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

The Basics
South Dakota (2-2, 0-1 MVFC) vs. Indiana State (2-2, 0-1 MVFC)
Saturday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. CST
Vermillion, S.D. (DakotaDome)
TV: None
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Carter Woodiel)
Watch Online: ESPN3 (Adam Seidel, Don Patterson, Kelly Burke)
Series: South Dakota leads 4-2 ... won four of the last five ... 3-0 in Vermillion

About the Coyotes:  USD is playing at home for just the third time in nine games in 2021 … the Coyotes led Missouri State 23-14 before being outscored 17-0 in the second half last week … the defense forced four turnovers and had six sacks last week, but the offense produced three first downs past halftime … all-Valley LB Jack Cochrane has had double-digit tackles in three of four games … Carter Bell is the Valley's fourth-leading receiver with 271 yards … Mason Lorber has made his last five field goals … punter Brady Schutt and long snapper Dalton Godfrey are preseason all-Americans

About the Bears:  Indiana State is the only Valley team that did not compete during the 2020-21 season … the offense has had trouble getting going, averaging less than 200 yards in two losses and less than 300 yards in two wins … the defense, led by defensive back Michael Thomas (31 tackles) and defensive end Inoke Moala (6.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks) has forced six turnovers and nine sacks … Kurtis Wilderman and Anthony Thompson have rotated at quarterback … Pat Kerlegrand (51 ypg) is the featured back … senior Rontrez Morgan has 22 catches for 173 yards

Quick Hits
-Saturday will be the 104th Dakota Days (homecoming) football game
-The Coyotes are 65-33-5 (.655) all-time on Dakota Days and have won 15 of their last 19
-USD blanked Indiana State 38-0 in its last Dakota Days game in 2019
-USD and ISU have went to overtime in two of their last four meetings
-The Coyotes haven't started 0-2 in Valley play since 2015
-Wesley Eliodor is one of 12 players who have returned a kickoff back for a touchdown this season
-USD has four RBs with 150-200 yards rushing this season (8 TDs)
-Opposing RBs have ran 84 times for 205 yards with zero TDs
-Bob Nielson announced Tuesday that Shomari Lawrence has sustained a season-ending injury

The Notes
Two teams with similar résumés meet in Vermillion Saturday on the second week of conference play. South Dakota and Indiana State both went 2-1 in non-conference play with wins over FCS programs and an FBS loss. Both dropped their Valley opener last week with Indiana State losing at home to South Dakota State 44-0 while South Dakota dropped a 31-23 decision at Missouri State.

Saturday marks the 104th Dakota Days football game. The first took place in 1914 against Yankton. South Dakota has played 13 different foes in its last 16 Dakota Days games, but this is a rematch of its most recent one. The Coyotes shutout the Sycamores 38-0 in their Dakota Days game in 2019. There was no Dakota Days game last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dakota Days Facts:
-USD is 65-33-5 on Dakota Days (29-12 inside the DakotaDome)
-The most points USD has scored in a homecoming game is 60 (60-7 vs. Morningside in 1973)
-The highest scoring Dakota Days game was in 1968 when South Dakota defeated South Dakota State 55-32 (87 points)
-The last overtime game came in 2009 (L, 23-24 s. UC Davis)
-The 2019 contest was the first shutout in the series since 2004
-Bob Nielson is 4-0 on Dakota Days

The last two meetings between South Dakota and Indiana State played in Indiana went to overtime. The last two meetings between South Dakota and Indiana State played in South Dakota have been decisive victories in which the Coyotes outscored the Sycamores 94-6. It includes a 56-6 USD win in 2017 and a 38-0 win in 2019. South Dakota has scored at least 33 points against Indiana State in each of the last four meetings.

South Dakota quarterback Austin Simmons ran nine times for 138 yards and three touchdowns (4, 37, 44) and passed for 210 yards and a score in the Coyotes' win against Indiana State back in 2019. Indiana State, playing without its top two rushers in quarterback Ryan Boyle and running back Peterson Kerlegrand, totaled 40 yards rushing on 33 attempts. Defensively, Jack Cochrane, Kam Cline and Darin Greenfield led a South Dakota unit that produced four sacks and two turnovers.

