The Pregame
Heading to the game Saturday? Join us for a pregame tailgate from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET) at Charlie's Pub & Grub, approximately two miles from Memorial Stadium. Charlie's Pub & Grub is 21+ and is located at 1608 Crawford St. in Terre Haute. Click here to RSVP.
 
The Game
Sixth-ranked South Dakota (5-1, 3-0 MVFC) will try to equal its longest winning streak at the FCS level Saturday when the Coyotes face the Indiana State Sycamores (0-6, 0-3) in a 1 p.m. (ET) kick from Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana. It's homecoming week for the home team. Indiana State has lost its last two games to USD, but topped the Coyotes 51-48 in triple overtime in 2018 – the last time these two teams played in Indiana.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota has won all five FCS games following a season-opening loss at Missouri (No. 20 in this weeks' FBS rankings). The Coyotes have two wins against top-25 teams in the last three weeks. This is just the second road trip for the team since Missouri.
 
Efficiency and complementary football have been all the buzz of late. A talented stable of running backs has fueled the current streak, but quarterback Aidan Bouman passed for a career-high 369 yards and three scores last time out. Defensively, USD had been dominant before the second half of last week's game against Youngstown State. Prior to that, USD had allowed 35 points in its last nine halves of football.
 
The Sycamores
Indiana State played its first three games without quarterback and reigning MVFC Freshman of the Year Cade Chambers and was outscored 113-14. With him the Sycamores lost 30-28 to Murray State and 27-20 vs. UNI before a 44-7 loss at Illinois State last week.
 
Back two weeks ago was all-Valley running back Justin Dinka who ran for 895 yards and six touchdowns last season. He has run for 60-plus yards in each of his first games back. Plez Lawrence ran 29 times for 203 yards and three scores against Murray State three games ago.
 
The defensive numbers are impacted by blowout losses to FBS foes Indiana and Ball State in weeks two and three. The Sycamores have held up better against their four FCS foes, though Illinois State ran for 244 and passed for 172 last week. Linebacker Garrett Ollendieck has 40 tackles, three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
 
One Last Thing
South Dakota's No. 6 ranking is its highest since the 2017 season when the Coyotes started 6-0 and reached No. 4. The last two games the Coyotes have played at Memorial Stadium needed multiple overtimes.