Swaffar: Three observations on South Dakota's 27-17 win over Youngstown State – Mitchell Republic

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – South Dakota picked up its first college football win over Youngstown State 27-17 in Youngstown, Ohio, despite trailing 14-0 at one point in the first half.

Aidan Bouman finished the day with 223 yards and a touchdown on 12-for-18 passing. Charles Pierre had a team-high 153 rushing yards with two touchdowns. JJ Galbreath led all receivers with 79 yards, while Quaron Adams had a receiving touchdown.

So here are three observations from the game…

USD has become known this season as a team that attacks the opponent from the start. Last week against Northern Iowa didn't quite follow that narrative, but the Coyotes were still in control in the second quarter. However, USD had its worst start to a game this season against Youngstown State, and it wasn't close.

It started with defense. The Coyotes couldn't find an efficient way to defend the Penguins' efficient RPO game with Beau Brungard's threat to run the ball. Third down was also a big problem as USD had no problems getting Youngstown State to third down but couldn't find a way to get off the field. The Penguins started the game with a perfect 5-on-5 in the third period, controlling the pace of the game.

These factors led to longer drives for Youngstown State. The first two drives each went for 10 plays and over 80 yards and took up a lot of time. The offense was also slow to get used to a punt on the first drive. Part of the reason USD was able to rebound so efficiently last week is because UNI's offense responded every time it scored in the first quarter.

In the end, the slow start gave the Penguins early confidence and they stayed in the game for the entire four quarters. Falling behind against weaker opponents like Youngstown State and UNI is one thing. However, if USD trails SDSU early next week, it could spell disaster.

Theis sat out most of last week's second quarter, standing on the sideline in a walking boot. His status was very uncertain this week and he ended up not dressing to play. Without Theis, there was a glimpse of what the backfield might look like next year. And in the end it became clear that this offensive needed Theis.

His absence was particularly noticeable in the first half. The Coyotes managed just 21 yards in the first half. Admittedly, this was partly because the Penguins defense came in with a solid game plan and the offensive line had an inconsistent performance early on. However, the running game as a whole wasn't particularly successful, and that affected the rest of the offense as well.

Marcus Traxler/Mitchell Republic

Things got better as the game progressed, but there wasn't much production outside of Pierre. Granted, Pierre had another really good game with 153 yards and two touchdowns, but without half of the one-two punch of Pierre and Theis, the running game wasn't nearly as efficient as usual. They finished the game with 192 total rushing yards.

Simply put, without Theis, this offense doesn't come close to reaching peak efficiency. Getting him back healthy will be crucial not only to short-term success, but also if the Coyotes expect to have a strong playoff run in the future.

Excluding the loss at Wisconsin, USD hasn't faced much adversity this season. Every other game was a blowout and one where the Coyotes tended to be in full control by the end of the first half. Saturday was completely different as USD was nowhere near its peak, trailing by several points in the game and still managing to win.

In the end, it was a complete trap game for the Coyotes. They had won four games in a row in absolute dominance and then had to go on the road to play a team they had never beaten on the road. The fact that it was outside certainly didn't help matters. And yet, despite having their worst start to a game this season and losing the turnover battle through many mistakes, the Coyotes still found a way to win.

Regardless of how the performance was judged, a win is a win, and that's the kind of win the Coyotes haven't gotten this year. It's important to have these close games, especially when your next matchup could result in a very similar situation.

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.