Full Game Notes (.pdf) | Cal Poly Notes (.pdf)

The Basics
South Dakota (0-2, 0-0 MVFC) vs. Cal Poly (1-1, 0-0 Big Sky)
Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. (CDT)
Vermillion, S.D. | DakotaDome (9,100)
TV: Midco Sports (Jay Elsen, Andre Fields)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Carter Woodiel)
Watch Online: Midco Sports Plus | ESPN+ (subscription required)
Series: Cal Poly leads 3-2 ... USD won 48-14 last year in California ... teams played 2008-11

About the Coyotes:  South Dakota is happy to be home after tough road games at Kansas State and Montana ... the offense has been stymied, though RBs Travis Theis and Shomari Lawrence have combined to rush for 256 yards and average five yards per carry ... big plays at the start have hurt the Coyote defense, but in both games the unit has grown stronger as the game progressed ... MLB Brock Mogensen is a preseason all-American and fellow LB Stephen Hillis leads the Valley with 22 tackles ... CB Myles Harden forced two turnovers last week and leads the Valley with four tackles for loss

About the Mustangs:  Cal Poly is riding high after winning its home opener last week against San Diego, a team that had won eight straight games dating back to last season ... the Mustangs intercepted three passes in the fourth quarter to turn a 27-14 deficit into a 28-27 win ... QB Jaden Jones has passed for 596 yards and five TDs without an INT through two games ... top target Chris Coleman was the Mustangs' leading receiver a year ago ... Cal Poly lost 35-7 at Fresno State in week one ... senior FB Ryan Rivera is a preseason all-American ... the Mustangs are 33-42 in the Big Sky since joining the league in 2012

Quick Hits
-South Dakota has won 17 of its last 19 home openers
-USD was 7-5 last year and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the second time in four years
-LB Brock Mogensen, LT Alex Jensen and LS Dalton Godfrey are preseason all-Americans.
-Mogensen needs three tackles for 200 in his career
-RB Travis Theis surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards during last week's game at Montana
-LB Stephen Hillis had 14 tackles last week and leads the Valley with 22 this season
-CB Myles Harden had eight tackles and forced two turnovers last week at Montana
-South Dakota is taking on the toughest schedule in the FCS this year. Current #1, #2, #3, and #5 are on the Coyotes' FCS slate. All eight Valley foes are either ranked or receiving votes in this week's polls.

The Notes
South Dakota hosts Cal Poly of the Big Sky Conference for its home opener Saturday inside the DakotaDome. It is a rematch of a game played in California last season. South Dakota scored on all seven of its drives in the first half, totaled 615 yards of offense and rolled to a 48-14 win. Coyote running back Mike Mansaray carried 21 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Brock Mogensen led a defense that limited Cal Poly to 243 yards.

South Dakota and Cal Poly were both members of the Great West Conference from 2008-11 and competed against each other in all four of those seasons. Three of the four games took place in California. The one meeting in Vermillion was a 38-24 Cal Poly win in 2010. This is the second matchup between the two teams in Vermillion.

This is the sixth year of the MVFC and Big Sky Challenge, which tracks wins and losses between the two premier FCS conferences during non-conference competitions. South Dakota topped Northern Arizona and Cal Poly last year in helping the Valley earn a 4-2 series victory a year ago. The series stands 1-1 heading into the final four games this weekend:
Montana at Indiana State | Cal Poly at South Dakota | North Dakota at Northern Arizona | Sacramento State at UNI

Head Coach Bob Nielson announced this week that he has taken over playcalling responsibilities for the Coyote offense. USD has mustered one touchdown and a field goal attempt on 27 possessions thus far against elite units from Kansas State and Montana. Twelve of those possessions were 3-and-out.

Penalties, sacks and three misses on either 3rd-and-1 or 4th-and-1 have shut down a majority of offensive possessions. Quarterback Carson Camp has been sacked nine times through two games. All but one of those sacks came on downs where the number to gain was 10 yards or greater.

South Dakota returns four of five starters to its offensive line, a unit that helped produce 170 yards rushing per game last year including a 353-yard effort at Cal Poly. But those four have yet to be on the field at the same time this season. Preseason all-American Alex Jensen missed the season opener, but returned last week at Montana. Starting center Joey Lombard was injured in the second half at Kansas State and has yet to return.

Travis 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) has returned to the field this season. He posted career highs of 14 carries and 84 yards at Kansas State and had six rushes for 28 yards last week at Montana. Theis leads the Coyotes and ranks sixth in the Valley with 144 yards through two games.

Carter Bell led South Dakota with 41 catches for 673 yards and five touchdowns last season. He was targeted six times last week but was unable to connect for a reception. That ended a string of 17 consecutive games with a catch dating back to the start of the 2021 spring season. Bell had two catches for 18 yards in the season opener at Kansas State.

Wesley Eliodor posted career-highs of five catches for 58 yards – all in the first half – against Montana last week. He was injured while trying to catch a deep ball late in the first half and did not return. He is hopeful to return to the lineup this week against Cal Poly.

Carson Camp, a sophomore eligibility wise, is back for his third season as the starting quarterback. In 18 starts, he has thrown for more than 3,400 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 second on the depth chart. He is the son of former NFL QB Todd Bouman.

Camp is poised to enter the Coyotes' all-time passing list:
8. Mark Jenkins (1972-75) - 3,742 yards (-265 yds)
9. Kevin Earl (2012-14, 19g) - 3,639 yards (-162 yds)
10. Tom Engelman (1969-72) - 3,576 yards (-99 yds)
Carson Camp (18g) - 3,477 yards

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, 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. Shaquille O'Neal presented the award.

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 Coyotes have allowed an average of 377 yards through two weeks this season. Big plays have plagued the unit early, but the team has gained strength as the game has progressed.

Coach Nielson said in fall camp that his depth at defensive back is as good as its been in his seven seasons at USD. Indeed, Kansas State and Montana combined to throw for just 290 yards. That unit will be put to the test Saturday. Cal Poly quarterback Jaden Jones has passed for 596 yards and five touchdowns without an interception through two games. He is also the Mustangs' leading rusher with 84 yards.

Cornerback Myles Harden is coming off one of his best performances. In addition to registering a career-high eight tackles last week, he forced and recovered a fumble inside the red zone that kept points off the board and intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter. Despite playing corner, Harden leads the Valley with four tackles-for-loss through two games.

Another defensive player coming off a career game is linebacker Stephen Hillis who registered 14 tackles (8 solo) including 1.5 for loss. Hillis has played in 30 games as a Coyote, but earned his first start after Jakari Starling was injured in week one.

Michael Scott, a graduate transfer from Akron, has burst onto the scene. He had eight tackles including two sacks in his Coyote debut against Kansas State. Scott is playing the 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.

Safety Josh Manchigiah has more experience than anyone. He played in more than 50 games at South Dakota State the last five seasons. He has started both games this season and had five tackles last week at Montana.

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 freshmen Earl Miller Jr. and Dominic Caggiano have made their collegiate debuts along the line this season.

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.