Offense spurs USD on hot streak

VERMILLION, S.D. (KELO) — USD rides a four-game winning streak into its conference game at Youngstown State this Saturday, and the Coyotes have piled on the points as of late.

The Yotes are averaging a Missouri Valley Football Conference-best 40.3 points per game. They have jumped on top of their opponents early and outscored the opposition by a combined 70 points in the first half the last three games.

“A great way to play football is to play from in front,” USD head coach Bob Nielson said. “We’ve been finding ways to take advantage of defenses with big plays. But at the same time, probably the the most important thing is that we’ve been able to keep a sound and consistent running game going.”

South Dakota is tallying a shade under 240 rushing yards a game, which sits seventh-most in the nation. But their balance on offensive comes from getting the ball out in space.

“We’ve been really intentional about finding ways to get the ball to some of our perimeter players that have allowed us to pick up a few more chunk plays in games,” Nielson said. “As a result, it’s opened up some opportunities. It’s made a little bit harder for teams to load the box against the run game.”

The Coyotes begin a stretch this week with consecutive games on the road – first at Youngstown and then at SDSU. But they know they’ll need to elevate their game even more upon leaving the friendly confines of the DakotaDome.

“Any time you play on the road, you better take your best football with you,” Nielson said. “In this league, everybody’s talented enough, everybody’s physical enough.”

The fourth-ranked Coyotes and Penguins are slated for a 5 p.m. kickoff this Saturday.