2024 South Dakota Coyotes football team

2024 South Dakota Coyotes football
MVFC co-champion
NCAA Division I Semifinal, L 17–31 vs. Montana State
Conference	Missouri Valley Football Conference
Ranking
STATS	No. 4
FCS Coaches	No. 4
Record	11–3 (7–1 MVFC)
Head coach	Bob Nielson (9th season)
Offensive coordinator	Josh Davis (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Pistol
Defensive coordinator	Travis Johansen (6th season)
Base defense	Multiple
Home stadium	DakotaDome
Seasons ←  2023 2025  →

2024 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 1 North Dakota State +^		7	–	1					14	–	2
No. 3 South Dakota State +^		7	–	1					12	–	3
No. 4 South Dakota +^		7	–	1					11	–	3
Missouri State *		6	–	2					8	–	4
No. 11 Illinois State ^		6	–	2					10	–	4
Youngstown State		3	–	5					4	–	8
Indiana State		3	–	5					4	–	8
North Dakota		2	–	6					5	–	7
Southern Illinois		2	–	6					4	–	8
Northern Iowa		1	–	7					3	–	9
Murray State		0	–	8					1	–	11
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – FCS playoff participant * – Ineligible for 2024 FCS playoffs due to transition to the FBS Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2024 South Dakota Coyotes football team represented the University of South Dakota as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Coyotes were led by ninth-year head coach Bob Nielson and played their home games at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Preseason

MVFC poll

The MVFC released it preseason prediction poll on July 22, 2024. The Coyotes were predicted to finish third in the conference. ^[1]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
August 29	7:00 p.m.	Northern State *	No. 5	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD	ESPN+	W 45–3	7,435
September 7	2:30 p.m.	at Wisconsin *	No. 6	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	FS1	L 13–27	76,069
September 14	3:00 p.m.	at Portland State *	No. 6	Hillsboro Stadium Portland, OR	ESPN+	Canceled		[2]
September 21	1:00 p.m.	Drake *	No. 6	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD	ESPN+	W 42–3	6,529
September 28	1:00 p.m.	No. 17 Southern Illinois	No. 5	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD	ESPN+	W 42–13	6,706
October 5	2:00 p.m.	at Murray State	No. 4	Roy Stewart Stadium Murray, KY	ESPN+	W 59–0	6,437
October 12	2:00 p.m.	Northern Iowa	No. 4	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD	ESPN+	W 42–17	8,934
October 19	5:00 p.m.	at Youngstown State	No. 4	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	ESPN+	W 27–17	8,560
October 26	6:30 p.m.	at No. 3 South Dakota State	No. 4	Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium Brookings, SD (rivalry)	ESPNU	L 17–20 OT	19,351
November 9	1:00 p.m.	Indiana State	No. 5	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD	ESPN+	W 49–0	5,515
November 16	12:00 p.m.	at North Dakota	No. 5	Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND (Sitting Bull Trophy)	ESPN+	W 42–36	8,974
November 23	1:00 p.m.	No. 1 North Dakota State	No. 4	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD	ESPN+	W 29–28	9,062
December 7	2:00 p.m.	No. 14 Tarleton State *	No. 4	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD (NCAA Division I Second Round)	ESPN+	W 42–31	6,231
December 14	2:00 p.m.	No. 5 UC Davis *	No. 4	DakotaDome Vermillion, SD (NCAA Division I Quarterfinal)	ESPN+	W 35–21	6,135
December 21	2:30 p.m.	at No. 1 Montana State *	No. 4	Bobcat Stadium Bozeman, MT (NCAA Division I Semifinal)	ABC	L 17–31	20,557
*Non-conference game Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[3]

Game summaries

Northern State (DII)

See also: Northern State Wolves

Game One – Northern State Wolves (DII) (0–0) vs South Dakota Coyotes (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolves (DII)	3	0	0	0	3
No. 5 Coyotes	10	21	7	7	45

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

• Date: Thursday August 29, 2024
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (played indoors)
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	NORST	SDAK
First downs	11	20
Total yards	207	351
Rushing yards	147	266
Passing yards	60	85
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	8-13-2	9-13-0
Time of possession	31:55	28:05

