ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Following the 80-yard scoop-and-score against the Fighting Hawks, senior safety DeJuan Lewis has garnered Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
The scoop-and-score proved to be the game-defining score, extending the lead to 26-7 at that time in the third quarter. Back-to-back scores from North Dakota would make it a 26-21 final, giving the fumble recovery the game-winning score.
 
It also marked the first defensive touchdown of the season for South Dakota this season, and the first since the Mi'Quise Grace fumble recovery for a touchdown against SDSU last year.
 
Lewis had two-straight weeks with a fumble recovery against Illinois State (Oct. 25) and North Dakota (Nov. 1), forcing the fumble deep inside the red zone against the Redbirds. He currently sits seventh on the team in tackles this season (45.0), now forcing a pair of fumbles with a pair of fumble recoveries.
 
Lewis becomes the fifth Coyote to earn a weekly honor from the conference office this season and the first to earn Defensive Player of the Week.