Box Score TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – No. 6/16 South Dakota scored two second-half touchdowns in defeating Indiana State on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium as the Sycamores fell to the visiting Coyotes, 17-3.
 
The Sycamores (0-7, 0-4) had a balanced offense on the afternoon as Justin Dinka led the ISU run game with 74 yards, while Cade Chambers and Elijah Owens combined for 152 yards through the air.  However, Indiana State was unable to turn the attack into points on the scoreboard as South Dakota (6-1, 4-0) limited ISU to just 5-of-16 on third-down conversions on the day.
 
Indiana State put together three potential scoring drives on the afternoon including the opening possession as the Sycamores marched down the field on 14 plays for 52 yards utilizing 7:52 off the clock. However, Andre Casas' 41-yard field goal sailed left to keep the game scoreless early.
 
ISU would go on to put their first offensive points on the board in the game early in the second quarter as the Sycamores utilized an eight-play, 44-yard drive highlighted by a 30-yard pass from Cade Chambers to Dakota Caton, while Justin Dinka added a 22-yard run down to the South Dakota 13 to set up Jake Andjelic's 39-yard field goal.
 
The final Sycamore drive came in the fourth quarter as Indiana State moved the ball 71 yards on 16 plays to go inside the USD red zone. Owens and Plez Lawrence highlighted the drive down to the USD three-yard line, but a personal foul moved the Sycamores back and ISU was unable to convert a fourth-and-goal from the USD 19 in turning the ball over on downs.
 
South Dakota scored two second-half touchdowns with Nate Thomas scoring from five yards out in the third quarter, while Charles Pierre Jr. broke loose on an 81-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to provide the scoring margin the Coyotes would need to pick up their first win in Terre Haute since 2019.
 
Dinka led the Sycamore offense with 17 carries for 74 yards on the afternoon, while Lawrence (34 yards) and Owens (28) were both positive in the rushing category for the ISU offense as Indiana State racked up 136 yards on the ground. Chambers went 10-of-15 through the air for 108 yards, while Owens was 5-of-12 for 44 yards in the second half. Caton (four catches, 47 yards) and Tyce Ferrell (three catches, 22 yards) were the favorite targets for the ISU quarterbacks.
 
Maddix Blackwell recorded his fourth double-digit tackling effort of the season with 10 stops on the day. Garret Ollendieck added nine tackles and a game-high two tackles for loss, while Ethan Hoover (8) and Joey Shew (7) also had multiple stops on the day.
 
South Dakota boasted two 100-yard rushers on the day with Pierre Jr. (107) and Travis Theis (106) both cracking the century mark on the day. Quarterback Bouman went 11-of-17 through the air for 180 yards with Carter Bell (four catches, 73 yards) his primary target on the day.
 
Stephen Hillis (14) and Brock Mogensen (12) both recorded double digit tackling efforts for the Coyotes. Black Holden added a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss, while Mi'Quise Grace posted four stops and 1.5 TFLs in the win.
 
How They Scored

• South Dakota took the 3-0 lead with 9:52 remaining in the second quarter as Will Leyland capped a 10-play, 57-yard drive with a 28-yard field goal to give the Coyotes the advantage.
• The Sycamores answered on the ensuing drive as Jake Andjelic answered with a 39-yard field goal to end an eight-play, 44-yard drive to tie the game up at 3-3 with 5:35 remaining in the first half.
• South Dakota took a 10-3 lead with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter as Nate Thomas ended a seven-play, 98-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown rush over the left side. The drive was highlighted by a 59-yard completion from Aidan Bouman to JJ Galbreath.
• Charles Pierre Jr. provided the final score of the contest with an 81-yard touchdown carry with 12:04 remaining in the fourth quarter to provide the final 17-3 margin in the contest.

News & Notes

• Dakota Caton joined the Indiana State 1,000-yard receiving club on Saturday afternoon as the redshirt senior wide receiver hauled in four catches for 47 yards. The Sullivan, Ind. native has 88 career receptions for 1,011 yards over his career with the Sycamores.
• Maddix Blackwell has 60 tackles through the first seven games on the season leaving the sophomore safety on the path to break 100 tackles in the 2023 season with four games to play. The last Sycamore to achieve the feat was Jonas Griffth back in the 2019 season (106).
• Tyce Ferrell tied a career-high with three catches on Saturday afternoon in finishing with 22 yards.
• The Sycamores tied a season-high with seven receivers hauling in a reception on Saturday afternoon.
• Jake Andjelic moved to 3-for-3 on field goal attempts in 2023 following his 39-yard conversion in the second quarter.
• Joey Shew set a new career-high with seven tackles on Saturday afternoon.
• Indiana State dominated the time of possession again on Saturday holding the 35:10-24:50 edge in holding onto the ball. The Sycamores posted two quarters with 10-plus minutes of possession on Saturday.
• Neither team turned the ball over on Saturday afternoon, marking Indiana State's first game playing without a turnover on the year.
• Indiana State fell to 2-6 all-time against South Dakota with the loss. 

Postgame Press Conference presented by Team Green Law


Up Next
Indiana State is back on the road next weekend as the Sycamores travel to Grand Forks, N.D. to take on the University of North Dakota on Saturday, October 28, as ISU continues Missouri Valley Football play. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Fighting Hawks is set for 2 p.m. ET inside the Alerus Center with the game set to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
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