Could South Dakota be a potential trap game for Badgers?

The Coyotes are a rising FCS power coming off their best season in recent memory.

South Dakota running back Charles Pierre Jr. (3) charges through the Northern State defense on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion, S.D. / Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Badgers football team is likely to be — and should be — a heavy favorite when it kicks off against South Dakota at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. 

And while more intriguing games are on the calendar the next couple weeks when they host No. 4 Alabama and visit No. 13 Southern California, FCS-level South Dakota isn’t a team that should be overlooked too quickly. Saturday’s matchup has the makings of a potential trap game. 

Now, anything short of a fairly convincing victory would ultimately be a disappointment for the Badgers, but the Coyotes are coming off their best season in program history in which they reached the FCS postseason semifinals, and they return a lot of the core roster of that squad. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the Coyotes return starting quarterback Aidan Bouman, who threw for 2,551 yards, 15 touchdowns and six picks while completing 67% of his passes last season. They also return their two leading rushers from a season ago in Travis Theis and Charles Pierre Jr., who together combined for 1,343 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

In their season opener against Division-II Northern State last week, Bouman completed 9-of-12 passes for 85 yards; Pierre ran the ball 13 times for 136 yards and two scores; and Theis had 12 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown in a blowout 45-3 Coyotes victory. 

On the defensive side of the ball, South Dakota returns defensive linemen Nick Gaes and Mi’Quise Grace, who were relentless in creating pressure last season, combining for 11.5 sacks. Gaes had the Coyotes’ lone sack in their season opener, and Grace had 1.5 tackles for loss in the blowout win.

The Badgers’ struggles in their season opener also can’t be overlooked. Western Michigan led 14-13 in the fourth quarter before Tawee Walker and Tyler Van Dyke ran in for a pair of scores that eventually led to a 28-14 victory. While the Broncos are an FBS team, they aren’t a powerhouse, and the narrow win doesn’t exactly bring reason to believe they’ll just run away from the Coyotes. 

Nevertheless, the Badgers should come out with a win on Saturday. But it wouldn't be surprising if the Coyotes give them a run for their money, and Wisconsin should be prepared for a dogfight against a hungry FCS program that features lots of talent and appears to be on an upward trend.