South Dakota
South Dakota earns rivalry win over South Dakota State football for first time since 2021
The South Dakota football team took down South Dakota State, 24-17, behind a huge day from running back L.J. Phillips Jr.
The Coyote rusher posted a big day of 168 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to power South Dakota to its first win over its in-state rival since 2021. One of his scores was a 32-yard scamper, which was the only score of the second half.
The win improved USD to 7-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play, while it dropped the Jackrabbits to 7-3 and 3-3 in league play.
The Jackrabbits provided the opening score 11 seconds into the game as wide receiver Jack Smith took a pitch through a seam on the right side and outraced the USD secondary for a 75-yard touchdown run.
USD also found the end zone on its first possession, stringing together a 15-play, 70-yard drive in which the Coyotes extended the march by converting on fourth-and-3. Phillips closed out the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.
SDSU regained the lead on a 40-yard field goal by Eli Stader later in the first quarter, which was answered by a 34-yard field goal by the Coyotes’ Will Leyland at the 4:14 mark of the second quarter.
The Coyotes came up with a quick strike of their own as they grabbed the lead for the first time late in the first half. After a personal foul against SDSU on the first play of the drive, Aidan Bouman found Larenzo Fenner down the left side for a 37-yard gain before the duo hooked up a play later in the right corner of the end zone for a 19-yard score with 1:03 to play in the first half.
Henry, who became the third SDSU starter at quarterback this season, ran the two-minute drill to knot the game for a third time. The redshirt freshman completed 5-of-6 passes over 52 seconds, three of which were completed to Alex Bullock. Henry’s final pass of the drive covered 27 yards on a post route to Bullock with five seconds remaining in the half to make the score 17-17.
USD put together what would prove to be the game-winning drive on the first possession of the second half. Facing third-and-6 at the SDSU 32, Phillips took a handoff and knifed his way through the middle of the Jackrabbit defense for his second touchdown of the afternoon.
The Jackrabbits were unable to move the ball into USD territory on their two possessions of the third quarter, but were in position to tie the game early in the fourth quarter behind an 18-yard pass from Henry to Smith and a pair of first-down runs by Julius Loughride that advanced the ball to the Coyote 23. The drive would end, however, when Henry’s pass to the end zone was intercepted by Dejuan Lewis.
The SDSU defense came up with a much-needed stop to get the ball back at its own 41 with under five minutes to play. Once again, the offense couldn’t convert as the Jackrabbits turned the ball over on downs and USD was able to run out the clock.
USD finished with a 333-330 advantage in total offense. Bouman completed 14-of-21 passes for 158 yards, with Fenner catching four balls for 68 yards.
For the Jackrabbits, Smith ended the day with 197 all-purpose yards, including 82 on the ground after his opening touchdown. He also led the SDSU receiving corps with a career-high six catches for 61 yards.
Loughridge added 44 yards on 10 carries, with Henry ending the day 13-of-24 passing for 139 yards.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Students at South Dakota Mines heard Wednesday from retired four-star general Maryanne Miller about her journey to the highest ranks of the U.S. military.
Miller is a retired four-star U.S. Air Force general. She is the only member of the Air Force Reserve ever to be promoted to this level.
She spoke about finding greatness and living a life of fulfillment. Her stories came from her time in the Air Force and as a volunteer for Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity.
“We so much get focused on what is our next step in life, what’s the next career move, how do we make ourselves better in our career, and we forget about how do we make ourselves better as a human being,” Miller said. “Because they have to go tandem. If it’s not tandem, you’re going to get off track.”
Miller was commissioned in 1981 and rose through the ranks before becoming a four-star general in 2018. She was the only woman serving as a four-star officer in the military at the time. She retired in 2020 after serving for almost 40 years.
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South Dakota
USDA to offer distaster assistance to South Dakota agriculture producers impacted by winter storms
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering financial and technical assistance to South Dakota farmers and livestock producers who may have been impacted by the recent winter storms.
“I encourage impacted producers to contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.” said Richard Fordyce, Production and Conservation Under Secretary.
FSA’s Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners with financial assistance to restore damaged land and conservation structures or forests.
“Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make assessments of the damages and develop methods that focus on effective recovery of the land.” said Jessica Michalski, Acting NRCS State Conservationist in South Dakota.
For more information about the disaster assistance program, click here.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, left, and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen unveil a plaque for retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams in the Hall of Honor at the Capitol in Pierre on March 25, 2026. (Photo by Meghan O’Brien/South Dakota Searchlight)
PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) — There’s a new name in the South Dakota Hall of Honor at the state Capitol building.
One-hundred-year-old South Dakota native and retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams was celebrated at a Wednesday ceremony where a plaque honoring him was unveiled, although Williams did not attend.
“In spite of being outnumbered and facing incredible danger, Captain Williams engaged the enemy with courage and skill,” said Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden. “Our state has always had a strong tradition of service, and Captain Williams is the very best of that tradition.”
President Donald Trump awarded Williams the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest military honor, at the State of the Union address earlier this year. The medal honors actions by Williams that had been classified for decades.
“His story was secret for over 50 years, he didn’t even want to tell his wife, but the legend grew and grew,” Trump said during the speech in February. “But tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”
On Nov. 18, 1952, over Korean coastal waters during the Korean War, then-Lt. Williams, from Wilmot, South Dakota, led three F9F Panthers against seven Soviet MiG-15s. He disabled three enemy jets and damaged a fourth.
The Soviet jets, according to the U.S. Naval Institute, were “superior to the F9F in almost every fashion.” The mission was the only direct overwater combat between U.S. Navy fighters and Soviet fighters during the Cold War.
Williams, one of 11 Medal of Honor recipients from South Dakota, now lives in California. The Hall of Honor at the South Dakota Capitol is located in the hallway that visitors enter immediately after going through security.
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