Illinois State • Indiana State • Missouri State • North Dakota State • Northern IowaSouth Dakota • South Dakota State • Southern Illinois • Western Illinois • Youngstown State

1818 Chouteau Ave. • St. Louis, MO 63103 • (314) 444-4326 • (314) 435-4779 [Kern cell]

For Immediate ReleaseSept. 9, 2019 Mike Kern

• • Media Services • • Players of the Week Each week a panel will select players of the week for offense, defense, newcomer, offensive line and special teams.

MVFC Media Vault By Wednesday of each week, the league will collect school weekly coach press con-ferences (audio/video links) and PDF links to weekly notes in the MVFC Media Vault.

Statistics Interactive school and league statistics are available, courtesy of the league’s part-nership with SIDEARM.

Weekly Features The league produces weekly video segments (Two Minute Drill and The Extra Point) and a bimonthly audio podcast (First and Goal). Each is available by visiting the league’s web site (valleyfootball.org) - under the Multimedia tab on the main menu bar.

www.valley-football.org facebook.com/ValleyFootball

@valleyfootball • @FCS_Insider @ESPNCFB • @NCAA_FCS

@FCS_STATS • @HeroSportsNews

#MVFC_35 #FCS_CFB150

MVFC Points Overall PointsTeam W-L Pct. For Opp W-L Pct. For Opp H A Stk.

North Dakota St. 0-0 .000 0 0 2-0 1.000 95 17 1-0 0-0 W23Youngstown State 0-0 .000 0 0 2-0 1.000 99 50 1-0 0-0 W2Illinois State 0-0 .000 0 0 1-1 .500 52 38 1-0 0-1 W1Northern Iowa 0-0 .000 0 0 1-1 .500 60 43 1-0 0-1 W1South Dakota St. 0-0 .000 0 0 1-1 .500 59 31 1-0 0-1 W1Southern Illinois 0-0 .000 0 0 1-1 .500 71 64 0-0 1-1 W1Missouri State 0-0 .000 0 0 0-1 .000 23 37 0-0 0-1 L6 Indiana State 0-0 .000 0 0 0-2 .000 52 66 0-1 0-1 L2South Dakota 0-0 .000 0 0 0-2 .000 31 101 0-1 0-1 L3Western Illinois 0-0 .000 0 0 0-2 .000 30 64 0-0 0-2 L4

Yet Another FBS Win Thanks to Southern Illinois’ 45-20 win at UMass on Sept. 7, 2019, the Conference has had at least one FBS win in each of the last 10 seasons. The MVFC recorded a 1-7 mark vs. the FBS last year. Below is a list of MVFC wins against FBS programs in the past nine seasons. The Conference has 46 FBS wins in its history. There are nine MVFC-FBS games on the schedule this year, including one this week. The league is 1-6 against FBS programs so far this season.

2010 North Dakota State at Kansas (6-3)2011 Indiana State at Western Kentucky (44-16) North Dakota State at Minnesota (37-24)2012 Youngstown State at Pitt (31-17) North Dakota State at Colorado St. (22-17) Illinois State at Eastern Michigan (31-14)2013 North Dakota State at K-State (24-21) UNI at Iowa State (28-20)2014 North Dakota State at Iowa State (34-14) Indiana State at Ball State (27-20)2015 South Dakota State at Kansas (41-38)2016 Illinois State at Northwestern (9-7) North Dakota State at #11 Iowa (23-21) UNI at Iowa State (25-20) Western Illinois at Northern Illinois (28-23)2017 South Dakota at Bowling Green (35-27) Western Illinois at Coastal Carolina (52-10)2018 Illinois State at Colorado State (35-19)2019 Southern Illinois at UMass (45-20)

Remaining MVFC/FBS ScheduleMissouri State at Tulane (9/14)Southern Illinois at Arkansas State (9/21)

News/Notes

Saturday, Sept. 7

UNI 34, Southern Utah 14 Southern Illinois 45, Massachusetts 20South Dakota State 38, Long Island 3Oklahoma 70, South Dakota 14North Dakota State 38, North Dakota 7Illinois State 42, Morehead State 14Youngstown State 54, Howard 28Colorado State 38, Western Illinois 13Dayton 42, Indiana State 35

Saturday, Sept. 14

#12 Illinois State at Eastern Illinois  Charleston, Ill.  •  2 p.m. [ESPN+]RV Eastern Kentucky at RV Indiana State  Terre Haute, Ind.  •  1 pm ET [ESPN+]Missouri State at Tulane  New Orleans, La.  •  7 pm CT [ESPN3]#1 North Dakota State at #18 Delaware  Newark, DE  •  12 pm CT [NBC ND/FloSports]Houston Baptist at South Dakota  Vermillion, S.D.  •  2 pm CT [Midco/ESPN3]Drake at #3 South Dakota State  Brookings, S.D.  •  1 pm CT [Midco/ESPN+]UT Martin at Southern Illinois  Carbondale, Ill.  •  6 pm CT [ESPN+]#10 Montana State at Western Illinois  Macomb, Ill.  •  3 pm CT [ESPN+]Duquesne at RV Youngstown State  Youngstown, Ohio  •  2 pm ET [ESPN+]

Schedule/Results2019 Valley Football Standings (thru Saturday, Sept. 7)

®

MVFC Celebrates35th & 150th The 2019 season is an anniversary for the Missouri

Valley Football Conference as it celebrates its 35th birthday this year (founded in 1985 as the Gateway Conference). The 2019 season also is an anniversary season for college football as its celebrates its 150th birthday. League schools will be donning a CFB150 patch on uniforms this year.