Bob Nielson confirmed Tuesday that running back Shomari Lawrence sustained a season-ending injury last week at Missouri State. Lawrence is the team's third-leading rusher thru four games. He has run 33 times for 160 yards and a touchdown. Second-year freshman Mike Mansaray (34 carries, 184 yards, 2 TDs) and true freshman Nate Thomas (19 carries, 152 yards, 1 TD) will look to be featured more heavily behind starter Travis Theis.

Indiana State's injury list includes all-conference wide out Dante Hendrix, who injured his foot in the season opener and has not returned. All-purpose back Michael Haupert hasn't played since week two.

Special teams continue to shine for South Dakota and last week, the program saw its first kickoff return for a touchdown in 13 seasons. Wesley Eliodor took a kick back 99 yards for a score that gave USD a 20-14 lead late in the first half against Missouri State. Early in the game, long snapper Dalton Godfrey recovered a muffed punt on the 8-yard line and running back Travis Theis scored from there on the next play to give USD a 7-0 lead.

Eliodor boasts the nation's fourth-best kickoff return average at 37.5 yards per return. Included in his 10 career returns are runs of 49, 69 and 99 yards.

A different running back has led South Dakota in rushing in each of the last three games. Last week, it was true freshman Nate Thomas who ran four times for 60 yards. Travis Theis, who led USD in rushing in weeks one and two, returned from injury last week and ran eight times for 22 yards and a score. Theis has totaled four touchdowns in his three games.

The defensive stars from a week ago include defensive lineman Nick Gaes, linebacker Jack Cochrane and cornerback Tre Jackson. Gaes totaled four tackles - all solo - and had two of the Coyotes' six sacks. Cochrane recorded a game-high 13 tackles including one for loss. Jackson helped hold Missouri State's leading receiver Xavier Lane to one catch for six yards. Lane was targeted once on 22 pass plays with Jackson defending.

South Dakota's defense has held opposing running backs to 205 yards on 84 carries and zero touchdowns through four games. In its two losses, it's been the opposing quarterback that has led the team in rushing. Last week, it was Missouri State's Jason Shelley who totaled 62 yards and two scores. He scrambled five times for 51 yards and had six designed runs for 49 more. He lost 38 yards on six Coyote sacks.

In eight games with Carson Camp as the starting quarterback, Carter Bell has caught 33 passes for 534 yards and three touchdowns. Two-time all-Valley receiver Caleb Vander Esch has 27 catches for 298 yards and a score in that time. No other Coyote has more than 12 catches. Bell has led the Coyotes in receiving in six of eight games in 2021.

The Coyotes posted a season-high six sacks against Missouri State. Eleven different USD defenders have contributed to 13 sacks through four games. Seventeen different defenders have contributed a tackle for loss.

South Dakota delivered a first-half TKO in both of its victories. Adding the 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.

Quarterback Carson 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 hadn't thrown an interception prior to the two Missouri State snagged on Saturday.

Punter Brady Schutt and long snapper Dalton Godfrey are the preseason all-Americans on special teams, but senior kicker Mason Lorber has grabbed some early season headlines as well. He has made his last five field goals including three 40-plus yarders. He has also produced 14 touchbacks on 22 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 10th nationally this season with a net average of 41.5.  Schutt has put eight of his 21 punts inside the 20 and allowed just four returns.

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 and Jacob Matthew both reached 100 career tackles last week at Missouri State while Elijah Reed surpassed 200 career tackles. Offensively, Caleb Vander Esch enters play with 97 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 32nd consecutive start at linebacker.

Series History with Indiana State:
2012: at Indiana State 45, South Dakota 14
2013: at South Dakota 17, Indiana State 14
2016: South Dakota 33, at Indiana State 30 (2 OT)
2017: at South Dakota 56, Indiana State 6
2018: at Indiana State 51, South Dakota 48 (3 OT)
2019: at South Dakota 38, Indiana State 0