South Dakota

South Dakota football cruises past Southern Illinois in conference opener

Published

2 years ago

September 29, 2024

South Dakota football cruises past Southern Illinois in conference opener

VERMILLION, S.D. — The matchup against Southern Illinois was supposed to be South Dakota football’s first real test of the 2024 season.

The Coyotes dominated in both of their wins over Northern State and Drake, and even put up a fight against Wisconsin in Week 2, but a matchup against a conference opponent would really show where USD stands.

And what Saturday’s game showed is that the No. 17 Salukis were no match for No. 5 South Dakota as the Coyotes defeated Southern Illinois, 42-13.

“I’m getting up there where I don’t necessarily celebrate birthdays much, because I’ve had too many of them, but that’s great way to celebrate one right there,” South Dakota football coach Bob Nielson said. “That’s a tremendous win against a really good team where all three phases of the game went out and executed at a high level. So we’re really proud of (how) our team played today, and excited to keep building forward here”

USD pounced on the Salukis from the jump, scoring 14 in the first while holding SIU scoreless through the first frame. South Dakota added another 21 points in the second and gave up just one touchdown on a quick pass play to go into halftime in firm control, leading 35-7.

Senior quarterback Aidan Bouman had one of his best games of the season throwing for 247 yards and two touchdowns. The run game also looked impressive, especially in the first quarter. Travis Theis paced the running back room with 147 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

South Dakota was also strong defensively, particularly when it came to stopping Southern Illinois on third down in the first half. They only allowed the Salukis to convert on four of 11 third-down attempts.

Here are a few takeaways from South Dakota’s first conference win of the season.

All South Dakota early

Last week’s 42-3 win over Drake was the most complete the USD offense had looked, until this week anyway. And this week’s game being the first against a conference opponent makes the performance that much more impressive.

South Dakota took clear control of the game early, scoring on five of their first seven drives while only allowing one touchdown. The Coyotes took a comfortable 35-7 lead into halftime and really weren’t threatened in the second half.

“We were super efficient in the first half,” Nielson said. “Scoring 35 points in a half against a Missouri Valley defense is something pretty special.”

The run game decided this one

Nielson issued a challenge to his team early in the week heading into the matchup against Southern Illinois. He wanted them to play with a high level of physicality. They were going to need it in their first game against Missouri Valley competition.

The Coyotes on the offensive and defensive line answered the call.

South Dakota’s offensive lineman opened up significant gaps for their explosive backs to get through. USD’s run game got going early against the 27th-best run defense in the FCS. Theis rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter while the other half to his dynamic duo, Charles Pierre Jr., added 22 yards and another touchdown. Theis ended the night with 106 rushing yards while Pierre Jr. ran for 84.

The Salukis allowed only 112.8 rushing yards per game entering Saturday’s contest, but USD surpassed that, rushing for 302 yards against Southern Illinois.

“That sounds like Coyote offense,” Theis said postgame when told the team’s rushing stats. “I think we have a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, punch, really. It can be anybody.”

On the other side of the ball the defensive linemen exerted pressure and limited the Salukis’ rushing attack. The Coyotes held Southern Illinois to just 60 rushing yards in the entire game.

“That was one of the things going in. You know, whichever team is going to make the other one more one dimensional is going to have a chance to win the game,” Nielson said. “Offensively we were very balanced, defensively we wouldn’t let them run the football.”

USD’s passing offense came to life in the second quarter

The second quarter was all Coyotes but their approach was a little different than in the first quarter. Because the run game dominated in the first, Southern Illinois focused their coverage on stopping the run, opening up the passing game.

After throwing for just 37 yards in the first quarter, Bouman ended the first half with 220 yards and two touchdowns. A couple of highlight plays accounted for the majority of that yardage. The first was an 80-yard touchdown pass from Bouman to JJ Galbreath and the second was a 61-yard touchdown pass to Quaron Adams.

“They know we’re a really good running team, so we took advantage early of our matchups outside,” Bouman said postgame. “We have a lot of skill and a lot of speed out there, and it’s my job to let them make a play, and they did a great job of that today.”