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern State	Passing	Daniel Britt	8-11 60 Yards 1 INT
	Rushing	Hank Craft	11 Carries 68 Yards
	Receiving	Tanner Branson	2 Catches 25 Yards
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	9-12 85 Yards
	Rushing	Charles Pierre Jr	13 Carries 136 Yards 2 TD
	Receiving	Carter Bell	3 Catches 32 Yards

at Wisconsin (FBS)

See also: 2024 Wisconsin Badgers football team

Game Two – No. 6 South Dakota Coyotes (1–0) at Wisconsin Badgers (FBS) (1–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Coyotes	0	3	10	0	13
Badgers (FBS)	14	3	3	7	27

at Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI

• Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
• Game time: 2:30 PM CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C); Wind: N 9 mph
• Game attendance: 76,069
• Referee: David Siegle
• TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst)

Game information

First quarter WIS – Chez Mellusi 9-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 12:03 Wisconsin 7–0Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:52. WIS – CJ Williams 50-yard pass from Tyler Van Dyke (Nathanial Vakos kick), 4:48 Wisconsin 14–0Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 1:23. Second quarter SD – Will Leyland 25-yard field goal, 7:14. Wisconsin 14–3.Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:48. WIS – Nathanial Vakos 24-yard field goal, 0:07. Wisconsin 17–3.Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 6:56. Third quarter SD – Keyondray Jones-Logan 35-yard run (Will Leyland kick), 12:38 Wisconsin 17–10Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:22. SD – Will Leyland 32-yard field goal, 5:06. Wisconsin 17–13.Drive: 5 plays, -7 yards, 1:44. WIS – Nathanial Vakos 50-yard field goal, 2:21. Wisconsin 20–13.Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 2:34. Fourth quarter WIS – Chez Mellusi 1-yard run (Nathanial Vakos kick), 7:41 Wisconsin 27–13Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 4:51.

Statistics	SDAK	WIS
First downs	13	23
Total yards	237	385
Rushing yards	123	171
Passing yards	114	214
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	12–23–0	17–27–0
Time of possession	27:31	32:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	12/23, 114 yards
	Rushing	Charles Pierre Jr.	12 carries, 83 yards
	Receiving	Travis Theis	4 receptions, 43 yards
Wisconsin	Passing	Tyler Van Dyke	17/27, 214 yards, TD
	Rushing	Chez Mellusi	16 carries, 60 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	CJ Williams	2 receptions, 53 yards, TD

at Portland State

See also: 2024 Portland State Vikings football team

Game Three – No. 6 South Dakota Coyotes (1–1) at Portland State Vikings (0–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Coyotes	0	0	0	0	0
Vikings	0	0	0	0	0

at Hillsboro Stadium • Hillsboro, OR

• Date: Saturday September 14, 2024
• Game time: 3:00 PM CST
• Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
• TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	SDAK	PRST
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Dakota	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Portland State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Drake

See also: 2024 Drake Bulldogs football team

Game Four – Drake Bulldogs (1–0) at No. 6 South Dakota Coyotes (1–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	3	0	0	3
No. 6 Coyotes	14	14	7	7	42

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

• Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
• Game time: 1:00 PM CST
• Game weather: None (played indoors)
• Game attendance: 6,529
• Referee: Jason Perkins
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Jay Elsen (play-by-play) and Andre Fields (analyst)

Game information

First quarter 14:47 USD – Keyondray Jones-Logan 99-yard kickoff return (Will Leyland kick) (USD 7–0) 3:51 USD – Travis Theis 25-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 2:39; USD 14–0) Second quarter 12:17 Drake – Shane Dunning 23-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 1:05; USD 14–3) 8:44 USD – Carter Bell 6-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:33; USD 21–3) 3:14 USD – Charles Pierre, Jr. 1-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:53; USD 28–3) Third quarter 3:14 USD – Travis Theis Jr. 4-yard run (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:01; USD 35–3) Fourth quarter 3:14 USD – Charles Pierre, Jr. 20-yard pass from Aidan Bouman (Will Leyland kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:01; USD 42–3)

Statistics	DRKE	SDAK
First downs	18	25
Total yards	211	411
Rushing yards	93	192
Passing yards	118	219
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	18–33–1	18–26–1
Time of possession	32:17	27:43

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Drake	Passing	Luke Bailey	16/29, 107 yards, INT
	Rushing	Dorian Boyland	8 carries, 51 yards
	Receiving	Trey Radocha	7 receptions, 56 yards
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	18/24, 219 yards, TD
	Rushing	Travis Theis	9 carries, 94 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Carter Bell	4 receptions, 56 yards

