USD set to host Drake in third consecutive playoff appearance

VERMILLION, S.D. (KELO) — USD is playing postseason football for the third consecutive year and the first in Travis Johansen’s head coaching career. The stage is set for No. 11-seed South Dakota to host familiar foe Drake in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

“The pros and cons are they’re relatively familiar with us too, right” head coach Travis Johansen said. “We’re not going to surprise them with anything. They may surprise us but we’re different teams at this point.”

The Coyotes started the season 5-4 and went on to win all three remaining matchups against ranked opponents to earn the at-large bid.

“To watch guys step up the way they have over the course of the last 12 weeks and keep battling together, turn into a pretty good football team thats got an opportunity to go win a national title,” Johansen said. “Pretty proud of that group and if you really look in there, we don’t make it that narrative of us.”

South Dakota hosts a number of players who have been in postseason situations before, including quarterback Aiden Bowman. The redshirt senior threw for 2,143 yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season.

“The reason he came back is because he wanted to go and make a deep run in these playoffs and see if he can’t win it all,” Johansen said. “And you know, we see a path and we’ve got to start in week one.”

Round one is against a Drake Bulldogs team the Yotes have already seen this season. USD beat the Bulldogs 42-21 in the DakotaDome on September 20. The Coyotes finished the regular season 5-1 at home and look to close out their last home game of the year in front of what’s expected to be a raucous environment.

“We’ll play anywhere but I think if we’ve got a choice, we’re going to play in this dome especially if its sold out and ready to go,” Johansen said.

The Coyotes and the Bulldogs will kickoff at noon in the DakotaDome on Saturday.

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