Saturday determines fate of Coyote football
Stepping onto the field at Autzen Stadium in Oregon wasn’t the expectation for sophomore Ryan Saeger. The quarterback said he was ready for the opportunity to play at any time and become the quarterback for the Coyotes — and even a bit excited because he hadn’t taken a snap since high school.
But when starting quarterback Kevin Earl went down with a thumb injury, most talk revolving University of South Dakota football was about the loss the team was suffering.
The Coyote offense was losing a gunslinger who led a three game win streak in 2013 and was looking impressive in the pocket against Oregon.
Sure, Saeger would turn out to be a solid replacement. He certainly wasn’t the leading factor between winning and losing in his four starts. He scrambled his way to leading rusher in the win over then-ranked Northern Arizona. Still, to most fans, he wasn’t Kevin Earl.
Then last week happened.
Last week was a mudslide, and the USD offense didn’t produce. Not much more needs to be said. The Coyotes had a chance to carry the momentum they built from their home win against Northern Arizona and at least compete with another ranked Southern Illinois team on the road.
Instead, they got handled to the tune of a 41-10 beat down, outscored 31-0 in the second half.
The Coyotes now have to turn to their homecoming week with a dud performance looming in the background.
The Joe Glenn coaching era is still looking for the top-notch victory that defines a program. They’re looking for a respect-this-program win to shut up doubters and force other teams in the Missouri Valley Conference to circle their matchups before the season.
Walking into the DakotaDome Saturday is Northern Iowa.
Walking to the line of scrimmage for the Coyotes is Kevin Earl.
The starting quarterback, who was becoming the poster child of the offense, is back from his injury. His opponents are familiar to him. The game is one of the biggest opportunities presented to the Coyotes in Division I competition.
Last year, Earl made his first start on the road at UNI. Earl led USD to a double overtime win 38-31.
This year, the game is now a revenge tour contest for UNI. They’re 2-3, but the Panthers have lost to two FBS schools and a top FCS school.
Meanwhile, the Coyotes are expecting their biggest home crowd of the season. It’s either a death trap for USD or a reason for optimism.
It’s time to see what the Coyotes are about. It’s time to see where Joe Glenn will go. It’s time to see why Kevin Earl is the starting quarterback.
