The FCS Wedge

Another interesting week of MVFC in the books. We had three games that played out pretty much as expected and a couple of upsets…as is pretty much usual around this conference.

The Scores

Indiana State – 24
Southern Illinois – 21

Western Illinois – 31
Missouri State – 14

Illinois State – 14
North Dakota State – 28

South Dakota State – 9
Northern Iowa – 24

South Dakota – 17
Youngstown State – 29

Indiana State at Southern Illinois

The game got started with an 81-yard drive that covered over 6 ½ minutes and ended with a run by SIU QB Matt Desomer 4 yards into the end zone to give the Salukis an early lead. Indiana State responded on the next drive, heading 71 yards down the field and finishing with a 3-yard TD run by ISU RB Ja’Quan Keys, tieing things up. In the 2nd quarter, an attempt by SIU on 4th and 1 at the ISU 15 failed and gave the Sycamores the ball and a long field in which RB Keys could run freely. 10 plays later (6 of which were runs by Keys), they had covered 84 yards and reached the end zone again to take the lead, going into halftime up 14-7,

In the second half, moved 75 yards down the field and had it taken into the end zone by RB Titus McCoy (look…they do have more than 1 RB) on a 7-yard run. A few drives later, SIU blocked a short FG attempt. They weren’t able to do much with it though, as SIU QB Desomer fumbled the ball giving it back to ISU 11 yards from the red zone. ISU got down to the 2, but wasn’t able to punch it in and had to settle for a 20-yard FG to go ahead 24-7. In the 4th quarter, SIU kicker Nico Gualdoni missed a 36 yard FG attempt, but the SIU defense held ISU to a 3-and-out. The Salukis were then able to drive down the field and pull within 10 on a 9-yard TD pass to WR Darrell James. ISU’s 38-yard FG attempt on the next drive was blocked and SIU made things exciting with RB Jonathan Mixon running the final 12 yards for a TD to narrow ISU’s lead to 3 with just over 2 minutes left to play. SIU’s defense held ISU to -5 yards on the next drive and were able to get the ball back with 32 seconds left. They were only able to get as close as midfield and the comeback ran out of time, giving the Sycamores the win, 24-21.

ISU QB Ryan Boyle only had 101 yards passing, 0 TDs and 0 INTs, but also ran for 104 yards, which combined, earned him the MVFC Newcomer of the Week award. RB Ja’Quan Keys ran 33 times for 156 yards and 2 TDs. Keys was the ball carrier for the majority of the offensive plays for the Sycamores, with the rest of the team combined getting 18 rushing attempts and 14 passing attempts (32 plays total, although one was actually a pass to Keys). LB Katrell Moss led the team with 16 tackles (13 solo). Freshman DB Tyreeon Hambright had an INT returned 39 yards in addition to 2 tackles. SIU QB Matt Desomer passed for 165 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT and ran for 135 yards and 1 TD (how often do you see both QBs in a game run for 100+ yards?). RB DJ Davis ran for 126 yards and LB Bryce Notree led the team with 12 tackes (10 solo).

Indiana State is now 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the MVFC and will play at Youngstown State next Saturday. Southern Illinois drops to 1-6 with a 0-4 conference record. They head over to Missouri State next weekend.

Western Illinois at Missouri State

The second drive of the game, WIU started from their own 5 yard line and proceeded to march down the field, taking 19 plays to cover the 95 yards in 9:10 and capped off with a 13 yard pass to WR John Brunner to put WIU up by 7. MSU hit a 27-yard TD pass to TE Jordan Murray, tying things up near the end of the 1st quarter. In the 2nd, MSU got within 5 of the end zone, but QB Peyton Huslig threw a pass right to WIU DB Eric Carrera for an INT in the end zone. WIU got most of the way down the field before a tipped pass was intercepted by MSU LB McNeece Egbim at the WIU 7. The Bears would only go backwards on the next drive and despite WIU getting good field position, PK Sam Crosa missed on 51 yard FG attempt. 3 plays later, MSU threw an INT to DB Justin Fitzpatrick, which WIU was able to convert into a FG, this time from 31 yards to give the Leathernecks the 10-7 lead going into halftime.

In the 2nd half, WIU went for it on 4th and goal from the 3, but were stopped for no gain by MSU LB Angelo Garbutt. On WIU’s next drive, QB Sean McGuire hit RB Clint Ratkovich for a 52-yard TD pass to go up by 10. A little ways into the 4th quarter, WIU RB Steve McShane ran for a 37-yard TD, but on the ensuing kickoff, freshman RB Jeremiah Wilson ran 92 yards back for a TD to again make it a 10-point game. A few drives later, RB Steve McShane turned a shovel pass trying to move the chains on 3rd and 10 into a 71-yard TD…run…er…pass (technically pass, although about 2 yards of it was through the air and it was only 4 feet off the ground). WIU’s defense held MSU the rest of the game to give Western Illinois the 31-14 win.

WIU QB Sean McGuire threw for 305 yards and 1 TD with 1 INT. RB Steve McShane ran for 143 yards and 1 TD, had 4 catches for 95 yards and 1 TD, had a 15 yard punt return, an 18 yard kickoff return, and a partridge in a pear tree…I mean…a MVFC Offensive Player of the Week award. WR John Brunner and RB Clint Ratkovich each had 77 receiving yards and a TD. DE Khalen Saunders led the Leathernecks with 7 tackles (3 solo). DBs Eric Carrera and Justin Fitzpatrick each had INTs and LB Pete Swenson had two solo tackles that were both sacks. MSU QB Peyton Huslig threw for 203 yards and 1 TD with 2 INTs and ran for 9 yards (I mention that because he’s run for 361 yards this year including going 100+ against Oklahoma State). WR Tyler Currie had 5 catches for 63 yards and TE Jordan Murray had 3 for 54 yards and 1 TD. LB Angelo Garbutt had 11 tackles (7 solo) and LB McNeece Egbim had 10 (3 solo) and 1 INT. Punter Brendan Withrow punted 5 times for an average of 46.8 yards per punt and a long of 60 with 3 within the 20 yard line.

Western Illinois is now 3-4 with a 2-2 conference record and heads back home to take on Northern Iowa in a week. Missouri State has a 4-3 record and is also 2-2 in the conference and hopes to take out their frustrations next week on Southern Illinois, again at home in Springfield.

Illinois State at North Dakota State

In the first game back in the Fargodome since late September, NDSU used a 55-yard pass to WR Darrius Shepherd to cover a large chunk of the field and RB Lance Dunn ran the final 4 yards in for a TD. On the Bison’s next drive, QB Easton Stick threw an INT to ISU S Mitchell Brees, but they weren’t able to do anything with it in terms of points. In the 2nd quarter, NDSU WR Dallas Freeman ran for 9 yards into the end zone to cap off a 53 yard drive and take a 14-0 lead. ISU’s next drive was intercepted by Safety Robbie Grimsley at the NDSU 2 and taken out to the 9…and a penalty backed them up to the 5. Really though, that just gave them more room to run, covering 95 yards in 12 plays and finishing with a short TD run by RB Lance Dunn, putting the Bison ahead 21-0 going into halftime.

An ISU 3-and-out started the second half, but after NDSU WR Darrius Shepherd took the punt back 69 yards, NDSU would only need 3 plays for Dunn to get back into the end zone…Bison up 28-0. ISU’s hopes for their first points of the game failed on a 39-yard FG attempt on the next drive, but a bit later, after a 42-yard pass to WR Spencer Schnell and a 24 yard run by RB James Robinson, the Redbirds ended the shutout on an 11-yard TD run by Robinson. Into the 4th quarter, an INT by NDSU CB Marquise Bridges was negated by a holding penalty and on the next play, ISU QB Brady Davis would hit Schnell for a 21-yard TD pass to make it a 2-TD game. With the clock not on their side, Davis would throw an INT on their next drive to CB Jalen Allison, allowing NDSU to pick up a couple of first downs and run out the clock to win the game, 28-14.

