MVFC Week 12 Review
Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC Contributors | November 27, 2015
JT Says-
South Dakota 0 Illinois State 46
My prediction of a South Dakota upset was as wrong as you can get. South Dakota held Illinois State to a 33 yard field goal in the end of the 1st quarter…and then…they gave up 43 unanswered points. South Dakota managed 33 passing yards and 122 rushing yards in an uninspired effort. Though the Redbirds only passed for 40 yards and a touchdown, they ran for 390 yards and 5 touchdowns. Marshaun Coprich 30 carries 251 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tre Roberson chipped in 121 yards, and a touchdown on 11 carries to go with 2-8 passing for 40 yards and a touchdown. I said Ryan Saeger would have to have the game of his life for the Coyotes to pull off the upset. He had one of the worst games of his career instead, 3-19 for 24 yards. South Dakota falls to 3-5 despite an early conference upset of North Dakota State. Illinois State ties North Dakota State with a 7-1 record but NDSU wins the automatic qualifier.
South Dakota State 24 Western Illinois 30
Welcome to the playoffs Western Illinois. The game only took 2 overtimes before Sean McGuire ran 7 yards for a Leatherneck Touchdown. Western Illinois was leading in the 4th quarter 17-10 before Kyle Paris scored a 2 yard touchdown run with 1:35 left in the game. He rushed 21 times and only got 48 yards. Brady Mengarelli rushed 20 times for 187 yards and a score for the Jackrabbits. Zach Lujan had 3 picks on 21-37 passes for 246 yards and 1 touchdown. Nikko Watson just another day in the office, 28 carries, 163 yards, and touchdown. Sean McGuire was 19-39 for 282 yards with an interception and a touchdown but it was his 29 yards on 12 rushing attempts that were pivotal in their playoff clinching home win.
Southern Illinois 28 UNI 49
The Saluki’s made things interesting thanks to a pair of long Daquan Isom touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. But they never found the end zone again. The Panthers used a 14 play, 89 yard, 7:33 4th Quarter Touchdown drive to seal the deal. Aaron Bailey finished with 5 touchdowns, 131 rushing yards on 21 attempts, and 14 of 20 passing for 181 yards. He set the UNI record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback at 17. He tied and surpassed Tirrell Rennie with 15. Tyvis Smith added 166 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. Daquan Isom finished with 145 yards on 12 carries, 2 touchdowns on the ground and also 68 yards on 8 receptions and another touchdown. Mark Iannotti was 25-40 for 264 yards 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed 15 times for 60 yards. The teams combined for 143 plays, 962 yards, and 77 points. The game only took 3.5 hours after several unnecessary video reviews. Sadly this game was an afterthought after UNI’s basketball team knocked off #1 ranked North Carolina next door in the McLeod Center.
Chad says-
Indiana State – 27 Youngstown State – 24
Another week, another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a Pelini, and another late loss for Youngstown State. Sycamore kicker Eric Heidorn nailed a game winning field goal as time expired to give Indiana State the win on a snow senior day. The Sycamores were without starting quarterback Matt Adam for the final two drives of the game, but back up Isaac Harker lead two consecutive scoring drives that totaled 21 plays, 66 yards and took 7:28 off the clock, each ending with a Heidorn field goal. Watching the game it really felt like the team with the ball last was going to win, even starting in the first quarter because of the conditions, and that’s exactly what happened.
North Dakota State – 55 Missouri State – 0
We’ve beaten on Missouri State enough this year, so rather than sit here and talk about how dominate NDSU was I’m going to point out a positive for Missouri State. Coach Steck had missed the past few games after having emergency eye surgery. It was unclear if he’d coach again this year. Thankfully after missing a couple weeks he was able to get back onto the sideline for this game. Jokes about this being a game he would rather not have seen aside, in a round about way it shows me he has fight in him. It would have been easy for him to take another week to make sure he was fully healed and get ready for the off season. I think it shows a willingness to fight to get back for his players, no matter the odds they are facing. The reality is there is almost no where to go but up for MSU, and while I don’t know if Steck is the right X and O coach, I do think he has the right attitude to start building a foundation in Springfield
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense
RB Marshaun Coprich, Illinois State, 5-9, 205, Sr., Victorville (Calif.) Oak Hills High
Marshaun followed his 254 yards last week wit 251 yards on 30 carries and tied a career-best with four rushing touchdowns. His first score was a 12-yard run midway through the second quarter, and he followed that up with a 45-yard scoring run just before halftime. He added another 12-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and capped off his day with a 74-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
Defense
LB T.J. Lally, South Dakota State, 6-0, 225, Sr., Chicago (Ill.) Marmion Academy
Lally recorded a season-high 17 tackles, including one-half tackle for loss, and added a fumble recovery and two pass breakups for South Dakota State in its 30-24 double-overtime loss. Lally, who started his 52nd consecutive game, registered double figures in tackles for the 12th time in his career.
Special Teams
TB Jody Webb, Youngstown State, 5-9, 180, Jr., Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer High
Webb tied an MVFC record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the snowy contest at Indiana State. Webb returned the opening kickoff 93 yards to give YSU a 7-0 lead 15 seconds into the contest. With 6:22 left in the second quarter, Webb had another 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. His first KO return for six was the first by a Penguin for a touchdown since 2007. Webb also had seven rushing attempts for 57 yards and a score. He accounted for three TDs in the game. Webb finished with 243 all-purpose yards for the contest.
Newcomer
RB Daquan Isom, Southern Illinois, 5-8, 172, Fr., Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips High
Daquan Isom had 275 all-purpose yards on Saturday at UNI and scored three total touchdowns. He had 145 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and 68 yards and another touchdown through the air. He added 62 return yards. Isom scored on back-to-back rushes in the third quarter from 61 and 72 yards out. Isom ends his freshman year ranked eighth nationally in all-purpose yards per game and second among freshmen.
Well, much like the Big Sky has come to a close so does our wekly coverage of the NVFC. This is the final MVFC Review of the season. I would like to personally thank our reporters Chad & JT for their fine work this 2015 football season. It is much appreciated that you guys put forth the effort you do each week for FCS Football in general. A tip of the cap to both of you.
Troy
