Story by
The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
USD football overcomes sluggish first half to rout Murray State
- Story byThe Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
- USD football overcomes sluggish first half to rout Murray State
Oct. 17—MURRAY, Ky. — The University of South Dakota football team needed a spark after a sloppy first half on Saturday at Roy Stewart Stadium.
After heading into halftime tied at 14-all, the Coyotes dominated the second half, scoring 27 unanswered points to take control and eventually cruise to a 48-20 Missouri Valley Football Conference victory over Murray State.
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"Winning on the road in this league isn't easy, and we got a good punch from these guys early," USD coach Matt Vitzthum said on the Coyote Sports Network radio broadcast after the game. "We didn't execute the way we needed to execute. Obviously, early turnover, and just some unforced things that we've got to get cleaned up. But I am really proud of the third and fourth quarter that we put together here in the second half to get the win."
The Coyotes did most of their damage in the second half by capitalizing on the Racers' mistakes, with the defense repeatedly setting up the offense with short fields. USD's defense nearly shut out the Racers after halftime, allowing just six points late in the fourth quarter.
Murray State struck first after Austyn Modrzewski threw an interception on USD's opening possession. The Racers needed just eight plays to march 80 yards in four minutes, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Baxter Wright to Dimitri Howard for an early 7-0 lead.
USD responded with a methodical 17-play, 79-yard drive that consumed nearly 10 minutes. Modrzewski connected with Brayden White for a 4-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-all before finding Chris Herrin for a 5-yard scoring strike with 2:14 remaining in the second quarter, giving the Coyotes a 14-7 advantage.
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The Racers answered before halftime, using a reverse trick play to reach the USD 22-yard line before Wright found Malachi Williams for a 4-yard touchdown. The teams entered the break deadlocked at 14-all, setting the stage for a second-half turnaround for USD.
The momentum shifted quickly after halftime when a bad snap by Murray State gave the Coyotes possession inside the Racers' 10-yard line. USD took advantage, with Tennel Bryant scoring on a 5-yard jet-sweep run to put the Coyotes ahead 21-14 with 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter, which they did not let up the rest of the game.
The defensive pressure continued as Wade Abrams forced a fumble that Harrison Brun recovered at the Murray State 19-yard line. USD again capitalized on the short field, with Modrzewski powering into the end zone on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. A missed extra point left the Coyotes ahead 27-14 late in the third quarter. The rushing touchdown was the second of Modrzewski's career.
USD continued to pull away in the fourth quarter, with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Modrzewski to White. The connection marked their second of the game and extended the lead to 34-14 with 10 minutes remaining in the game.
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The Coyotes' defense delivered another takeaway on the next possession. Crew Heier forced a fumble, and Brun recovered it at the Murray State 16-yard line. Reid Watkins finished the ensuing drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, his second collegiate rushing score, pushing the lead to 41-14 with nine minutes left for 27 unanswered points.
Murray State managed a late touchdown to cut the deficit to 41-20, but USD had the final word. Courtney Rivers scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 6-yard run in the final two minutes, completing the 28-point victory.
"In the first half we just didn't play to the best of our ability, and in the second half we still didn't, but we found a way to execute down the stretch and that's all that matters," White said on the Coyote Sports Network.
Modrzewski finished 17-for-27 for 153 yards and three passing touchdowns, adding a rushing score despite his opening-drive interception. White led the receiving corps with seven catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. With starting running back Charles Pierre Jr. sidelined and Keyondray Jones-Logan missing his second consecutive game, Carson Fletcher stepped into the starting role and rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries. Watkins added 38 yards on 11 carries, while Rivers finished with 35 yards on 10 attempts.
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Defensively, Gabe Hardman led USD with eight tackles, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss. Abrams and Kael Kolarik each recorded seven tackles, while Same Samè picked up his first sack as a Coyote.
Despite being outgained 351-327, USD controlled the clock, holding a 37:45-22:15 advantage in time of possession. The Coyotes also converted 9 of 14 third-down opportunities and went 7-for-7 in the red zone.
The victory sets up a pivotal matchup next Saturday as USD (6-2, 3-1 MVFC) returns to the DakotaDome in Vermillion to host North Dakota in a top-10 showdown at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.
"We're really excited. Can't wait," White said about the matchup against North Dakota next week.