2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (September 9)

Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series Last year, the MVFC cap-tured the second annual Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series, 5-3. (The MVFC also won the 2017 series, also by a 5-3 edge.) The home team won all eight games last year. Seven of

the eight games in 2018 featured at least one ranked team (in two of the games, both teams were ranked.) The MVFC conducted one previous challenge series (with the OVC) and the MVFC won all three season series against the OVC (2003, 2004, 2005) with a combined record of 20-2 in those games. The two playoff matchups last year did not count toward the series. Ten MVFC-Big Sky matchups are on the slate this year, including one this week. The Big Sky leads this year’s series (2-1).

Aug. 29 - Northern Arizona 37, Missouri State 23Aug. 31 - #25 Montana 31, South Dakota 17Sept. 7  - #11 UNI 34, Southern Utah 14Sept. 14 - Montana State at Western IllinoisSept. 21 - Idaho State at UNISept. 21 - Northern Arizona at Illinois StateSept. 21 - South Dakota at Northern ColoradoSept. 21 - UC Davis at North Dakota StateSept. 21 - Southern Utah at South Dakota StateSept. 28 - Northern Iowa at Weber State

MVFC in the NFL There are a total of 25 student-athletes represent-ing MVFC schools on NFL opening-day rosters.  They include the following:

Ravens - Chris Board (North Dakota State)Broncos - Davontae Harris (Illinois State), Shelby Harris (Illinois State)Chargers - Easton Stick (North Dakota State)Colts - Reece Fountain (UNI), Joe Haeg (North Dakota State), Adam Vinatieri (South Dakota State)Texans - B.J. Bello (Illinois State), Dylan Cole (Missouri State)Buccaneers - Mike Liedtke (Illinois State)Cardinals - David Johnson (UNI)Dolphins - Chase Allen (Southern Illinois)Packers - Robert Tonyan (Indiana State), Billy Turner (North Dakota State)Titans - MyCole Pruitt (Southern Illinois)Chiefs - Khalen Saunders (Western Illinois), Xavier Williams (UNI)Eagles - L.J. Fort (UNI), Dallas Goedert (South Dakota State), Carson Wentz (North Dakota State)Jaguars - James O’Shaughnessy (Illinois State)Jets - Tom Compton (South Dakota)Raiders - Makinton Dorleant (UNI)Cowboys - Lance Lenoir Jr. (Western Illinois)Patriots - Derek Rivers (Youngstown State)

4 MVFC Teams Ranked Two-time defending national champ North Dakota State headlines a list of seven MVFC teams receiving votes in the polls this week.

Team STATS AFCA Massey

NDSU 1 1 1SDSU 3 3 3UNI 11 10 9ILS 13 12 17INS RV RV 43 YSU RV RV 13SIU RV -- 29

USD -- 33WIU -- 41MSU -- 60

In the Massey Ratings, the MVFC, CAA Football and Big Sky all have 5 teams in the Top 20, followed by the Ivy League (3), which has yet to play a game.Massey Rankings, Team Leaders

1. North Dakota State 2. Eastern Washington 3. South Dakota State 4. Princeton 5. James Madison

Among conferences, the MVFC is the top-rated league in the FCS (Sagarin), and four MVFC schools are in the Top 9.Sagarin Rankings, Team Leaders (FCS)

1. North Dakota State 2. South Dakota State 3. James Madison 4. Weber State 5. Montana State 6. UNI 7. Montana 8. Princeton 9. Illinois State

Sagarin Rankings, Conference Leaders (FCS)

1. MISSOURI VALLEY 2. Big Sky 3. CAA Football 4. Ivy 5. Southland 6. Southern 7. Ohio Valley

Tough Schedules MVFC teams hold five of the Top 40 spots in the Massey Ratings strength of schedule index. South Dakota (4) and South Dakota State (9) are both among the Top 10.Strength of Schedule Ratings, Massey Ratings

4. South Dakota9. South Dakota State18. UNI39. Missouri State40. Southern Illinois43. Indiana State47. Western Illinois

Home: 5-2 / Away: 1-9 / Neut: 2-0

NCAA FCS Teams (7-5)Big Sky ................................................... 1-2 UC Davis ......................................................0-0 Idaho State .................................................0-0 Montana .....................................................0-1 Montana State ............................................0-0 Northern Arizona ........................................0-1 Northern Colorado .....................................0-0 Southern Utah ............................................1-0 Weber State ................................................0-0Big South ............................................... 0-1 Kennesaw State .........................................0-0 North Alabama ...........................................0-1CAA Football........................................... 0-0 Delaware .....................................................0-0Independents ........................................ 1-0 North Dakota ..............................................1-0Mid-Eastern Athletic .............................. 1-0 Howard ........................................................1-0Northeast ............................................... 1-0 Duquesne ...................................................0-0 Long Island .................................................1-0 Robert Morris .............................................0-0Ohio Valley ............................................. 0-1 Eastern Illinois ............................................0-0 Eastern Kentucky .......................................0-0 SE Missouri State .......................................0-1 UT Martin ....................................................0-0 Tennessee Tech ..........................................0-0Pioneer Football .................................... 2-1 Butler ..........................................................1-0 Dayton .........................................................0-1 Drake...........................................................0-0 Morehead State .........................................1-0SoCon ..................................................... 1-0 Samford ......................................................1-0Southland .............................................. 0-0 Houston Baptist ..........................................0-0