No. 17 Southern Illinois

See also: 2024 Southern Illinois Salukis football team

Game Five – No. 17 Southern Illinois Salukis (2–2) vs No. 5 South Dakota Coyotes (2–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 17 Salukis	0	7	6	0	13
No. 5 Coyotes	14	21	0	7	42

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

• Date: September 28, 2024
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (played indoors)
• Game attendance: 6,706
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	SIU	SDAK
First downs	16	24
Total yards	366	549
Rushing yards	60	302
Passing yards	306	247
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	23-41	11-17
Time of possession	24:41	35:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern Illinois	Passing	Hunter Simmons	23-41, 306 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Shaun Lester Jr	10 carries, 31 yards
	Receiving	Keontez Lewis	3 catches, 88 yards, TD
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	11-17, 245 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Travis Theis	25 carries, 147 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	JJ Galbreath	2 catches, 100 yards, TD

at Murray State

See also: 2024 Murray State Racers football team

Game Six – No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (3–1) vs Murray State Racers (1–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Coyotes	21	3	21	14	59
Racers	0	0	0	0	0

at Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY

• Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
• Game time: 2:00 p.m.
• Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
• Game attendance: 6.437
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	SDAK	MURR
First downs	26	10
Total yards	582	213
Rushing yards	361	90
Passing yards	221	123
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	16-22-1	13-21-2
Time of possession	36:20	23:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	16-22, 221 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Travis Theis	14 carries, 132 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Quaron Adams	3 receptions, 83 yards
Murray State	Passing	Jayden Johannsen	7-13, 84 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jawaun Northington	11 carries, 46 yards
	Receiving	JK Carter	3 receptions, 54 yards

Northern Iowa

See also: 2024 Northern Iowa Panthers football team

Game Seven – Northern Iowa Panthers (2–3) vs No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (4–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	3	7	0	17
No. 4 Coyotes	7	21	14	0	42

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

• Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
• Game time: 2:00 p.m.
• Game weather: None (played indoors)
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UNI	SDAK
First downs	16	24
Total yards	311	513
Rushing yards	56	192
Passing yards	255	321
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	19-28-1	18-21-0
Time of possession	24:31	35:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Iowa	Passing	Matthew Schecklman	18-26 250 yards 1 TD 1 INT
	Rushing	Tye Edwards	19 carries 53 yards 1 TD
	Receiving	Desmond Hutson	4 Receptions 94 Yards
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	17-20 284 Yards 2 TD
	Rushing	Charles Pierre Jr	21 Carries 105 Yards 2 TD
	Receiving	AJ Coons	2 Receptions 61 Yards 1 TD

at Youngstown State

See also: 2024 Youngstown State Penguins football team

Game Eight – No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (5–1) at Youngstown State Penguins (2–5) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Coyotes	0	14	10	3	27
Penguins	7	10	0	0	17

at Stambaugh Stadium, Youngstown, OH

• Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
• Game time: 5:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 64 °F (18 °C) • Wind: W at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h)
• Game attendance: 8,560
• Referee: Jason Berg
• TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	SDAK	YSU
First downs	19	22
Total yards	415	346
Rushing yards	192	138
Passing yards	223	208
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	12-18-0	22-32-0
Time of possession	26:01	33:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	12-18, 223 yards, TD
	Rushing	Charles Pierre Jr	21 carries, 153 yards 2 TD
	Receiving	JJ Galbreath	3 receptions, 79 yards
Youngstown State	Passing	Beau Brungard	22-31, 208 yards, TD
	Rushing	Beau Brungard	16 carries, 69 yards, TD
	Receiving	Max Tomczak	9 receptions, 90 yards

at No. 3 South Dakota State (rivalry)

See also: 2024 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team and South Dakota–South Dakota State football rivalry

Game Nine – No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (6–1) at No. 3 South Dakota State Jackrabbits (5–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 4 Coyotes	7	0	0	7	3	17
No. 3 Jackrabbits	7	7	0	0	6	20

at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD

• Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
• Game time: 6:30 p.m.
• Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), Clear, Wind S 15 mph (24 km/h)
• Game attendance: 19,351
• Referee: David Hergert
• TV announcers (ESPNU): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and Fozzy Whittaker (analyst)

