No. 17 South Dakota travels to No. 1 NDSU in a ranked FCS matchup. It kicks off Missouri Valley Football Conference play for both squads.
USD has a two-game regular-season winning streak over NDSU, beating the Bison 24-19 in 2023 and 29-28 last year, scoring two touchdowns in the final 3:22 for a comeback victory. The Bison do have a postseason win over USD in between, hammering the Yotes 45-17 in the 2023 quarterfinals.
NDSU vs. South Dakota On TV
The matchup between NDSU and South Dakota will air on ESPN+, ABC ND, and Midco Sports.
The game kicks off at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 27. It is taking place at the Fargodome in Fargo, ND.
NDSU vs. South Dakota Preview
At the start of the 2025 offseason, this game was viewed as a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. But then, life as a successful mid-major hit.
The transfer portal struck USD hard after it made it through the winter portal period mostly intact, except for losing defensive end Mi’Quise Grace, an expected departure. The Coyotes lost three starting offensive linemen, their top tackler, a leader in the secondary, and their top returner at wide receiver.
It turned into a bigger reloading project than anticipated for first-year head coach Travis Johansen. USD started 0-2, getting dominated at Iowa State and then losing a 20-13 shocker at Lamar. All-American running back Charles Pierre Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, adding another gut punch to the team. A 24-17 overtime win against Northern Colorado didn’t generate much confidence. However, last week’s 42-21 victory over Drake, a game the Yotes led 42-7 entering the fourth, saw a more cohesive offense, especially in the passing game.
Aidan Bouman and his targets were a bit off in the first three games. Last week, though, Bouman finished 13/20 for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Running back L.J. Phillips Jr. has stepped up in a huge way, rushing for 301 yards and two TDs against Northern Colorado, and 143 yards and four scores vs. Drake.
NDSU, meanwhile, has looked the part of the No. 1 team despite losing a few starters to the portal in the spring. While the opponents have not been good teams, the Bison have blown them out, something other top teams haven’t always done against inferior competition. The Bison beat The Citadel 38-0, Tennessee State 59-3, and SEMO 41-14. NDSU’s defense looks better than last year’s, notably at linebacker with better athletes. And Cole Payton has emerged as the next standout Bison quarterback — 39/55 passing for 706 yards, six TDs, zero interceptions; 175 rushing yards, one TD.
USD has played well defensively against FCS competition, making Saturday the best gauge so far for Payton and Co.
NDSU had a bye last week, allowing for some extra prep time. There is also a certain level of revenge factor at play here. While last year’s loss at USD didn’t impact much in the big picture, because NDSU still received home-field advantage in the playoffs and went on to win the national championship, the late-game collapse probably still sticks in the craw of the Bison program.
A part of me thinks USD is going to step into a hornet’s nest and get blown out. Another part of me thinks USD may play better than some of us expect and make it a close game. So maybe it’ll fall somewhere in between.
Prediction: NDSU 34-17
