VERMILLION, S.D. — The Yotes are set to take the field in the program's third-straight appearance in the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs when they make the trip down to Macon, Georgia for a clash with the No. 6-seed Mercer Bears on Saturday for the first-ever clash with a Southern Conference foe.
 
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Kelsie Kasper (PxP) and Forrest Conoly (analyst) on the call for the Second Round clash. You can listen to the voice of the Coyotes John Thayer on the Coyote Sports Network beginning at 10 a.m. (CT) for the pre-game show with former Coyote Gary Culver joining Thayer for the call at 11 a.m. (CT).

 

FCS SECOND ROUND | No. 11-seed SOUTH DAKOTA (9-4, 6-2 MVFC) at No. 6-seed MERCER (9-2, 8-0 SoCon)
Date | Time	Saturday, December 6 | 11:00 AM (CT) / 12:00 PM (ET)
Location	Macon, Ga. | Five Star Stadium (10,200)
Fan Information	Tickets | Parking | Game Day Info
Television	ESPN+ - Kelsie Kasper (PxP) & Forrest Conoly (Analyst)
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver) [KVHT 106.3 FM]
Live Stats	NCAA
Game Notes	South Dakota | Mercer | MVFC | College Pressbox
Digital Program	NCAA Program
Social Media	@SDCoyotesFB  | #GoYotes | @sdcoyotesfb  | Facebook

 
YOTES IN THE FCS PLAYOFFS

• South Dakota makes their fifth trip to the FCS Playoffs this season (2017, 2021, 2023-25) and third-straight trip.
• It's the first trip for head coach Travis Johansen in his first season as head coach, though he's been a part of four total trips now as defensive coordinator and/or head coach. 
• Six of the nine total FCS Playoff games for South Dakota have been played in the DakotaDome.
• The Yotes are set to play the first-ever SoCon opponent in their FCS Playoff history.
• QB Aidan Bouman is just one of two USD QBs to play in multiple FCS Playoff games (Streveler, 2017). He's the only QB to throw for 1,000+ yards in the playoffs.
• South Dakota is undefeated in FCS Playoff games when they score first (3-0), lead at halftime (4-0), force 3+ takeaways (3-0), and/or holds the ball for 30+ minutes of game action (2-0).

 
KEY STORYLINES

• South Dakota and Mercer will meet on the gridiron for the first time ever on Saturday for the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs.
• This season South Dakota is 6-2 when scoring first, 6-0 when leading at halftime, 6-1 when not committing a turnover, and 4-0 with a rusher over 150+ yards in the game.
• The Yotes are 3-2 against top-25 FCS opponents this season with all three wins coming to end the season (UND, SDSU, SIU).
• USD had a stretch of not committing a turnover in six-straight games did not commit a turnover in six of the eight MVFC games this season. It's now seven games this season without a turnover, following the Drake game (Nov. 29).
• PACING THE FCS: L.J. Phillips Jr. is third in the FCS net rushing yards (1,688),fourth in carries (264), fifth in rushing yards per game (129.8), ninth in rushing touchdowns (16), and 13th in yards per carry (6.22).
• Phillips Jr. has climbed the top-10 single-season all-time list for rushing yards, sitting fifth entering heading to Macon.
• Phillips Jr. became the 12^th Coyote – and third in the Division I FCS era – to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season against Northern Iowa (Oct. 18).
• Aidan Bouman holds a 31-13 (44 games) record as the starting quarterback at South Dakota and has thrown a touchdown pass in 11 of the 13 games this season with a new season- and career-high five touchdowns in the regular season finale at Southern Illinois.
• Bouman now sits second all-time in program history in career passing yards (8,806) and T2nd all-time in career passing touchdowns (64).
• The four passing touchdowns against Drake moved him into a tie with Wesley Beschorner (2002-05) for second-most in program history.
• Bouman has now thrown nine touchdown passes in the last two games.
• With nine 100-yard rushing games this season (eight from Phillips Jr., one from Fletcger), South Dakota now has had 76 100-yard rushing games in the Division I FCS era with Phillips Jr.'s 301 yards against Northern Colorado being the Division I single-game record.
• Walsh (at Lamar), Roman Tillmon (vs. UNC), Nate Ewell (at NDSU; at UNI; vs. UND; at SIU; vs. Drake) are the only three Yotes with 10+ tackles in a game this season with Tillmon (14) now holding the season high.
• Mikey Munn has been on a tear at cornerback with a career-high two interceptions against Drake and leads the team with eight pass-break ups on the season.
• South Dakota has won 20 of their last 24 MVFC games dating back to the 2023 season.
• South Dakota is in their 130^th season of college football and with their 31^st head coach in program history.  
• A win on Saturday would give Johansen the program record for most wins as a first-year head coach, dating back to the program's inception in 1889.
• South Dakota holds an all-time program record of 589-568-35 entering Saturday. In the Division I FCS era, South Dakota has won 95 games (95-108).

 
MERCER BEARS

• After a no-contest and dropping a home game to Presbyterian in Week 2, Mercer rattled off nine-straight wins – including a perfect 8-0 mark in SoCon play to win the SoCon title – to earn the No. 6-seed in the 2025 FCS Playoffs.
• Mercer posted a 9-2 overall record and a 9-1 record against FCS opponents.
• The Bears are led by second-year head coach Mike Jacobs who has won 20 games in his two seasons at the helm (25 total games).
• Mercer relies on the passing game (333.6 yards per game) and the arm of freshman QB Braden Atkinson who has thrown for 3,448 yards this season in 11 games.
• The Bears passing attack sits SECOND in the FCS this season with Atkinson sitting third in the nation in total passing yards (second in the SoCon behind the Western Carolina QB).

 
SERIES HISTORY

• South Dakota and Mercer have never met on the gridiron before with Saturday's contest marking the first-ever contest.
• Of the current Southern Conference (SoCon) football members, South Dakota has never played a SoCon opponent before.
• It's the first-ever SoCon opponent for USD in the FCS Playoffs, making it the sixth different conference.