NCAA FBS Teams (1-6)American ................................................ 0-0 Tulane .........................................................0-0Big Ten ................................................... 0-1 Minnesota ...................................................0-1Big 12 ..................................................... 0-3 Iowa State ...................................................0-1 Kansas ........................................................0-1 Oklahoma ...................................................0-1Independents ........................................ 1-0 UMass .........................................................1-0Mid-American ........................................ 0-1 Northern Illinois ..........................................0-1Mountain West ...................................... 0-1 Colorado State ............................................0-1Sun Belt ................................................. 0-0 Arkansas State ...........................................0-0

vs. Ranked (FCS) Teams (0-2) SIU at #17 SEMO (8/29), L, 44-26 #25 Montana at USD (8/31), L, 31-17 vs. Ranked (FBS) Teams (0-2) UNI at #21 Iowa St. (8/31), L, 29-26 (3ot) USD at #4 Oklahoma (9/7), L, 70-14

vs. Non-Conference (8-11)

2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (September 9)

Team Pre S2 S9

Illinois State 13 16 12Indiana St. 16 14 rvMissouri St. -- -- --NDSU 1 1 1UNI 18 11 10S. Dakota rv -- --SDSU 3 3 3S. Illinois -- -- rvW. Illinois rv -- --Youngstown rv rv rv*Rank represents highest position in the two polls (STATS or AFCA FCS Coaches polls)

2019 Valley Football Teams in the Top 25

Bison on Another Run North Dakota State extended its current winning streak to an FCS-best 23 games after beating North Dakota on Sept. 7. The Bison set a league and FCS record with a 33-game win streak from 2012-14.

23 – North Dakota State10 -- Princeton 9 – Bethune-Cookman 4 – Dayton 3 – Davidson 3 – Villanova 3 – Central Arkansas 3 -- Harvard

Against Ranked FCS Teams The MVFC is 0-2 against Top-25 op-ponents this year, falling to #25 Montana (South Dakota) and #17 Southeast Missouri State (Southern Illinois). Last year, in non-league play, the league was 2-2 during the regular season against ranked FCS teams, marking the 16th time in the league’s 34-year history with multiple regular-season top-25 non-conference wins. Since 2014, league schools have combined for a 43-21 record against non-conference top-25 teams (counting the playoffs). Two league teams face ranked FCS opponents this weekend.Years with Multiple Regular-Season Top-25 Wins

Year Reg-Season Playoffs Total MVFC Bids1989 4-2 2-2 6-4 21992 2-5 2-1 4-6 11993 3-6 0-1 3-7 11996 *5-3 2-2 7-5 21997 3-8 5-1 8-9 21998 3-6 2-2 5-8 21999 3-3 *6-2 9-5 22000 3-3 0-2 3-5 22003 4-0 3-4 7-4 42007 3-3 3-2 6-5 22011 2-0 5-1 7-1 22014 *5-1 *6-1 *11-2 *52015 4-2 5-2 9-4 *52016 3-2 *6-3 9-5 42017 2-2 *6-3 8-5 *52018 2-2 4-1 6-3 3

*represents league record in each category

SIU Racks Up Points vs. FBS SIU racked up 45 points and outgained UMass, 502-321 in total yards. The 45 points are tied for third-best against an FBS school in MVFC history. The margin of vic-tory (25) points is third-most of the league’s total 46 wins vs. FBS schools.Most Points by MVFC School vs. FBS Foe

52 - W. Illinois (at Coastal Caro, 9-23-17, W, 52-10)47 - Southern Illinois (at Indiana, 9-15-15, L, 48-47)45 - Southern Illinois (at UMass, 9-7-19, W, 45-20)45 - Southern Illinois (at E. Mich, 9-8-02, L, 48-45)44 - Indiana St. (at W. Kentucky, 9-17-11, W, 44-16)44 - YSU (vs. Kent State, 9-6-97, W, 44-23)43 - Missouri State (at Mizzou, 9-2-17, L, 72-43)42 - UNI (at Wyoming, 9-11-93, L, 45-42)

Margin of Victory by MVFC School vs. FBS Foe

42 -- Western Illinois (52) vs. C. Carolina (10), 201728 -- Indiana State (44) vs. W. Kentucky (16), 201125 -- Southern Illinois (45) vs. UMass (20), 201924 -- Indiana State (40) vs. Cincinnati (16), 198722 -- Illinois State (25) vs. Akron (3), 199122 -- Western Illinois (34) vs. E. Michigan (12), 200321 -- Youngstown State (44) vs. Kent (23), 199720 -- NDSU (34) vs. Iowa State (14), 2014

Home-Opening Win Streaks NDSU beat visiting North Dakota in its home opener on Sept. 7, 38-7. North Dakota State, with 21-straight wins in home-opening games, ranks second in the FCS (to North Dakota’s 33-game streak). South Dakota’s 16-game win streak in home openers ended with a loss to Montana on Saturday, Aug. 31.

33 – North Dakota (1987-present)21 – North Dakota State (1999-present)19 – Central Arkansas (2000-present)18 – Wofford (2001-present)18 – Harvard (2001-present)17 – James Madison (2003-present)16 – Montana (2004-present)15 – McNeese (2005-present)14 – Richmond (2006-present)14 – Jacksonville State (2006-present)

OffenseRB Javon Williams, Southern Illinois6-2, 234, Fr., Centralia (Ill.) High Williams touched the ball 9 times during SIU’s 45-20 win over FBS UMass. He scored touchdowns on three of them, totaling 171 yards (68 rushing, 103 receiving) for an aver-age of 19.0 yards per touch. He tied the school record for longest reception by a running back with an 85-yard TD catch, and added a 64-yard run for touchdown on the ground. The win was SIU’s fourth-ever against an FBS opponent and first since 2007.

