(4) Coyotes, (13) Tarleton State Clash in Vermillion for FCS Playoff Second Round Showdown

December 5, 2024 Travis Kriens Local, Regional and National Sport stories

VERMILLION, S.D. — The No. 4-seeded University of South Dakota football team (9-2, 7-1 MVFC) are set to host an NCAA FCS Second Round Playoff game for the second consecutive year when they welcome the No. 13-seed Tarleton State University (Texas) Texans (10-3, 6-2 UAC) to the DakotaDome on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. (CT) on ESPN+ with Ted Emrich and Barrett Brooks on the call.

Game 13 | No. 4-seed South Dakota (9-2, 7-1 MVFC) vs. No. 13-seed Tarleton State (10-3, 6-2 UAC)
Date | Time Saturday, December 7 | 2:00 PM (CT)
Location Vermillion, S.D. | The DakotaDome (9,100)
Fan Information Tickets | Parking | Clear Bag Policy | A-to-Z Guide
Television ESPN+ – Ted Emrich (PxP) & Barrett Brooks (Analyst)
Radio Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver) [KVHT 106.3 FM]
Live Stats (South Dakota): SIDEARM | StatBroadcast
Game Notes South Dakota | Tarleton State | MVFC
Social Media @SDCoyotesFB Twitter | #GoYotes x #WeAreSouthDakota | @sdcoyotesfb Instagram | Facebook Facebook

PROMOTIONS

  • CorTrust Bank and Sanford Health are the South Dakota FCS Playoff sponsors.
  • Both bands (South Dakota & Tarleton State) will perform at halftime.

GAME STORYLINES

  • South Dakota enters the FCS Playoffs with a share of the 2024 Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) title for the first time in program history.
  • The Coyotes enter the Playoffs as the No. 4-seed, earning a top-4 seed for the second-straight season.
  • It marks the fourth FCS Playoff appearance for the Coyotes and aims to make it to, at least, the Quarterfinals round for the second-straight season.
  • DEFENDING THE DOME: Since the 2021 season, South Dakota is 19-6 inside the DakotaDome.
  • The Yotes ended the regular season at No. 3 (AFCA) and No. 4 (STATS Perform) in the polls.
  • Seven Coyotes earned First Team All-MVFC honors this season.
  • USD has had 72 chunk plays of 20 or more yards this season with 28 leading to touchdowns.
  • The Coyote defense sits second the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 14.9 points per game.
  • Furthermore, the passing defense is the best in the Valley, sitting at just 175.9 yards per game.
  • The Coyote rushing attack sits sixth in the FCS (224.3 yards per game) after their fourth 300+ rushing yard game of the season at UND.
  • As recognized by Congress in August 1994, Saturday’s game will be played on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (December 7).

COYOTES IN THE FCS PLAYOFFS

  • Saturday marks the fourth-straight home Playoff game for South Dakota.
  • All four appearances have been under HC Bob Nielson.
  • USD sits 2-3 all-time in FCS Playoff games, with one win at home (Sacramento State, 2023).
  • Charles Pierre Jr. is the only Coyote to rush for 100+ yards in a playoff game (123 vs. Sacramento State, 2023).
  • Chris Streveler holds the all-time single-game passing yards record with 520 (at Sam Houston State, 2017).
  • Defensively, 12 tackles is the single-game high done three times in program history.
  • Mi’Quise Grace holds the record for most TFLs (2.0) and sacks (1.5) in a single playoff game (vs. Sacramento State, 2023).
  • Dennis Shorter holds the single-game record for pass break-ups with three (vs. Sacramento State, 2023).

HEAD COACH BOB NIELSON

  • HC Bob Nielson was named the 2024 Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Coach of the Year.
  • He’s now won two MVFC Coach of the Year honors at USD (2023, 2024) and three total in his career (WIU, 2015).
  • Nielson is also the first MVFC coach to win Coach of the Year at two different league schools.
  • This season, Nielson picked up his 50th career win at South Dakota with the 42-36 win at North Dakota (Nov. 16).
  • He has coached in 97 career games at South Dakota.
  • One more win for Nielson will put him fourth all-time in program history for games won at USD.

YOTES TO NOTE

  • Aidan Bouman has thrown for at least 200 passing yards and one touchdown in seven games this season.
  • Quaron Adams has been a spark in the wide receivers group, averaging an MVFC-best 29.1 yards per catch.
  • The rushing attack of Charles Pierre Jr. (97.5) and Travis Theis (84.6) sit No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Valley in rushing yards per game.
  • Gary Bryant III leads the defense with his 78.0 tackles per game.
  • Dennis Shorter has a team-best two interceptions and is tied for the MVFC lead with his 12 pass break-ups.
  • Mi’Quise Grace leads the MVFC in sacks, sitting at 9.5 on the season. Nick Gaes sits right behind him at No. 2 in the Valley at 8.0 sacks.

