News and Notes before North Dakota

Full game notes (.pdf) | North Dakota Notes (.pdf)

The basics
South Dakota (3-2, 1-1 MVFC) vs. # 13 / # 15 North Dakota (2-2, 0-1 MVFC)
Saturday October 9 at 2 p.m. CST
Vermillion, SD (DakotaDome)
Television: Midco Sports (Jay Elsen, Andre Fields, Elaina Lanson)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Carter Woodiel)
Watch Online: FREE Webcast at GoYotes.com | Midco Sports Plus | ESPN +
Streak: North Dakota leads 63-30-5 (won 21-10 last March at Grand Forks

About Coyotes: The USD were convincing in their three wins and held a fourth quarter lead in the two losses … the Coyotes outscored their FCS opponents 115-24 in the first half … the defense put on their best performance during perhaps his best start at Division I level … all-American preseason LB Jack Cochrane is the catalyst there, but 11 different defenders registered a sack … a balanced attack includes three first-year running backs, including Thomas thomas averaging 8.7 yards per carry … Carter Bell led the USD by receiving four times in a row … PK Lorber mason is the most accurate kicker in the league and has made six consecutive FGs … P Brady schutt is featured on one of the best punters in the country

About the Hawks: UND just lost 16-10 to NDSU on Saturday in the series’ first meeting in Grand Forks since 2003 … offensively, the Hawks feature all-American RB Otis Weah, who ran for 163 yards and two goals in a win over USD last season, and QB Tommy Schuster, who averages 234 yards per game … a talented line allowed just three negative plays last week and gave up just two sacks in four games … the Hawks are balanced defensively and seven of the eight turnovers they forced were interceptions by seven different players

Quick shots
-South Dakota receives votes and sits just outside the top 25 in both FCS polls
-The Coyotes have eliminated one ranked opponent every year since 2013 (0-1 this fall)
-USD then beats-No. 10 North Dakota 45-7 in 2017 (last meeting at Vermillion)
–Thomas thomas, fourth on the depth chart and only played in Game 3, is Valley’s third-best rusher with 87 yards per game
-The opposing RBs ran 97 times for 232 yards with zero touchdowns (2.4 ypc)
–Carter Bell has been Carson Camp top receiver in seven of nine career starts
–Caleb Vander Esch caught his 100th collegiate pass in last week’s game
-USD outclassed its four enemies FCS 115-24 in the first half (USD 38-28 in the second)
–Brock Mogensen had 11 tackles, one interception and two TFLs against North Dakota last March

The notes
South Dakota gets another chance at North Dakota on Saturday inside the DakotaDome. This is a rematch of a game that took place seven months ago when the North Dakota offensive line and United States running back Otis Weah claimed a 21-10 victory in Grand Forks. The Coyotes led 3-0 after a quarter and forced two turnovers to keep him near the half. But the Fighting Hawks scored two quick touchdowns to start the second half and the Coyotes didn’t find the end zone until the fourth quarter.

South Dakota’s defense is statistically better than the one that went to Grand Forks in March. The Coyotes sit 14th in scoring defense, 17th in ground defense and 21st in total defense. But that day, North Dakota ran for 249 yards, passed for 240, and topped $ 489-328. The Fighting Hawks did not allow any sacks, made three negative plays and did not commit a penalty the entire game (USD had four for 34 yards). Otis Weah ran 16 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns and the Hawks controlled the ball for over 35 minutes. It was the first game under Bob nielson in which the Coyotes did not win by keeping an opponent below 27 points.

This South Dakota defense just posted its best performance of the season, limiting Indiana State to 205 attacking yards, including just 33 rushing yards. linebacker Jack Cochrane led the team in tackles for the fourth time in five games, Elie Reed and Tre Jackson recorded interceptions in the third quarter, and DeJaun Cooper got his third sack of the season at the top of the team. The Sycamores have scored three of five of their 11 possessions and gained less than 10 yards on seven of 11.

The South Dakota offense has just won another great first half, scoring 21 points in the second quarter and helping the USD take a 24-3 halftime lead against Indiana State. The Coyotes outscored their four opponents FCS 115-24 in the first half and beat them 1,221-496. Strategist Camp Carson completed 51 of 73 passes for 707 yards and seven touchdowns against zero interceptions in the first halves of those games.