ISU QB Brady Davis threw for 206 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. RB James Robinson had 128 yards rushing with 1 TD and WR Spencer Schnell picked up 115 yards on 5 catches with 1 TD. DB Willie Edwards led the Redbirds with 11 tackles (7 solo) and S Mitchell Brees had 7 tackles to go with his INT. ISU Punter JT Bohlken continued his excellent season with a 49.8 yards per punt performance on 5 punts with 2 inside the 20 and 3 for 50+ yards. NDSU QB Easton Stick had 207 yards and 1 INT passing, while also running for 70 yards. RB Lance Dunn had only 61 yards but 3 TDs on the ground. WR Darrius Shepherd had 6 catches for 126 yards, returned 2 punts for 103 total yards, and picked up a MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award. Safety Robbie Grimsley led the Bison with 8 tackles (5 solo), 1 sack, and 1 INT. CB Jalen Allison had 3 solo tackles and the other interception.

Illinois State gets handed their second loss of the season, falling to 5-2 with a 2-2 conference record and will head back home to take on South Dakota State for Family Weekend. North Dakota State remains perfect on the season, sitting at 7-0 with 4 of those in the MVFC. The Bison head down I-29 to take on South Dakota next weekend. I also just realized something (I’m sure it’s old news to Bison fans, but still)…NDSU has a total of 2 games this season outside (@WIU and @MSU) since all their non-conference games were at home and they play road games at UNI and USD (both in domes). If they continue to dominate they way they have been (which seems likely at this point considering their remaining schedule), the only other outside game they would have to play this season would be in Frisco, TX.

South Dakota State at Northern Iowa

On the first drive of the game, the Jackrabbits got themselves close enough for PK Chase Vinatieri to hit a 37-yard FG to nab an early lead. A little while later though, Vinatieri missed a 48-yard attempt to widen it. In the 2nd quarter, UNI used a 38-yard pass to freshman WR Deion McShane to set up 27-yard pass to WR Jalen Rima to move ahead. The rest of the first half was a whole lot of defense with both teams combining for 60 yards and 3 first downs across 7 minutes of game time and 4 drives, so UNI had that 7-3 lead at the break.

In the 3rd quarter a pass by SDSU QB Taryn Christion found its way into the hands of UNI DB Korby Sander. UNI took that INT and turned it into a 6-play, 83-yard drive capped off with a 1-yard TD run by RB Trevor Allen to give the Panthers a 14-3 lead. It wasn’t until early in the 4th that SDSU was able to get 3 more on a 47-yard FG by Vinatieri and then two drives later, 3 more on a 57-yard FG. The 57-yarder tied Vinatieri with 3 other players for the 3rd longest FG in MVFC history and is tied for the longest in school history. UNI PK Austin Errthum hit a 32-yard FG on their next drive to go ahead 17-9 and a few drives later, an interception by UNI DB Xavior Williams was taken 30 yards back for a TD, which gave UNI the 24-9 lead that they’d hold on to until the final horn.

SDSU QB Taryn Christion had 325 passing yards but 0 TDs and 2 INTs. The Jackrabbit ground game struggled, putting up only 51 total rushing yards, and WR Cade Johnson had 7 catches for 121 yards. LB Christian Rozeboom led the team with 9 tackles (3 solo). UNI QB Eli Dunne threw for 172 yards and 1 TD. 67 of those yards went to WR Deion McShane, but 28 and the 1 TD headed the direction of WR Jalen Rima. RB Marcus Weymiller ran for 108 yards. The real star of the night was the UNI defense, with LB Duncan Ferch leading the Panthers with 13 tackles (5 solo) and 3 pass breakups, as well as a MVFC Defensive Player of the Week award. DBs Korby Sander and Xavior Williams each had INTs with Williams returning his for a TD.

South Dakota State is now 4-2 on the season and 2-2 in the conference. They’ll head down to Normal, IL to take on Illinois State next weekend. Northern Iowa moves up to 4-3 with a 3-1 MVFC record and will bus 3 hours down the road to take on Western Illinois in Macomb in a week.

South Dakota at Youngstown State

Three plays into the first drive, South Dakota fumbled the ball away to the Penguins. They’d turn that into a 36 yard drive ending in a Tevin McCaster 7-yard TD run to go up 7-0. USD went 3-and-out and YSU had another solid drive, and another TD by the RB McCaster (this one on a 12-yard pass). After the next 3 drives by USD and YSU went -10 total yards, YSU finally got themselves moving with a 33-yard pass to WR Jeremiah Braswell and QB Montgomery VanGorder ran it the final 2 yards for a TD which put YSU up unexpectedly 19-0 after 1 quarter. In the 2nd, a 27-yard FG gave the Penguins a 22-0 lead that they would head into halftime with.

In the second half, a fumble by YSU gave the Coyotes the ball at YSU’s 14 and one 14-yard TD run by RB Kai Henry later gave USD their first points of the game. South Dakota PK Lorber Mason’s 23-yard FG midway through the quarter made the score 22-10 and a little while later, USD DL Darin Greenfield forced a fumble recovered by LB Alex Gray, but they’d get nowhere with it. In the 4th quarter, Youngstown put in QB Nathan Mays and ate up clock time with 11 straight running plays before Greenfield forced another fumble on the 12th run. Again, USD couldn’t take advantage as a pass by QB Austin Simmons was caught by YSU DB DJ Smalls and taken back 65 yards for a TD, putting the Penguins up 29-10. USD’s next drive ended in a 24-yard TD run by the RB Henry and got the Coyotes within 12, but time would run out for USD and YSU would turn their 1st quarter success into a 29-17 win.

USD QB Austin Simmons threw for 158 yards and 1 INT with 0 TDs. WR Dakarai Allen had 97 receiving yards on 7 catches and RB Kai Henry ran for 79 with 2 TDs. DB Elijah Reed finished at the top of the list with 11 tackles (9 solo) and DL Darin Greenfield had 9 tackles to go along with his 2 forced fumbles (one he recovered), 2 tackles for loss, and 3 QB hurries. YSU QB Montgomery VanGorder threw for 131 yards and 1 TD and ran for 19 and a TD. RB Tevin McCaster ran 36 times for 176 yards and 1 TD and had 1 catch for 12 yards and 1 TD. LB Armand Dellovade had the most tackles for YSU with 7 (3 solo). DT Savon Smith had 6 (5 solo) including 3 tackles for loss (2 sacks). CB Chrispin Lee had a forced fumble recovered by DE Johnson Louigene and CB DJ Smalls had 4 tackles to go along with his 65-yard pick-6.

South Dakota falls to 3-4 and 2-2 in the conference and they head back home to “welcome” North Dakota State to Vermillion (not sure anyone actually welcomes having the Bison on their field). Youngstown State has the same record (3-4, 2-2 in MVFC), but they’ll have a much easier task than USD will next week, hosting Indiana State.

