Eight games into the Missouri Valley Conference football schedule, the South Dakota Coyotes number one goal remains the same: win a game.

USD is 0-7 in league play heading to the finale against South Dakota State this weekend.

Loss number seven came at the hands of #7 Illinois State, who grabbed an early 21-0 lead on the strength of the MVC's leading rusher Marshaun Coprich, who finished the day with 232 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the 45-26 win.

The Coyotes did show some fight after digging that early hole at home, closing the gap to 28-20 in the fourth quarter.

I asked USD head coach Joe Glenn about the game with the Redbirds:

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The Coyotes close out the season in Brookings Saturday, for either the 106th or 108th meeting, depending on who you ask, between South Dakota and South Dakota State on the football field.

USD claims to have a 51-50-7 edge in the series, while SDSU claims the series is 49-50-7.  In dispute are two supposed Coyote wins in 1900 and 1901.

Either way, the Jackrabbits have won five straight in the series, and are one win away from tying their best stretch ever against USD, six straight wins from 1990 to 1992, when the teams met twice a year.

South Dakota State (7-4/4-3) needs a win to keep their FCS Playoff hopes alive for a third visit.

This is the third meeting between the rivals in the Division I era, with the Coyotes trailing by just one heading into the fourth quarter of last season's game in Vermillion, and by just eight in the final three minutes, before falling 27-12.

I asked Coach Glenn is last year's game gave his team some confidence against their in-state rivals?

Kickoff is 2:00pm Saturday in Brookings.

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