Swaffar: Three observations No. 4-ranked South Dakota stuns No. 1 NDSU to claim share of Valley title

Breaking down a wild regular-season finale from Vermillion.

In a thrilling chapter of University of South Dakota football history, the Coyotes pulled off a dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter to defeat North Dakota State 29-28, securing a share of the program’s first Missouri Valley Football Conference title.

After trailing 28-17 with less than five minutes remaining, the Coyotes demonstrated their resilience as one of the nation’s elite teams. They scored two touchdowns in just three minutes, taking a 29-28 lead with only 12 seconds left. The Bison’s last attempt involving a lateral play fell short, ending the game.

Aidan Bouman had a strong performance, passing for 272 yards and two touchdowns on 18 completions out of 30 attempts. Javion Phelps made critical catches in the final moments, including the game-winning touchdown, finishing with 79 receiving yards and a score. Travis Theis was the top rusher for USD, accumulating 66 yards and two touchdowns.

Now, here are three key takeaways from the game…

The question surrounding this season had always been how good was USD really? The Coyotes took care of business against most weaker opponents and competed with better opponents like SDSU and even Wisconsin. But there was still one thing missing, a truly signature victory.

Saturday finally provided that victory. With NDSU ranked No. 1 in the country and seen as possibly the title favorite, this was the game for the Coyotes to prove to the rest of the FCS that they can be a formidable force in the postseason. Not only did they take home the victory, but they did it in a fashion that showed more grit than any other this season.

In previous observations, I’ve commended USD for showing grit in tough situations. Games against Youngstown State and UND where they fell behind by multiple possessions early and came back to win. Also against SDSU even though that resulted in a loss. But this was the coup de grâce for the Coyotes when it came to showing fight.

Many teams would waiver after trailing by 11 points with under five minutes to go. Even fewer would come back after giving up a 20-play, 99-yard drive that took over 11 minutes right before the comeback. The fashion in which this team won revealed more about their character than any other type of victory likely would have.

Although I firmly felt that the Coyotes could end their season in Frisco, this win all but confirms that thinking for the rest of the country. The next month should be interesting and we’ll see if this Coyote team can show this level of fight in what could be the most memorable postseason run for the program.

This isn’t so much something that USD did wrong, but more what Cam Miller did right. The NDSU signal caller already proved this season why he’s been one of the top players in the country. Especially near the end of the game, he showed not only how good of a player he is, but how clutch of a player he can be.

Early on though, it looked like the Coyotes might have come in with the perfect game plan. Miller was really uncomfortable early, constantly under pressure on his face. In fact, he didn’t even throw for a single yard until the second quarter. He was struggling and USD had him searching for answers.

He eventually began to excel, particularly as he started to incorporate his mobility into the game. He extended plays and kept the Coyote defense guessing for much of the match after the first quarter. His performance truly stood out in the fourth quarter, when it was most critical. NDSU faced several third and fourth downs during the final 15 minutes, and failing to convert on these plays could have given the Coyotes significant momentum.

Whenever NDSU needed a crucial play, the ball was in Miller’s hands. Why is it important to highlight the quarterback of the losing team? Because if USD hopes to achieve a national title, they will likely need to beat Miller and NDSU again in the playoffs.

USD lost some momentum USD has started many games strong this season. While most of these strong starts were against teams that lacked the ability to mount a serious comeback, holding a 14-0 lead against NDSU was nonetheless significant. The Coyotes could have increased that lead since they had possession with a 14-0 advantage, but then things slowed down.

Offensively, the play calling became very conservative. Most plays were runs, and when passes were called, they weren’t executed well. NDSU started applying pressure on both run and pass plays. Running plays gained less yardage, and Aidan Bouman had less time to throw. This sluggishness continued into the second half.

On the defensive side, the Coyote defense experienced firsthand why Miller has been one of the top players in the country this season. I previously discussed this in more detail, but to summarize: while the defensive line was able to apply significant pressure on Miller, his mobility allowed him to extend plays. These prolonged plays increased the burden on the secondary to maintain coverage, which didn’t always hold up.

Despite the Coyotes not capitalizing on their 14-point lead against the Bison, it didn’t ultimately cost them the game. However, if USD faces another strong opponent like NDSU in the playoffs and takes an early lead, it will be crucial to maintain that advantage without letting it slip away.