Big advances led to offensively conservative second-halves and the introduction of a true first-year running back Thomas thomas, who is suddenly the third-best rusher in the MVFC with the second-best yards-per-carry average in the country. His 8.77 ypc is just behind Pierre Strong of SDSU (8.84 ypc).

Thomas started as the fourth fullback listed on the depth chart to start the season. He didn’t see the pitch until week three at Cal Poly when injuries to Travis Theis and Shomari laurent moved it to number two behind Mike mansaray. Mansaray started against Cal Poly and carried 21 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas spelled it out and finished the night with 92 yards and a score on 15 carries. He ran once in the first half of the following week at Missouri State, but finished the night with four rushes for 60 yards, a team high. Eight of his 11 carries last week against Indiana State came in the fourth quarter, but he led the team in running for the second time with 111 yards on 11 carries, including a 27-yard touchdown.

In the second half of the last four games, South Dakota ran 85 times for 369 yards and completed 14 of 30 passes for 183 yards. Of Thomas’ 30 wins in the last three games, 21 have come in the second half.

To recover Travis Theis has run for at least one touchdown in his four games this season and had two touchdowns in the home win over northern Arizona.

To recover Mike mansaray got his first college start last week against Indiana State. He totaled 195 yards in his four games.

In nine games with Camp Carson as a starting quarterback, Carter Bell caught 38 passes for 621 yards and four touchdowns. Bell led the Coyotes in receptions in seven of nine games in 2021. He is the fourth best receiver in the Valley with 71 yards per game.

Coyote tight end Brett Samson came to life last week with five catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns. It was his second two touchdown game in 10 games dating back to the end of 2019. Samson is the program’s active leader in touchdown receptions with 13. Two more would put him on the Coyotes’ top 10 list. Three would put him in the top five.

Caleb Vander Esch recorded his 100th collegiate catch last week in the game with Indiana State. He led South Dakota with seven catches and 57 yards against North Dakota last March. Six more catches would place him tied with Dan Skelly for 10th place on the program’s all-time list.

South Dakota totaled eight sacks in their first two Valley games and rank fifth in the nation with 15 sacks overall. linebacker DeJaun Cooper has a sack in three straight games and is the team manager. Linebacker teammate Three Thomas has two defensive linemen Nick gaes and Brendan Webb also have two. Eleven different Coyotes combined for the 15 sacks. North Dakota have allowed a total of four sacks in 11 games played in 2021.

The South Dakota defense kept the opposing running backs to 232 yards on 97 carries and no touchdowns in five games. Indiana State starter Peterson Kerlegrand ran 11 times for 24 yards last week. Otis Weah of North Dakota led the Valley on the ground last year with 730 yards and has scored at least one touchdown in all seven games. He has run 58 times for 265 yards and three scores in three games this season for an average of 73 yards per game.

Wesley eliodor is the first Coyote in 13 seasons to return a kickoff for a touchdown. He ranks fourth in the country with a punt return average of 34 yards on eight returns. He is one of 13 FCS players to have scored a goal this season.

Lorber mason is the most accurate kicker in the Valley at 85 percent (6 of 7). He’s made six in a row after a season opener failure in Kansas. Perhaps equally impressive, he produced 20 touchbacks on 29 kickoffs. He had one touchback on 17 kickoffs during the four-game spring roster and 19 touchbacks on 69 kickoffs in 2019.

Brady schutt continues as one of the best bettors in the country. His 46 yard goal per punt last week was a season high and that included three of four punts placed inside the 20. Schutt has the 14th best national average at 44.9, but the Coyotes have the sixth best net average at 42.3. The USD led the nation in kicking with Schutt last spring.

This is the fourth clash between Bob nielson and Bubba Schweigert. Nielson hired Schweigert at Minnesota Duluth after Nielson transitioned from head football coach to athletic director there after the 2003 season. Schweigert left Duluth after four seasons to become Southern Illinois offensive coordinator. Nielson returned to the sidelines in 2008 and led Duluth to a 15-0 season and a Division II national championship. Current Coyote Offensive Coordinator Ted schlafke was the quarterback of this team.

Saturday marks the first time since 2018 that South Dakota have played back-to-back home games. This is only the third occurrence in more than five seasons of the Nielson era.

Iowa Hawkeye Connection: Defensive Line Coach Corey Brown is the only new addition to the Coyotes coaching staff. Brown is the third former Iowa Hawkeye that Nielson has added to his defensive team in the past three years. Brown (DL), Abdul Hodge (LB) and Myles Taylor (DB) are all former Hawkeyes.