Coyotes To Make First FCS Quearterfinals With WIn Over the Hornets

Get our free mobile app

VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota will make its first FCS quarterfinals appearance following a 34-24 win against Sacramento State Saturday inside the DakotaDome.

Charles Pierre Jr. ran for a career-high 123 yards, Aidan Bouman threw two touchdowns and South Dakota’s defense forced two turnovers that led to two scores as the Coyotes (10-2) reached 10 wins for the first time since 1986. South Dakota, the No. 3 overall seed, will host North Dakota State next week. A date and time are yet to be announced.

Sacramento State (8-5) had starting quarterback Kaiden Bennett go down with a shoulder injury early in the second quarter. The Hornets turned to former South Dakota starter Carson Camp at the position. Camp passed for 168 yards, ran for 39, and orchestrated three long touchdown drives.

Coyote safety Josiah Ganues intercepted Bennett late in the first quarter that set South Dakota up in Hornet territory. Four plays later, Bouman stepped up in the pocket and threw a strike to Javion Phelps for an 18-yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead. It was the first collegiate score for Phelps who caught two passes for 33 yards.

Two plays into Sacramento State’s next possession, Bennett was hit by defensive tackle Blake Holden and linebacker Stephen Hillis and lost the football. USD defensive end Mi’Quise Grace scooped the loose ball and raced 56 yards for another Coyote touchdown.

“That score created some separation in the game and was a great play,” said USD head coach Bob Nielson. “Mi’Quise Grace is another young guy who has really played some good football for us. I was excited for him to get a collegiate touchdown.”

Bennett went down on the first play of the ensuing drive and the game could have gotten out of hand right there if not for Camp. He marched Sacramento State 74 yards in nine plays behind center and the Hornets got on the board on a 2-yard plunge by Marcus Fulcher.

Bouman answered that score with a 75-yard touchdown pass to tight end JJ Galbreath who was all alone down the middle of the field. It was the longest pass play for South Dakota this season. The Coyotes got the ball back, but Sacramento State forced a fumble in Hornets territory. That led to another 2-yard score by Fulcher and the lead was 24-14 at the half.

Sacramento State ran eight plays for 10 yards in the third quarter and South Dakota made it 31-14 on a 3-yard touchdown run by Travis Theis with 20 seconds left in the frame. It was Theis’ sixth touchdown run this season and 21st of his career. He ran 15 times for 68 yards and moved into fifth place on the program’s all-time rushing list with 2,462 yards.

The two teams exchanged field goals in the fourth quarter before Camp threw a late touchdown to Jared Gipson with 1:37 remaining. Gipson caught six passes for 59 yards. Anderson Grover led the Hornets with 79 yards on three catches.

South Dakota had more than 200 yards rushing in the contest before some team rushes to drain the last seconds moved the total back to 194. That was certainly a key to the Coyotes’ success Saturday. Pierre Jr. ripped a 50-yard run in the fourth quarter that set up a 34-yard field goal by Will Leyland that put the game out of reach. Pierre Jr.’s 13 carries were one shy of his career high.

“Our team was well prepared today and played that way,” said Nielson. “We kept coming. Even when something didn’t go our way we just kept playing. Today was a perfect example of that where the defense picked us up on this drive, the offense picked us up on the other drive, and the kicking game was good all day. That’s the kind of football that wins and we got to keep playing that kind of football.”

Grace had two sacks to go with his defensive score and safety Dennis Shorter had a brilliant game for South Dakota’s defense. He had a game-high 10 tackles, one for loss, and broke up three passes. South Dakota produced eight tackles-for-loss and broke up seven passes.

North Dakota State is next. The Bison blocked an extra point in overtime to knock off sixth-seeded Montana State 35-34 Saturday in Bozeman, Montana. It will be a rematch of the opening game of MVFC play when South Dakota beat NDSU 24-19 in Fargo, North Dakota.