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

The Basics
South Dakota (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) vs. Kansas State (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Saturday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. (CDT)
Manhattan, Kan. | Bill Snyder Stadium (50,000)
TV: Big 12 NOW on ESPN+ (James Westling, LaDarrin McLane, Tori Petry)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Carter Woodiel)
Watch Online: ESPN+ (subscription required)
Series: Kansas State leads 5-0 ... KSU won 27-24 in 2018 ... all five games played in Manhattan

About the Coyotes:  South Dakota returned to the playoffs for the second time in four full seasons a year ago, and hosted an FCS playoff game for the first time ... they got there with a balanced offense and the program's best defense statistically at the FCS level (since 2009) ... All-American MLB Jack Cochrane has graduated, but preseason A-A MLB Brock Mogensen is back along with seven other veteran starters on defense ... QB Carson Camp has started all 16 games the past two seasons and was one of the most efficient passers in the FCS a year ago ... RB Travis Theis is back and Shomari Lawrence has returned from injury ... WR Carter Bell (41 rec, 673 yds, 5 TDs) returns as the team's leading receiver

About the Wildcats:  Kansas State was 8-5 overall in 2021 including a win against LSU in the Texas Bowl ... alum and former QB Collin Klein enters his first season as offensive coordinator and the program has brought veteran Adrian Martinez over from Nebraska to run the offense ... RB Deuce Vaughn was a consensus all-American last year after leading the Wildcats in both rushing (1,404 yds, 18 TDs) and catches (49 rec, 468 yds, 4 TDs) ... KSU runs a 3-3-5 defensive scheme ... DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah has 12 sacks and 15.5 TFL in 18 career games ... WR/KR Malik Knowles has 16 career TDs

Quick Hits
-USD was 7-5 last year and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the second time in four years
-USD has faced an FBS program every (non-COVID) year since 2010 and has wins against Minnesota (2010) and Bowling Green (2017) in that span
-South Dakota led Kansas State 24-12 entering the fourth quarter of the 2018 contest. Eight current Coyotes competed in that game.
-RB Travis Theis is one of eight Kansans on the Coyotes' roster. Theis (Pratt HS) was the 2018 Kansas All-Classes Offensive Player of the Year
-LB Brock Mogensen, LT Alex Jensen and LS Dalton Godfrey are preseason all-Americans
-Bob Nielson is one of 11 active NCAA head coaches at any level who have surpassed 200 wins
-South Dakota is taking on the toughest schedule in the FCS this year. Preseason #1, #2, #3, #5 and #9 are on the slate.

The Notes
Welcome to 2022! South Dakota begins year seven under Bob Nielson coming off the program's second FCS playoff appearance in the last four full seasons. The Coyotes were 7-5 last year, including a 5-3 record in the toughest conference in FCS football, the Missouri Valley Football Conference. That mark was good for third place in the league, USD's best finish in 10 seasons. The program was rewarded by hosting its first NCAA playoff game in 35 seasons. USD was ranked 18/20 in the final rankings.

Great opportunity awaits. That's the theme as South Dakota is set to tackle the toughest FCS schedule in the nation. In addition to facing Kansas State Saturday, the Coyotes will face the preseason No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the FCS within the first five weeks of play. Two of those three games are road contests. Beyond that, three more preseason top-25 teams are featured on the schedule. Such is life in the MVFC, which had a higher SOS than three FBS conferences in 2021 (Sun Belt, Mid-American, C-USA).

South Dakota returns to Manhattan for the first time since 2018 when the Coyotes took a 24-12 lead into the fourth quarter of a game Kansas State rallied to win 27-24. All was fine until Isaiah Zuber returned a punt 85 yards for the Wildcats' first touchdown with 12:12 to play. His 10-yard touchdown catch with 7:21 left put Kansas State ahead. South Dakota was short on a game-tying, 51-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

Eight current Coyotes played in that 2018 contest:  WR Jordan Sommerville (then a CB), S Isaiah McDaniels, CB Cameron Tisdale (3 tackles), LB Jonathan Joanis (3 tackles), LB Jakari Starling (1 tackle), LS Dalton Godfrey, TE Austin Goehring, LT Alex Jensen (then a TE).

Running back Travis Theis (Pratt, Kan.) returns for an encore in his home state. He ran 18 times for a game-high 96 yards in the season opener against Kansas last season. His 25-yard touchdown run with 5:13 to go put the Coyotes ahead 14-10. Kansas drove 64 yards in 11 plays for the game-winning touchdown with 1:10 left. Theis went on to finish as the Valley's eighth-leading rusher with 677 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns.

Future Coyote schedules feature Missouri (season opener 2023), Wisconsin (2024) and Iowa State (season opener 2025).

South Dakota football received Sports Illustrated's Play of the Year Award last December. Trailing 20-17 with :01 left against rival South Dakota State, Carson Camp completed a 57-yard Hail Mary to Jeremiah Webb for the winning score that ultimately clinched the Coyotes' playoff bid. Camp and Webb received the award on behalf of the football program during a ceremony held Dec. 7 in Hollywood, Florida. NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal presented the award.

