Upset Alert: South Dakota on List of FCS Teams That Could Knock off FBS Opponent in 2017
This college football season marks ten years since one of the biggest upsets of all-time:
Appalachian State 34
Michigan 32
Since 2007, it's become a lot more commonplace for Football Championship Subdivision Teams (FCS) to knock off one of their 'big brothers' from the Football Bowl Subdivision.
South Dakota did it to Minnesota in 2010.
South Dakota State did it to Kansas in 2015.
Last season, another Missouri Valley Conference team, Illinois State, did it to Northwestern.
And then there's North Dakota State, which has done it to just about every FBS team they've ever played.
So in 2017, when Hero Sports is picking ten potential winnable games and/or upsets in FCS-FBS match-ups, no one is alarmed.
What may surprise you though is, this season, USD is on the list.
The Coyotes lone FBS opponent this season is Bowling Green, out of the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons survived a scare from the FCS' North Dakota last season, winning 27-26. But that was the only win Bowling Green had in its first nine games, before finishing the year on a three-game winning streak.
USD led 14-7 at FBS New Mexico in last season's opener, but gave up 31 unanswered points in a 48-21 loss. The Coyotes started the year 4-3 but lost their last four by an average of less than six points a game.
So why does Hero Sports the week two match-up in Ohio is 'upset worthy'?
The Falcons lose 1,000-yard running back Fred Coppet, but should have an improved passing game. They gave up 38.3 points per game in 2016 and will be without Trenton Greene, who had 111 tackles. USD is looking to take that next step as an FCS program and pull out the close games. With Chris Streveler leading the way at quarterback, the Coyotes can make a statement September 9.
South Dakota opens the 2017 season at Drake, Saturday, September 2.