MVFC Standings

Team, Overall (MVFC)
North Dakota State, 7-0 (4-0)
Northern Iowa, 4-3 (3-1)
Illinois State, 5-2 (2-2)
South Dakota State, 4-2 (2-2)
Missouri State, 4-3 (2-2)
South Dakota, 3-4 (2-2)
Western Illinois, 3-4 (2-2)
Youngstown State, 3-4 (2-2)
Indiana State, 3-4 (1-3)
Southern Illinois, 1-6 (0-4)

Also at this point, I would normally start talking about team’s playoff chances, what they need to do to make it to the 7-win point that is usually the “line” for MVFC teams if they want to make the playoffs. That’s not an official line, but for MVFC teams, it’s rare for a 7-4 team to not make it in and it’s rare for a 6-5 team to make it in. I say “usually” because in this case, “Professor Chaos” over at AnyGivenSaturday.com has already written a very well-done breakdown of each team and what they need to do. You can check that out at his post here. The TL:DR version though is essentially, NDSU is in, ILSU has a good chance but needs a couple more wins and SIU is for sure out. Everyone else needs to win at least 3 out of their next 4 to have a shot.

Something interesting is that at this point, we have 6 teams that are 2-2 in the conference. You gotta wonder if this is shaping up to be a season like 2010 where we had 6 out of the 9 teams in the conference finish 4-4. Two teams were at the top of the conference (UNI and WIU) and NDSU made it into the playoffs because they were 7-4 overall including a win over FBS Kansas, but otherwise everyone “cannibalized” each other enough that nobody outside of those three had a strong enough record to make it into the playoffs.

How’d I Do?

SIU @ INSU – I thought SIU would win 33-30. It was INSU 24-21. I was right that the Sycamores would do ok on the ground, and I don’t really know why SIU went with their #2 QB this game, but it looks like it made a difference. Missed on this one.

WIU @ MSU – I thought WIU would win 28-21. It was WIU 31-14. A bit more impressive of a performance offensively than I had expected out of my Leathernecks, but the defense didn’t surprise me considering what they’ve done to running QBs most of this season. I call this a win.

ILSU @ NDSU – I thought NDSU would win 24-14. It was NDSU 28-14. Pretty close, although I thought it’d be close most of the game and the Bison would pull away in the 4th. Instead they pulled away in the first half and held most of the lead to the end. Still, only 4 points off what the actual result was…not bad.

SDSU @ UNI –  I thought SDSU would win 36-33. It was UNI 24-9. REALLY didn’t expect the defensive performance from UNI. Last week after UNI’s win over USD, I wrote “Congrats to the Panther defense for proving me wrong” after I predicted they wouldn’t beat the Coyotes…so…ditto for this week (you can stop that next week though…please).

USD @ YSU – I thought USD would win 29-23. It was YSU 29-17. Only thing I was fairly close on was the final score…although not the teams…yikes.

 

Previously I was 7-3 in my picks. Had a rough 2-3 this week, so I’m 9-6 now…falling into the “thoroughly mediocre” category…like half of the conference it seems like.

 

Next weeks games include SDSU at ILSU, INSU at YSU, UNI at WIU, NDSU at USD, and SIU at MSU.

Are we really to week 8 already? Apparently yes, but it’s crazy how every season seems to just fly by faster than the last one.

All times listed as Central time zone and ranking numbers based on the AGS Poll. Here’s the full list along with starting times and places you can find them on TV/streaming video:

Saturday, October 16th
2:00 PM – Indiana State (2-4, 0-3 MVFC) at Southern Illinois (1-5, 0-3 MVFC), ESPN+
2:00 PM – Western Illinois (2-4, 1-2 MVFC) at Missouri State (4-2, 2-1 MVFC), ESPN+
2:30 PM – #6 Illinois State (5-1, 2-1 MVFC) at #1 North Dakota State (6-0, 3-0 MVFC), ESPN+
4:00 PM – #2 South Dakota State (4-1, 2-1 MVFC) at #23 Northern Iowa (3-3, 2-1 MVFC), ESPN3
5:00 PM – South Dakota (3-3, 2-1 MVFC) at Youngstown State (2-4, 1-2 MVFC), ESPN+

Indiana State at Southern Illinois

Last Year: Southern Illinois beat Indiana State 45-24 at INSU’s Homecoming

Indiana State is 2-4 on the season, having beaten DII Quincy University to open the season and Eastern Illinois. They also gave South Dakota State quite a game two weeks ago, taking the Jackrabbits to OT in Brookings, but then lost their Homecoming game to Missouri State last weekend by 3 points. INSU’s strength is their run game, with RB Ja’Quan Keys leading the conference with 132 yards per game and 11 TDs. Other than that though, there’s not a ton they have going for them. QB Ryan Boyle is averaging only 136 yards per game through the air with 2 TDs and 1 INT and runs for just under 40 ypg with 3 TDs. WR Dante Hendrix gets the majority of catches with 23 total and averages 47 yards per game. LB Jonas Griffith leads the conference in tackles, averaging 12 per game, with LB Katrell Moss #4 in the MVFC with 9.7 tackles per game. PK Jerry Nunez is 7 for 8 on FGs this season, with a long of 48 yards.

Southern Illinois is 1-5, winning their opener against Murray State by 39 points, but not having much success since, losing 5 straight including 1-score games against South Dakota and Youngstown State, before getting blown out by 48 by Illinois State. QB Sam Straub is #3 in the conference throwing for an average of 250 ypg with 9 TDs and 8 INTs and runs for ~30 ypg with 3 TDs. RB DJ Davis gets the ground game going with 104 ypg and 3 TDs and the top receivers are WRs Raphael Leonard (77.8 ypg with 4 TDs) and Landon Lenoir (40.33 ypg with 1 TD). Landon is the younger brother of former WIU standout WR Lance Lenoir. DE Anthony Knighton is tied for #1 in the conference for sacks, averaging .92/game and LB Bryce Notree tops the Salukis in tackles with 46 (34 solo).

The Sycamores and Salukis are both winless in the conference. Technically, that has to change after this game. I feel like Indiana State will get decent yardage on the ground, but SIU will be able to cover more of the field in less time with their passing game. I think we’ll probably see a good amount of offense in this game, fairly high scoring, but Southern Illinois will come out on top by a bit due to home field advantage. SIU wins by a FG, 33-30.

Western Illinois at Missouri State

Last Year: Western Illinois beat Missouri State 49-30 in Macomb, IL

Western Illinois is 2-4, but has played a fairly tough schedule, taking on both Montana FCS schools and Big 10 Illinois as well as both Illinois State and North Dakota State in back-to-back weeks. WIU has a decent passing game, with QB Sean McGuire throwing for 258.8 ypg with 14 TDs. He has, however, been prone to mistakes (generally in “come from behind” situations), throwing 9 INTs. WRs John Brunner and Isaiah Lesure are #7 and 8 in the conference averaging right around 62 ypg and 2 TDs each. The ground game, however, has been practically nonexistent, with the Leathernecks last in the conference averaging 80 ypg on the ground with 3 TDs. RB Steve McShane is the top runner with 47 ypg and 2 TDs, but with nearly 34 ypg and 4 TDs receiving, he’s just as much of a threat as a receiver as he is at running the ball. The WIU defense has really stepped up lately, giving up the 3rd fewest yards in the MVFC and has the #2 pass defense. LB Quentin Moon is #2 in the conference with 11 tackles per game and has the most solo tackles with 43 total. LB Pete Swenson and DE Khalen Saunders are #1 and 2 in the conference in tackles for loss averaging 2 and 1.58 per game respectively.

