Road Trip To South Dakota Pits The Redbirds Against No. 15 Ranked Coyotes

SETTING THE SCENE
Date: October 23, 2021
Time: 1 p.m. CT
Site: Vermillion, South Dakota
Stadium: DakotaDome
Capacity: 9,100
Series: ILS leads 6-2
Last: USD won 27-20 (Feb. 27, 2021)
Stream: ESPN+
Listen: WJBC 1230 AM / 102.1 FM / 93.7 FM / The Varsity Network

THE GAME
For the fourth week in a row, Illinois State (2-4, 0-3 MVFC) will have a tough test ahead of it as the Redbirds face their fourth-consecutive nationally ranked team in No. 15 South Dakota (5-2, 3-1 MVFC) at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.

THE SERIES
The Redbirds and the Coyotes will meet for the ninth time on the gridiron, with Illinois State holding a 6-2 advantage in the series that dates back to 2011. ISU won the first five games in the series, before USD picked up a home win in 2016. The two teams have split the last four meetings, with both Redbird wins coming at home. 

THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his 13th season as the head coach at Illinois State (87-57). Spack guided the Redbirds to back-to-back shares of the MVFC title in 2014-15 and an appearance in the 2014 FCS Championship. He has led the ISU to eight playoff appearances overall and recently became the program's all-time wins leader.

South Dakota: Bob Nielson (Wartburg, 1982) is in his sixth season as the head coach at South Dakota (27-31) and his 29th year as a collegiate head coach (212-111-1). The former head coach at Western Illinois, Nielson led the program to a record eight wins at the Division I level and to the FCS playoffs for the first time in just his second season with the Coyotes.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

• The University of South Dakota is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and has an enrollment of 9,459 students. The Coyotes are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
• South Dakota is up to No. 15 in this week's AFCA FCS Top 25 Poll following a second-straight win over a ranked foe. It is the program's highest ranking since 2017 when the team qualified for the FCS playoffs.
• The Coyotes improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Valley Football play, after knocking off then-No. 15 ranked North Dakota 20-13 at home and then-No. 17 ranked Northern Iowa 34-21 on the road in consecutive weeks. 
• South Dakota is one of six MVFC teams ranked in this week's poll. Others include North Dakota State (No. 3), Southern Illinois (No. 4), South Dakota State (No. 7), Missouri State (No. 18), and Northern Iowa (No. 24). North Dakota is just outside the top 25 and receiving votes.
• Senior linebacker Jack Cochrane was named the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance during the Coyotes' 34-21 road win at No. 16/17 Northern Iowa last Saturday. Cochrane had two interceptions and seven tackles including one for loss against the Panthers. He returned his first interception 23 yards to set up a short touchdown drive in the first half. His second stopped a drive in the fourth quarter. Cochrane's four career interceptions are tied for the active lead on the team and he is the leading tackler on a defense that ranks 10th in the FCS in scoring and 19th in total yards.

LAST TIME VS. THE COYOTES (2/27/21)
The Illinois State offense turned the ball over seven times to South Dakota and still had a chance late in the game to tie or win it, but the Coyotes came up with an interception on the final drive to defeat the No. 7 ranked Redbirds in the 2021 spring opener at Hancock Stadium. Austin Nagel recorded a career-high 132 yards receiving on five receptions, becoming the first Redbird wideout to post a 100-plus yard effort since Andrew Edgar put up 228 yards in a win in 2019 over Northern Arizona.

FIND A WAY TO FINISH
The formula for Illinois State to be successful this fall has been to get off to a quick start. The Redbirds have scored first in both of their wins this season and have outscored their opponents 27-21 in the first quarter of games. In fact, the Redbirds have a +3-score differential in the first half of games, however the second half and especially the fourth quarter have been a problem of late. In all, opponents have outscored the Redbirds 45-14.

THE GAUNTLET CONTINUES
One look at the Redbirds' schedule to start MVFC play and you knew it was going to be difficult. That run has proven to be very tough for the Redbirds, who have gone 0-3 against No. 7 Southern Illinois, No. 16 Missouri State and No. 3 North Dakota State. The road gets no easier for the Redbirds, who travel to face No. 15 South Dakota this weekend for their fourth game in a row against a ranked opponent. ISU is looking for its first win over a ranked foe this year and their first in MVFC play.

INTERCEPTIONS IN BUNCHES
The Redbird defense recorded another pair of interceptions in their contest against North Dakota State, after the Bison came into the game with just one through their first five games. Clayton Isbell picked off his second of the season to tie for the team lead with Jarrell Jackson and Braden Price and Iverson Brown recorded his first of the season and the first of his career at ISU. The pair of picks upped the team's total to nine on the year, which ranks No. 9 in the FCS and is tied for No. 1 in the MVFC with Missouri State.

JABARI BREAKS OUT
Heading into the game against Missouri State, talented redshirt freshman Jabari Khepera had just six receptions dating back to last spring in eight games played. Against No. 16 Missouri State, Khepera nearly tied that mark with five receptions and set career-highs with 107 yards receiving against the Bears in a breakout performance. The Texas native caught his first career touchdown, a 75-yard bomb from fellow freshman quarterback Jackson Waring, and averaged 21.4 yards per reception in the contest. He now ranks second on the team in receiving and is averaging 13.9 yards per grab on the year.

WARING AIRS IT OUT
In just his second career start, Jackson Waring came out strong in the first half of the Redbirds' game against Missouri State. Facing stout fronts shutting down the running game, Waring took the top off the defense with long completions of 30, 24, 59, 23, 75 and 17 yards. He also threw the first three touchdowns of his young career, including the 75-yard strike to Jabari Khepera midway through the second quarter. He would finish the game with a career-high 318 yards passing and is now completing 61.3 percent of his passes on the year.

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM
The Redbird defense had great chances at some interceptions against No. 16 Missouri State but couldn't seem to haul one in until Jarrell Jackson finally hauled one in late in the contest. On back-to-back plays in the third quarter, the Redbirds had potential interceptions bounce off their hands, but they ultimately forced a punt. However, Jackson was able to record his second of the season after the ball bounced off the Bears receiver and he dove to get the pick. It was his team-leading second of the season as the Redbirds.

BREAKING LOOSE
Freshman running back Cole Mueller has found a way to make things happen with the ball in his hands in the open field so far this season. The Wentzville, Missouri, native broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown run in the opener against Butler on way to 111 yards rushing and followed that up with a career-high 144 yards rushing to help the Redbirds pick up a rivalry win over Eastern Illinois. Then at Southern Illinois, he averaged 6.2 yards per carry with a 40-yard burst. Mueller currently leads the team with 400 yards rushing on the year and if he finishes as the Redbirds' top rusher, he will be the first freshman to do so since Cameron Smith in 1993.