Trey Houchin: USD's night in Boise proves the Coyotes are ready for what comes next

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Sep. 20—BOISE, Idaho — The scoreboard will say South Dakota lost.

It will say Boise State 38, South Dakota 24.

But for 57 minutes Saturday night inside a loud Albertsons Stadium, the scoreboard told only part of the story.

The Coyotes walked into Boise facing a Group of 6 FBS program with high aspirations, a veteran quarterback and the kind of home-field environment that has swallowed up plenty of teams over the years.

The Coyotes walked out with a tough loss, but they also walked out having proven something.

"I'm proud of my football team. I really am," USD first-year coach Matt Vitzthum said following the tight loss. "I think what you saw is a group that's connected and a group that believes in each other. I don't care where we're at or who we're playing, we have a belief in what we do and how we do it. The standard is never to lose a football game. There's a ton of disappointed guys, and there's a ton of disappointed coaches, including me. We had the right approach, you know, to be in a one-score game with Boise State with 2 minutes to go in the game but it didn't go our way down the stretch. But I'm proud of my squad, and we fought and battled, and that's the standard."

That standard is becoming increasingly evident four games into Vitzthum's tenure. And while Saturday's game ultimately went Boise State's way, USD spent most of the night looking like a team that belonged on the same field with an FBS opponent that has legitimate aspirations of playing its way into the College Football Playoff conversation out of the Pac-12 Conference.

That matters. Not because one close game against an FBS opponent suddenly makes USD an FCS national championship contender. It doesn't. But because of what it revealed about the Coyotes before the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule begins next Saturday at Youngstown State, it makes it feel like they could be.

Even when Boise State opened up a 24-14 advantage in the third quarter after a rough start, the Coyotes kept punching. South Dakota tied the game at 24-all, turning what could have become a runaway for Boise into a fourth-quarter dog fight.

The Broncos eventually answered with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, taking a 31-24 lead with six minutes remaining. Then the Coyotes got their opening. Boise State punt returner Cam Bates muffed the punt, giving the Coyotes possession at the Boise State 40-yard line with a chance to tie the game.

For a redshirt freshman quarterback making just his fourth career start, the Coyotes still had a chance with less than 3 minutes remaining. But it didn't end the way USD wanted, as Modrzewski threw three incompletions, turning the ball over on downs, and Boise State running back Dylan Riley immediately delivered the dagger with an 83-yard touchdown run to push the Broncos' advantage to 38-24.

"What a valuable moment for a redshirt freshman to be in there in this environment to try to go down there and win the football game," Vitzthum said of Modrzewski. "Obviously, he made some mistakes. I also don't think we did things to help Austyn at times, whether that be protection or dropped balls in crucial moments. I hope he learns and grows from it because there's going to be another two-minute drill to go win a football game in the Missouri Valley and we're going to need it."

That last part might be the most important takeaway. USD will have plenty of opportunities like that one. The Missouri Valley is going to demand them. And now Modrzewski and his colleagues have already experienced what it feels like to have the football with a chance to win in one of college football's loudest environments. That experience came alongside another encouraging offensive performance.

Modrzewski continued to find a rhythm with Tennel Bryant, connecting with the dynamic receiver three times for 104 yards. Bryant has now recorded 100-yard receiving performances in consecutive games after earning the first of his career a week ago.

Tysen Boze also emerged after a relatively quiet opening three games, hauling in three passes for 73 yards, including two touchdowns and one for 59 yards. Those explosive plays were coming against a Boise State that has already held in check a high-powered Oregon offense.

All told, Modrzewski now has 970 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns on the season through four games. Pretty solid for a first-year college quarterback.

Defensively, the Coyotes had their hands full against the Broncos' 533-yard offensive performance, but USD repeatedly made matters uncomfortable for Boise quarterback Maddux Madsen.

The Coyotes found ways to speed up the three-year starter and generate pressure, including a huge fourth-down sack from Brown transfer John Starman, which ultimately set up the field goal from Bohdie Ing to tie it up at 24-all. Starman has quietly become one of the most impactful pieces on South Dakota's defensive front, as he leads the team in sacks with 2 1/2.

And then there was Wade Abrams. When starting outside linebacker Gabriel Hardman went down early in the first quarter, Abrams slid into his spot despite not having practiced there all week. He responded with a career-high, game-high 14 tackles, along with a tackle for loss, a quarterback pressure and a pass breakup.

"Wade's just an absolute warrior," Vitzthum said. "We lost Gabe, and Wade slid to his place and he made plays for us all night. I am also proud of Cain Wallner, who is a redshirt freshman coming and battled at middle linebacker for us. That's a lot of responsibility to really get your first kind of action. I am just proud of those two guys, and I thought they were warriors all night."

That is an identity Vitzthum appears to be building. Not simply a team that plays hard, but a team that believes in one another. And a team that doesn't panic when it gets punched. That might ultimately matter more than the result in Boise.

Through four games, USD has built a foundation and an identity under its first-year head coach. The Coyotes have gone 3-1 through the non-conference portion of the schedule, and Saturday provided another piece of evidence that the players are buying into what Vitzthum is selling.

But now comes the hard part. The Coyotes will not be sneaking up on anyone in the Missouri Valley after Saturday. Not after showing they can take an FBS opponent deep into the fourth quarter on its home field. Not after demonstrating that Modrzewski can operate an explosive offense against a defense of Boise State's caliber.

One night does not make a championship team, but one night can reveal what a team might become. USD's showing in Boise revealed a team that has the pieces, belief and toughness to put their name in the Missouri Valley conversation this fall.

"Our team's got a great mindset," Vitzthum said. "The standard is that when we cross the white line, we're going to win the football game. We didn't tonight, so we got to get on the tape and we got to get better. But I know this. I will take my group anytime, anywhere. I love those guys, and they have the right mindset. I know we're going to be in good shape, and we got a great Missouri Valley schedule ahead of us."

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