DefenseLB Christian Rozeboom, South Dakota State6-2, 230, Sr., Sioux Center (Iowa) High Rozeboom recorded a team-high eight tack-les, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in South Dakota State’s 38-3 victory over Long Island University on Sept. 7. His interception in the third quarter came in the middle of the Jackrabbits scoring 14 points in a 19-second span. Rozeboom led a Jackrabbit defense that held LIU out of the end zone, limiting the Sharks to only 123 yards of total offense and eight first downs.

Special TeamsPR/WR Jaxon Janke, South Dakota State6-2, 210, R-Fr., Madison (S.D.) High Janke swung the momentum firmly in South Dakota State’s favor by returning a punt 77 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of the Jackrabbits’ 38-3 home victory over Long Island University on Sept. 7. Janke, whose touchdown pushed the lead to 14-3, finished the game with four punt returns for 111 yards, becoming the first SDSU player in the Division I era (since 2004) to record more than 100 punt return yards in a contest.

NewcomerQB Will McElvain, UNI5-11, 197, Fr., Des Moines (Iowa) Lincoln High McElvain went 17-of-25 for 262 yards and three TDs to lead UNI to a 34-14 victory over Southern Utah. He was 14-of-20 for 234 yards and three TDs before the half when the Panthers took their foot off of the gas pedal. He completed six of his first eight passes and threw three touchdowns to three different re-ceivers while not throwing an interception. He also ran for 23 yards on eight carries. He was on the passing end of Deion McShane’s circus catch and play that ended up the No. 6 play on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 Saturday night.

Offensive LineRG Zack Johnson, North Dakota State6-6, 315, Sr., Blaine, Minn. (Spring Lake Park) Johnson had 12 knockdowns and allowed zero quarterback pressures in North Dakota State’s 38-7 win over North Dakota. He graded out at 98 percent in his second career start at right guard helping NDSU rush for 266 yards and 5.3 yards per carry, convert 9 of 14 third downs, and keep the ball for more than 35 minutes in the contest. Johnson was a two-year starter at right tackle and an FCS All-American in 2018 before switching positions this year.

Players of the Week

2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (September 9)

Sept. 3Offense -- QB Trey Lance, North Dakota StateDefense -- DL Kaleb Brewer, Indiana State*Special Teams -- PK Matthew Cook, UNINewcomer -- QB Trey Lance, North Dakota StateOffensive Lineman -- RT Aron Johnson, SDSUSept. 9Offense -- RB Javon Williams, Southern IllinoisDefense -- LB Christian Rozeboom, South Dakota St.Special Teams -- PR/WR Jaxon Janke, SDSUNewcomer -- QB Will McElvain, UNIOffensive Lineman -- RG Zack Johnson, NDSU * - denotes National Player of the Week

2019 Players of the WeekMVFC - vs. Other Leagues Here’s how the MVFC has fared against teams from leagues it faces in 2019:Big Sky Conference 63 43 .594Big South 10 4 .714CAA Football 24 18 .571Mid-Eastern Athletic 22 1 .956Northeast Conference 23 0 1.000Ohio Valley (also one tie) 139 68 .671Pioneer Football League 42 3 .933Southern Conference 13 15 .464Southland (also two ties) 56 49 .533

American 0 2 .000Big 12 6 51 .105Big Ten 4 59 .063Mid-American 18 36 .333Mountain West 2 6 .250Sun Belt 2 3 .400

Preseason Poll, Revisited North Dakota State has been tabbed as the MVFC pre-season favorite; NDSU has earned the league title for eight-straight years, four times sharing it with another league school.Team (first-place votes) Points Last Year

1. North Dakota State (32) ..... 392 1st 2. South Dakota State (4) ....... 348 2nd 3. Illinois State (3) ................. 289 t6th 4. Indiana State (1) ................ 279 t3rd 5. UNI ................................... 266 t3rd 6. South Dakota ..................... 176 t6th 7. Youngstown State............... 153 t6th 8. Western Illinois .................. 128 5th 9. Southern Illinois ................... 89 10th10. Missouri State .................... 80 9th

Title Town North Dakota State has a league-record eight-straight Conference titles (shared or outright), and that is second-only to UNI’s 16. The Panthers had a streak of seven-straight titles from 1990-96.Total Titles Last

UNI ......................................................16 2011North Dakota State ..............................8 2018Southern Illinois ...................................5 2009Western Illinois .....................................5 2002Illinois State .........................................3 2015Eastern Illinois .....................................2 1995Missouri State .....................................2 1990Youngstown State ................................2 2006South Dakota State .............................1 2016Western Kentucky ...............................1 2002Indiana State ........................................0South Dakota ........................................0

2018 - Another Title Game Trip An MVFC member has reached the FCS championship game 13 times since 1997. Last year, NDSU extend the MVFC’s FCS record for having a title-game participant to eight-straight seasons. The Bison beat Eastern Washington, 38-24.

