Trey Houchin: Coyotes ride historic defensive outing into FCS quarterfinal round

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Dec. 7—MACON, Ga. — The University of South Dakota's victory on Saturday at No. 6-seeded Mercer wasn't merely a critical postseason road win. Although that's worth celebrating too.

Rather, it was a statement of defensive dominance, physicality and preparation. The kind of complete performance that reshapes expectations for what a playoff run can look like.

In a postseason performance that will be talked about in Vermillion for years, the Coyotes delivered the program's first-ever shutout in the FCS playoffs, manhandling its way to a 47-0 result on Saturday.

Coming into the matchup, Mercer boasted the No. 1 total offense in the entire Football Championship Subdivision. The Bears had shredded defenses all season, racking up an average of 504 yards per game behind a balanced attack, explosive perimeter threats and the steady poise from their freshman phenom quarterback Braden Atkinson.

But nothing Mercer had done previously this year prepared them for the suffocating, three-level chaos the Coyotes brought to Macon, Georgia.

By the end of four quarters, USD had forced four interceptions, piled up 10 quarterback pressures, logged four tackles for loss and made Mercer fight, and often fail, for every inch of turf.

The Bears managed just 277 total yards on 67 plays, barely scraping past the halfway mark of their usual offensive production. They punted five times, came up empty on two fourth-down attempts, and never came close to finding rhythm.

For USD, it marked the 17th shutout since 2003, all coming in the regular season, and only the fourth on the road during that span.

The Coyotes didn't simply win with scheme; they won with relentlessness effort.

Defensive linemen consistently collapsed the pocket, forcing Atkinson to flee, hesitate or throw into sticky coverage. USD's linebackers filled rushing lanes instantly and punished any attempt at yards after contact. And the secondary? They were everywhere. Undercutting routes, timing their breaks perfectly and turning errant passes into drive-killing takeaways.

Gabriel Hardman and RJ Stewart each had one interception in the first half, as Mikey Munn hauled in one in the first half on an acrobatic play down the field and another in the second half. Stewart also tacked on two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. Caden Crawford posted two quarterback pressures and batted down a pass play, as Carter Hooper got in on the action late in the fourth quarter with two quarterback hurries and a tackle for loss. Lincoln Adams tacked on a tackle for loss and one pass break up.

The Jerry Rice Award recipient, Atkinson, who entered the afternoon ranked No. 3 nationally in total passing yards with 3,448 in just 10 games, looked flustered from the opening series and never recovered. He finished the day a rattled 18-for-39 for 148 yards with four interceptions — three coming before halftime.

The Coyotes disguised pressure, rotated coverage, and forced him into situations he hadn't experienced all season, which saw a Missouri Valley Football Conference defense on full display. For the first time in his young career, he appeared unsure where to go with the football, and USD capitalized again and again.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes' offense did their part to complement the defensive clinic, repeatedly cashing in on short fields and wearing down the Mercer defense with punishing drives. But the story of the day was decisively South Dakota's defensive unit forcing their will on the Bears.

The 47-point route wasn't the product of lucky bounces or unusual circumstances. It was the byproduct of domination at every level of the field.

And now, for the third-straight season, the Coyotes are heading to the FCS quarterfinals.

And this time, they'll face an even more daunting challenge.

Next Saturday, USD travels to Missoula, Montana, to take on the Montana Grizzlies, who are riding high after a 50-29 home victory over No. 14 South Dakota State in the second round. (Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium and will be televised on ABC.)

The Grizzlies' offense looked borderline unstoppable, fueled by quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat's spectacular 360-yard performance through the air.

Ah Yat completed 29 of 37 attempts with four touchdowns, orchestrating a unit that posted 552 total yards on 81 plays. Montana's balance was unmistakable — 361 passing yards paired with 191 on the ground — and they controlled possession for 34 minutes and 44 seconds, leaning on tempo, precision and physicality to bury the Jackrabbits' playoff hopes.

For a Coyote defense coming off a season-best performance, the next test may be even sterner than the one they passed with flying colors in Mercer.

But if Saturday showed anything, it's that momentum matters. Confidence matters. Buy-in matters.

USD's staff has emphasized all season that their defensive success depends on effort and trust across the roster. Linemen creating pressure, linebackers flowing downhill and secondary players closing windows quickly.

Against Mercer, every part of that machine worked flawlessly. If the Coyotes can replicate even part of that execution against the Grizzlies, they'll give themselves a chance in one of the most hostile environments in the FCS.

Another road test awaits. Another offensive juggernaut stands across the field. And another chance at history lies in front of a USD team that proved on Saturday that sometimes, defense really can win championships.

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