Game information

First quarter (9:33) USD – Travis Theis 1-yard run, Will Leyland kick (Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:27; South Dakota 7–0) (6:13) SDSU – Mark Gronowski 1-yard run, Hunter Dustman kick (Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:20; Tied 7–7) Second quarter (4:53) SDSU – Amar Johnson 1-yard run, Hunter Dustman kick (Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:58; South Dakota State 14–7) Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter (4:41) USD – Mi'Quise Grace 15-yard fumble recovery, Will Leyland kick (Tied 14–14) (0:00) USD – Will Leyland 40-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:00; South Dakota 17–14) Overtime (0:00) SDSU – Amar Johnson 3-yard run (Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 0:00; South Dakota State 20–17)

Statistics	SDAK	SDST
First downs	18	19
Total yards	275	329
Rushing yards	82	166
Passing yards	193	163
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	21-35-1	21-29-0
Time of possession	28:22	31:38

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	20-32, 163 yards
	Rushing	Travis Theis	15 carries, 78 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jack Martens	3 receptions, 66 yards
South Dakota State	Passing	Mark Gronowski	20-27, 163 yards
	Rushing	Angel Johnson	14 carries, 81 yards
	Receiving	Griffin Wilde	5 receptions, 61 yards

Indiana State

See also: 2024 Indiana State Sycamores football team

Game Ten – Indiana State Sycamores (4–5) vs No. 5 South Dakota Coyotes (6–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Sycamores	0	0	0	0	0
No. 5 Coyotes	7	14	14	14	49

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

• Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: None (played indoors)
• Game attendance: 5,515
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	INST	SDAK
First downs	5	21
Total yards	129	622
Rushing yards	-3	317
Passing yards	132	305
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	12-23-0	15-21-0
Time of possession	27:15	32:45

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Indiana State	Passing	Elijah Owens	11-21, 131 yards
	Rushing	Shen Butler-Lawson	10 carries, 15 yards
	Receiving	Zavion Taylor	4 receptions, 66 yards
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	14-20, 238 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Charles Pierre Jr.	11 carries, 165 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Quaron Adams	2 receptions, 133 yards, 2 TD

at North Dakota (Sitting Bull Trophy)

See also: 2024 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team and Sitting Bull Trophy

Game Eleven – No. 5 South Dakota Coyotes (7–2) at North Dakota Fighting Hawks (5–5) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Coyotes	0	17	10	15	42
Fighting Hawks	7	14	0	15	36

at Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND

• Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: None (played indoors)
• Game attendance: 8,974
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	SDAK	UND
First downs	25	23
Total yards	512	323
Rushing yards	322	143
Passing yards	190	180
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	20-31-0
Time of possession	32:44	27:16

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	15-21 190 Yards 3 TD 1 INT
	Rushing	Charles Pierre Jr	15 Carries 173 Yards 1 TD
	Receiving	Charles Pierre Jr	4 Receptions 75 Yards 1 TD
North Dakota	Passing	Simon Roufo	20-30 180 Yards 3 TD
	Rushing	Sawyer Seidl	7 Carries 68 Yards 1 TD
	Receiving	Bo Belquist	10 Receptions 96 Yards 1 TD

No. 1 North Dakota State

See also: 2024 North Dakota State Bison football team

Game Twelve – No. 1 North Dakota State Bison (10–1) vs No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (8–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bison	0	14	7	7	28
No. 4 Coyotes	7	7	3	12	29

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

• Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: None (played indoors)
• Game attendance: 9,062
• Referee: Aaron Adams
• TV: ESPN+

Game information

First quarter (6:35) USD – Travis Theis 6-yard run, Will Leyland kick (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:14; South Dakota 7–0) Second quarter (12:44) USD – Travis Theis 14-yard run, Will Leyland kick (Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 4:13; South Dakota 14–0) (2:39) NDSU – Braylon Henderson 23-yard pass from Cam Miller, Griffin Crosa kick (Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:57; South Dakota 14–7) (0:26) NDSU – CharMar Brown 3-yard run, Griffin Crosa kick (Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 1:17; Tied 14–14) Third quarter (10:21) USD – Will Leyland 37-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 4:39; South Dakota 17–14) (4:48) NDSU – Cam Miller 2-yard run, Griffin Crosa kick (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:29; North Dakota State 21–17) Fourth quarter (4:10) NDSU – CharMar Brown 1-yard run, Griffin Crosa kick (Drive: 20 plays, 99 yards, 10:53; North Dakota State 28–17) (3:22) USD – Jack Martens 40-yard pass from Aidan Bouman (Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 0:48; North Dakota State 28–23) (0:12) USD – Javion Phelps 25-yard pass from Aidan Bouman (Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 1:04; South Dakota 29–28)