Missouri State is having an impressive season (as compared to most years recently) at 4-2, with a crushing of Northern Arizona by 32 and blocking a last-second FG to beat Illinois State by 3 as their “highlights” so far. Overall, they have a good offensive line, allowing the fewest sacks of any MVFC team (averaging 1 per game allowed). QB Peyton Huslig will be a handful to deal with, accounting for 260.8 average yards per game of total offense (rushing and passing), which is 3rd in the MVFC. His 352 rushing yards makes him the #1 rushing QB in the conference, more than 150 yards ahead of #2 (INSU’s Ryan Boyle) and he has 5 TDs rushing. RB Jason Randall is the other main ground threat with just under 60 yards per game and 5 TDs. In the passing game, Huslig throws for just over 200 ypg with 7 TDs and 7 INTs (he’s the only QB in the conference who doesn’t have more TDs thrown than INTs). There’s no real primary receiver, although WR Lorenzo Thomas has gotten the most catches, but 4 players average between 31 and 43 ypg, 5 receivers have at least 1 receiving TD, but nobody has more than 2. On defense, MSU is ranked last in the MVFC in passing defense and 2nd to last in rushing defense. That isn’t to say that they don’t have a few solid players. LB Angelo Garbutt leads the team with 56 tackles (30 solo), which is 5th in the MVFC. DE Matt McClellan is #3 in the conference in tackles for loss with 8 for 38 yards in 6 games, and is #2 in sacks with 5.5.

So, MSU has a pretty decent offense and WIU has a pretty decent defense. Specifically though, WIU has been really good at getting pressure on QBs (4 sacks against NDSU’s Easton Stick, for example). I think that’ll help limit the damage that Huslig will be able to inflict and WIU will come away with a 7-point win, 28-21.

Illinois State at North Dakota State

Last Year: North Dakota State beat Illinois State 20-7 in Normal, IL

Illinois State is an impressive 5-1 with big wins over FBS Colorado State, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, and Southern Illinois (so…I guess they win the “Lincoln Cup” this year?…it’s not a thing, but it should be). The Redbirds have the top defense in the MVFC, holding teams to 12 points and 275 total yards per game. LB Zackary Mathews tops the team and is #4 in the MVFC in tackles, with 54 (29 solo). DB Luther Kirk is tied for the top spot in the conference for interceptions with 3 so far (and 1 TD), and DE Romeo McKnight has 25 tackles, but leads the team in both tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (3). The offensive run game is no slouch either, with RB James Robinson sitting at #2 in the conference with 130.5 ypg and 9 TDs and was just recently added to the Payton Award watch list. RB Markel Smith also does a solid job, with 73.8 ypg and 3 TDs. In conference rushing rankings, ILSU actually has 2 players that get more yardage than the #1 rusher on 4 other MVFC teams (MSU, UNI, USD, and WIU). QB Brady Davis seems to be settling into his role better only averaging 152 ypg on the season, but putting up an impressive 4 TD performance last week. He has 14 total TDs and 1 INT in the season. WR Spencer Schnell is the primary recipient of most of Davis’s passes, with 33 catches for a 78.7 ypg average (3rd in the MVFC) and 5 TDs. Punter JT Bohlken is having a great season, averaging 44.4 yards on 31 punts with 14 of them of 50+ yards and 14 within the 20 yard line. 44.4 yards per punt would be the 7th best punting season in MVFC history.

North Dakota State, meanwhile, is a perfect 6-0 on the season, decimating OOC opponents by an average of 35 points, winning a close one against highly-ranked rival South Dakota State, then pulling ahead late in the game for dominating wins over UNI and WIU the last two weeks…both on the road. On the ground, the Bison are #1 in the conference on both sides of the ball, putting up 265.7 ypg while holding opponents to only 84.8 per game rushing (including holding WIU to a total of 9 rushing yards last weekend). RB Bruce Anderson is the #5 rusher in the conference, with 87 ypg and 3 TDs, with RB Lance Dunn also in the top 10 (#9) picking up 63.5 ypg and 5 TDs. QB Easton Stick is not a huge passing threat generally, putting up only 162 ypg with 10 TDs, but he’s only thrown 1 INT, so he’s efficient. WR Darrius Shepherd gets most of the catches, with 22 for 64.3 ypg and 5 TDs. Defense is where NDSU really shines though, with LB Jabril Cox tied for #1 in the conference with 3 INTs (and has taken 2 back for TDs). Safety Robbie Grimsley leads the team in tackles with 41 and an INT, and LB Dan Marlette comes in second with 36 tackles, 5 for loss, and has a fumble recovery for TD. Safety James Hendricks has 20 tackles, but also 2 INTs and a fumble recovery, 4 pass breakups and 6 passes defended.

This is probably the best Illinois State team I’ve seen since 2014 (when they made it to the championship game), and the Spack ‘stache has been unleashed, but this is also probably the best NDSU team I’ve seen since 2013 (when they went undefeated all the way through the championship game). ISU is going to put up a fight, and is probably going to make it hard for NDSU to get much yardage through the air, but ultimately I think the NDSU “ground and pound” game will wear down ISU’s defense a bit too much and the Bison will pull away in the 4th quarter for a 10-point win…24-14.

South Dakota State at Northern Iowa

Last Year: Northern Iowa beat South Dakota State 38-18 in Brookings (Hobo Day/Homecoming), then SDSU beat UNI 37-22 in Brookings in the 2nd round of the FCS playoffs.

South Dakota State is 4-1, having had their first game cancelled due to weather, destroying the rest of their OOC opponents, losing a close one at North Dakota State, struggling against Indiana State until finally winning in OT, and then getting back on track with a big win over Youngstown State last weekend. The Jackrabbits currently lead the MVFC in points per game (although that’s heavily impacted by putting up 90 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff). Without that game though, they’d be tied for #2. Their top RB, Isaac Wallace, put up 82.6 ypg, but went down during the YSU game with what appears to be a (possibly career-ending) hip injury. They do have a few other RBs that are pretty solid though, with guys like CJ. Wilson getting 54 ypg with 1 TD and Mikey Daniel with just under 38 ypg and 4 TDs. QB Taryn Christion averages 232 ypg through the air with 16 TDs (#1 in the MVFC) and only 1 INT, and has the top QB efficiency rating and completion % in the conference. He also accounts for nearly 26 ypg and 3 TDs rushing. WR Cade Johnson is the top WR in the conference, averaging 86.8 ypg with 8 TDs (3 more than the #2 guy), and WR Adam Anderson is close behind with 77.4 ypg and 3 TDs. On defense, CB Zy Mosley is one of only 3 players in the conference with 3 INTs so far (and has only played in 4 games…the other two have played in 6, so his per game average is better). LB Dalton Cox leads the team with 30 tackles (18 solo) and has a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Northern Iowa had a rough start, losing at Montana and Iowa before heading home to decimate Hampton. In the MVFC, they shut out Indiana State, played well against NDSU until the 4th quarter and pretty much beat South Dakota the same way, pulling away in the final quarter to move to 3-3 on the season. UNI’s run defense is in the top half of the conference, as is their passing offense. QB Eli Dunne throws for 208 ypg with 12 TDs and 2 INTs and has run for 1 TD. He’s not a huge running threat though, with negative net yards this season. RBs Trevor Allen (66.2 ypg, 3 TDs) and Marcus Weymiller (50.2 ypg and 3 TDs) are the guys who get things done in the run game, while most of the passes are going to WRs Briley Moore (52.8 ypg and 3 TDs) and true freshman Deion McShane (18.3 ypg and 2 TDs). The previously mentioned RB Allen also gets in on the receiving game, catching 19 passes for just over 32 ypg. The other side of the ball has the #3 tackler in the MVFC, LB Chris Kolarevic with 65 (25 solo), 4 for loss, and 1 INT. LB Rickey Neal Jr. continues to do well after leading the MVFC in sacks last year, with 4.5 so far this season to go along with 25 tackles, 5 QB hurries and 2 pass breakups. DB Xavior Williams handles kick return duties and is #2 in the conference averaging 24 yards per return.

The Jackrabbits and Panthers are two of the better teams in the conference. On paper, I think SDSU is the better team overall. The loss of the RB Wallace hurts, but they don’t rely on the run game as much as they do the passing game, plus they have pretty good depth in that position. Last year, UNI spoiled SDSU’s Hobo Day (Homecoming) game…this year, I think SDSU will return the favor at UNI’s Homecoming…although it’ll be close. Probably 36-33 to the Jackrabbits.

