VERMILLION, S.D. — It was a strong display of football from both sides of the football for the No. 15-ranked South Dakota football program Saturday afternoon inside the DakotaDome as the Coyotes move to 4-0 all-time in all black uniforms with a 42-21 victory over the Drake Bulldogs.
 
South Dakota improves to 2-2 (0-0 MVFC) on the season with their second-straight win and 10^th-straight inside the DakotaDome. Drake falls to 1-2 (0-0 Pioneer) on the year with back-to-back losses in the state of South Dakota.

"I'm excited about getting a win. I'm really pleased in particular with how we started the football game and ended the first half," commented head coach Travis Johansen. "I think we took a step forward with what we did in the first half offensively."
 
Head coach Travis Johansen noted it in the press conference on Tuesday this week that the Yotes needed to start fast, and that's exactly what the team did. South Dakota scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the day, and four of their first five to down the Bulldogs.
 
It proved to be another stellar offensive showing for L.J. Phillips Jr. who averaged 7.5 yards per carry on the day with 19 carries for 143 yards and a career-best four touchdown rushes. He became the first Coyote to rush for four or more scores in a game since 2009.
 
The defense set the tone early, forcing the Bulldogs who received the opening kick to go three-and-out to get the ball to the offense. The second play from scrimmage for the Yotes was explosive as Aidan Bouman found Tennel Bryant for a 48-yard strike – the longest passing play of the season – to set up the Yotes in the red zone off the bat.
 
Phillips Jr. would finish off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0. He'd follow suit on the very next possession with another 2-yard run to double the Coyote lead early in the second. Drake would get on the board next to make it 14-7, but it would never be close after that.
 
Leading by a touchdown, and facing a third down and 10, Bouman would find Larenzo Fenner streaking down the sideline with no one around him. Bouman would connect with him for a 70-yard touchdown pass, marking the longest pass of the season for USD and a career-long reception for Fenner. That play would kick off 28-straight points for the Yotes to put the game away.
 
It wouldn't be long before the offense got the ball back and it would be another strong display of passing as the connection between Fenner and Bouman looked as strong as ever with Bouman finding Fenner in the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown strike just before the half. South Dakota would take a 28-7 lead into the locker room.

"I'm really pleased with the performance of Larenzo, we saw him get going this week," said Johansen.
 
The defense played phenomenally in the first half, holding Drake to just 87 yards of offense and four punts in the first 30 minutes. The playmaking ability of the defense would be on full display in the second half.
 
In the first two possessions of the second half for the Bulldogs, Mikey Munn would be the thorn in their sides for their true freshman quarterback. Munn would pick off Logan Inagawa on back-to-back possessions as South Dakota would use those turnovers to open their lead up to 35-7.
 
Phillips Jr. continued to shine in the second half as in the third quarter he would rip off a 50-yard run to set a new career-high, while also scoring two more touchdowns to etch yet another career-high for the second-straight week.
 
Drake would tack on a couple touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the game was never really in doubt as the Coyotes dominated from start to finish and closed off the 2025 non-conference slate with their second-straight win, 42-21.
 
Up Next: South Dakota commences MVFC play next week when they hit the road for Fargo, N.D. to battle top-ranked North Dakota State on Saturday, September 27 at 1 p.m. You can catch the game on both ESPN+ and Midco Sports.