Statistics	NDSU	SDAK
First downs	19	23
Total yards	340	391
Rushing yards	166	119
Passing yards	174	272
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	10–22–0	18–30–0
Time of possession	30:46	29:14

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Dakota State	Passing	Cam Miller	10/22, 174 yards, TD
	Rushing	Cam Miller	19 carries, 82 yards, TD
	Receiving	RaJa Nelson	3 receptions, 48 yards
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	18/30, 272 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Travis Theis	13 carries, 66 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Javion Phelps	3 receptions, 79 yards, TD

No. 14 Tarleton State (NCAA Division I Playoff–Second round)

See also: 2024 Tarleton State Texans football team and 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football postseason

NCAA Division I Playoff–Second round
No. 14 Tarleton State Texans (10–3) vs No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (9–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Texans	7	14	7	3	31
No. 4 Coyotes	7	7	7	21	42

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

• Date: Saturday December 7, 2024
• Game time: 2:00 p.m.
• Game attendance: 6,231
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	TAR	SDAK
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tarleton State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
South Dakota	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 5 UC Davis (NCAA Division I Playoff-Quarterfinal)

See also: 2024 UC Davis Aggies football team and 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football postseason

NCAA Division I Playoff–Quarterfinal
No. 5 UC Davis Aggies (11–2) vs No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (10–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Aggies	7	7	0	7	21
No. 4 Coyotes	14	7	7	7	35

at DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD

• Date: Saturday December 14, 2024
• Game time: 2:00 p.m.
• Game attendance: 6,135
• TV: ESPN+

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCD	SDAK
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UC Davis	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
South Dakota	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at No. 1 Montana State (NCAA Division I Playoff–Semifinal)

See also: 2024 Montana State Bobcats football team and 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football postseason

NCAA Division I Playoff–Semifinal
No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (11–2) at No. 1 Montana State (14–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Coyotes	7	7	3	0	17
No. 1 Bobcats	14	10	7	0	31

at Bobcat Stadium • Bozeman, MT

• Date: Saturday December 21, 2024
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game attendance: 20,557
• TV: ABC

Game information

First quarter (11:56) MTST – Taco Dowler 34 yard pass from Tommy Mellott, Myles Sansted kick (Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:04; MTST 7–0) (8:52) SDAK – Travis Theis 55 yard run, Will Leyland kick (Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 3:04; Tied 7–7) (1:04) MTST – Tommy Mellott 5 yard run, Myles Sansted kick (Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:46; MTST 14–7) Second quarter (14:51) SDAK – Charles Pierre Jr. 45 yard run, Will Leyland kick (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:13; Tied 14–14) (8:24) MTST – Scottre Humphrey 1 yard run, Myles Sansted kick (Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 6:27; MTST 21–14) (0:08) MTST – Myles Sansted 28 yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 64 yards, 5:03; MTST 24–14) Third quarter (10:30) MTST – Tommy Mellott 41 yard run, Myles Sansted kick (Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:51; MTST 31–14) (2:55) SDAK – Will Leyland 46 yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:11; MTST 31–17) Fourth quarter No scoring plays

Statistics	SDAK	MTST
First downs	16	20
Total yards	371	356
Rushing yards	135	222
Passing yards	236	134
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	20-29-0	8-17-0
Time of possession	27:56	32:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Dakota	Passing	Aidan Bouman	20/29, 236 yards
	Rushing	Travis Theis	14 carries, 110 yards, TD
	Receiving	Travis Theis	7 receptions, 80 yards
Montana State	Passing	Tommy Mellott	8/17, 134 yards, TD
	Rushing	Tommy Mellott	17 carries, 125 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Taco Dowler	4 receptions, 94 yards, TD

References

1. "Valley Football 2024 Preseason Team and Poll". Missouri Valley Football Conference. July 22, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
2. Carlson, Steve (September 14, 2024). "Contest with Portland State Called Off Due to Illness within Viking Program" (Press release). South Dakota Coyotes. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
3. "2024 Football Schedule". goyotes.com. South Dakota Coyotes. Retrieved April 3, 2024.