South Dakota at Youngstown State

Last Year: South Dakota beat Youngstown State 32-28 in Vermillion, SD

USD is 3-3 so far, losing a close one to K-State to open the season, then beating Northern Colorado and losing at Weber State. In the conference they beat SIU, MSU, and then lost last week to UNI. South Dakota’s passing offense is the most productive in the conference by quite a bit, averaging just over 320 yards per game (43 ypg higher than #2). QB Austin Simmons is the one doing the tossing for all those yards, with 12 TDs and 4 INTs. Simmons also has run for 2 TDs. WRs Dakarai Allen (81.7 ypg with 4 TDs) and Levi Falck (55.3 ypg and 1 TD) are the ones doing most of the catching. RB Ben Klett picks up the most ground yards with 41.2 ypg and 3 TDs. The Coyotes defense, however, is 8th in the conference in yards per game allowed and a little better against the run than they are against the passing game. The Gray twins, DB Andrew and LB Alex lead the team with 53 and 48 tackles respectively. Andrew has 2 INTs and 2 forced fumbles and was just recently named to the Buchanan Award watch list. Alex has 31 solo tackles, which leads the team, 5.5 tackles for loss including 2 sacks, 1 int and 1 fumble recovery. DB Mark Collins Jr. is a sophomore who is currently leading the conference in passes defended with 11 breakups and 1 INT while only playing in 5 games. Punter Brady Schutt currently has a 43.1 yards per punt average (#2 in the conference) with 5 inside the 20.

Youngstown State is 2-4 overall, losing their first two games against Butler and at West Virginia. They won their first game against Valparaiso, then in the MVFC, they lost at WIU, beat SIU in a 3-point game, and were blown out by SDSU by 29 points last weekend. QB Montgomery VanGorder puts up 226 ypg with 11 TDs and 7 INTs and he runs for just under 26 ypg. Their primary offensive weapon is RB Tevin McCaster who is averaging just under 100 ypg (4th in the conference) with 6 TDs. WR Zach Farrar has 20 catches with a 51.2 ypg average and 1 TD. The Penguin kicking game has struggled this year (can penguins kick?…apparently not), with punter Mark Schuler only averaging 37.5 yards per punt (9th in the MVFC) and PK Zak Kennedy last in the conference (among actual starting FG kickers) going 5 for 12 (a 41.7% average). On the defense, LB Armand Dellovade leads YSU with 50 tackles (31 solo) including 1 sack, and 1 INT. DE Shereif Bynum is tied with a few players for 4th in the conference with 7.5 tackles for loss including 4 sacks and 8 QB hurries, and CB Bryce Gibson has 7 pass breakups (2nd most in the MVFC) to go along with 27 tackles and a forced fumble.

South Dakota isn’t really a “powerhouse”, but they do have a lot of good things going for them right now. YSU on the other hand, has really been struggling this year as compared to the last few years and looking at their remaining schedule, they could very well end up with only one more win this season…and I don’t think it’ll be this game. I think the Coyotes take this game by about 6 (possibly by two missed YSU FGs)…29-23.

Apologies in advance, but this review is going to be a bit shorter than my usual ones. Apparently sitting outside at Hanson Field watching football for 3 hours in 45-degree weather is not conducive to great health, so I’ll just do a quick hit of the highlights.

The Scores

Missouri State – 29
Indiana State – 26

Southern Illinois – 3
Illinois State – 51

Youngstown State – 7
South Dakota State – 36

North Dakota State – 34
Western Illinois – 7

Northern Iowa – 42
South Dakota – 28

Missouri State at Indiana State

Missouri State pulled ahead early in this game with 3 TDs in the first half, two on runs by MSU RB Donovan Daniels. INSU RB Ja’Quan Keys helped keep the Sycamores in this game though, with a couple of rushing TDs in the second half (to go along with 1 in the first). A FG by INSU PK Jerry Nunez gave Indiana State a 5 point lead, but on essentially the final drive of the game, MSU took advantage of an ISU holding penalty to convert on 4th and 5 and extend the drive. Then, with 16 seconds left in the game, on 4th and goal, MSU QB Peyton Huslig hit WR Lorenzo Thomas on a 4-yard TD pass. The Bears would go for 2, fail on a pass attempt, but were given a second chance to try after a pass interference penalty on the Sycamores. They’d get the extra 2 on a run by RB Jeremiah Wilson to give Missouri State the 3-point win.

MSU QB Peyton Huslig had 169 yards and 1 TD passing and 34 yards rushing. RB Donovan Daniels had 62 rushing yards including 2 TDs. LB Angelo Garbutt and S Titus Wall each had 11 tackles in the game, with Garbutt also getting 1 sack. INSU RB Ja’Quan Keys had a great performance, running for 141 yards and 3 TDs. LB Jonas Griffith finished the game with 17 tackles (6 solo) and Punter Travis Reiner averaged 50 yards per punt on 3 punts.

Missouri State is now 4-2 overall…the first time the Bears have had a 4-2 record since October 2007 and are 2-1 in the MVFC. They welcome Western Illinois to Springfield, MO next weekend. Indiana State is 2-4 with an 0-3 MVFC record. They’ll head over to Carbondale, IL to play Southern Illinois.

Southern Illinois at Illinois State

I knew Illinois State’s defense was good, but this was even more of an impressive performance than I expected. SIU was held scoreless in the first half, while ISU put up 4 TDs and a FG (mostly in the 2nd quarter) to take a 31-0 halftime lead. Outside of a 26-yard SIU FG, it was more of the same in the second half, with the Redbirds continuing to pull ahead en route to a 51-3 victory.

The points were pretty well spread around the offense for ILSU, with QB Brady Davis throwing 4 TD passes to 4 different receivers: WRs Andrew Edgar, Spencer Schnell, and Braxton Haley, and TE Robert Gillum. Davis was awarded the MVFC Newcomer of the Week award for his 4-TD performance. The other 3 TDs were by 3 different runners: RB James Robinson with 202 yards and 1 TD rushing, RB Markel Smith with 143 yards and 1 TD, and backup QB Jake Kolbe with 1 attempt…1 yard for 1 TD. LB Zackary Mathews led the team with 8 tackles (3 solo). SIU’s best performance came from WR Raphael Leonard with 81 receiving yards on 7 catches and LB Bryce Notree led the Salukis with 10 tackles (3 solo).

Southern Illinois drops to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the conference. They welcome the Indiana State Sycamores to town next weekend. Illinois State is now 5-1 with a 2-1 conference record, but will have a tough run the next few weeks, heading up to Fargo to take on North Dakota State next weekend before playing South Dakota State and UNI in back-to-back weekends. With the current state of things, it looks like ISU at NDSU and then SDSU at ISU the next weekend will likely decide who’s going to be the conference champion this year.

Youngstown State at South Dakota State

The Penguins kept things close for a while, putting up a TD in the first quarter against the Jackrabbits TD (XP missed) and FG, only down by 2. Unfortunately for YSU, it would be their only points of the game. Meanwhile SDSU picked up a few more to take a 16-7 lead into halftime, and then pull ahead for good on 3 TD runs including a long 49-yarder by QB Taryn Christion and finish with 36-7 win.

