South Dakota Takes On Sacramento State in FCS Playoffs

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A sea of red with a deafening crowd will have the USD campus exploding with excitement on Saturday as the Coyotes host their third playoff appearance in the last six full seasons under Bob Nielson.

Third-ranked South Dakota will take on the 15th-ranked Sacramento State Hornets which have played in the last four fall FCS Playoffs. This is the first time these two teams have met.

South Dakota finished its regular season 9-2 which included four wins against top-25 teams. The Coyotes beat Western Illinois 48-6 in Macomb back on Nov. 18 in the regular season finale. USD is the No. 3 overall seed and received a first-round bye in the FCS playoffs.

Sacramento State is coming off a road playoff game last week against North Dakota where they won 42-35. The matchup against North Dakota was the first FCS playoff game Sacramento State has played on the road in program history. The Hornets finished their regular season 7-4, going 4-4 in the Big Sky Conference.

South Dakota head coach Bob Nielson was awarded the MVFC Coach of the Year title and is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. He led the Coyotes to their highest ranking in the polls at the FCS level. Nielson's 227 career wins are second-most among active FCS coaches and eighth-most among active NCAA football coaches.

Kickoff is 1:00 PM with coverage on ESPN+.

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Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli