Preview: USD football travels to Northern Colorado for first road test
· Yahoo Sports
Sep. 2—GREELEY, Colo. — After South Dakota kicked off its season with a dominant home win over Central Connecticut State under first-year head coach Matt Vitzthum and quarterback Austyn Modrzewski's debut, the Coyotes will hit the road for the first time against Northern Colorado on Saturday.
USD looks to win its first road season opener since the 70-point throttling of Drake back in 2017 in Des Moines, Iowa.
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How to watch the Coyotes' road opener and what to know about both programs:
Week 1: No. 11 South Dakota Coyotes (1-0, 0-0 MVFC) at Northern Colorado Bears (0-1, 0-1 Big Sky)
When: Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m.
Where: Nottingham Field in Greeley, Colorado
TV: ESPN+ — Christian Saex (Play-by-Play), Matthew Gaitor (Analyst)
Radio: Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer, Gary Culver, Jerry Palleshi) [KVHT 106.3 FM]
Streaming: ESPN+
Records last year: USD 10-5, UNC 4-8
Series: Northern Colorado leads the all-time series over USD, 20-17
Last time: USD defeated UNC 24-17 in overtime at the DakotaDome in Vermillion on Sept. 13, 2025.
Last week: USD beat Central Connecticut State 59-20 at home, while Northern Colorado lost to Weber State 30-29 at home.
Rankings: USD is ranked No. 11 in FCS
Coaches: USD — Matt Vitzthum (first year, 1-0); UNC — Ed Lamb (fourth year, 5-31)
Leading passers: USD — Austyn Modrzewski (16-for-20, 304 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs); UNC — Kenny Lueth (20-for-33, 226 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs)
Leading rushers: USD — Austyn Modrzewski (81 yards, 2 carries, 1 TD); UNC — Mathias Price (106 yards, 17 carries, 1 TD)
Leading receivers: USD — Keyondray Jones-Logan (2 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD); UNC — Marcus Mozer (6 receptions, 70 yards)
Top defenders: USD — Wade Abrams (9 total tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QBH); UNC — Franky Morales (7 total tackles, 2 PBUs, 1 INT)
Quick game hits: Saturday's clash will be the 38th all-time meeting between USD and Northern Colorado, with the Bears holding the edge in the matchup of former North Central Conference colleagues 20-17. ... The Coyotes have won the last four meetings dating back to 2010. ... Austyn Modrzewski had a stellar quarterback debut for USD last week against Central Connecticut State, tallying 385 total yards and seven total touchdowns. His six passing touchdowns tied an all-time USD single-game record, while he became the fifth Coyote in the FCS era to win their debut as starting quarterback and the first to throw for 300-plus yards in their debut. Modrzewski garnered national freshman of the week honors and MVFC offensive and newcomer of the week recognition following his historic performance. ... Matt Vitzthum became the first coach in the USD Division I era to win their opener as a head coach with the 59-20 win over CCSU on Aug. 29. ... In just one of four meetings between MVFC and Big Sky opponents this season, USD looks to aid the Valley into its 10th consecutive challenge victory. ... USD also looks to win its first road opener since the 77-7 throttling of Drake back in 2017. ... The Coyotes are 31-29 in the month of September in the FCS era and have twice finished September unbeaten (2017, 2023). ... Six Coyotes on the 2026 roster hail from the state of Colorado, including two starters in quarterback Austyn Modrzewski and offensive lineman Brendon Crispe. ... Northern Colorado dropped its first-ever night game played at Nottingham Field in Greeley, with lights added for the first time ahead of the 2026 season, in its season opener in a Big Sky clash with Weber State. ... The Bears trailed by 10 with nine minutes to play and scored the last nine points of the contest. Scoring a touchdown in the final seconds, needing just a PAT to send it to overtime, the Bears did not convert and lost the game 30-29. ... Northern Colorado's first-year starting quarterback Kenny Lueth went 20-for-33 through the air for 226 yards and a touchdown. ... Last season, the Bears finished 4-8 (2-6 Big Sky) to finish tied for eighth in the league, which included an overtime loss to USD in Vermillion on Sept. 13, 2025. However, it's the most wins that head coach Ed Lamb has had in his three full seasons in Greeley, Colorado.