YSU QB Montgomery VanGorder threw for 202 yards and 1 TD, but also had 2 INTs. The lone TD to TB Christian Turner. RB Tevin McCaster was held to 60 yards on 22 attempts and LB Armand Dellovade led the Penguins with 7 tackles. SDSU QB Taryn Christion only threw for 78 yards and 1 TD, but also ran for 89 yards and 2 TDs. RB C.J. Wilson ran for 119 yards and 1 TD after RB Isaac Wallace went out with an injury. I have not heard for sure, but unfortunately for the Senior RB, it looks like he might be done for the season, and barring a possible medical redshirt, possibly even his football career. WR Cade Johnson picked up a receiving TD on his only catch of the game (for 23 yards). LB Christian Rozeboom and CB Zy Mosley each had INTs while DE Ryan Earith and LB Seven Wilson led the team with 7 tackles each (4 solo for both) and Earith had a sack. SDSU Punter Brady Hale won the MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week award after kicking 7 punts averaging 42.6 yards per, including a 57-yarder and dropping 2 within the 20 yard line.

Youngstown State drops to 2-4 with a 1-2 MVFC record and heads back home to play the other DI South Dakota team…the Coyotes. SDSU is sitting at 4-1 overall with a 2-1 conference record and heads down to Cedar Falls to take on Northern Iowa.

North Dakota State at Western Illinois

(AKA the reason I now have a cold)

Outside of a couple of drives, this game was pretty much all about the Bison defense. Early in the 2nd quarter, WIU had their only lead of the game after a 5 yard TD pass to WR Isaiah Lesure gave the Leathernecks a 7-3 advantage. From then on though, NDSU was able to surge ahead, putting together a drive with a few long runs by RBs Bruce Anderson and Lance Dunn and QB Easton Stick and then later in the quarter, a fumble by WIU was picked up by LB Dan Marlette and returned 38 yards to the end zone. In the second half, NDSU held WIU scoreless and put up 3 more TDs of their own to win by a final of 34-7.

NDSU QB Easton Stick threw for 123 yards and 1 TD and ran for a net of 2 (after getting sacked 4 times by the WIU defense). RBs Lance Dunn and Ty Brooks each ran for 1 TD, with Dunn leading the team with 64 rushing yards. WR Darrius Shepherd had 5 catches for 67 yards and 1 TD. CB Marquise Bridges forced the fumble that was returned for TD by the previously-mentioned LB Marlette. LB Jabril Cox and S Michael Tutsie each had INTs, while FS James Hendricks had 2 INTs and 3 tackles to earn the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week award. WIU QB Sean McGuire threw for 209 yards and 1 TD, but also had 3 INTs (the 4th INT coming off of backup QB Connor Sampson). WR Isaiah Lesure had a career day catching 12 passes for 170 yards and the lone TD. The WIU ground game woes continued, as the Leathernecks only totaled 9 yards rushing in the game. LB Quentin Moon and D-lineman Khalen Saunders led WIU with 11 tackles each. Saunders also had 2 sacks and a forced fumble (recovered by NDSU).

As a Leatherneck fan, I feel like I do need to point out that all 4 of the interceptions came on the last 4 WIU drives late in the 3rd and in the 4th quarters once NDSU was up by a few and they were trying to force some big plays to get WIU back into the game. The Leatherneck defense performed very well for the most part, although there’s only so much you can do when you give the defending national champions 5 turnovers and usually pretty good field position.

Anyway, NDSU is now a perfect 6-0 and 3-0 in the conference and welcome Illinois State to the Fargodome next weekend. WIU falls to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the MVFC, although thankfully (for me), the last 5 games are potentially winnable if we’re able to get our offense moving a bit better. They head down to Missouri State next weekend.

Northern Iowa at South Dakota

The first half was a very back-and-forth game, with 4 lead changes and going into halftime with the Panthers up 21-13. Late in the 3rd, a long drive for the Coyotes would tie things up at 21, but UNI would respond with a quick 5-play drive to retake the lead on a 21-yard TD pass. They’d then pull further ahead after an INT gave UNI good field position, on one 25-yard TD pass. On the next play from scrimmage for USD, a fumble recovered in the end zone by UNI put them ahead by 21. The Panther defense gave up one more TD, but held South Dakota the rest of the game to win 42-28.

UNI QB Eli Dunne threw for 257 yards with 4 TDs, ran for 7 yards and 1 TD, and won the MVFC Offensive Player of the Week award. The yards and TDs were fairly evenly spread out, with 7 receivers catching at least 3 passes for 20+ yards but nobody having more than 41 yards. TD catches were by WRs Nick Fossey and Jaylin James, RB Marcus Weymiller, and TE Briley Moore. LB Chris Kolarevic continued his excellent first season on the field with 11 tackles (8 solo), DB Xavior Williams had the INT and DB Zac Kibby, DL Elerson Smith, and LB Rickey Neal each forced fumbles, 2 of which were recovered by UNI. USD QB Austin Simmons threw for 325 yards and 2 TDs, but also had 1 INT and a fumble that turned the ball over. RB Brandon Thull ran for 37 yards and 1 TD. WR Dakarai Allen had 6 catches for 98 yards and 1 TD, and RB Kai Henry had the other TD catch. DB Andrew Gray led the Coyotes with 13 tackles (9 solo) and DL Kameron Cline had 4 tackles, 4 for loss (1 sack) and a forced fumble. Punter Brady Schutt had 3 kicks for 50.7 yards per punt average.

UNI finds themselves at 3-3 with a 2-1 conference record and welcomes South Dakota State to the UNIDome next weekend. South Dakota is also 3-3 with a 2-1 MVFC record and heads over to Ohio to take on Youngstown State.

MVFC Standings

Team, Overall (MVFC)
North Dakota State, 6-0 (3-0)
Northern Iowa, 3-3 (2-1)
South Dakota, 3-3 (2-1)
Missouri State, 4-2 (2-1)
Illinois State, 5-1 (2-1)
South Dakota State, 4-1 (2-1)
Western Illinois, 2-4 (1-2)
Youngstown State, 2-4 (1-2)
Indiana State, 2-4 (0-3)
Southern Illinois, 1-5 (0-3)

How’d I Do?

MSU @ INSU – I thought Bears 38-32. It was Bears 29-26. I overestimated the offenses a bit, but fairly close in terms of the spread.

SIU @ ILSU – I thought Redbirds 37-14. It was Redbirds 51-3. Overestimating SIU’s offense in this case. I knew ISU’s defense was good having seen them live the weekend before. I figured it’d be a pretty solid win though.

YSU @ SDSU – I thought Jackrabbits 47-18. It was Jackrabbits 36-7. Again with the overestimating offenses apparently. Dead-on with the spread though (29 points). Big time rebound for the Bunnies.

NDSU @ WIU – I thought Bison 28-16. It was Bison 34-7. Turnovers…sure…5 turnovers…that I didn’t really expect. I figured WIU’s defense would do ok, and they did, but was hoping our offense would be able to do a little more. It wasn’t a complete blowout, so I’ll call it a “win” in terms of my prediction.

UNI @ USD – I thought Coyotes in a close one, 31-30. It was Panthers in a less-than-close one, 42-28. It was pretty close for a good part of the game, until a couple of turnovers really pushed this one UNI’s way. Congrats to the Panther defense for proving me wrong.

Previously I was 7-3 in my picks. Add in 4-1 this week and I’m at 11-4 overall.

Up next week is the “who wants it least” game with Indiana State at Southern Illinois, Western Illinois hoping to rebound at Missouri State, “Top o’ the conference to ya” matchup with Illinois State at North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Northern Iowa coming off of big wins going head-to-head at the UNIDome, and South Dakota taking the long flight out to nearly Pennsylvania to take on Youngstown State.

