VERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota has started 3-0 this season doing so for the first time since 2017 behind a 41-23 victory over Eastern Washington Saturday afternoon thanks to 138 rushing yards and two scores from
Charles Pierre Jr. who also became the 15
th Coyote to eclipse 2,000 career rushing yards in his career.
"Awesome crowd today in the Dome, awesome atmosphere," was the first words from head coach
Matt Vitzthum at his postgame press conference.
Not only did Pierre Jr. have a stellar day on the gridiron, but wide out
Tennel Bryant also etched new career highs in receiving yards (120), touchdown receptions (2), and longest reception (66 yards); all while recording his first-career 100-yard receiving game.
For the second-straight home game, the Coyotes have posted 500+ yards of total offense.
Austyn Modrzewski has now thrown for 200+ yards and multiple touchdowns in all three games, going 16-for-24 for 245 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, South Dakota tallied five sacks on the afternoon, setting a new season-high and achieving five sacks in a game for the first time since the Yotes had six sacks against Indiana State in 2024 and having five on the mark since 2021 at Western Illinois.
"We started fast … and it was good to see. I thought our offense came out and did a good job," said Vitzthum. "I thought our defense played absolutely incredible in the first half, we dominated the line of scrimmage and contained the quarterback.
South Dakota put the narrative behind them from the first two weeks and struck first for a quick 10-0 lead into the early parts of the second quarter. The first quarter saw just one score when
Austyn Modrzewski found
Brayden White for an eight-yard touchdown connection on the first USD possession of the contest. It marks three-straight games that duo has connected for a Coyote touchdown.
After a field goal from the Eagles to make it 10-3, USD responded with a touchdown of their own with a career-long 66-yard touchdown reception from Bryant that immediately followed what would've been a Coyote turnover that was overturned via video review.
The Yotes kept the pressure on with a pair of touchdowns to extend the lead to 31-3. On the first drive out of halftime, a quick 5-play, 85-yard drive was highlighted by a 72-yard touchdown run from Pierre Jr. who broke off his longest run of the season.
"To go through the adversity from last season, it's never easy," said Vitzthum on Pierre Jr.'s 100-yard rushing performance. "It felt different when he went down that sideline today (on his season-long 72-yard TD run) but you could feel our team and staff. It was the moment we've all been waiting for and it was sure dang good to see."
As the game progressed, the South Dakota defense did a great job of keeping the Eagles' at bay, holding the reigning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week to under 300 yards of total offense and just 47 rushing yards. He'd been averaging north of 280 passing yards per game through the first two games against FCS opponents, but the Yotes held him to just 217 on the day.
The defense also picked up their first takeaways of the season with a
Gabe Hardman forced fumble, recovered by
Jaylen Boehm-Peterson, in the second quarter and a third quarter interception from
Ethan Carrier.
On the contest, South Dakota had 517 yards of offense on 67 plays (7.7 yards per play) to EWU's 342 yards of offense on 69 plays (5.0 yards per play). For the first time this season, USD eclipsed 30 minutes of possession time, holding the ball for 35:55.
UP NEXT: South Dakota hits the road for the longest road trip of the season with the first of two road games being at Boise State next Saturday, September 19 with a 9 p.m. (CT) kickoff from Albertsons Stadium on CBS Sports Network.
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