SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – It was the South Dakota defense who pitched a second half shutout in the annual Interstate Series, presented by First Interstate Bank, football game on a snowy day in southeast South Dakota as the Coyotes down No. 8-ranked South Dakota State 24-17 in the 119th meeting between the Coyotes and Jackrabbits Saturday afternoon from the DakotaDome.
South Dakota picked up their second-straight win over a top-10 team inside the DaktoaDome to improve to 7-4 (5-2 MVFC) on the season. South Dakota State dropped their third-straight game of the year and falls to 7-3 (3-3 MVFC). The Coyotes pick up their first full points of the 2025-26 series with the Jacks, picking up two points with the football victory.
The Coyotes did not allow SDSU into the red zone all day, while forcing a fumble in the fourth-straight game. DeJuan Lewis picked off his first career pass in the endzone in the fourth quarter to keep what would’ve been the game-tying score by the Jacks.
South Dakota State won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball. Wasting no time, the Jacks took the first play from scrimmage for a 75-yard touchdown rush down the near side for the early 7-0 lead. The Coyotes took their first possession 15 plays for 70 yards down the field that ended with a ##-yard touchdown run from L.J. Phillips Jr. to knot the game up at 7-7.
SDSU would take the ensuing possession into Coyote territory before settling on a 40-yard field goal to take the 10-7 lead that would hold through the first quarter.
The USD defense got their first stop of the day midway through the second quarter. The offense took back over trailing by a field goal. The ensuing drive would see the Coyotes drive into Jackrabbit territory, but the drive would stall just outside the redzone. Will Leyland would convert a 34-yard field goal – his 35th of his career – to knot things back up at 10-10 with four minutes to play in the first half.
Larenzo Fenner was the man of the hour just before the half. Back-to-back catches put South Dakota deep into State territory, followed by a 19-yard touchdown reception to give the Coyotes their first lead of the day at 17-10. The Jackrabbits would utilize a brilliant two-minute offense as Henry found Bullock in the endzone from 27 yards out with seconds left in the first half.
Hindered by a penalty in the opening drive of the second half, Bouman found Tysen Boze in SDSU territory. USD would overcome the adversity, punching the ball in the end zone to start the third quarter – which proved to be the only score of the second half.
A 20-yard connection between Bouman and Boze would put USD inside the SDSU 40-yard line with the crowd getting back on their feet. Just three plays later, Phillips Jr. would break off his longest run of the day with a 32-yard run right up the middle, breaking multiple would-be Jackrabbit tacklers, and dove across the goaline to give South Dakota the 24-17 lead.
Though the offense would punt the final three full drives of the half, it would be the Coyote defense that stole the show the rest of the game. South Dakota State had four possessions in the second half that ended with two punts, an interception thrown in the end zone, and a turnover on downs on their final chance to pull even. The Billy Kirch led Coyote defense allowed just 85 total yards of offense in the second half to South Dakota State as the Coyotes were able to snap the three-game skid to the Jacks with the 24-17 victory in front of a sold out DakotaDome.
Phillips Jr. was nearly unstoppable in the contest with his seventh-career 100-yard rushing game and fifth multi-TD game, running for 168 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns. Bouman finished the day with 158 passing yards on just 8-for-12 passing. His long of 37 yards proved to be the lone touchdown pass of the day to Fenner.
The defense was led by Roman Tillmon and Gabriel Hardman who both posted seven tackles. The defense held the Jacks to 5-of-13 on third downs on the afternoon.
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