What to know about North Dakota at South Dakota
Nov. 8—NORTH DAKOTA (6-3, 4-2) AT SOUTH DAKOTA (7-2, 5-1)
WHEN/WHERE: Noon Saturday at the DakotaDome
TV: Midco Sports
RADIO: KQSF-FM 95.7 Sioux Falls, KVHT-FM 106.3 Yankton
STREAMING: ESPN+
RECORD LAST YEAR: UND 7-5; USD 3-8
SERIES: UND leads 64-31-5
LAST TIME: UND beat USD 28-19 last year in Grand Forks
LAST WEEK: UND beat Murray State 45-31, USD beat Southern Illinois 14-7
RANKINGS: UND is ranked 10th in FCS; USD is ranked 6th
COACHES: UND — Bubba Schweigert (10th year, 60-48); USD — Bob Nielson (8th year, 39-44)
A Week 10 showdown between the flagship universities in the Dakotas will have plenty riding on it Saturday afternoon.
South Dakota's third-straight game against a top-10 opponent is an opportunity for the Coyotes to strengthen its bid to be a top-eight seed in the FCS playoffs, which would secure it a first-round bye and second-round home game. It would also keep USD eligible for a share of the MVFC title, if South Dakota State were to slip up in the final weeks.
And for North Dakota, a road win over the Coyotes would likely fling itself into top-eight seed consideration.
"The one thing our guys do understand is the opportunity to play (in the playoffs)," USD coach Bob Nielson said. "You don't want to let a committee be the one that makes that decision. You want to make that decision. And the way you make that decision is win, you're in. And so we've got two games left. And that's going to be our focus is, winning this week, and let that part of it take care of itself."
The matchup pegs a Coyote side ranked fourth in scoring defense against a Fighting Hawks team ranked 14th in scoring offense.
Much of UND's offensive success stems from senior quarterback Tommy Schuster, who is fresh off a five-touchdown performance against Murray State, from which he earned Valley offensive player of the week honors. Through nine games of his final collegiate season, Schuster has completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,833 total passing yards and 17 touchdowns, leading the Hawks to an average of 45 points in its six wins.
Bo Belquist is Schuster's primary target, hauling in 49 receptions for 597 yards and five touchdowns. And despite losing starting running back Gaven Ziebarth to injury, UND's run game has remained proficient, with Isaiah Smith going for back-to-back 100-yard games against Indiana State and Murray State. Linebacker Wyatt Pedigo leads the defense with 58 tackles and four sacks.
Following a 49-24 win over North Dakota State on Oct. 14, UND took a step back, getting shutout by Northern Iowa and needing overtime to beat winless Indiana State. However, its 45-point effort against Murray State suggests the Fighting Hawks have found its groove as they enter the DakotaDome.
USD has shown it can lean on its defense to pick up important wins this season. But considering UND's offensive potency, an improved effort from the Coyotes' offense, which has averaged just 256 yards and 11.3 points per game the past three games, may be needed to push the hosts to a win Saturday.
"This week, I think it's really important that we get back to finding some balance offensively," Nielson said. "It starts with us being able to rush the football more effectively so we can set up some opportunities to throw it out."
