VERMILLION — The University of South Dakota football team looks to get back into the win column after Illinois State snapped their 11-game home winning streak last week, as they play host to North Dakota on Saturday.
Here’s how to follow South Dakota vs. North Dakota and what to know about both programs:
Week 10: South Dakota Coyotes (5-4, 3-2 MVFC) vs. No. 8 North Dakota Fighting Hawks (6-2, 4-0 MVFC)
When: 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1
Where: DakotaDome, Vermillion, S.D.
TV: ESPN+ / Midco Sports Plus (Jay Elsen — PxP, Andre Fields — Analyst)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Jerry Palleschi) [KVHT 106.3 FM]
Streaming: ESPN+ / Midco Sports Plus
Records last year: USD 11-3, North Dakota 5-7
Series: North Dakota leads the all-time series 64-33-5
Last time: South Dakota won 42-36 in 2024 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.
Rankings: North Dakota is ranked No. 8 in the FCS; USD is unranked.
Last week: South Dakota lost against Illinois State 21-13 at home, North Dakota defeated Indiana State 46-17 at home
Coaches: South Dakota — Travis Johansen (first year, 5-4); North Dakota — Eric Schmidt (first season, 6-2)
Stat leaders after week 9
Leading passers: USD — Aidan Bouman (122-of-213, 1,512 yards, 11 TDs, 5 INTs); North Dakota — Jerry Kaminski (135-of-217, 1,590 yards, 22 TDs, 2 INTs)
Leading rushers: USD — L.J. Phillips Jr. (1,190 yards, 182 carries, 11 TDs); North Dakota — Sawyer Seidl (548 yards, 90 carries, 7 TDs)
Leading receivers: USD — Larenzo Fenner (487 yards, 22 receptions, 6 TDs); North Dakota — B.J. Fleming (474 yards, 26 receptions, 5 TDs)
Top defenders: USD — Roman Tillmon (57 total tackles, 23 solo, 4 PBUs, 1 FF, 1 QBH and 1/2 TFL); North Dakota — Malachi McNeal (52 total tackles, 29 solo, 4 PBUs, 3TFLs, 3 QBHs and 1 sack)
Quick game hits: South Dakota and North Dakota clash on the eve of the two states’ 137th anniversary of statehood (Nov. 2, 1889) for the 103rd all-time meeting on Saturday in a series that dates back to 1903. … USD has defeated UND in back-to-back meetings (2023 and 2024), while the last 10 meetings have been even with each team winning five games. … The Fighting Hawks are 25-19-2 in Vermillion. … South Dakota has won 17 of its last 21 Missouri Valley Football Conference games dating back to the 2023 season, but two of its losses have been this year against ranked opponents (North Dakota State and Illinois State). … The Coyotes lead the MVFC in both field goals made (12) and field goals attempted (15) this season, while also pacing the Valley in red zone offense with a 92.59% scoring rate (25-of-27). … South Dakota’s standout sophomore running back L.J. Phillips Jr. is second in the FCS in net rushing yards (1,190), second in rushing attempts (190), third in rushing yards per game (132.2), tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns (11), and sits at No. 14 in yards per carry (6.54). … It has been a fast start under first-year head coach Eric Schmidt, as North Dakota has won its last five games and has an undefeated MVFC record. … UND’s quarterback Jerry Kaminski has had a stellar 2025 campaign, leading the Valley with 22 passing touchdowns while throwing for nearly 200 yards per game (198.7). … The Fighting Hawks sit at No. 9 in scoring offense nationally at 40 points per game and No. 10 in rushing offense (222.9 rushing yards per contest). … Defensively, UND sits top 15 in total defense (No. 15) and scoring defense (No. 7), with the sixth-best rushing defense in the FCS, allowing just 89.4 rushing yards per game.
Trey Houchin is a sports reporter for the Mitchell Republic. Trey graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports media and covers a wide variety of topics. A Missouri native, Houchin can be reached at [email protected].