What a Rush Two MVFC schools rank among the na-tional leaders for rushing after two weeks of play. Youngstown State leads the FCS, aver-aging 365.5 yards per game on the ground; North Dakota State is 3rd (327.0 ypg)FCS Leaders - Rushing Yards

Rank, Team (Conf.) YPG

1. Youngstown State (MVFC) 365.52. Kennesaw State (Big South) 342.53. North Dakota State (MVFC) 327.04. Stetson (Pioneer) 311.0

Scoring Offense Leaders Youngstown State and NDSU also lead the league and rank among the FCS leaders in scoring offense, ranking 3rd and 5th in the FCS, respectively.FCS Leaders - Scoring

Rank, Team (Conf.) PPG

1. Stetson (Pioneer) 58.02. Sam Houston State (Southland) 54.03. Youngstown State (MVFC) 49.54. Abilene Christian (Southland) 48.55. North Dakota State (MVFC) 47.5

And Defense? North Dakota State ranks 3rd nationally, surrendering just 8.5 points per game. The Bison (4th with 214.0 yards allowed per game) and South Dakota State (5th at 215.5 yards allowed per game) also rank among the leaders in total defense.

STATS FCS All-Americans The Missouri Valley Football Conference has 16 total selections on the STATS pre-season All-America Team, which is highest among conferences. South Dakota State’s five selections are the national high among schools, and North Dakota State’s four are tied for the second-most.

2 on STATS Payton Watch List  Two MVFC student-athletes represent the league on the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award Watch List, announced on July 31. WR Cade Johnson of South Dakota State and RB James Robinson of Illinois State are among the 25 on the initial list.

4 on STATS Buchanan Watch List The STATS Buchanan Award Watch List includes four student-athletes from the MVFC.  Representing the MVFC on the list are LB Jabril Cox of North Dakota State; DL Darin Greenfield of South Dakota; LB Jonas Griffith of Indiana State; and LB Christian Rozeboom of South Dakota State.

Getting Defensive The Redbirds have become accustomed to finding the end zone on the defensive side of the football in recent years, and they kept that streak alive in the win over Morehead State thanks to an impressive pick six by Tuvone Clark. The 29-yard interception return for a touch-down was the first of the season for the Redbirds and the first for Clark in his four seasons at Illinois State. ISU has now scored a defen-sive touchdown in each of the last 11 seasons under the leadership of head coach Brock Spack.

He’s Back After being held to just 16 yards by a stout Northern Illinois defen-sive front in the season opener, senior All-American running back James Robinson was back to his old self in the Redbirds’ win over Morehead State. Robinson carried the ball 23 times for 178 yards (7.7 yards per carry) and tied a career-high with three rushing touch-downs in the blowout victory over the Eagles. The Rockford, Illinois, native had scoring runs of 16, 34 and 2 yards, respectively, as the Redbirds racked up 353 yards on the ground in the home opener.

The Rivalry Resumes When the Redbirds travel to Eastern Illinois next Saturday, the two rivals will face off for the 108th time in the Mid-America Clas-sic. One of the longest-running rivalries in all of FCS football, Illinois State leads the all-time series 56-42-9 with four wins in the last five contests including the last two overall. The Redbirds will be looking for to pick up their third-straight win in Charleston and keep the traveling trophy at home in the Kaufman Football Building trophy case when the annual contest is over.

ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS(1-1, 0-0 MVFC)

A31 at Northern Illinois L, 10-24 0-1, 0-0S7 Morehead State W, 42-14 1-1, 0-0S14 at Eastern Illinois ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.S21 Northern Arizona ESPN+ 6:30 p.m.O5 *North Dakota State NBCSCH/ESPN+ 12:00 p.m.O12 *at Southern Illinois ESPN3 6:00 p.m.O19 *at Western Illinois ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.O26 *Indiana State [HC] ESPN3 2:00 p.m.N2 *UNI NBCSCH/ESPN+ 12:00 p.m.N9 *at South Dakota State ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.N16 *Missouri State NBCSCH/ESPN+ 12:00 p.m.N23 *at Youngstown State ESPN+ 11:00 a.m.*MVFC game

Rushing Attack on Point Indiana State rushed for 358 yards against Dayton. The Sycamores were led by junior running back Peterson Kerlegrand who went for a career high 194 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in his first career start. His rushing total was the 22nd-best performance in program history and the best since 2003. Quarterback Ryan Boyle added 103 yards rushing on 17 attempts, marking the first time since October 5, 2018 that ISU had two 100-yard rushers in the same game. Chris Childers added 52 yards and a pair of scores on just six carries while Nick Sims rushed the ball three times for nine yards.

Nunez Breaks Career PAT Record Jerry Nunez etched his name in the Sycamore record book Satur-day, passing Scott Bridges for most career PAT’s. Bridges finished his career with 87 PAT’s and held the record since 1985. Nunez tied the mark on the Sycamores’ first drive against Dayton and broke the re-cord in the second quarter. The senior kicker is also nearing program records for field goals made and points scored.Griffith Named to Buchanan Watch List

Griffith on Buck Buchanan Watch List Redshirt senior Jonas Griffith was named to the Buck Buchanan Watch List this preseason. Griffith is one of 25 nominees, including four in the MVFC to earn the recognition, presented by STATS to the most outstanding defensive player in the nation. The Louisville, Ken-tucky native was named a Preseason All-American by HERO Sports and STATS FCS after earning All-American status from three differ-ent publications as well as All-MVFC honors following the conclusion of the 2018 campaign. Griffith led the Sycamores and ranked fifth nationally in tackles. Over his career, Griffith has seen action in 4 games, recording 292 tackles. He has made 23 tackles-for-loss and recorded 11 sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES(0-2, 0-0 MVFC)

