Austyn Modrzewski’s seven-touchdown debut lifts South Dakota past Central Connecticut State, 59-20

University of South Dakota opened its season with a statement in front of its home crowd, turning Central Connecticut State into a one-sided affair with a 59-20 win. The most notable storyline was the play of redshirt freshman quarterback Austyn Modrzewski, who accounted for seven touchdowns in his collegiate debut and helped South Dakota move through the gears quickly.

For three quarters, Modrzewski looked like a veteran making routine decisions rather than a freshman settling in. According to the game account, he threw for six touchdown passes and also added a rushing score, making the USD offense feel controlled from the start. The production was spread across the passing game as well as a designed rushing contribution, limiting Central Connecticut State’s ability to choose a single defensive problem to solve.

South Dakota’s scoring did not simply spike once. The Coyotes established momentum early and then carried it, separating themselves enough that the outcome became difficult for Central Connecticut State to influence. The final margin, 59-20, reflected the same theme that showed up throughout the contest, persistent offensive efficiency coupled with sustained offensive opportunities.

The debut matters beyond the numbers because it sets an early identity for a team’s quarterback room and offensive expectations. A quarterback accounting for seven touchdowns in the first college start gives a coaching staff a clear offensive reference point, especially when opponents have a full week of film to study how the offense attacked weaknesses rather than relying on early-game surprises.

Central Connecticut State, meanwhile, faces a short turnaround from the standpoint of self-scouting. When an opponent produces six passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown from the quarterback position alone, it typically indicates breakdowns in multiple phases: coverage windows in the passing game, and either run defense discipline or assignment execution when the quarterback keeps the ball. Even without deeper detail, the stat line points to a matchup that Central Connecticut State never stabilized.

What to watch next for South Dakota is whether Modrzewski’s performance becomes a one-game outlier or a template. The immediate test will be how the offense responds when defenses adjust after film review, particularly against the passing patterns that produced multiple touchdown throws in the opener. For Central Connecticut State, the focus will likely be on limiting quarterback impact and forcing South Dakota to generate points without the same volume of direct scoring plays.