Oct. 14, 2006
Final Stats
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Quarterback Noah Shepard accounted for 263 yards of offense and running back Stefan Logan rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns, as nationally ranked University of South Dakota scored touchdowns on all three of its first-half possessions and defeated Western Washington University, 42-10, in a North Central Conference football game Saturday at Civic Stadium.
The Vikings, who were playing their fourth game against a nationally-ranked opponent, fell to 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the NCC with the loss. South Dakota, ranked No.14 in the latest American Football Coaches Association Top 25, improved to 6-1 overall and are tied for first in the NCC at 4-0.
Shepard, a redshirt freshman making his first career start, completed 11-of-15 passes for 204 yards and rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, scoring on an 8-yard run early in the second quarter.
Logan opened the scoring on a 3-yard run less than nine minutes into the game. He rushed for 121 yards on nine carries after halftime, including touchdown runs of 32 and 44 yards. He now has 933 rushing yards on the season, being just 67 short of his fourth 1,000-yard campaign.
South Dakota's other touchdowns came on a 59-yard run in the second quarter by fullback Tyler Evans, who busted up the middle on a third-and-one play, and a 28-yard pass from Shepard to wide receiver Jordan Murphy midway through the fourth quarter.
South Dakota had a 548-276 edge in total offense. The Coyotes, who entered the game ranked fourth nationally in rushing offense at 266.5 yards a game, rushed for 344 yards on 46 attempts.
Western quarterback James Monrean, who completed 18 of his first 21 passing attempts, finished the contest 23-of-34 for 209 yards, but the Vikings ran for just 58 yards on 23 carries against a USD defense that has yet to allow more than 85 yards rushing in a game this season.
Western moved inside the USD 20 on each of its three possessions after the Coyotes' first-half touchdowns. But the first two drives failed to produce points because of a missed field goal and a fumble before the Vikings finally reached the scoreboard with a 34-yard field goal by Robby Smith (So., Bellingham) on the final play of the first half.
Western's lone touchdown came late in the third quarter. After a 47-yard kickoff return by
Craig Garner (Fr., Tacoma/Lakes), the Vikings moved 43 yards in nine plays, capped by a 1-yard run by Garner. Monrean set up the score with a 14-yard scramble.
Garner had four kickoff returns for 145 yards, and Brett Upchurch (Jr., Sammamish/Eastlake) had six catches for 105 yards.
John Morales had two sacks for the South Dakota defense, which entered the game ranked third nationally in both rushing defense (42.8) and total defense (212.5) and fourth in scoring defense (10.2).
Western meets arch-rival Central Washington University in the fourth annual Wells Fargo Battle in Seattle for the Cascade Cup on Sat., Oct. 21 (6 p.m.) at Qwest Field.
SCORING SUMMARYSouth Dakota 7 14 14 7 --- 42Western Washington 0 3 7 0 --- 10
USD - Logan 3 run (Leibfarth kick)USD - Shepard 8 run (Leibfarth kick)USD - Evans 59 run (Leibfarth kick)WWU - FG Smith 34USD - Logan 32 run (Leibfarth kick)WWU - Garner 1 run (Smith kick)USD - Logan 44 run (Leibfarth kick)USD - Murphy 28 pass from Shepard (Leibfarth kick)
Attendance: 2,150
