Swaffar: Three things to look for in South Dakota's road game between Youngstown State and Mitchell Republic

VERMILLION – University of South Dakota football will look to extend its winning streak to five games when the team takes on Youngstown State on Saturday.

The Coyotes enter the game with a commanding 42-17 win over Northern Iowa, while the Penguins are reeling after a 63-17 loss to South Dakota State. There are historical implications at play in this matchup, and the Coyotes will want to be on the winning side.

Here are three things to watch out for…

I mentioned a long time ago the challenge that a dual-threat quarterback can pose to USD's defense. I first wrote about this in my three things to watch for before the Portland State game. Well, that didn't happen and we couldn't see how the Coyote defense would handle the obstacle. But this week, Beau Brungard will have the first true dual-threat test of the season.

Brungard is both the leading passer and rusher for Youngstown State. Through the air, he has racked up 1,182 yards, six touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 64.5 completion percentage. On the ground, he rushed for 532 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per carry.

Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live

So what are the keys to stopping him? Well, Bob Nielson already seems to have a plan to contain Brungard's dynamic play.

“You have to work well not to let him out of the pocket when he gets behind,” Nielson said. “And they have some design quarterback runs that you have to consider as well. But I think the most important thing is to make sure that when you consider whether he's creating offense by escaping the pocket and doing some things to extend plays, you have to be consistent in how you apply pressure in passing situations exercises it. And make sure you consider him as a runner.”

As some may have noticed, Theis did not play for much of the second half of the Northern Iowa match. He stood on the sidelines wearing a walking boot, but no specific injury information was released after the game. His status remains unclear this week, but there are a few things to note regarding his situation.

First, do the Coyotes need to pressure him to play this week? My opinion is no. Youngstown State is a very winnable game, with or without Theis. Not to mention, USD has a wealth of talent in the backfield with Charles Pierre, Keyondray Jones-Logan and LJ Philips. That's more than enough production to get the job done against a team that allowed over 400 rushing yards to South Dakota State last week. It would also be a preview of next season's backfield once Theis is no longer eligible to play after this season.

Nathan Swaffar/Mitchell Republic

Speaking of Jackrabbits, would it be better for the Coyotes to give Theis a rest this week and save him for next week's nationally televised primetime Interstate Series? Even if Theis can play against the Penguins, it seems far more beneficial to have your starter go into your biggest game of the season with a week off.

I won't speculate about the injury or whether he will play. But if that were my decision, I think it would be best to give Theis a break this week and let Pierre and company handle things.

One of the most interesting aspects I discovered while researching this matchup is that the Coyotes never won in this series when they played outside the DakotaDome. Of the 11 total meetings between the two teams since then, six have taken place in Ohio and USD has yet to win a single one.

So what will be the keys to victory? First of all, the Coyotes should try to establish the running game early. While this is pretty commonplace week in and week out, as mentioned, the Penguins gave up over 400 rushing yards last week. It is something the USD should attack. And secondly: contain Brungard. These are just two things, but they will likely be the biggest key to winning the matchup.

Of the 10 other current members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, Youngstown State is the only team that has not beaten USD on the road. Although history would not play a role this time, it would still prove to be a historic moment for the program.

Nathan Swaffar is a sports reporter for the Mitchell Republic. He joined Mitchell Republic in July 2024 after graduating from the University of Kansas in May 2024 with a degree in journalism and a minor in history. He covers a variety of prep and collegiate sports throughout South Dakota, including USD Football.