The Week Ahead
League play begins for two schools and three others wrap up their non-conference portion of the 2017 regular season.  Five teams have byes on Saturday, Sept. 23.

MVFC Weekly Notebook (PDF)

Open Season
Illinois State and Missouri State kick off the 2017 MVFC race with a game in Springfield this weekend.  The two teams have identical 14-18 records in their conference-opening games in 32 previous years of Valley Football (Gateway) action.  Youngstown State (8) and North Dakota State (6) have the longest active win streaks in season-opening games.  YSU, in fact, is 17-3 all-time in its first league game each season. Southern Illinois and Missouri State played in the league’s first conference game on 9/7/85.  

• Youngstown State won its 10th-straight home game after punishing Central Connecticut State on Sept. 16.  The active streak is tied for third-best in the FCS, trailing Sam Houston State (14) and San Diego (12).  South Dakota State, meanwhile, has 7-straight home wins, and that’s 7th-best among active winning streaks in the FCS.
• North Dakota State (498 yards vs. Mississippi Valley State) and Youngstown State (496 yards vs. Central Connecticut State) have the two-best single-game rushing outputs in the FCS this year.
• QB Chris Streveler of South Dakota has accounted for 78 total points, that’s best in the FCS through Sept. 16.  Kyle Lauletta of Richmond is 2nd (66 points).

Six Teams Perfect
The MVFC has six unbeaten teams, heading into Week 4.  Only the Big Ten and Pac-12 (with seven each) have more.  In the FCS, the MVFC leads all leagues with six (the Ivy League also has six unbeatens, but all have played only a single game thus far.)  Only one other FCS league has more than one unbeaten team remaining, and that’s the SoCon (Wofford is 2-0, and The Citadel is 3-0).  A total of 19 FCS schools are unbeaten.

Another National Honor
WR Bob Pugh of Indiana State was named the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts on Sept. 16.

Against the FBS
The MVFC has a 1-4 record this year against FBS schools as South Dakota picked up its second-such win by beating Bowling Green on Sept. 9.  The Conference has had at least one FBS win in each of the last eight seasons.  Western Illinois (at Coastal Carolina) and Southern Illinois (at Memphis) have FBS opponents this week.

Against the FCS
The MVFC is 17-4 against FCS schools this year, which includes two road losses to ranked FCS teams, one of which (Liberty) is transitioning to FBS.  CAA Football is an FCS-best 19-2 against FCS peers, and only the Big Sky (8-6), Big South (7-6), Southland (6-4) and Ivy (5-2) have winning marks.

Road Warriors
MVFC teams have combined to post eight non-conference road wins, among the best in the league’s 32-year history (the totals below also include playoff games.)

Non-Conference Road Wins, All-Time
11 - 2014 (11-12) [includes 4 playoff road wins]
10 - 1999 (10-10) [includes 2 playoff road wins]
9 - 2007 (9-7) [all were in regular-season play]
9 - 2016 (9-9) [includes 2 playoff road wins]
8 -- 7 times, including this season
  
Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series -- MVFC Claims 2017 Crown
In an effort to publicize current matchups and promote future non-conference scheduling between two of the premier FCS conferences, the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Big Sky Conference have announced a Challenge Series between the two leagues.  MVFC schools have a combined 5-2 record with one game remaining in the series this season.

260-Yard Receiving Day
WR Bob Pugh of Indiana State had 260 receiving yards in ISU’s 42-41 loss at No. 19 Liberty on Sept. 16.  The 260-yard day marks the 35th 200-yard game in the MVFC’s 33-year history, is the fifth-best in Conference history and is the most in the FCS this year.  It ranks second-best all-time in Indiana State history, trailing only Bill Griffith’s 319 yards against Evansville in 1955.

Nation’s Top Defenses
Illinois State continues to lead the FCS in total defense, as the Redbirds have allowed just 79.0 yards per game in their two wins this year.  North Dakota State, also 2-0, ranks No. 3 in fewest yards allowed.

Tough Against the Run & Pass
Three MVFC schools are in the Top 4 in the FCS in rushing yards allowed and passing yards allowed (per game).  Illinois State (2nd, 7.0 ypg), North Dakota State (3rd, 19.5 ypg) and Western Illinois (4th, 28.5 ypg) represent the league among rushing defense leaders.  Illinois State (1st, 72.0 ypg), Youngstown State (3rd, 111.0 ypg) and North Dakota State (4th, 111.5 ypg) are among the top defenses in the FCS for passing yards allowed.

Best in the Biz
During the past five seasons (2013-pres.), North Dakota State has the best winning percentage of any FCS program (57-5, .919).  Illinois State and South Dakota State are tied for 15th best in that span (.679).

Leading the Way
WR Jake Wieneke of South Dakota State holds the MVFC career record for receiving yards (4,365).  That figure is best among all active college players.  He ranks fourth among all active players with 238 catches (the MVFC record is 273, set by Lance Lenoir of Western Illinois from 2013-16.)  Wieneke continues to climb the all-time leaderboard, as he now ranks 5th all-time in the FCS, having surpassed R.J. Harris of New Hampshire.