VERMILLION, S.D. — No. 21 South Dakota returns to the DakotaDome on Saturday, October 4 for Dakota Days when they play host to the Murray State Racers for the second time in three seasons on Dakota Days with a 2 p.m. kickoff from Vermillion with CorTrust Bank as the presenting sponsor. 
 
The game will be streamed to both ESPN+ and on Midco Sports with Jay Elsen and Andre Fields on the call from the DakotaDome. You can listen to the voice of the Coyotes John Thayer on the Coyote Sports Network beginning at 1 p.m. for the pre-game show with Gary Gulver and Jerry Palleschi, joining Thayer for the call at 2 p.m.

 

Game 6 | No. 21 SOUTH DAKOTA (2-3, 0-1 MVFC) vs. MURRAY STATE (0-4, 0-0 MVFC)
Date | Time	Saturday, October 4 | 2:00 PM (CT)
Location	Vermillion, S.D. | The DakotaDome (9,100)
Fan Information	Tickets | Parking | Clear Bag Policy | A-to-Z Guide | Dakota Days Info
Television	ESPN+ / Midco Sports Plus - Jay Elsen (PxP) & Andre Fields (Analyst)
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Daniel Ver Steeg) [KVHT 106.3 FM]
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	South Dakota | Murray State | MVFC | College Pressbox
Social Media	@SDCoyotesFB  | #GoYotes x #WeAreSouthDakota | @sdcoyotesfb  | Facebook

 
PROMOTIONS

• It's Dakota Days on the campus of the University of South Dakota! Dakota Days royalty will be honored at halftime of the game.
• The Dakota Days contest this year is sponsored by CorTrust Bank.
• Former head coach Bob Nielson will be the 2025 Dakota Days Parade Grand Marshal and will be recognized during the game.
• The first 600 students in the door will receive LED Rally Towels.  

KEY STORYLINES

• South Dakota and Murray State meet for the third time in series history this weekend with the other home clash also being on Dakota Days back in 2023.
• DAKOTA DAYS: South Dakota will be playing in its 108^th Dakota Days game and celebrating the campus' 111^th Dakota Days since its inception in 1914.
• The win streak inside the DakotaDome is up to 10-straight games, sitting 2-0 at home this season.
• South Dakota has won 14 of their last 17 MVFC games dating back to the 2023 season.
• The Coyotes posted their first 500-yard offensive day in the 42-21 win over Drake in the last home game.
• The Yotes have scored a touchdown in their opening drive in three games this season.
• L.J. Phillips Jr. continues to be one of the best backs in the FCS, sitting top-15 in three statistical categories: yards per carry (9^th), rushing touchdowns (T9th), and yards per game (14^th).
• He's on pace to become just the third Coyote to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, being already over halfway through five games (553 yards, 83 carries).
• Aidan Bouman holds a 24-13 record as the starting quarterback at South Dakota and has thrown a touchdown pass in four of the five games this season.
• Larenzo Fenner has been electric at wide receiver. He became the first active Yote receiver to have a 100-yard receiving game against Drake with 101 yards on just two receptions.
• He had massive plays in the Drake game with both TD grabs being 20+ yards (31, 70) with a career-long reception of 70 yards.
• The offensive line has been very solid, surrendering just two sacks in five games which currently sits top-10 in the FCS at 0.80 sacks allowed per game.
• Defensively, DB Roman Tillmon and LB Matt Walsh lead the team in tackles with 37 each and DL Caden Crawford leads the team with his 6.0 tackles for loss.
• Walsh (at Lamar), Tillmon (vs. UNC), Nate Ewell (at NDSU) are the only three Yotes with 10+ tackles in a game this season with Tillmon 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 four pass-break ups on the season.
• South Dakota is in their 130^th season of college football and with their 31^st head coach in program history.  
• HC Travis Johansen has won back-to-back home games as the home win streak extends to 10-straight games.
• South Dakota holds an all-time program record of 582-567-35 entering Saturday.

SERIES HISTORY

• South Dakota and Murray State are meeting for just the third time since the Racers joined the lead ahead of the 2023 season. South Dakota leads the series 2-0.
• The Coyotes have been ranked in both previous meetings, ranked as high as No. 4 (2024 meeting).
• It's the second time in the short series that USD will host Murray State in Vermillion for Dakota Days.
• All three games will have taken place in the month of October with the Yotes averaging 48.5 points per game and allowing just the one touchdown in 2023.