A31 at Kansas L, 17-24 0-1, 0-0S7 Dayton L, 35-42 0-2, 0-0S14 Eastern Kentucky ESPN+ 1:00 p.m. ETS21 Eastern Illinois ESPN+ 1:00 p.m. ETO5 *at South Dakota ESPN+ 3:00 p.m. ETO12 *Western Illinois [HC] ESPN+ 1:00 p.m. ETO19 *South Dakota State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. ETO26 *at Illinois State ESPN3 3:00 p.m. ETN2 *Southern Illinois ESPN+ 1:00 p.m. ETN9 *at UNI ESPN+ 5:00 p.m. ETN16 *Youngstown State ESPN+ 1:00 p.m. ETN23 *at Missouri State ESPN+ 3:00 p.m. ET*MVFC game

As Quick as Vick Sophomore wideout Damoriea Vick has multiple pass receptions in a team-high five straight games, dating to last season. He is coming off three receptions for 33 yards at Northern Arizona in the season opener (Aug. 29) and has accounted for 172 yards on 15 catches in that five-game span.

Taking it to the Big Easy Missouri State’s game at Tulane on Saturday evening (ESPN+) will mark the program’s first game against a program from the American Athletic Conference since the 2015 season opener at Memphis. It will also mark the Bears’ first-ever matchup against the Green Wave. MSU has also played against AAC members Tulsa (0-7) and Memphis (1-2) in its history and is seeking its first victory over an FBS program since topping UNLV, 31-24, on Sept. 1, 1990.

Slow September After kicking off the 2019 campaign on Aug. 29, the Bears will play their first of just two September games this weekend at Tulane. MSU also opens up a five-game home slate on Sept. 21 against Kennesaw State at Plaster Stadium. Missouri State’s two scheduled September games is the fewest since 1971. Conversely, the team’s four sched-uled November games is its most since the 2014 season.

MISSOURI STATE BEARS(0-1, 0-0 MVFC)

A29 at Northern Arizona L, 23-37 0-1, 0-0S14 at Tulane ESPN3 7:00 p.m.S21 Kennesaw State KOZL/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.O5 *at Western Illinois ESPN+ 3:00 p.m.O12 *South Dakota ESPN3 2:00 p.m.O19 *at North Dakota State ESPN+ 2:30 p.m.O26 *UNI [HC] ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.N2 *South Dakota State ESPN3 2:00 p.m.N9 *at Southern Illinois ESPN3 2:00 p.m.N16 *at Illinois State ESPN+ 12:00 p.m.N23 *Indiana State ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.*MVFC game

Rare East Coast Game Saturday’s game at Delaware will be just the sixth time North Dakota State plays a game on the East Coast. NDSU played at Army in 1932, George Washington in 1932 and 1937, Shippensburg (Pa.) in the 1981 Division II semifinals, and Georgia Southern in 2006. The Bison defeated Delaware 38-10 in the teams’ first meeting in Fargo last year. NDSU is 6-1 all-time against CAA opponents.

Bison Lead Nation in Pass Efficiency North Dakota State leads the FCS in team passing efficiency behind redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Lance, who has only five incompletions with six touchdowns through two games. Lance is 21 of 26 passing for 347 yards and last week completed passes to nine different receivers in the 38-7 win over North Dakota.

NDSU Tops UND in 112th Meeting Quarterback Trey Lance rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two more as North Dakota State defeated North Dakota 38-7 in the 112th meeting between the teams last Saturday in Fargo. Safety Mi-chael Tutsie made a team- and career-high seven tackles and added two interceptions for the Bison defense, which held UND to just 68 yards on the ground. Linebacker Jabril Cox also had seven stops for NDSU. Seven NDSU ball carriers combined for 266 rushing yards led by Lance’s 95 yards on 16 carries. Ty Brooks had 13 carries for 37 yards and Adam Cofield rushed nine times for 40 yards.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON2-0, 0-0 MVFC)

A31 Butler (at Minneapolis) W, 57-10 1-0, 0-0S7 North Dakota W, 38-7 2-0, 0-0S14 at Delaware NBC ND/FloSports 12:00 p.m.S21 UC Davis NBC ND/ESPN+ 2:30 p.m.O5 *at Illinois State NBC ND/ESPN+ 12:00 p.m.O12 *UNI [HC] NBC ND/ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.O19 *Missouri State NBC ND/ESPN+ 2:30 p.m.O26 *at South Dakota State NBC ND/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.N2 *at Youngstown State ESPN+ 5:00 p.m.N9 *Western Illinois NBC ND/ESPN+ 2:30 p.m.N16 *South Dakota NBC ND/ESPN+ 2:30 p.m.N23 *at Southern Illinois NBC ND/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.*MVFC game

Farley Approaches Another Milestone Head coach Mark Farley reached the 150-win plateau with UNI’s 34-14 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday. He is the winningest coach in UNI and Missouri Valley Football history, and he is just the 10th coach in FCS history with 150 FCS victories.

McElvain Earns Weekly Honor The MVFC named UNI freshman QB Will McElvain the Newcomer of the Week after leading UNI to 34 straight points en route to a 34-14 win over Southern Utah Saturday in Cedar Falls. McElvain went 17-of-25 for 262 yards and three touchdowns to lead UNI to the win. He was 14-of-20 for 234 yards and three TDs before the half when the Panthers took their foot off the gas pedal. He’s the second-straight Panther to earn a weekly MVFC honor.

Near the Top of the MVFC Only two MVFC schools rank in the Top 4 in both scoring offense and scoring defense -- UNI and North Dakota State. The Panthers are averaging 30.0 points per game on offense while limiting oppo-nents to 21.5 points per game.

