Musa picks up award from USD
Football team fails to get run game established against SDSU
For one of the first times this year, the Coyotes were forced to rely on the passing game against South Dakota State. Watching the Coyotes’ running game this weekend was painful.
It was evident all week that both the Coyote running backs, Jordan Roberts and Trevor Bouma, were hurt, but no one knew what to expect. Well if you thought it was going to be rough, you were right. The duo only gained 46 yards combined, leaving the Coyotes’ passing game to cover the slack.
The biggest problem the Coyotes faced last weekend was no versatility on the offensive side of the ball, and there was no one to blame but the injury bug. With no ability to run between the tackles, the Coyotes were only able to rush for one first down all afternoon.
The lack of running the ball left the Coyotes out to dry in terms of time of possession. The Jacks held the ball for nearly 11 minutes more than the Coyotes, partly because they were able to out rush USD 140 yards to just 59 for the Coyotes.
Sophomore runner Mubarik Musa wins Coyote Athlete of the Week
Musa has really led the Coyote cross-country team all year, and nothing changed this weekend at the NCAA Midwest Regional Meet. Musa finished 21st out of 205 runners in Ames, Iowa, over the weekend.
Musa has been the front-runner all year for the Coyotes, and this weekend he helped the team finish 12th. The Coyotes have finished 12th now two years in a row, and with the way Musa has been running this year, if he keeps it up, that number could easily skyrocket.
It will be interesting to see how he matures. His times have improved all year, and I don’t see that slowing down in the off-season.
Volleyball loses four straight heading into Summit League Conference Tournament
The Coyotes were poised to dominate the Summit League all fall, and then something happened. Since Oct. 25, the Coyotes are 2-6 and have gone from first to third in the standings.
What happened? I wish we knew, because the Coyotes started the conference schedule 7-0 and finished just 2-5 down the stretch. In doing this, the Coyotes have lost the treasured first-round bye and face a rematch from Sunday’s loss Friday against Western Illinois.
There is no doubt in my mind the Coyotes are the best team in the Summit League talent wise, but right now, they just aren’t getting it done. The Coyotes have fallen apart, but junior Kendall Kritenbrink and company can pick up the pieces before it’s too late.
Nicole Seekamp leading Coyotes in scoring, but team off to a shaky start
Seekamp, a junior, is easily the best player in the Summit League, but the Coyote team as a whole has struggled early on. Despite Seekamp averaging 15.3 points per game, the Coyotes are 1-3 heading into a tough matchup with Drake University Thursday.
The Coyotes have the most lethal weapon in the conference, but it hasn’t translated to wins early on. It seems to be a lack of offensive efficiency from the surrounding team.
Once the Coyotes can get their shots to fall more consistently, they will be a force to reckon with, especially if Seekamp can keep her scoring average up.
Men’s basketball continues long road trip
Oh the woes of not having a basketball arena. The Coyote men won’t play in front of a home crowd until Nov. 30. However, I use “home crowd” loosely considering nearly every student will be in their hometowns enjoying their Thanksgiving break.
The Coyotes have struggled out of the gate and won’t be able to regroup in front of a strong home crowd until they face Utah Valley Dec. 2. Playing in the Dome hurts the Coyote teams because they have to travel literally across the country before playing a home game.
Hopefully, the Coyotes will be able to make use of the “home court” advantage over Thanksgiving break before they’re back on the road to play three consecutive strong Division-I programs: Air Force, Wyoming and Kansas State.