Camp, a sophomore eligibility wise, is back for his third season as the starting quarterback. In 16 starts, he has thrown for more than 3,200 yards with 20 touchdowns. He completed 65 percent of his passes last year and his 149 passer rating ranked 14th nationally. Aidan Bouman, a redshirt freshman transfer from Iowa State, is listed second on the initial depth chart. He is the son of former NFL QB Todd Bouman.

Theis heads a running back group that lost Nate Thomas to a non-contact, season-ending injury last spring. Thomas was USD's leading rusher last year as a true freshman despite not seeing the field until week three. Thomas emerged when Shomari Lawrence was injured in week four. Lawrence (33 rush, 160 yds in 2021) is eager to return to the field this season. The Coyotes also feature Mike Mansaray, who broke out with a 141-yard and two touchdown performance last season in a week three win.

Camp and company will operate behind an offensive line that brings back four of five starters. Left tackle Alex Jensen was a tight end when he came to Manhattan back in 2018, but returns as a veteran left tackle and a preseason all-American. Another veteran, Isaac Erbes, returns at right guard. Joey Lombard moves from left guard to center. Bryce Henderson, a redshirt freshman, has won a fall camp battle for the open position and is set to make his collegiate debut. Colton Harberts returns to right tackle. Only one Valley team, NDSU, averaged more running plays per game a year ago. The Coyotes averaged 170 yards on the ground and 206 through the air in 2021.

We will meet new receivers this year. Of the 199 receptions recorded a year ago, 110 came from players not making the trip to Manhattan. Carter Bell, the team's leading receiver last year, is back. He had 41 catches for 673 yards and five touchdowns. The only other active receiver (not tight end or running back) who logged a catch last year is Wesley Eliodor, who caught nine passes for 108 yards and a score.

Javion Phelps, a redshirt freshman from Orlando, Florida, has earned the opening day start alongside Bell and Eliodor on the Yotes first depth chart. Fellow redshirt Jack Martens, Montana State transfer Jamahd Monroe and senior Jordan Sommerville, who began at USD as a cornerback, are also featured at wide out. Andrew Jacobs is a true freshman from Baltimore, Maryland, who has had a terrific fall camp. Parker Rickert is a graduate transfer from Iowa State.

It has taken three short seasons – including a COVID year – for defensive coordinator Travis Johansen to take South Dakota's defense to new heights. Last year's squad allowed 344 yards and 20 points per game, both of which are program bests at the FCS level. The run defense, which had allowed more than 200 yards per game in three of the prior five seasons, held foes to 121 yards a contest, a top-25 ranking that is best at USD since 2009.

Eight projected starters on defense have significant starting experience at USD. Michael Scott isn't included in that group, but he certainly has experience. Scott is a graduate transfer from Akron who played in 27 games over the last three seasons for the Zips. He is slotted into Johansen's edge rush linebacker position, previously held by Jacob Matthew who led USD in sacks and tackles-for-loss in each of the last three seasons.

Coach Nielson said in fall camp that his depth at defensive back is as good as its been in his seven seasons at USD. Several starting cornerbacks return, Josiah Ganues was an instant hit at safety last year, and Josh Manchigiah figures to work in with Dennis Shorter for the other safety spot vacated by 2021 team captain Elijah Reed. Manchigiah is a seventh-year player who logged more than 50 games at rival South Dakota State over the last five seasons. He brings career marks of more than 150 tackles and seven interceptions to the Coyotes' back line.

Veterans DeValon Whitcomb and Jackson Coker have graduated on the defensive line. Young stars Nick Gaes, Brendan Webb and Micah Roane return. Blake Holden is poised for a larger role at tackle after competing in five games last year and redshirt freshman Earl Miller Jr. is poised to make his collegiate debut Saturday. New additions there include Ben Gansallo, a graduate transfer who started four games for New Mexico in 2019, but played in six games since. Mi'Quise Grace is a true freshman who performed well in fall camp.

For the first time in Bob Nielson's 30 years of coaching, a special teams player has been voted a team captain. That player is all-American long snapper Dalton Godfrey, who doubles as an academic all-American. Godfrey will be working with two new specialists this year and both are seniors. Eddie Ogamba, who transferred from Iowa State prior to last season, has won the kicking duties. John Bickle, who had success at Division III Wheaton College last year, is the punter.

South Dakota was one of 10 FCS teams that returned both a kickoff and punt back for a touchdown during the regular season last year. Wesley Eliodor had a 99-yard kickoff return against Missouri State. Carter Bell had a 47-yard punt return for a score against North Dakota State.

Ron Crook coached in a College Football Playoff semifinal game with Cincinnati last season. Crook is a long time offensive line coach, but is USD's special teams coordinator and works primarily with the tight end group.