On to week 7 of the regular season. NDSU is still good…Missouri State is decent…Indiana State has…an offense?…really?…they haven’t had one of those in like, nearly a decade….crazy.
All times listed as Central time zone and ranking numbers based on the AGS Poll. Here’s the full list along with starting times and places you can find them on TV/streaming video:

Saturday, October 16th
1:00 PM – ORV Missouri State (3-2, 1-1 MVFC) at Indiana State (2-3, 0-2 MVFC), ESPN+
2:00 PM – Southern Illinois (1-4, 0-2 MVFC) at #10 Illinois State (4-1, 1-1 MVFC), ESPN3
2:00 PM – Youngstown State (2-3, 1-1 MVFC) at #4 South Dakota State (3-1, 1-1 MVFC), ESPN+
6:00 PM – #1 North Dakota State (5-0, 2-0 MVFC) at ORV Western Illinois (2-3, 1-1 MVFC), ESPN+
6:00 PM – ORV Northern Iowa (2-3, 1-1 MVFC) at #20 South Dakota (3-2, 2-0 MVFC), ESPN+

Missouri State at Indiana State – 1 PM on ESPN+

Last Year: Missouri State won 59-20 in Springfield, MO

So, at the beginning of the season, most people probably had this game circled on their calendar as the one that would really decide…once and for…well…this season at least…who would finish last place in the conference. Since then though, MSU has huge wins against currently #10 Illinois State, Northern Arizona, and a very strong performance against #20 South Dakota. Indiana State doesn’t have quite as many successes, but they have won 2 (that’s two more than last year) and put up 51 points last weekend taking current #4 South Dakota State to OT in Brookings. So, while it doesn’t appear that either team are “world beaters” at this point, both have, for the most part, been outperforming expectations at this point and it’s entirely possible when it all shakes out at the end of the season, that neither team is at the bottom of the conference and that MSU could conceivably have a winning record.

Missouri State QB Peyton Huslig leads the team in both passing (208.8/game with 6 TDs and 7 INTs) and rushing (63.6/game with 5 TDs). RB Jason Randall is averaging just under 60 ypg on the ground with 5 TDs as well. The Bears top receiver in yardage is WR Damoriea Vick with 46.2/game although he doesn’t have any receiving TDs. WRs Tyler Currie and Antwan Woods and TE Jordan Murray all have 2 receiving TDs each. Placekicker Parker Lacina is a perfect 5 for 5 on FGs for the season including kicks from 40 and 42 yards out and is 20 for 21 on XPs. LB McNeece Egbim leads the team in tackles with 42 (26 solo) and has 2 sacks. DE Matt McClellan is tied with two NDSU players for the most sacks in the conference so far with 4.5 through 5 games.

Indiana State QB Ryan Boyle has been throwing for 155 ypg with 2 TDs and 1 INT, but the player with the most impact on the Sycamores offense is RB Ja’Quan Keys who is currently leading the conference with 130.2 rushing ypg and has 8 TDs. No player has over 50 receiving yards per game, although WRs Dante Hendrix and Rontrez Morgan are just under that with Morgan having both of the receiving TDs thrown this year. LB Jonas Griffith has 54 tackles (30 solo) and an INT, and DB Jamal Jones has 38, with 27 of those being solo tackles as well as a fumble recovery. Griffith is currently 2nd in the MVFC in tackles per game

Both teams seem to be improved over the last few years and both teams have shown that they can, at times, put up some pretty big numbers offensively. Even though the game is at ISU and it’s their Homecoming, I feel like Missouri State is currently a bit ahead of Indiana State in their “improvement”. I think the Bears pull out a fairly high-scoring win (not like last week’s INSU@SDSU game level of “high scoring” though)…around 38-32.

Southern Illinois at #10 Illinois State – 2 PM on ESPN3

Last Year: SIU beat ILSU 42-7 in Carbondale

Unlike the previous two teams, Southern Illinois looked like they weren’t going to be too bad this year, but outside of an early win over Murray State, they haven’t quite been able to put together a win, losing 1-score games to South Dakota and Youngstown State in back-to-back weeks. Illinois State, meanwhile, has an impressive record with wins over FBS Colorado State and then last week against Western Illinois and with an odd loss at Missouri State being the only blemish.

Southern Illinois QB Sam Straub has been throwing for 286 ypg and has 9 TDs along with 8 INTs. Straub also runs for ~25 ypg and has 2 rushing TDs, but RB DJ Davis is the one getting most of the ground yardage with 120/game (good for #2 in the MVFC currently) and 3 TDs. WR Raphael Leonard gets 77 ypg and 4 receiving TDs so far, while TE Nigel Kilby may only have 34 ypg but also has 4 receiving TDs. Defensively, DE Bryce Notree leads the Salukis with 36 tackles (26 solo), 2 sacks and 1 INT. DE Anthony Knighton leads the team with 3.5 sacks. Both of those defensive players are Sophomores…in fact, none of the top 11 tacklers on SIU’s defense are Seniors, so that may be something to watch for next year with a more experienced defense on the field.

Illinois State QB Brady Davis averages 211 ypg with 10 TDs through the air and has 0 INTs so far this season (although a couple of passes in last week’s game should have been INTs if the WIU defenders didn’t have the nasty habit of dropping balls when they’re thrown directly at them….but I digress), and Davis has 1 rushing TD. The key to the Redbirds offense is RB James Robinson who has 116 ypg and 8 TDs. RB Markel Smith does pretty well too with 60 ypg and 2 TDs so far. The top receiver is WR Spencer Schnell, who has hauled in 30 catches for 86.4 ypg and 4 TDs. LB Zackary Mathews has 46 tackles so far (26 solo) and 1 sack, and DB Luther Kirk has 3 INTs returned a total of 51 yards including 1 for TD last week to go along with 23 tackles. Punter JT Bohlken currently leads the conference with a 45.1 yard per punt average with 13 inside the 20 and 13 of 50+ yards (out of 28 total punts). There’s still a lot of season to go, but that punting average is currently the 6th best in MVFC history.

Despite having some definite issues (lack of a good passing game being the big one), Illinois State is playing some good football right now…Southern Illinois on the other hand, has been struggling. This game is at ISU; at Homecoming; and while maybe not quite as big of a football rivalry as they have with WIU, ISU and SIU have played 81 times going back to 1929 and also play in the same conference for all sports (so that adds some depth to the rivalry); plus they’re going to want some revenge against an SIU team that unexpectedly crushed them last year. I personally feel like ISU is going to put together a really good game this weekend and roll against the Salukis…37-14.

Youngstown State at #4 South Dakota State – 2 PM on ESPN+

Last Year: Youngstown State beat South Dakota State 19-7 in Youngstown, OH

The Penguins were able to pull off a win last week at home against SIU on a FG in the final 30 seconds of the game, however it’s been a rough season so far for YSU, having lost to Non-Scholarship Butler to start the season and losing to WIU two weeks ago. South Dakota State meanwhile were on the verge of losing back-to-back games for the first time since 2015, requiring an overtime period to defeat Indiana State after losing a close game at rival NDSU the previous week.

YSU QB Montgomery VanGorder has been passing for 229 ypg this season with 10 TDs and 5 INTs as well as running for just over 25 ypg. The receiving TDs get spread around pretty well, with WRs Zach Farrar, Samuel St. Surin, Darius Shackleford, Natavious Payne, Jermiah Braswell and TB London Pearson having 1 receiving TD each, while WR Kendric Mallory and TE Miles Joiner each have 2. RB Tevin McCaster is the big threat on offense though, with a 107 ypg average and 6 TDs rushing. LB Armand Dellovade has 43 tackles (26 solo) with 1 sack and 1 INT. DE Shereif Bynum is doing well, with 22 tackles, but 8 of them for loss (2nd in the MVFC) including 4 sacks and 7 QB hurries.

