MVFC Week 9 Review
Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC Contributors | November 02, 2015
JT Says-
Illinois State – 27, Indiana State -24
Illinois State remains undefeated in Missouri Valley play but one may wonder if they won the game or if it was Indiana State losing the game. The Sycamores led 24-9 after a field with 3:35 left in the third. Redbird all-world running back Michael Coprich scored on a 44 yard touchdown run just over a minute later. A 23 yard field goal in the 4th got the Redbirds within 5 points. Then with just under 3 minutes remaining Tre Roberson scored on a 5 yard touchdown run and Coprich added the 2 point conversion to put Illinois State up by 3. A 4th down attempt came up just a yard short for the Sycamores and the Redbirds survive 27-24. Tre Roberson is mister everything for the Redbirds throwing for 121 yards on 9-19 no touchdowns and a pick but also ran 12 times for 61 yards and 2 scores. Coprich ran for 165 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown. The run game from the Redbirds is the best in the Valley and the Redbirds could run all the way to a National Title.
Northern Iowa – 20, South Dakota – 7
South Dakota scored the first 7 points of the game on a nice long drive where Ryan Seager looked as good as he has the past couple weeks. Then the UNI defense looked as good as they had all season and shut the Coyotes out for the remaining 3 quarters. Shocker of the week, Aaron Bailey was the leading passer not the leading rusher. He put 231 passing yards, completing 16 of 27 attempts and a touchdown. He also ran for 44 yards and an additional score. Savon Huggins led the rushing attack with 66 yards on 9 carries. Sam Kuhter, UNI’s punter, pinned the Coyotes inside the 3 yard line and then their own 1 yard line on consecutive punts in the 4th Quarter. South Dakota managed only 187 yards on 57 plays while the Panthers flipped the script with 78 plays for 394 yards. Bailey will be the man going forward with Sawyer Kollmorgen’s career likely over due to concussions.
South Dakota State – 39, Missouri State -0
Missouri State’s painful rebuilding process continues. 89 passing yards, 122 rushing yards, and they never found the end zone or the uprights. The 39-0 shutout wasn’t even that close. Zach Lujan started the game under center for the Jackrabbits and threw 2 touchdowns on 15-19 passing for 208 yards. Taryn Christion came in mop up duty to go 9 for 11 for 97 yards and a touchdown. Brady Mengerelli led the Jackrabbit ground attack with 142 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. South Dakota State’s defense had an easy day and didn’t even let the Bears get into field goal range. On a positive note, the Bears defense did get 2 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. But…they gave up 439 yards of offense to the Jackrabbits.
Chad says-
Youngstown State – 23, Western Illinois – 21
The Penguins took on the mentality of Bo Pelini, even if only for a game, and used a staunch defensive effort to keep their playoff dreams alive, and put the Leathernecks on the brink of elimination. Youngstown State held the talented skill players from Western Illinois to just 260 total yards of offense and 13 first downs. After WIU took the lead with 5:37 to go in the third, YSU answered with the go ahead, and ultimately game winning field goal. The Penguin defense allowed just 71 yards after the last WIU score, and only 28 in the 4th quarter.
North Dakota State – 35, Southern Illinois – 29
Southern Illinois was so close to making me look smart, but their complete lack of defense ultimately did them in. The Bison racked up 397 rushing yards and held the ball for over 32 minutes, keeping the dangerous Mark Iannotti off the field. The Bison had just one play over 50 yards through the first 7 games, but had 4 of them against the porous Saluki defense. King Frazier busted runs of 41, 50, and 50 yards, and was joined in the long run club by quarterback Easton Stick, who added a 60-yarder of his own. NDSU’s defense held the Salukis to a season low 398 yards of offense, but needed a strong redzone effort to secure the win. The Salukis were forced to field goals on three trips inside the 20. Mark Iannotti still got his yards with 277 passing and 83 on the ground, and had his team in position for the upset. There was just no help from his defense.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offense
RB King Frazier, North Dakota State
Frazier carried the ball 16 times for a career-high 177 yards and a score. He scored on a 50-yard break away on the first play of the fourth quarter and added a 51-yard scamper to set up NDSU’s final score. He also added another long run of 41.
Defense
LB Nick DeLuca, North Dakota State
DeLuca made a career-high 20 tackles including four solo stops in North Dakota State’s 35-29 win at Southern Illinois. He was in on one tackle for loss and had one pass breakup as NDSU’s defense limited the league’s top-rated offense to a season-low 398 yards of total offense and 121 rushing yards.
Special Teams
PK Jay Carlson, South Dakota State
Carlson set a career high with four field goals in South Dakota State’s 39-0 win at Missouri State. Three of Carlson’s field goals were from 40-plus yards – two from 41 yards and a career-long 47-yarder – with his first field goal of the game coming from 34 yards.
Newcomer
LB Lee Wright, Youngstown State
Wright had a career-high 14 tackles, 13 of which were solo stops as the Penguins won at Western Illinois 23-21. He also added a sack for a three-yard loss.