Leading the NCAA PK Matthew Cook is a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts to start his career and he finds himself atop the NCAA in field goals/game, sharing that spot with Missouri State’s Parker Lacina -- each have connected on 3.0 field goals per game (Lacina and the Bears have only played one game).

NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS(1-1, 0-0 MVFC)

A31 at Iowa State L, 26-29 (3OT) 0-1, 0-0S7 Southern Utah W, 34-14 1-1, 0-0S21 Idaho State PSN/ESPN+ 4:00 p.m.S28 at Weber State Pluto 7:00 p.m.O5 *Youngstown State [HC] PSN/ESPN3 4:00 p.m.O12 *at North Dakota State ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.O19 *South Dakota PSN/ESPN+ 4:00 p.m.O26 *at Missouri State ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.N2 *at Illinois State ESPN+ 12:00 p.m.N9 *Indiana State PSN/ESPN+ 4:00 p.m.N16 *at South Dakota State ESPN3 2:00 p.m.N23 *Western Illinois ESPN3 1:00 p.m.*MVFC game

New Foe South Dakota and Houston Baptist are meeting for the first time on the gridiron but there is some familiarity between the two schools. USD and HBU were both members of the Great West Conference from 2008-12, but never met on the gridiron. That’s because the Hus-kies’ program kicked off in 2014 and as a member of the Southland Conference. Houston Baptist is the seventh member of the Southland Conference USD will meet.

Making His Case Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Kody Case has taken the early headlines for South Dakota. Case has caught 17 passes for 212 yards and three scores thru two games. That follows a season in which Case appeared in just four games due to injury. Nationally, Case ranks fifth in receptions, 16th in yards and third in touchdown catches. He tied USD’s single-game record for catches with 11 in the home opener against Montana.

Greenfield Gets 20th Sack South Dakota senior defensive end Darin Greenfield got his first sack of the season last weekend and it was a memorable one. He sacked Jalen Hurts for a 10-yard loss on a third-down play that forced an Oklahoma punt. Greenfield has 20 career sacks, which is fourth on the Coyotes’ all-time list. Brent Peterson (1994-97) is third on that list with 21.5 sacks.

SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES(0-2, 0-0 MVFC)

A31 #25 Montana L, 17-31 0-1, 0-0S7 at #4 Oklahoma L, 14-70 0-2, 0-0S14 Houston Baptist Midco/ESPN3 2:00 p.m.S21 at Northern Colorado Pluto 3:00 p.m.O5 *Indiana State [HC] Midco/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.O12 *at Missouri State ESPN3 2:00 p.m.O19 *at UNI ESPN+ 4:00 p.m.O26 *Southern Illinois Midco/ESPN+ 4:00 p.m.N2 *at Western Illinois ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.N9 *Youngstown State Midco/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.N16 *at North Dakota State Midco/ESPN+ 2:30 p.m.N23 *South Dakota State Midco/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.*MVFC game

Getting Defensive South Dakota State limited Long Island University to 123 yards of total offense and only eight first downs in a 38-3 victory on Sept. 7. That was the lowest yardage total surrendered by the Jackrabbits since giving up only 90 yards to Indiana State on Sept. 19, 2009. The eight LIU first downs were the fewest by an opponent since the 2018 home opener, when Montana State managed only six first downs against the SDSU defense. The Jackrabbits currently rank second in the MVFC and fifth nationally in total defense by allowing 215.5 yards per game through the first two weeks of the season.

Impressive Debut Freshman defensive end Quinton Hicks made the most of his limited action in the Jackrabbits’ Sept. 7 home opener against Long Island. The Wichita, Kansas, native led the SDSU defense with two tackles for loss, including a strip sack late in the second quarter that he also recovered that led to a touchdown and 21-3 halftime lead. Hicks, who was one of about a dozen players to make their Jackrabbit debuts in the game, finished the night with three total tackles.

Homefield Advantage South Dakota State will host Drake this week in what is the second game of a four-game homestand that extends into October. The Jack-rabbits have won 12 games in a row at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium and have compiled a 21-2 home record since the stadium opened in 2016. Drake will be making its third trip to Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. SDSU defeated the Bulldogs, 56-28, in the inaugural game at the facility on Sept. 10, 2016, and the Jackrabbits posted a 51-10 victory over the Bulldogs a season later.

SOUTH DAKOTA ST. JACKRABBITS(1-1, 0-0 MVFC)

A29 at Minnesota L, 21-28 0-1, 0-0S7 Long Island W, 38-3 1-1, 0-0S14 Drake KELO/ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.S21 Southern Utah Midco/ESPN+ 6:00 p.m.O5 *Southern Illinois [HC] Midco/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.O12 *at Youngstown State KELO/ESPN+ 5:00 p.m.O19 *at Indiana State ESPN3 12:00 p.m.O26 *North Dakota State Midco/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.N2 *at Missouri State ESPN3 2:00 p.m.N9 *Illinois State Midco/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.N16 *UNI ESPN3 2:00 p.m.N23 *at South Dakota Midco/ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.*MVFC game

Versus FBS Opponents With the win at UMass last week, FCS Southern Illinois improved to 4-31 all-time against FBS opponents. Here are the Saluki wins:

1983 vs. New Mexico State, 41-32006 at Indiana, 35-282007 at Northern Illinois, 34-312019 at UMass, 45-20

SIU head coach Nick Hill was the team’s quarterback in the wins at Indiana and NIU, and he combined to complete 31-of-51 passes for 370 yards, 7 TDs and 0 interceptions in those wins. Stone Labanowitz quarterbacked the UMass win and was 19-of-26 for 265 yards, 4 TDs and no interceptions.

