SIOUX FALLS — The 11-win season and an unprecedented trip to the national semifinals were the high points in the 2024 University of South Dakota football season.
And the Coyotes will hit the field on Aug. 28 at Iowa State as a likely top-five team in the FCS preseason rankings to start the 2025 campaign, doing so with their quarterback and leading rusher back once again.
But it’s everything that happened in between — longtime coach Bob Nielson retired and defensive coordinator Travis Johansen was promoted to head coach, plus major moves in the transfer portal — that carry plenty of intrigue into the new Coyote football season.
“It’s been a unique challenge to navigate just everything in this offseason, the landscape of college football, but coach Johansen’s done an unbelievable job of it,” said senior quarterback Aidan Bouman, who is in his sixth year of college football and fourth at USD. “I think just how we’ve gone about this offseason is different than we have in the past, in a good way. It’s ultimately what I believe is going to bring us to where we want to get to this year.”
The Coyotes were tabbed at No. 3 in the preseason poll of coaches and media, slightly behind No. 2 South Dakota State, with 2024 national champions North Dakota State a clear favorite for this season.
USD brought their two leading and returning all-Missouri Valley players to meet with the media on Monday. The standout Bouman threw for nearly 3,000 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions last season, while running back Charles Pierre Jr. rushed for more than seven yards per carry and 16 touchdowns in 2024. For an offense that averaged nearly 36 points per game last year, that’s a good place to start.
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Source link : https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/sports/college/with-offseason-in-the-books-new-look-coyote-football-ready-for-big-2025-season
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Publish date : 2025-07-22 23:48:00
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