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Game 1 UCF (vs.) South Dakota

Aug 31, 2010 -- 1:43pm
Opponent preview   UCF (vs.)South Dakota 2010
 
The  University of Central Florida Knights open up their 2010 college football season on Saturday September 4th @ Brighthouse Networks Stadium on the campus of UCF … (vs.) The University of South Dakota.
 
This is the 4th season for UCF @ Brighthouse Networks Stadium.
 
Kickoff is set for 6 o’clock. Here is this week’s opponent preview, a better look at the University of South Dakota Coyotes.
 
The university is located in Vermillion, South Dakota…in the very southern section of the state…just north of the Nebraska border. South Dakota is a member of the 7-school Great West Conference…but only 5 universities field a football team…they are UC Davis, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Cal Poly & Southern Utah. They are a member of the "Football Championship Subdivision"…formerly known as 1 double-A. 
 
South Dakota was picked No. 4 in a pre-season conference coach’s poll after finishing 2009 with a 5-5 record….they were 2-2 in league play in 2009.
 
South Dakota’s head coach is Ed Meierkort…he enters his seventh season at USD.  Meierkort has an overall record of 44-23 as South Dakota’s head coach, including 22-13 in conference play, during USD’s transition to NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision status.They return 12 starters (7 offense / 5 defense) and 43 letter winners.
 
South Dakota is replacing a 4-year starter at quarterback. Noah Shepard now holds most every school record…his back-up in each of the last 2 seasons, junior Dante Warren is the new #1. He is from the Chicago area…he measures 6 feet and plays at about 195 pounds. As raw as he is…the other Coyote skill people around him “have been there before”.
 
The team returns 3 important top receivers. Tom Flannagan led South Dakota with 45 receptions and 530 receiving yards in 2009. He is a 5-9 speedster. Six foot, 3-inch junior Dustin Nowatny and 6 foot 1 inch Will Powell are the other 2. Receiver is expected to be the #1 strength of the team.  Pass catching tight end London Landry is also a returning starter. He is as good a talent as South Dakota has. Nowatney also doubled as the team’s place-kicker a year ago. He converted on 7 of 8 field goal tries and made 33 of his 38 point after tries.
 
The top running back in each of the last 2 seasons also returns. He is Houston, Texas native Chris Ganious. The 5 foot 7 inch, 188 pound speedster was 1st team all conference in 2009. In their 10 games, Ganious averaged 5.6 yards per carry … he led the league with 869 yards rushing. He also caught 23 passes and averaged over 11 yards per catch. 
 
The offensive line is as the head coach states …” big, physical…but very young”…they do return 2 starters from 2009…they have to replace starters @ left tackle, left guard & center.
 
The South Dakota defense returns only 5 starters from 2009…they have brought in a new defensive coordinator who has brought more attention to detail…but the Coyotes do have major holes to fill. 
 
The defensive line lost 3 starters from 2009…it may be the weakest part of the football team.
 
Linebacker is a strength…with 2 starters back from a year ago…you will hear the names of linebackers Adam Broders and Shea Williams a lot on Saturday.  They were 1-2 in tackles in 2009.
 
The secondary will be anchored by returning safeties Jim Thompson and Shane Potter, 3rd & 4th in team tackles in 2009 … both also tied for most picks … each had 2 … but the team only had 7 interceptions a year ago … the two corner positions were up for grabs during fall camp…and there no less than 3 Florida kids fighting for starting spots.
 
South Dakota was a minus 6 in turnovers last season. The Coyotes also have 10 Florida players on their roster.
 
Saturday’s game is the 1st ever meeting between these 2 schools. In fact this is the 1st ever game for South Dakota against a 1-A or Football Bowl Subdivision opponent. Next week South Dakota plays @ the University of Minnesota.
 
South Dakota plays its home games at one of their region’s most recognizable structures, the DakotaDome … an indoor facility that seats 10,000 … and is home to basketball, football, volleyball, track and field and swimming and diving.  Coach Ed Meierkort has posted a 31-3 record in the DakotaDome as a head coach, including a 22-game win streak.
 
The best known alum @ South Dakota is Tom Brokaw, longtime NBC News anchor.
 That’s the opponent preview…a better look at the South Dakota Coyotes from Vermillion, South Dakota…Saturday is the season opener for both schools.
Kickoff is set for just after 6 o’clock Saturday.
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