USD’s Innovative Play Designs Lead to Stunning Blowout Triumph Over UNI!
The Coyotes found great success with creative play-designs against the Panthers
VERMILLION — It’s rare for a college football team to line up an offensive lineman as a slot receiver, but the University of South Dakota football team did just that on Saturday.
During the third quarter, at the 12:27 mark, with a new set of downs at the Northern Iowa 23-yard line, the Coyotes executed a play that caught attention. They lined up normally until quarterback Aidan Bouman called for a shift. Five players moved to the outside, including right tackle Bryce Henderson, who slid into the left slot receiver position.
Although he didn’t receive the pass—or even run a route—the throw went incomplete downfield to JJ Galbreath. This play showcased the Coyotes’ creativity against the Panthers and highlighted the depth of USD’s playbook.
USD continues to integrate innovative strategies into its offensive game plan each week. The offense is increasingly utilizing creative techniques, including pre-snap motions, jet sweeps, end-arounds, and direct snaps, among others. Head coach Bob Nielson emphasized that adding more creativity to the play calls has significantly enhanced the offense and praised the coaching staff for their effective execution of these strategies.
“Coach [Josh] Davis and his team are doing an excellent job of crafting a comprehensive plan,” Nielson remarked. “They’re not necessarily trick plays, but they involve unique approaches based on what we’re doing effectively. These plays serve as a counterattack, and we’ve had a lot of success with them.”
The game featured numerous successful creative plays. One standout moment was when Travis Theis took a direct snap near the goal line, resulting in a touchdown. Additionally, USD showcased creativity in other areas; during a second-quarter punt return, Carter Bell fielded the punt and then executed a lateral pass to Keyondray Jones-Logan, which gained more yards than Bell would have achieved returning it himself.
The standout moment came from backup quarterback Nevan Cremascoli, who stepped in for one play during the first half’s two-minute timeout. After taking the snap and rolling to his right, he seemed poised to run—something he’s done often this season. However, he instead delivered a perfectly lofted pass over the defense to AJ Coons for a 37-yard touchdown.
Of course, effective play calls depend on the players executing them flawlessly. Fortunately for the Coyotes, they’ve excelled at implementing these unconventional plays. With a record of 5-1, they’ll bring their high-octane offense—averaging 46.2 points per game against four FCS opponents—on the road to Youngstown State on Saturday, Oct. 19.
“It’s great to have a surprise play that keeps the defense on their toes,” Bouman said. “It’s our responsibility to execute those, and I think we did an excellent job. The Nevan-to-AJ play was a standout moment. Opportunities like that can really shift a team’s momentum.”
Nielson also emphasized the importance of execution, especially when introducing new plays during the week leading up to a game.
“You get a couple of practice days each week to incorporate some new strategies, and then you have to execute them on Saturday,” Nielson explained. “While we haven’t been perfect, we’ve managed to execute these plays well enough to find success.”