Football team riding wave of momentum into Northern Iowa game

Change is in the air in Vermillion, as the USD football team looks to turn a new page.

After back-to-back wins over NDSU and Missouri State, the Coyotes will face a tough road test in 22-ranked Northern Iowa.

UNI’s season is floating below expectations, with a 3-4 overall record and a 1-3 record in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

The Coyotes, on the other hand, have had an above average season. USD currently sits at 4-3 overall with a 2-2 conference record. Despite the better record, the Coyotes have not received the respect UNI has.

“No matter what we do we’re probably not going to get the respect we deserve, so we’re going in there like we’re the worst and trying to play like we’re the best,” senior linebacker Keyen Lage said. “We’re still seen as the little brother to a lot of teams.”

Lage has played a big role in Coyote defense that is one of the best in the conference. As a leader, Lage has helped to create a team that works with the younger and older players.

“After that Western Illinois game, a couple of us guys got together and said we’ve got to change this. We cannot go down like this our senior year. We cannot have this happen our fourth year in a row. We came in Monday excited and ready to work, and it rubbed off on a lot of guys on the team,” Lage said.

Earlier in the year assistant head coach Wesley Beschorner talked about waiting for a game where the offense, defense and special teams all have good games, and the Coyotes are starting to see that production. As the Coyotes look to continue their winning  streak, the positive energy has been visible throughout the team.

“The seniors have really brought those kids along. Sometimes you see where seniors think that it’s just their team and it’s not. They really accept those guys and they’re excited for those guys when they’re making plays,” Beschorner said.

The term “turn a corner” has been tossed around a lot this year as the season has progressed and players have started to buy into it.

“The more wins we get, the more guys on our team are actually believing we’re as good as we think we are,” Lage said.

Beschorner agreed.

“They’re playing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, which they should, and we hadn’t had a lot of success so it’s time for us to turn a corner,” he said.

A game in Iowa against UNI means a lot for many of the Coyote players who hail from the state of Iowa.

One of those players is sophomore wide out Brandt Van Roekel from Boyden, Iowa. Van Roekel knows that going back to his home state means more to him than most trips.

“There’s definitely some tension there. Not going there (UNI) and then learning what they’re about,” Van Roekel said. “There’s definitely a little tension. Me going to South Dakota and playing my home state, there’s just a little extra motivation in my tank.”

USD will travel to Cedar Falls to take on No. 22 ranked Northern Iowa this Saturday at 1 p.m.

“If we were a stock,” Beschorner said, “people would be buying us no doubt.”