DOMINANT RUSHING GAME

  • The run game continues to be a huge part of the Coyote offense, 224.3 rushing yards a game.
  • It sits second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and sixth nationally.
  • The backfield of Theis & Pierre Jr. have combined for nine 100-yard rushing games (both did so against SIU and UND).
  • Charles Pierre Jr. is the lone Coyote to have any 150-yard rushing games this season. He’s now done it three times, including in back-to-back weeks: 153 (at Youngstown State), 165 (vs. Indiana State), and 173 (at North Dakota).
  • Pierre Jr. was one of two Valley rushers to have 1,000+ rushing yards on the season through the regular season, doing it in one less game than UNI’s Tye Edwards.
  • He ended the regular season second in the Valley with his 15 rushing scores, though he led all running backs.

STOUT DEFENSE

  • The Yotes have made a name for themselves with a strong defensive unit so far this season.
  • South Dakota has six interceptions as a team with five different Yotes having one.
  • Dennis Shorter sits second in the MVFC with his 12 pass break-ups this season.
  • LB Gary Bryant III leads the defense with his 78 tackles this season.

GETTING PRESSURE ON THE QUARTERBACK

  • South Dakota sits 3rd in the MVFC in total sacks with 27 on the season.
  • Mi’Quise Grace leads the Valley with his 9.5 sacks this season, earning him Defensive Player of the Year in the conference.
  • Nick Gaes sits right behind Grace, second in the MVFC, with his 8.5 sacks on the season.
  • The duo combines for 17.5 of the 27 sacks for the Yotes, or 65% of the team’s sacks.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES & MILESTONES

  • Charles Pierre Jr. cracked the program’s top-10 single season rushing touchdown list with his two scores at Youngstown State, sitting at No. 5 (tie) with his 15 rushing scores.
  • As mentioned, he’s the first USD Division I FCS era rusher with 1,000 yards in a season which cracks the top-10 single-season list (No. 9, 1,082).
  • Keyondray Jones-Logan is one of two FCS athletes to return two kickoffs back for touchdowns this season.
  • Aidan Bouman became the sixth Coyote to record 5,000 passing yards in the win against Indiana State (Nov. 9).
  • Against Southern Illinois (Sept. 28), he became the ninth Coyote to eclipse 4,000 career passing yards.
  • In the win over NDSU, he cracked the single-season top-10 for passing yards for the second-straight year (No. 8, 2,257 yards).
  • Travis Theis now sits third in program history with his 34 rushing touchdowns. He needs four more to break the all-time program record.
  • Theis eclipsed the 3,000-career rushing yard mark in the Dakota Days win over UNI.
  • Carter Bell set the new program record in career receptions with his five in the SDSU game (167 & counting) and the receiving yards record in the Indiana State game.

MISC. NOTES

  • USD has now won seven-straight regular season games inside the DakotaDome, dating back to last season.
  • With the win over then No. 1-ranked NDSU to end the regular season, USD is now 2-6 since going Division I (2008 and on) against No. 1-ranked FCS teams.
  • The Coyotes are 14-12 in ranked vs. ranked games and 4-7 in those games on the road.
  • The Coyotes become the first Valley team to post two or more MVFC shutouts in the same season since NDSU did so in 2013.
  • South Dakota has put up 500+ yards of offense in five of the last eight games.
  • USD is 6-0 when leading at the half and 5-1 when they score first.
  • The Yotes had six MVFC Players of the Week during the 2024 season.
  • The Yotes are 1-0 outside of the Central Time Zone this season, though having two games scheduled outside the home time zone.

INSIDE THE TARLETON STATE SERIES

  • South Dakota and Tarleton State will meet on the gridiron for the first-ever meeting on Saturday.

TARLETON STATE QUICK HITS

  • Tarleton State enters the Second Round as the No. 13-seed and with a 10-3 (6-2 UAC) record under 15th-year head coach Todd Whitten.
  • The (now) 10-win season continues to set the program’s best win total in the Division I era.
  • The Texans are embarking on the program’s first-ever FCS Playoff appearance.
  • RB Kayvon Britten was named one of 35 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the FCS’ best offensive player.
  • Britten sits second nationally with his 1,896 rushing yards (316 carries) and 18 rushing scores (T3rd in the FCS).
  • WR Darius Cooper has broken the Tarleton program record for career receiving yards this season and sits second in the FCS with his 1,289 yards in 2024.