SDSU QB Taryn Christion is having a great year, ranking 3rd in the MVFC for yards per game (270.5), 1st in passing TDs (15), and is 35 points ahead of the #2 QB (NDSU’s Easton Stick) in QB Efficiency. His top receivers are WRs Cade Johnson (102.8 ypg and 7 TDs) and Adam Anderson (93.2 ypg and 3 TDs and are currently the two top receivers in the MVFC in yards per game. RB Isaac Wallace has been getting it done on the ground, averaging over 103 ypg with 4 TDs so far, including the game-winner last week in OT. LB Dalton Cox leads the Jackrabbits in tackles with 24 (14 solo) and LB Christian Rozeboom appears to have taken a step back from his impressive performances of the last two years with 23 tackles currently.

Last week, I predicted a big win for SDSU over Indiana State…I, and probably most people, were very surprised at how that one played out. This week, SDSU is going to want to prove that last week was a fluke…playing at home, at Hobo Day (Homecoming), against one of only 3 teams to beat them last year (so they’ll want revenge). Youngstown State has, so far, shown very little to indicate that they can compete with the top teams of the conference, and I don’t think they’ll fare very well in Brookings. I think SDSU will struggle a little at stopping YSU’s McCaster, but YSU will struggle a lot at stopping all aspects of the Jackrabbit offense….47-18 South Dakota State wins.

#1 North Dakota State at Western Illinois – 6 PM on ESPN+

Last Year: NDSU won 24-12 in Fargo

Alright…time for my Leathernecks. After a tough loss at in-state rival Illinois State last weekend that was a close game up until the last few minutes, WIU is looking at a 2-3 record and likely can only lose one more game if they want a shot at the playoffs. Thankfully we return home this week to play…um…#&%*. The NDSU Bison are, as I’m sure everyone is aware, the defending national champions, are the unanimous #1 team in the FCS, and have won their 5 games this season by an average of nearly 27 points.

Anyway, here’s the stats…

NDSU QB Easton Stick is having a great year. He’s only thrown for 170 ypg and 9 TDs, but only has 1 INT and also runs for an average of nearly 39 ypg and 7 TDs. He’s 9th in the conference in yardage, but 2nd in the conference in efficiency. That’s in large part, due to RBs Bruce Anderson (98.4 ypg and 3 TDs) and Lance Dunn (63.4 ypg and 4 TDs). Their stats may not look huge, but that’s mostly because the Bison have been so far ahead in many games that they’ve been able to take the starters out early relatively often. WR Darrius Shepherd is the top receiving threat when Stick does throw the ball, with 17 catches for 63.8 ypg and 4 TDs. The other big thing NDSU has going for them is their defense…#1 in the conference in points allowed, yards allowed…by ground, air, and combined, and sacks. Oh, and they’re also the least penalized team in the MVFC as well. Safety Robbie Grimsley leads the team with 38 tackles (20 solo) and 1 INT. LBs Dan Marlette (32 tackles, 5 for loss) and Jabril Cox (31 tackles, 3 for loss, 2 INTs returned for TDs) are absolute beasts, and D-linemen Cole Karcz and Greg Menard each have 4.5 sacks.

WIU QB Sean McGuire hasn’t been doing too badly either, throwing for nearly 269 ypg and 13 TDs and as of last weekend, is now WIU’s all-time leader in career TDs and passing yards. He does tend to force things a bit and occasionally make bad decisions, as evidenced by the 6 INTs he’s thrown, including a pick-6 against ILSU last week. The top receivers in yardage are WR John Brunner (66.4 ypg and 2 TDs) and Tony Tate (55 ypg and 2 TDs) but the one who actually gets the most catches is RB Steve McShane. McShane is only averaging 54.8 ypg w/ 2 TDs on the ground, but also has 39 ypg and 4 TDs receiving. He’s also a special teams threat, returning punts an average of 14.1 yards per with 1 TD. Otherwise though, the Leathernecks are averaging under 100 rushing yards per game, which is…you know…not great. On defense, LBs Quintin Moon (55 tackles, 36 solo, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery) and Zach Glisan (47 tackles, 27 solo) are doing well, with Moon leading the MVFC in tackles, both combined and solo. LB Pete Swenson has also stepped up this year, leading the conference in tackles for loss with 10 (4 sacks).

I’m not going to say that Western doesn’t have a chance in this game, but it’s going to be tough. On the plus side, NDSU is known for dropping usually 1 conference game a year before barreling through the rest of the year and into the playoffs…also they have seemed to have difficulties playing in Macomb, winning by 8 in 2016 and needing two TDs in the 4th to come from behind and win by 7 in 2014…so that tells me there’s the potential for this to be a “trap game” for the Bison. Then again…the odds are not in the Leathernecks favor in this one. I’m going to have to go with a 28-16 win for NDSU in this game and hope that I’m proven wrong.

Northern Iowa at #20 South Dakota – 6 PM on ESPN+

Last Year: UNI won 34-29 in Cedar Falls, IA

UNI is coming off a home loss to NDSU where they were able to stick with the Bison for 3 out of 4 quarters. Like WIU, they’re also 2-3 and 1-1 in the conference and can really only drop one more to have a reasonable shot at the playoffs. South Dakota, on the other hand, has won their first two conference games (they haven’t played either of the XDSU’s yet though), winning by 7 last week at home against Missouri State.

Northern Iowa QB Eli Dunne is averaging 199 ypg with 8 passing TDs, although QB Colton Howell has also started 1 game and played a decent amount of time this year, throwing for 43 ypg and has 1 passing TD and 1 rushing TD. The top receiving targets are TE Briley Moore (55.2 ypg w/ 2 TDs) and freshman WR Deion McShane (51 ypg w/ 2 TDs and the younger brother of WIU’s Steve McShane). RBs Trevor Allen and Marcus Weymiller each have 2 rushing TDs and 68 and 53 yards per game on the ground respectively. R. Freshman LB Chris Kolarevic leads the Panthers with 54 tackles (17 solo) with 2 for loss and 1 INT and was recently named to the Jerry Rice Award watch list (top freshman in the FCS). LB Duncan Ferch is right behind at 48 tackles (12 solo) with 2.5 for loss and 2 INTs. UNI’s placekicker Austin Errthum has been doing pretty well, making 8 out of 10 FGs with 2 in the 40+ range (long of 46) and is 15 out of 15 on XPs.

South Dakota QB Austin Simmons has done a great job filling a Streveler-sized hole in the Coyote offense, leading the conference with nearly 320 ypg and 10 TDs with 3 INTs as well as running for 2 TDs. WRs Dakarai Allen (78 ypg and 3 TDs) and Levi Falck (nearly 58 ypg and 1 TD) get the most catches. None of the USD RBs average over 46 ypg, although Ben Klett (3 TDs) and Kai Henry (2 TDs) get the most. On defense, twin brothers Alex (LB) and Andrew (DB) Gray lead the team in tackles. Alex has 45 (29 solo) with 2 sacks, 1 INT and 1 fumble recovery, while Andrew has 40 (18 solo) with 2 INTs, 2 forced fumbles, was named MVFC defensive player of the week the last two weeks in a row and was named the STATS FCS Defensive player of the week last week. DL Darin Greenfield leads the team in tackles for loss with 6, sacks (3), and QB hurries (6). Placekicker Mason Lorber has struggled with FGs however, making 6 out of 11 attempts.

This game is tough to pick for me. UNI has a worse record against a little tougher schedule so far, USD is a little better with a little easier schedule. If I had to pick one team who’s better right now on a neutral field…I’d probably go with UNI, but not by much. However, this isn’t on a neutral field and I think that gives a slight edge to USD. Most predictions out there have the margin within a point or two and mine is no different…I’m going to have to pick South Dakota in a nailbiter…31-30.