The Game
South Dakota hosts three-time defending champion and third-ranked North Dakota State in a Valley showdown at 1 p.m. Saturday inside the DakotaDome. It's just the second home game of the season for the Coyotes, who won't have to leave the state of South Dakota the rest of the way. The Bison (5-1, 4-1 MVFC) have won three in a row while the Coyotes (1-3, 1-3) are looking to snap a three-game skid.
 
The Series
These former NCC foes have met eight times inside the Valley with South Dakota's lone win coming inside the Fargodome in 2015 when Miles Bergner drilled a 33-yard field goal at the horn to break a 21-21 tie. South Dakota is looking for its first win at home against the Bison since 2002, though the teams have met just three times in Vermillion since. NDSU leads the all-time series 55-26-2.
 
The Run Game
Running the football and defending the run have been the challenges through the first half of this spring season for South Dakota, and this week's opponent has built a dynasty on doing both. Hunter Luepke, a Bison fullback, ran 28 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns in last week's win against rival North Dakota in his first game back from injury. The Bison are averaging 237 yards on the ground per game, which ranks seventh in the FCS.
 
The Pass Game
The Coyotes' top weapons have been true freshman quarterback Carson Camp and receivers Caleb Vander Esch and Carter Bell. South Dakota passed for just 73 yards in last year's meeting in Fargo, a 49-14 NDSU victory. Camp, the Valley's second-leading passer has averaged 241 yards thru four games. The Bison, on the other hand, are without Trey Lance who is preparing for the NFL draft. Senior Zeb Noland, a transfer from Iowa State, has averaged 113 yards per game through the air.
 
The Punters?
No fan base roots for punts, but today's matchup between seniors Garret Wegner of North Dakota State and South Dakota's Brady Schutt will be fun for statistical junkies. Schutt was the first-team all-Valley honoree last year after ranking fourth in the nation with a 45.1-yard average. A preseason all-American, Schutt has been even better halfway through this season. His 46.0-yard average ranks second nationally and the unit's 43.7-yard net average also ranks second. First on the national list is Wegner with a 47.2-yard average. The Bison's 43.6-yard net average ranks just behind the 'Yotes.
 
One Last Thing
NDSU represents the fourth top-10 opponent the Coyotes will have faced in their last six games dating back to a 24-21 upset of South Dakota State to end 2019. South Dakota is 2-1 in those duals.