Ace Hunt
GoSycamores.com
VERMILLION, S.D. -- Indiana State held a lead into the fourth quarter, but the Sycamores could not hold on and South Dakota earned a 17-14 victory in front of 6,710 fans inside DakotaDome.
ISU fell to 1-5, 0-2 MVFC while the Coyotes improved to 3-3, 2-1 MVC.
Shakir Bell moved into second place on the ISU all-time rushing list with his 80-yard effort against the Coyotes. Bell now has 4,205 rushing yards for his career to move ahead of David Wright for second and needs 131 to take over the career rushing record for Vincent Allen.
Mike Perish started the game at quarterback and went 5-of-8 passing for 48 yards while Robert Tonyan, Jr., was 8-of-17 for 34 yards. Both Perish and Tonyan had touchdown throws.
Tanner Riley and Shakir Bell paced the team with three receptions while A.J. Johnson had two. Jameer Thurman paced the Sycamore defense with 12 total tackles, including two for losses and one quarterback sack.
Tsali Lough and Mark Sewall each had pass interceptions.
South Dakota scored first in the contest on a three-yard run by Trevor Bouma for the quick 7-0 lead with 8:54 left in the first quarter. The Bouman scoring rush capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive.
The Sycamores answered right back with a nine-play, 80-yard drive which was aided by a pair of 15-yard Coyote penalties and capped with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Mike Perish to A.J. Johnson at the 5:39 mark of the second half to level the score at 7-7.
The Coyotes would drive deep into Sycamore territory twice in the second quarter but each time were stopped by interceptions. The first came via Mark Sewall after a tip at the goal line by Connor Underwood and the second came from Tsali Lough in the end zone as well.
Lough's interception set up a Sycamore drive which ended in a punt with three minutes remaining before halftime. Jordon Stangler's punt was deep and muffed by South Dakota where Lough fell on the football at the Coyote 22-yard line. ISU needed just four plays after the turnover to take a 14-7 lead with 1:06 remaining in the second quarter on a 3-yd touchdown pass from Robert Tonyan, Jr., to Logan Buske.
After the half, South Dakota fumbled away the ball and Conrrad Nicholls came up with the recovery but the Sycamores could not take advantage and were forced to punt. USD came back with an eight-play, 38-yard drive which ended with a 43-yard field goal by Miles Bergner to inch the Coyotes within 14-10 with 6:52 remaining in the third quarter.
South Dakota would take a 17-14 lead with 11:06 remaining in the contest on Bouma's second rushing touchdown of the game. Bouma capped a 10-play, 36-yard drive with the rushing touchdown.
Trailing 17-14 and with the clock ticking towards eight minutes remaining, Donovan Layne blocked a field goal attempt to give the Sycamores the ball at their own 20-yard line. The drive was kept alive on 4th-and-6 with a pass from Tonyan to A.J. Johnson which got the ball to the 50-yard line.
The drive would stall at the USD 34-yard line when Robert Tonyan, Jr.'s scramble was short of the line to gain with 3:39 remaining in the contest.
The Coyote offense two first downs while keeping the ball on the ground and were able to run out the clock.
Indiana State stays on the road next week when they travel to Illinois State on Saturday, October 19. Kick-off is set for 2:05 p.m. (ET) and will be televised locally on WTWO-TV as well as nationally on ESPN3.
