Coyote football hungry to get going in FCS playoffs

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Nov. 27—VERMILLION, S.D. — The waiting game is over for the University of South Dakota football team.

After closing the regular season with a bye week, the No. 11-seeded Coyotes (8-4) charge into the FCS playoffs rested, re-energized and ready for a familiar foe, hosting Drake (8-3) in a first-round rematch at noon on Saturday, Nov. 29, at the DakotaDome.

With the stage now fully set and the extra week of recovery behind them, USD has shifted from idle preparation to postseason urgency. The Coyotes are hosting a playoff game at the Dome for the fourth time, and are in the playoffs for the third-straight season. The winner of Saturday's game plays at No. 6-seeded Mercer in the second round at 11 a.m. on Dec. 6.

"I think our guys are uniquely hungry for an opportunity to compete again after playing 12-straight weeks and ending the season with a bye," USD head coach Travis Johansen said. "We had a great week last week, and got a lot of guys' bodies back to where we hoped they would be at this time of the year. We've found some things that are within our identity and got to correct things this past week in preparation for the playoffs."

When South Dakota and Drake line up again, the matchup carries a different weight than its first meeting in Week 4. Back in late September, both programs were still searching for who they wanted to be. Now, months later, each team returns to the gridiron with a clearer sense of itself, setting the stage for a matchup that should reveal just how far each group has come.

But in the early season matchup against the Bulldogs on Sept. 20, it was all Coyotes from the opening kickoff.

USD's offense posted 508 total yards behind L.J. Phillips Jr.'s 143-yard rushing day and four scores on their way to a 42-21 victory in Vermillion. Aidan Bouman tallied 226 passing yards and two touchdowns, both to Larenzo Fenner who finished with 101 receiving yards on two receptions for two scores.

Johansen said he would want nothing more than to replicate the previous outcome, especially on offense, but knows come playoff time everyone has a fresh slate.

"You can't repeat what you did, and they are a well-coached team and will have answers for us since we played them last time," Johansen said. "To think we can just go out there and do the same things would not be very smart on our end. We've got to find different ways to move the football, create explosive plays and run the ball with multiple ball carriers. We have to make sure we are prepared with some creativity to make sure we can replicate the performance."

Defensively, South Dakota limited Drake's quarterback Logan Inagawa to 164 passing yards, one passing touchdown and two interceptions. South Dakota's cornerback Mikey Munn had both picks in the previous matchup, with six total tackles and two pass break ups.

In the running game, the Bulldogs utilized a different starting running back from the first meeting and have now turned to Nick Herman, who only had two carries for 18 yards in the previous matchup. On the season, Herman leads the team in rushing yards with 960 and has six touchdowns on 131 carries, as Inagawa is second on the team in rushing yards (354) and No. 1 in rushing scores (8).

Johansen said Drake's offense has evolved through their final eight games, starting with Inagawa at the helm as an efficient passer and runner the Coyotes will need to limit on Saturday.

"He's an extremely talented kid, and a lot like the quarterbacks we have seen this year," Johansen said of Inagawa's abilities. "As a young guy, he's got so much poise and comfortability back there when he takes the snap. We have got to be able to rush the passer well, and pressure him in a way that makes him feel uncomfortable. He's certainly a priority for our defense."

Since its loss to South Dakota with a 1-2 record, Drake finished the year by winning seven of its last eight games to draw an at-large bid into the FCS playoffs after winning the Pioneer Football League for the third consecutive time. In their recent eight-game span, the Bulldogs are averaging 25.1 points per game on offense and only giving up 11 points per contest on defense.

"I think they are a lot like us," Johansen said of the biggest difference between Drake's team from Week 4 to now. "When we saw them, they got a level of competition early that challenged them and put them in a unique position to learn from those weeks, just like us, and have continually improved since then. This is certainly the best Pioneer League team I have seen since I have been with South Dakota."

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