South Dakota

South Dakota football rolls past Drake, 42-3, in final non-conference game

Published

1 year ago

September 21, 2024

Press Room

South Dakota football rolls past Drake, 42-3, in final non-conference game

This story was updated to add new information

VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota football closed out its non-conference schedule with a bang on Saturday afternoon, defeating Drake 42-3.

The Coyotes (2-1) took control of the game almost immediately as Keyondray Jones-Logan ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. It marked his second score from a kickoff return in three games.

“It was pretty electric,” South Dakota football coach Bob Nielson said. “I’m not sure how many teams are going to kick the ball to us from here on after those two returns.”

After that first touchdown, USD never looked back, scoring another touchdown before Drake (1-1) scored its only points of the game, a field goal. South Dakota added 28 unanswered after that to effectively end the game.

“From the opening kickoff, our guys showed that they were ready to go. After last week, you get concerned about getting out of routine and the frustration of not playing,” Nielson said. “And as I said after last Saturday, our guys handled the announcement with maturity, and I thought they played hungry today.”

The Coyotes’ offense looked solid in this one, amassing 219 passing yards and 192 rushing yards. On defense, USD didn’t allow a single touchdown and helped the offense outgain the Bulldogs by 200 total yards.

South Dakota quarterback Aidan Bouman completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts for 219 passing yards and a touchdown while Travis Theis paced the Coyotes in rushing yards with 94 and also had a pair of touchdown runs.

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

Knocking off the rust

This was South Dakota’s first game since the Portland State fiasco last weekend. Last Saturday’s football game between the Coyotes and Portland State was called off due to illness within the Portland State football program.

A case of pertussis (whooping cough) got into the Viking team, according to a release. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection that affects the lungs, and many members of the Viking football program had been exposed to the disease which led to the cancellation.

“Going into this year, we had 12 guaranteed opportunities, and that got shrunk down to 11,” South Dakota quarterback Aidan Bouman said. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t piss us off that we missed an opportunity. So you know, we prepared that much harder.”

South Dakota didn’t look like they had much rust to knock off, scoring 42 points and amassing a total of 413 yards on offense while also holding Drake to zero touchdowns. The only aspect of this game they will want to clean up is their penalties. USD had a total of 14 penalties called against them, which could cost them against better teams.

Keyondray Jones-Logan has been a game-changer for USD

Keyondray Jones-Logan wasn’t surprised to see Drake kicking to him to open the game.

“I think some people kind of think the first time was just luck,” he said postgame.

Well, if they thought it was luck they won’t think that after tonight. Jones-Logan returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, the second time he’s done that through three games this season.

His first came in South Dakota’s season opener against Northern State when the sophomore returned the kickoff 97 yards for the Coyotes’ first touchdown of the season. And on Saturday he actually outdid that return, running back the opening kickoff for a total of 99 yards.

Nielson and Jones-Logan both attributed the touchdown returns to the blocking on the play, but the sophomore has made USD a significantly more dangerous team on special teams.

This is a solid confidence booster for USD ahead of their Valley opener

This wasn’t expected to be a very close game, and to its credit, South Dakota held up its side of the bargain. Although they were expected to win this game pretty easily, the Coyotes can leave tonight pleased with their performance. They looked as good as they have all year on both sides of the ball. Their performance in the passing game was especially encouraging.

“Getting the pass game going is going to be a big area of focus for us,” Bouman said. “And I think we did a decent job of that today.”

This is as good as South Dakota could’ve hoped to play heading into what’s likely to be a highly competitive matchup against a ranked team in Southern Illinois next weekend.

Up next

South Dakota will host Southern Illinois in their conference opener next Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1 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

Special Olympics South Dakota Newsletter

Published

16 hours ago

November 26, 2025

Press Room

Thank You, Turner!

Dear Special Olympics South Dakota Family,

I have made the tough decision to move on from Special Olympics South Dakota (SOSD). I have accepted a position with HUB International in Sioux Falls, so I am not going far. It was an honor to be a part of an amazing organization and work alongside the great staff, athletes, and volunteers.

