VERMILLION, S.D. — The No. 4-ranked University of South Dakota football team (6-1, 4-0 MVFC) makes the trip up I-29 for the Interstate Series clash with the No. 3-ranked Jackrabbits of South Dakota State (5-2, 2-1 MVFC) Saturday night for a prime time nationally televised contest in a top-5 FCS clash. You can watch the game on ESPNU with Lowell Galindo and Fozzy Whittaker on the call.
 

Game 9 | No. 4/4 South Dakota (6-1, 4-0 MVFC) at No. 3/3 South Dakota State (5-2, 2-1 MVFC)
Date | Time	Saturday, October 29 | 6:30 PM
Location	South Dakota State, S.D. | Dana J. Dykouse Stadium (19,300)
Fan Information	Tickets | Fan Information & Parking
Television	ESPNU / Watch ESPN App - Lowell Galindo (PxP) & Fozzy Whittaker (Analyst)
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Jerry Palleschi) [KVHT 106.3 FM]
Live Stats	(South Dakota State): SIDEARM | StatBroadcast
Game Notes	South Dakota | South Dakota State | MVFC
Social Media	@SDCoyotesFB  | #GoYotes x #WeAreSouthDakota | @sdcoyotesfb  | Facebook

 
GAME STORYLINES

• The Yotes remain No. 4 in both polls (AFCA Coaches' & STATS Perform) entering Week 9.
• USD has won their first four MVFC games in each of the last two seasons with a chance to make it five-straight to start the MVFC slate for the first-time ever this weekend.
• Only twice before this year has USD won four-straight MVFC games and both have been under Nielson (2017, 2023).
• The Coyotes are 13-11 in ranked vs. ranked games and 4-6 in those games on the road.
• The State game will feature both the two-best rushing offenses AND defenses in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
• Offensively, the Yotes sit seventh in the nation in scoring offense at 38.6 points per game.
• South Dakota has put up 400+ yards of offense in the last five games.
• USD has had 48 chunk plays of 20 or more yards this season with 19 leading to touchdowns.
• The Coyote rushing attack sits 7^th in the FCS (240.9 yards per game) after 192 rushing yards in both the wins over UNI and Youngstown State.
• The Coyote defense leads the MVFC in scoring defense at 11.4 ppg, which now slides up to second-best in the FCS, while the total defense mark sits at 190.1 total yards per game (9th in FCS).
• HC Bob Nielson has coached in 93 career games at South Dakota, sitting at 48 career wins at USD.
• Four more wins for Nielson will put him fourth all-time in program history for games won at USD.

 
YOTES TO NOTE

• Aidan Bouman has thrown for at least 200 passing yards and one touchdown in the last five games.
• Quaron Adams has been a spark in the wide receivers group, averaging an MVFC-best 27.2 yards per catch.
• Gary Bryant III leads the defense with his 51.0 tackles per game, while Dennis Shorter has a team-best two interceptions.
• Nick Gaes now leads the MVFC with his 6.0 sacks. He has recorded at least one sack in six of the seven games played.

 
PASSING GAME HEATS UP

• Since opening Valley play on Sept. 28 when the Yotes sat 104^th in the nation in passing offense (139.3 yards per game) that has now jumped up to 204.3 yards per game entering the fifth MVFC game of the season.
• It's skyrocketed up more than 40 spots in the FCS ranks in that span.
• Five different Yotes have led the team in receiving in each of the six games so far this season.

 
DOMINANT RUSHING GAME

• The run game continues to be a huge part of the Coyote offense, 232.6 rushing yards a game.
• It sits second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
• The Yotes also sit T5th in the nation in total yards per carry at 6.07.
• The backfield of Theis & Pierre Jr. have combined for six 100-yard rushing games (both did so against SIU).
• Charles Pierre Jr. is coming off another career day with his 153 rushing yards on 21 carries in the win at Youngstown State.  
• He leads the MVFC with his 12 rushing scores on the season, a mark that sits third in the FCS.

 
STOUT DEFENSE

• The Yotes have made a name for themselves with a strong defensive unit so far this season.
• South Dakota has six interceptions as a team with five different Yotes having one.
• Dennis Shorter sits third in the MVFC with his seven pass break-ups this season, averaging 1.29 per game.
• He also sits in a five-way tie for second in the Valley with his team-best two interceptions.
• LB Gary Bryant III leads the defense with his 51 tackles this season.

 
GETTING PRESSURE ON THE QUARTERBACK

• South Dakota sits fifth in the MVFC in total sacks with 16 on the season.
• Nick Gaes leads the MVFC with his 6.0 sacks on the season.
• Mi'Quise Grace sits sixth in the Valley with his 4.0 sacks this season.
• The duo combines for 10 of the 16 sacks for the Yotes.

 
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES & MILESTONES

• Charles Pierre Jr. cracked the program's top-10 single season rushing touchdown list with his two scores at Youngstown State, sitting at No. 10 with his 12 rushing scores.
• He also looks to become the first Yote in the FCS era to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He sits with 705 net yards heading to Brookings.
• Keyondray Jones-Logan is one of two FCS athletes to return two kickoffs back for touchdowns this season.
• Aidan Bouman needs just 164 passing yards to become the sixth Coyote in program history with 5,000 career passing yards.
• Against Southern Illinois (Sept. 28), he became the ninth Coyote to eclipse 4,000 career passing yards.
• Travis Theis looks to continue to move up the USD record book, sitting with 29 rushing touchdowns. Only four Yotes have 30+ touchdowns in their career.
• Theis eclipsed the 3,000-career rushing yard mark in the Dakota Days win over UNI.
• Carter Bell looks to set a new USD receiving records: career receptions (162 – record 165) and receiving yards (2,479 – record 2,557).

 
MISC. NOTES

• DEFENDING THE DOME: Since the 2021 season, South Dakota is 17-6 inside the DakotaDome.
• South Dakota has scored 40+ points in all four home games this season.
• The Yotes are 1-0 outside of the Central Time Zone this season, though having two games scheduled outside the home time zone.

 
INSIDE THE SOUTH DAKOTA STATE SERIES

• South Dakota and the school in Brookings meet for the 118^th time in series history on Saturday.
• SDSU leads the all-time series, 57-53-7 and has won the last two games of the series.
• It marks the 60^th meeting set in Brookings, with SDSU leading the series on their home turf, 32-14-3.
• The Jacks have won the last six meetings in Brookings, dating back to 2002.  
• 68 of the 116 meetings (of the available dates) have been in the month of October with SDSU leading in the month of October, 36-27-5.

 
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE QUICK HITS

• The school in Brookings is led by second-year head coach Jimmy Rogers and enters the game with a 5-2 (2-1 MVFC) record, ranked No. 3 in the FCS (both polls).
• The Jacks dropped a competitive battle against North Dakota State a week ago, 13-9, in Fargo.
• State brings the best rushing offense in the MVFC into the contest at 240.9 rushing yards per game, led by Amar Johnson who has 521 net yards on the season with five rushing scores.
• Defensively, the Jacks have the seventh-best rushing defense in the FCS, holding opponents to just 99.4 rushing yards per contest.