TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — The defense shined for No. 23-ranked South Dakota on a picture-perfect fall Saturday afternoon on Homecoming afternoon at Indiana State, clawing out a 19-14 victory, holding the Sycamores to just 210 total yards and kicker Will Leyland tying the program record for most field goals made in a single-game with four.  
 
South Dakota (4-3, 2-1 MVFC) picks up their first win on the road this season and improves to over .500 for the first time, while Indiana State (2-4, 0-2 MVFC) drops their fourth-straight game.
 
The Coyotes dominated the time of possession battle, holding the ball for more than 45 minutes of the contest. The Sycamores had more touchdowns (2) than South Dakota (1) but the four made field goals (12 points) proved to be the difference in the contest; though, it doesn't take away from the defensive effort of the Yotes.
 
The South Dakota defense held the Sycamores to just 210 total yards (125 passing, 85 rushing), eight first downs, and just 42 offensive plays. The Yotes forced seven punts with six being on three-and-outs.
 
A sluggish start offensively for South Dakota resulted in just three points in nearly one and a half quarters. The longest drive of the first half of 58 yards resulted in a 32-yard field goal from Leyland to give South Dakota the 3-0 lead near the end of the first quarter.
 
The offensive production would see an uptick in the latter half of the second quarter behind the legs of L.J. Phillips Jr. and would score the first touchdown of the day for either side with his 11^th rushing score of the season.
 
South Dakota would jump out to the 10-0 lead, but the next possession for Indiana State following the Coyote touchdown saw the Sycamores break off a 57-yard touchdown pass to jump right back into the game in less than a minute and a half of game time, cutting the deficit to 10-7.
 
South Dakota would move the ball some but would struggle to punch the ball in the end zone. The next three scores of the contest would come from the leg of Leyland as USD extended their lead to 19-7 with his longest field goal of the day being a 42-yarder in the final frame.
 
Indiana State would put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive to cut it back to a one score game at 19-14 with just under five minutes left to play.
 
Leading by five with just over two minutes left in the contest, Indiana State got the ball back after a defensive stop to give the Sycamores a chance. The Coyote defense stepped up yet again and forced the Sycamores to convert on a fourth and long. The pressure would force the Indiana State quarterback into scramble mode and Nate Ewell posted his biggest pass break-up of his three today to seal the 19-14 victory for the Coyotes.
 
Offensively, Larenzo Fenner set a career-best with four receptions (42 yards), while Jack Martens tied his career-best with five receptions (77 yards). Phillips Jr. would rush for his seventh career game with a rushing score and his fourth 100-yard game with 187 yards on 34 carries with the touchdown.
 
Gabriel Hardman led the defense with seven tackles, while Nyle Dickel had a pair of quarterback hurries and Ewell had a team-high three pass break-ups.
 
Up Next: The Coyotes remain on the road next week with their second trip to the state of Iowa when the hit the road for Northern Iowa on October 18. Kickoff from Cedar Falls is slated for 1 p.m. from the UNI-Dome.