This performance from Bouman was a great sign for a team that has been talking about wanting to be more explosive offensively. The senior quarterback finished the game with 247 passing yards and two touchdowns, completing 11 of his 17 passes.

Up next

South Dakota will travel to Murray, Ky. to face Murray State on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m.

Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at@JFERN31

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South Dakota

USD Sanford medical school location to open mid-2028 in Sioux Falls

Published

9 hours ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

USD Sanford medical school location to open mid-2028 in Sioux Falls

The home for the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in Sioux Falls will be the Talley Building on the Sanford medical campus, university officials announced April 2.

This news came after the Aug. 14, 2025, announcement that the medical school would move the first 18 months of doctor of medicine training — Pillar 1 — from Vermillion to Sioux Falls by the summer of 2027. The last 30 months of M.D. training has long been in Sioux Falls.

At the time, officials said learning would continue in temporary locations in Sioux Falls on the Sanford campus while a new, permanent building was to be built in 7-10 years at a location to be determined, but the April 2 announcement about the use of the Talley Building “expedites” this part of the process, according to a release from USD.

Construction is expected to begin this summer, with all areas fully open and operational by mid-2028, USD spokesperson Alissa Matt said.

Students who start their doctor of medicine degree program in fall of 2027 will still complete their first year of Pillar 1 in Vermillion, and complete the last few months of the pillar in Sioux Falls. Students who start the degree program in fall of 2028 will learn in Sioux Falls.

The South Dakota Board of Regents signed off on a memorandum of agreement April 2 stating Sanford Health would fund the design and construction of a 4,400 square foot anatomy lab on the hospital’s main Sioux Falls campus, as well as renovate the 50,000 square foot Talley Building, named for former medical school dean Robert Talley.

Talley was a “driving force” in initially establishing the medical school in Sioux Falls, and the building named after him will now house the M.D. program and medical student support services, according to a release from USD.

USD’s medical school would use the spaces under a lease agreement that’s yet to be seen. The agreement also states that “additional research space not yet identified may be planned and designed in future phases as programmatic needs evolve.”

Facilities could include classroom and instructional labs, clinical training and simulation spaces, research and innovation areas, faculty and learner collaboration spaces, shared conference and meeting rooms, and technology infrastructure that supports modern medical education, according to the agreement.

In addition to the partnership with Sanford Health, Avera plans to provide classroom space in Plaza 3 on the Avera McKennan campus to “support collaboration and integration with health systems in Sioux Falls,” Matt said.

Avera Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kevin Post noted in a news release that Avera has a long history of working with USD’s medical school — including more than half of USD Frontier and Rural Medicine students in Avera communities — and views it as a vital state resource.

USD President Sheila Gestring said in a news release that the university and medical school are grateful for Sanford and Avera’s generosity in providing space to support medical education.

“These plans create a cost-effective path forward and enable us to expedite this transition — positioning USD to deliver the best possible medical education even sooner,” Gestring said.

Sanford Health President and CEO Bill Gassen said in a news release that expanding the medical school’s presence on the Sanford campus creates “an environment where education, research and clinical care come together in powerful ways.”

Medical school dean Dr. Tim Ridgway said in a news release that the support of Sanford, Avera, Monument Health, Veterans Affairs Health and independent providers is “critical in our shared mission to serve the state.”

“We could not develop physicians without the resources and residencies they provide or without our clinical faculty,” Ridgway said. “Together, we are shaping the future of medical education and improving quality health care for communities across South Dakota.”

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South Dakota

South Dakota women’s basketball’s successful season started with portal risks

Published

21 hours ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota women’s basketball’s successful season started with portal risks

VERMILLION — This South Dakota women’s basketball team was built in a modern style — with lots of veterans looking to revive their careers or get a final chance to prove themselves through the transfer portal.

Both head coach Carrie Eighmey and her staff, as well as the first-year ‘Yotes, all felt they took a risk joining forces this offseason.

