VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Aidan Bouman threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Javion Phelps with 12 seconds left and South Dakota defeated FCS top-ranked North Dakota State 29-28 on Saturday to claim a share of its first Missouri Valley Football Conference championship.
The Coyotes (9-2, 7-1) trailed 28-17 when Bouman threw deep to Jack Martens for a 40-yard touchdown with 3:22 remaining. They got the ball back with 1:16 left and six plays later Bouman was sacked. The Coyotes quickly lined up and Bouman found Phelps alone 2 yards shy of the end zone along the left sideline and he easily scored.
South Dakota won its first game against the Bison in Vermillion since a four-overtime thriller in 2002. The Bison had won the last five meetings in the DakotaDome.
The Coyotes took a 14-0 lead on two Travis Theis rushing touchdowns but the Bison (10-2, 7-1) tied the game with two scores in the final 2:26 of the first half, a 23-yard pass from Cam Miller to Braylon Henderson and a 3-yard TD run by Miller.
Miller scored from 2 yards out late in the third quarter and CharMar Brown completed a 20-play, 99-yard drive that took nearly 11 minutes with a 1-yard score for a 28-17 Bison lead with just over four minutes to go.
Bouman was 18-of-30 for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
Miller was 9-of-21 passing with one touchdown and he rushed for 82 yards and another score.
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