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

The Basics
South Dakota (2-1, 0-0 MVFC) at Missouri State (1-1, 0-0 MVFC)
Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. CST
Springfield, Mo. (Plaster Stadium)
TV: None
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Carter Woodiel)
Watch Online: ESPN3 (Scott Warmann, Danan Hughes, Kelly Burke)
Series: South Dakota leads 4-3 ... home team won the first five meetings ... road team has won the last two

About the Coyotes:  USD notched its second straight first-half TKO of a Big Sky team last week in a 48-14 win at Cal Poly ... the Coyotes rushed for 353 yards and four TDs behind freshmen RBs Mike Mansaray and Nate Thomas while Carson Camp passed for 226 yards and two scores ... the defense remained stout against the run and limited Cal Poly to 243 yards overall ... all-Valley LBs Jack Cochrane and Brock Mogensen are the leading tacklers ... USD outscored its last two foes a combined 68-7 in the first half ... four Coyote RBs are averaging better than 5.0 yards per carry

About the Bears:  MSU is coming off its first FCS playoff appearance since 1990 after winning a share of the Valley crown this past spring ... the Bears finished 5-5 overall following a 44-10 playoff loss at North Dakota ... this year, MSU has a 7-point loss at Oklahoma State and a 43-34 win against nationally-ranked Central Arkansas ... Utah State transfer Jason Shelley is the new QB and has passed for 466 yards and two scores without an INT through two games ... his top weapon has been Western Kentucky transfer Xavier Lane who has 17 catches, 226 yards and a TD ... returner Kevon Latulas (143 yards) is the team's top rusher ... defensively, MSU has allowed 647 yards passing and 174 yards rushing

Quick Hits
-USD is receiving votes in both FCS polls
-USD has won its last four Valley openers, three of which came on the road
-USD won 45-10 in Springfield in its last trip there in 2019
-The Coyotes have knocked off a ranked opponent every year since 2013
-Alex Jensen was named MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week after USD amassed 615 yards at Cal Poly
-The Coyotes are one of two FCS teams with four running backs averaging better than five yards per carry (min. 15 carries)
-Opposing running backs have carried 58 times for 110 yards against USD (0 TDs)
-Coach Nielson said Tuesday that both Travis Theis and Caleb Vander Esch were close to 100 percent for this week's game
-Carter Bell has been the Coyotes' leading receiver in five of seven games played in 2021

The Notes
Two teams with a bit of revenge on their minds square off in Springfield Saturday on the opening weekend of conference play. Missouri State's senior-laden team can likely recall a 45-10 loss to South Dakota at home back in 2019. The Coyotes remember a 27-24 loss to the Bears just six months ago inside a newly renovated DakotaDome. It will be the eighth meeting between the two programs in a series South Dakota leads 4-3.

South Dakota outgained Missouri State 440-324 last March, but defensive back Montrae Braswell was the neutralizer for Missouri State. He returned a kickoff 100 yards to offset a first-quarter Coyote touchdown, and added a pick-six in the second quarter that put Missouri State ahead 17-14. Carter Bell caught a 36-yard touchdown from Carson Camp to put USD ahead 24-17, Jeremiah Wilson countered with a 6-yard touchdown run, and Jose Pizano's 28-yard field goal with 7:51 left proved to be the winner.

Camp's 339 yards on 22-of-34 passing against Missouri State last spring remains his collegiate best in seven career games. Bell's 106 receiving yards against the Bears from March remain a career high. MSU offset those numbers by limiting South Dakota to 101 yards on the ground. Six sacks of Camp factored into that tally.

Two-time all-Valley wide receiver Caleb Vander Esch was injured in the first quarter against Northern Arizona in game two and did not return. He did not compete last week back in his home state of California. Head coach Bob Nielson indicated Tuesday that Vander Esch could be 100 percent by Saturday's kickoff.

Likewise, the Coyotes' top two running backs Travis Theis and Shomari Lawrence were limited with injuries last week. Theis made the trip but did not play against Cal Poly and Lawrence ran nine times in the second half for 56 yards. Freshmen Mike Mansaray and Nate Thomas were brilliant in their place, combining for 233 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries. Mansaray, in his first collegiate start, had 17 carries for 125 yards and two scores in the first half and totaled 141 yards in all.

South Dakota has led the Valley in passing in each of the last three full (non-COVID) seasons, but it's the ground game that has emerged during non-conference play. The Coyotes are averaging 221 yards rushing, which ranks 16th nationally. The 353 yards last week are the second-most by the program since 2019.

South Dakota has delivered a first-half TKO to each of its last two opponents. Combined in those two first halves against Northern Arizona and Cal Poly, South Dakota enjoyed a 751-252 advantage in total yards and a 68-7 edge on the scoreboard. The Coyotes scored eight touchdowns and four field goals with two punts on those 14 drives. Opponents had 10 punts, one turnover and one touchdown.

