has played three of four on the road to start the season, returns home to host North Dakota State this week inside the DakotaDome. The Coyotes won't have to leave the state of South Dakota the rest of the spring slate. In addition to being home in three of their final four games, the Coyotes' lone remaining road trip is to South Dakota State.

North Dakota State represents the fourth top-10 team the Coyotes will have faced dating back to South Dakota's 24-21 upset of South Dakota State at the end of the 2019 campaign. South Dakota has won two of its last three games against top-10 teams with the week two loss at North Dakota the lone exception.

South Dakota is one of just four teams that have beaten North Dakota State since 2015.

Turnovers have been the great equalizer for South Dakota in its recent string of top-10 victories. The Coyotes forced four turnovers when they beat South Dakota State 24-21 to end 2019. They forced seven turnovers in knocking off Illinois State 27-20 in their season opener this season.

South Dakota has forced 11 turnovers (6 fumbles, 5 interceptions) in four games this season. That's the best average for any FCS team that has played at least four games. Linebacker Jacob Matthew has recovered two fumbles. Myles Harden intercepted two passes in his collegiate debut at Illinois State.

North Dakota State ran 52 times for 419 yards and the Bison totaled 700 yards of offense in a 49-14 win against South Dakota last season inside the Fargodome. The Coyotes ran for 172 yards and two scores on their side with Kai Henry running eight times for 58 yards and a score. But USD was limited to 11 completions through the air for a season-low 73 yards.

Let's just hope the referee knows which two teams are competing Saturday. In last year's matchup in Fargo, the referee mischaracterized the Coyotes as that team in northern South Dakota not once, but twice during the opening coin toss. It proved not to be a good omen.

The Coyotes averaged 185 yards on the ground last season, but have mustered an 80-yard average through four games this season, which includes a 12-yard effort on the ground last week at Youngstown State. 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 20 sacks in four games have subtracted from USD's total.

The Coyotes brought back all five returning starters along their offensive line from last season, a group that helped USD eclipse 300 yards on the ground on three separate occasions. That said, senior team captain Mason Scheidegger was injured early against Missouri State and is lost for the spring. Redshirt freshmen Colton Harberts and Joey Lombard have been featured on the line in recent weeks as the Coyotes seek more consistency.

True freshman Carson Camp is the Valley's second-leading passer through four games. He threw for a season-high 339 yards in his DakotaDome debut against Missouri State. Last week was his first game without tossing a touchdown.

Redshirt freshman Carter Bell was Camp's top receiver in each of the first three games. Senior all-Valley pick Caleb Vander Esch was featured last week to the tune of nine catches for 102 yards. The nine catches equaled his career high and the 102 yards was a yard shy of his top collegiate performance. Bell, a quarterback at Bettendorf High School, has assumed the role left by the injury of Kody Case, who has reached nearly 1,000 career yards in his Coyote career.

Kai Henry surpassed Tony Higgins for 12th place on the Coyotes' all-time rushing list last week at Youngstown State. Here is where Henry ranks on the Coyotes' all-time rushing list:
    10.   2,197 - Noah Shepard (2005-09) (+69)
    11.   2,173 - Carl Johnson (1954-56) (+45)
    12.   2,128 - Kai Henry (2017-pres.)

Spelling Henry has been redshirt freshman Travis Theis, who is averaging a team-best 4.1 yards per carry. Theis took a screen pass 45 yards during last week's game against Youngstown State, which equals the team's longest play from scrimmage this season.

Defensively, the Coyotes competed without senior defensive tackle and team captain DeValon Whitcomb last week and also without sophomore linebacker Jakari Starling. Coach Bob Nielson said both could return this Saturday. Whitcomb had started 20 consecutive games prior to the trip to Youngstown.

Sophomore Ethan Burson filled in admirably for Whitcomb along the defensive line last week. He posted a career-high seven tackles and earned his first collegiate sack. Jackson Coker added three tackles on the line including one for loss.

The Coyotes are in year two of coordinator Travis Johansen's position-less defense. It features the linebacking crew headed by all-Valley pick Jack Cochrane. Sophomore Brock Mogensen, who lines up next to Cochrane, is the Valley's second-leading tackler through four games. Jacob Matthew has thrived as an edge rusher while Jakari Starling serves more in pass coverage.

USD's true freshman at cornerback, Myles Harden, has been fantastic through four 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 and ranks sixth nationally in passes defended. Opposite Harden is sophomore Tre Jackson who has two pass breakups and is the team's sixth-leading tackler.

With the exception of Camp at quarterback, 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.

Coyote punter Brady Schutt is a preseason all-American and has performed as one through four 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 49.5 yards including a career-long boot of 64 yards.

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. Against Missouri State, it was a bull rush up the middle on a longer attempt that gave him no chance. Lorber rebounded with a season-best make of 37 yards last week at Youngstown State.

South Dakota will be playing its second home game inside its newly renovated DakotaDome. The $26 million renovation to the west side includes a new locker room, two new entrances and new permanent seating. The second phase of the renovation, which was recently completed, includes team meeting spaces and football offices on the fourth level of the west side. The coaching staff will begin its transition to those offices at the conclusion of this spring season.