Thank you for the memories!

Turner Gaines

Please Join Us For The Unity Conference

The Unity Conference is open to the public on January 10th from 9 AM to Noon at the Unify Center in Sioux Falls, and you won’t want to miss it!

We are excited to announce that John Stiegelmeier, South Dakota State University’s winningest head football coach, will be joining us as the keynote speaker.

Plus, hear from our new President/CEO, Nick Moen, as he shares more about himself and the future of Special Olympics South Dakota.

Location	Date
Watertown	February 7
Lead	February 20
Spearfish	February 21
Rapid City	February 22

Special Olympics has teamed up with Little Words Project on a limited-edition Champion Bracelet!

25% of proceeds go directly to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota!

Wear “Champion” proudly and show your support for our athletes’ journey to USA Games.

Newsworthy will not be published on December 2nd. In it’s place, look for messaging from SOSD celebrating the annual global day of generosity, Giving Tuesday.

Newsworthy will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday, December 9th.

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South Dakota

America’s Biggest Petrified Park Has Otherworldly Vibes Next To South Dakota’s Cowboy Capital – Islands

Published

1 day ago

November 25, 2025

Press Room

America’s Biggest Petrified Park Has Otherworldly Vibes Next To South Dakota’s Cowboy Capital – Islands

On the prowl for the most unique roadside stops across America? Then buckle up and cruise on over to Lemmon — aka, the “cowboy capital” of South Dakota. There, right off U.S. Highway 12, you’ll find an otherworldly roadside oddity known as the Lemmon Petrified Wood Park & Museum. The peculiar park is the largest of its kind, taking up an entire block in the heart of the town’s downtown area. “It’s touted as the ‘Biggest Petrified Wood Park’ in the world which makes me wonder how many there are,” one past visitor wrote in a Tripadvisor review. “My guess is the Lemmon one is the only one and that it’s an inside joke. Go see it.”

This outdoor gem was the brainchild of a local amateur geologist named Ole Sever Quammen, Roadside America reports. As the park’s name suggests, it was created using thousands of tons of petrified wood, which is the fossilized remains of trees, as well as bits of boulders and dinosaur bones. “The petrified wood that was used in this park is just stunning,” another park-goer shared on Tripadvisor. “It all came from the fields surrounding the town and they put their creative genes to work. Plus, they have a display of rocks that have [dinosaur] claw marks in them. A very interesting park and worth a bit of your time to walk around.”

Opened in the early 1930s, the park was eventually donated to the town in the 1950s, where it still stands for all to enjoy today. You can freely stroll the grounds throughout the year. However, the on-site museum and gift shop are only open in the summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

See fossilized wood sculptures and more on display

Teeming with whimsy and wonder, this nook of the artsy, off-the-beaten-path town of Lemmon is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. Meander among the 100 or so unique petrified wood sculptures and other attractions scattered across the park. There’s certainly plenty to see, from a stunning waterfall fountain and wishing well to an imposing castle-like structure bedecked with dinosaur bones and lofty spires — some of which tower 20 feet above the ground.

If you visit in season, be sure to check out the indoor exhibits, too. The Petrified Wood Park & Museum doesn’t charge an admission fee, at the time of writing, making it one of the best free museums in America for a family day trip. “This is a great place to learn about the history of the area,” reads a Tripadvisor review. “The docents in the museum and gift shop are gems! There is a playground and public restrooms on the adjacent block, making this a nice place to stop for a break on a long drive.”

As if this place could get any cooler, you can even donate various artifacts and other historic relics to the park’s collection, though there’s no guarantee that your item will be put on display. If you want to take a gander at more dinosaur fossils, be sure to stop by the Grand River Museum before leaving town. It’s less than half a mile away and boasts an array of exhibits about the early ranching days, the history of Native peoples, and much more.

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