Williams Jr. a Multi-Threat The reigning MVFC Offensive Player of the Week is RB Javon Wil-liams Jr. (6-1, 239, rFr.). Against UMass on Saturday, he touched the ball nine times (6 carries, 3 catches) for 167 yards. He became just the fourth running back in school history to record 100+ receiving yards, joining Derrick Taylor (1984), Melvin Dukes (1993) and D.J. Davis (2017). His 85-yard TD catch was the third-longest in school history. Williams is also a capable passer, having played quarterback in high school and starting his career at SIU under center.

Knighton Moves up Sacks/TFL Lists DE Anthony Knighton (6-4, 260, Jr.) has started every game (24) of his Saluki career and last week at UMass picked up career sacks number 16.0) to move into ninth place all-time at Southern. His 8.5 sacks last season ranked seventh all-time at SIU and were the most by a Saluki since James Cloud had 8.5 in 2007. He also has 26.5 tackles for loss in his career, which is 13th all-time at SIU.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS(1-1, 0-0 MVFC)

A29 at #17 SE Missouri State L, 26-44 0-1, 0-0S7 at UMass W, 45-20 1-1, 0-0S14 UT Martin ESPN+ 6:00 p.m.S21 at Arkansas State 6:00 p.m.O5 *at South Dakota State ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.O12 *Illinois State ESPN3 6:00 p.m.O19 *Youngstown State [HC] ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.O26 *at South Dakota ESPN+ 4:00 p.m.N2 *at Indiana State ESPN+ 12:00 p.m.N9 *Missouri State ESPN3 2:00 p.m.N16 *at Western Illinois ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.N23 *North Dakota State ESPN+ 2:00 p.m.*MVFC game

Home Cooking Playing at Hanson Field has been a tough task for non-conference teams in recent years. The Leathernecks are 34-4 against non-MVFC teams since 1999, including a current 12-game win streak.

All-Time at Hanson Field On September 23, 1950, Hanson Field was dedicated and became the home of Leatherneck Football. In the last 69 years, Western has compiled a 240-124-7 record at home. In 53 of those years, West-ern finished at least .500 at home, including a perfect 6-0 record in 2010.

National Rankings Two games into the 2019 season, Western Illinois maintains the following national rankings: Punt Returns | No. 17 FCS; No. 2 MVFC | 13.50 YPGNet Punting | No. 19 FCS; No. 2 MVFC | 40.31 YPGKickoff Returns | No. 36 FCS; No. 1 MVFC | 21.83 YPG Punting (Adam Fellner) | No. 12 FCS; No. 2 MVFC | 44.30 YDSCmp/Game (Connor Sampson) | No. 24 FCS; No. 3 MVFC | 20.00 Kick Returns (Justin Hall) | No. 28 FCS; No. 2 MVFC | 117 YDS

WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS(0-2, 0-0 MVFC)

A29 at North Alabama L, 17-26 0-1, 0-0S7 at Colorado State L, 13-38 0-2, 0-0S14 Montana State ESPN+ 3:00 p.m.S21 Tennessee Tech ESPN3 3:00 p.m.O5 *Missouri State [HC] ESPN+ 3:00 p.m.O12 *at Indiana State ESPN+ 12:00 p.m.O19 *Illinois State ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.O26 *at Youngstown State ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.N2 *South Dakota ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.N9 *at North Dakota State ESPN+ 2:30 p.m.N16 *Southern Illinois ESPN+ 1:00 p.m.N23 *at UNI ESPN3 1:00 p.m.*MVFC game

Defense Stepping Up The YSU defense has forced seven turnovers in just two games. YSU forced Samford into four giveaways in the opener and caused three vs. Howard. The last time the Guins forced three-or-more turn-overs in consecutive games was in September 2009 - Indiana State/Northeastern. In 11 games last year, YSU forced just nine turnovers.

One-Hit Wonders The Penguins scored on three one-play drives against Howard, all of which came in the second half. With 7:25 left in the third quarter, Joe Alessi scored on a 40-yard touchdown run to give the Penguins a 40-21 lead over the Bison. On YSU’s next offensive play, Braxton Chapman raced 78 yards for a score with 2:16 left in the third. After YSU had a five-play series, London Pearon ripped off a 75-yard touch-down run with 11:25 left in the game.

Top Rushing Offense After two games, Youngstown State leads the FCS with 731 yards rushing, 7.31 yards per carry and 365.5 yards per contest. YSU is second with nine rushing touchdowns. Against Howard, YSU had 454 yards on just 39 carries - an 11.6 yards per rush average. The 454 yards ranked as the fourth most in school history. Three of the top four rushing performances in program history have come since 2016.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS(2-0, 0-0 MVFC)

A24 vs. Samford W, 45-22 1-0, 0-0S7 Howard W, 54-28 2-0, 0-0S14 Duquesne ESPN+ 2:00 p.m. ETS28 Robert Morris ESPN+ 6:00 p.m. ETO5 *at UNI ESPN3 5:00 p.m. ETO12 *South Dakota St. [HC] ESPN+ 6:00 p.m. ETO19 *at Southern Illinois ESPN+ 3:00 p.m. ETO26 *Western Illinois ESPN+ 2:00 p.m. ETN2 *North Dakota State ESPN+ 6:00 p.m. ETN9 *at South Dakota ESPN+ 3:00 p.m. ETN16 *at Indiana State ESPN+ 1:00 p.m. ETN23 *Illinois State ESPN+ 12:00 p.m. ET*MVFC game