After a 26-10 season, the second-best win improvement in Division I women’s college basketball and a WNIT Fab 4 appearance, it’s safe to say that risk worked out well for all parties.

“We won 11 games last year,” Eighmey said. “So they took a leap of faith as well. And they joke with us that we took a chance on them. And so we all kind of feel like we took a chance on each other.”

The Coyotes’ entire seven-player rotation was in their first season in Vermillion, with Angelina Robles (Denver), Molly Joyce (Truman State), Jenna Hopp (South Dakota State), Elise Turrubiates (Tarleton State), Patience Williams (Georgia State), Josie Hill (Chicago State) and Tori Schlagel (Eden Prairie High School) all taking on large roles and learning how to play with each other on the fly.

Eighmey, Robles and many other South Dakota players are thankful for General Manager Devin Eighmey and his ability to craft this team.

“I’m just so grateful to Coach Carrie, Coach Dev, for allowing me to be a part of such a special program,” Robles said. “We really believe that we could have gone all the way, but ball didn’t bounce our way. I’m just super grateful for this group of girls and they made this season the best I’ve ever had, and I’m grateful.”

Robles, Turrubiates, Williams and Hill all played their last collegiate game on Wednesday, April 1, and were upset after the game ended, not only because their season was finished, but because they won’t get to play together again.

“I love them with all my heart,” Robles said. “I think we all came in with the same mindset of if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right and we’re going to do it together. And I think that’s exactly what we need to be setting the standard for everyone else that’s staying.”

Joyce is one of the top returners for next year, and this was her first season at the Division I level after two years at Division II. The move ended up being a great one for her, as she broke out to average 12.9 points for the Coyotes.

“My freshman year, I won seven games and my sophomore year, we won 14, so being able to come here and just be a dominant team was super special and just grateful that I got to be a part of this group because all these girls are my best friends,” Joyce said.

None of the players took advantage of the opportunity as much as Robles, who became the vocal and statistical leader of this South Dakota team and became a star in the league she spent her first three seasons in. Robles ended her senior season at 15.8 points per game and 38.0% shooting from three.

“She was a player that, you could see it at different times, she’s emotional,” Eighmey said. “I think one of the things that she grew so much in was just her ability to play with emotion, but not let being emotional take her away from what she was trying to do. I think the thing that was really neat about her was she started to really understand what winning looks like and what it takes to win, and I think that’s what gave her that swagger.”

Robles attributes her rise to stardom to her teammates and the faith her coach showed her early on this season. As she experienced some ups and downs throughout the season, everyone stuck together and came out better on the other side.

“I’ve said this so many times, but Carrie really believed in me and saw things that I was capable of that I didn’t even see for myself, so she put me in a great position,” Robles said. “And Coach Dev made sure that I was surrounded by great human beings off the court, but also on the court. We’re a selfless team and the whole plan was to make it as far as we could and we made it to April. Not a lot of teams can say that, so that’s a blessing and we just fought hard.”

Building this team wasn’t easy and a lot could’ve gone wrong, but all parties feel it was worth it. Even with a third-place finish in the Summit League and a loss in the WNIT semis, the coaches and players felt this team showed what a Carrie Eighmey-led team will look like from here on out.

“They show up, gave great energy,” Eighmey said. “It’s just fun to be around. Honestly, I think the way they played was very inspiring. I think it speaks to the way that people started showing up for this team and supporting this team. ‘Yote fans have always been very supportive of the women’s basketball program, but I felt like as this season continued to build and this team continued to become more and more of the best version of itself, people got on board and they were inspired and appreciated the way we played. It was a blast to coach them.”

The players all feel this season was a success, even without a trophy, and Eighmey will be the one to bring this South Dakota program back to the heights of the early 2020s.

“And I’m going to boldly say this, I see a Summit League championship in the next couple years,” Robles said. “So bring it back to South Dakota and I will be in the stands watching you guys get it.”

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South Dakota

$7.8 million to fight substance use disorder in South Dakota

Published

1 day ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

.8 million to fight substance use disorder in South Dakota

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