Defending the run has been the key for the Coyotes' defense. South Dakota ranks 18th nationally in run defense at 94 yards per game and has yet to allow a rushing touchdown. Quarterbacks have run 41 times for 138 yards through games. Opposing running backs have carried 58 times for 110 yards (1.9 ypc). Those numbers don't include two rushes for 23 yards against a max prevent defense at the end of the first half against Northern Arizona.

Cal Poly totaled 243 yards Saturday. The Mustangs had 182 yards prior to a 61-yard touchdown pass on their final offensive play.

The defensive success starts up front with the defensive line where nose tackle DeValon Whitcomb (23 career starts) serves as nose tackle. Rush backer Jacob Matthew is fifth on the team in tackles with 12, but defensive ends Brendan Webb and Nick Gaes are right behind with 10 each. Their play has opened up tackling lanes for all-Valley linebackers and leading tacklers Jack Cochrane (24) and Brock Mogensen (22) who have combined for a sack and eight tackles for loss.

Two new faces who filled the box score last week defensively were second-year freshman Jack Hagy and graduate transfer DeJaun Cooper. Hagy totaled five tackles including a sack and another stop for loss. Cooper had a strip sack in the fourth quarter that led to a Coyote touchdown. He had four tackles, two for loss, and a quarterback hurry while making his first start as a Coyote.

Missouri State is averaging 230 yards passing with Western Kentucky transfer Xavier Lane accounting for nearly half those yards. The Bears also bring back senior Damoriea Vick who stands 6-foot-3-inches and has close to 1,500 career yards. The Coyotes counter with cornerback Myles Harden who led the FCS in passes defended per game as a true freshman last spring. Tre Jackson has made seven consecutive starts on the other side for USD and is coming off a solid performance at Cal Poly.

In three games against Missouri State, Cochrane has totaled 29 tackles, recovered two fumbles and recorded an interception. The Coyotes have outgained the Bears in each of those three matchups.

Camp rebounded from a 98-yard performance against Kansas to throw for 213 yards and a score against Northern Arizona and 226 yards and two scores against Cal Poly. He and his counterpart, Missouri State quarterback Jason Shelley, have yet to throw an interception this season.

Punter Brady Schutt and long snapper Dalton Godfrey are the preseason all-Americans on special teams, but senior kicker Mason Lorber has grabbed the headlines the last two weeks. He has made three 40-plus yard field goals and totaled four 3-pointers overall. He has also produced 11 touchbacks on 15 kickoffs.

Schutt and the Coyotes boasted the top punt unit last spring with a net average of 43.7 yards per kick. South Dakota ranks 18th nationally this season through weeks with a net average of 40.6. Missouri State, behind punter Grant Burkett, is the national leader with a net average of 48.3 yards. Burkett has averaged 50.8 yards on 10 punts.

Of Wesley Eliodor's seven career kickoff returns, one has gone for 49 yards and another for 69. The last Coyote to run a kickoff back for a touchdown was Jeremy Blount in 2008. The last punt return for a score was by Stefan Logan in 2006.

Iowa Hawkeye Connection:  defensive line coach Corey Brown is the only new addition to the Coyotes' coaching staff. Brown is the third former Iowa Hawkeye Nielson has added to his defensive staff in the last three years. Brown (DL), Abdul Hodge (LB) and Myles Taylor (DB) are all former Hawkeyes.

Milestone Watch:  Jakari Starling (99 tackles) and Jacob Matthew (98) are nearing 100 career tackles. Safety Elijah Reed (196) is nearing 200. Offensively, Caleb Vander Esch enters play with 95 career catches. Dan Skelly, who competed for the Coyotes from 2005-09, is 10th on the Coyotes' all-time receptions list with 106. Jack Cochrane is expected to make his 30th consecutive start at linebacker.

Here is a look inside the numbers of South Dakota's first half against Cal Poly:
• First Downs: USD 26, Cal Poly 4
• Rushing Yards: USD 218, Cal Poly 25
• Passing Yards: USD 234, Cal Poly 86
• Total Yards: USD 452, Cal Poly 111
• Time of Possession: USD 21:32, Cal Poly 8:28
• Third downs: USD 6/7, Cal Poly 2/7
• South Dakota Punts: 0
• Cal Poly 3-and-outs: 3

Series History with Missouri State:
2012: at Missouri State 27, South Dakota 24
2013: at South Dakota 17, Missouri State 14
2014: at Missouri State 31, South Dakota 12
2015: at South Dakota 40, Missouri State 10
2018: at South Dakota 35, Missouri State 28
2019: South Dakota 45, at Missouri State 10
2021: Missouri State 27, at South Dakota 24