Northern Iowa earned at least a share of the 2008 Missouri Valley football crown with a 28-0 shutout at Indiana State on Saturday.  Southern Illinois, meanwhile, kept pace with a 38-35 win at home against South Dakota State in a game between two 5-1 league teams.  SIU can earn the league's automatic bid with a win at Illinois State next Saturday.

Elsewhere in Valley Football on Nov. 15, North Dakota State won the first-ever meeting between NDSU and Missouri State as the Bison rolled in Springfield, 48-27.  And Western Illinois needed overtime to beat Illinois State, 48-45, in Macomb.   The league wraps up its regular season next Saturday with five games including four league contests.   Illinois State hosts Southern Illinois; Western Illinois entertains Youngstown State (Valley TV); Indiana State hosts Missouri State; South Dakota State finishes at North Dakota State; and UNI place a non-league tilt at Southern Utah.

#4 UNI 28, Indiana State 0
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The No. 4-ranked University of Northern Iowa football team captured at least a share of its 14th Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 28-0 win on Saturday over Indiana State University. It marks the first time since the 1995 and 1996 seasons that UNI has won or shared back-to-back league championships.

The Panthers ran their win streak to seven in a row and improved to 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the MVFC. UNI also recorded its second straight shutout; the first time a Panther football team has recorded back-to-back shutout wins since the 1971 season when UNI scored a 23-0 win at South Dakota State (Sept. 25, 1971) and an 8-0 win over South Dakota (Oct. 2, 1971).

The Panthers dented the scoreboard first on a three-yard score by junior Derrick Law with 34 seconds left in the first quarter. Law’s sixth rushing touchdown of the season capped a five-play, 27-yard drive that was set up by a 16-yard punt return by redshirt freshman Josh Collins.

UNI increased the lead to 14-0 on a three-yard touchdown run by senior Corey Lewis with 5:48 remaining in the second quarter. Collins again set up the Panthers with a short field after returning a punt 29 yards to the Indiana State 46-yard line.

The Panthers struck again before the half on a 21-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Zach Davis to Lewis. The Panther defense had held the Sycamores on a fourth-and-one at the UNI 40. Law then rushed twice for 24 yards and the Sycamores committed a pass interference penalty to put the ball at the Indiana State 21-yard line. Lewis’ score came with 1:00 left in the first half.

Sophomore linebacker Jamar Thompson got the Panthers back in scoring position in the third quarter after he intercepted a Ryan Roberts pass and returned it 13 yards to the Indiana State 19-yard line. The Panthers drove the ball inside the five-yard line and lined up to attempt a 20-yard field goal by Billy Hallgren. However, a bad snap Stacy Chinander caused the Panther holder Ben Schmidt to cover up the ball at the 14-yard line and turn the ball over on downs to the Sycamores.

UNI added its fourth touchdown of the day when Lewis scored from a yard out with 10:05 left in the fourth quarter to give UNI a 28-0 advantage. A 52-yard pass play from Davis to freshman Jarred Herring put the ball at the one-yard line prior to Lewis’ score.

The UNI defense extended its consecutive quarters of not allowing a touchdown to 12 in the game and limited Indiana State to only 125 yards of total offense. The Panthers held the Sycramores to 19 passing yards and 106 rushing yards.

The Panther offense was led by Law, who rushed for a game-high 89 yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown. Lewis rushed 19 times for 78 yards and two scores. Lewis also added a receiving touchdown. Davis passed for 111 yards on 6-of-11 passing and added a touchdown through the air. Junior Josh Mahoney led the defensive charge with 10 total tackles.

#9 Southern Illinois 38, South Dakota State 35
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Kyle Dougherty made a 28-yard field goal and James Wheeler came up with a huge interception in the last three minutes of the game to give No. 9 Southern Illinois University (8-2, 6-1) a 38-35 win over South Dakota State (6-5, 5-2) earlier today at a frigid McAndrew Stadium.

As expected, SIU and SDSU hooked up in an exciting Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown that came down to the wire.  SIU, which led 35-21 at halftime, saw its two-touchdown lead disappear when SDSU scored on two of its first three drives of the third quarter.

Ryan Berry's 18-yard touchdown pass to Mike Steffen capped a 10-play, 72 yard drive 4:03 into the stanza. After forcing SIU to punt, the Jackrabbits took over on downs in excellent field position at the SIU 37. Five plays later, Kyle Minnett scored on a 1-yard run to tie the game at 35-35 at the 2:57 mark.

SIU, which went scoreless in the third quarter for the sixth time in 10 games this year, then pieced together its longest drive of the game en route to the decisive score.

Chris Dieker completed 6-of-8 passes and Larry Warner ran eight yards to pick up a big first down on a 3rd-and-long to help get SIU deep into SDSU territory. Dougherty, after missing two field goals the week before, then watched his 28-yard kick sail through the uprights to give the Salukis a 38-35 edge with 2:59 left in the game. SIU marched 75 yards in 16 plays, chewing up 6:40 prior to Dougherty's kick.

SDSU stormed back, with Berry completing six of his first seven passes to quickly move the Jackrabbits to the Saluki 29-yardline. Shortly after a first down incompletion, Berry was picked off by Wheeler along the near sideline.  SIU punted on its next possession, giving SDSU one last chance with 12 seconds left. The Jackrabbits had the ball at their own 33 and only gained nine yards on two passing plays, as time expired.

The Salukis once again set the tone in the first half, scoring 14 points in the first quarter and 21 in the second. SIU is outscoring its opponents, 217-75, in the first half this year.

Richard White scored on a 2-yard run and Warner returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Warner broke SIU's all-time career record in kickoffs returned for touchdowns. All three of those returns have come this season.

Dieker threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Damian Sherman, Marty Rodgers returned an interception 57 yards for a TD and Warner scored on a 2-yard scamper in the second quarter. Rodgers, who also finished with a game-high nine tackles, became the third Saluki to run back an interception for a touchdown this season.

Offensively, SIU ran for 102 yards and threw for 245 en route to 347 total yards. Dieker completed 25-for-35 passes for a career-high 245 yards and one TD. Warner, who piled up 269 all-purpose yards, was the Salukis' leading rusher (76 yards, 1 TD) and receiver (6 catches, 73 yards).  Brandin Jordan also had nine tackles to lead the Saluki defense.

Berry completed 29-of-46 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns to lead SDSU. Berry, who has thrown 10 TDs in his last two starts, threw two interceptions and was sacked three times, as well. Glen Fox added 104 yards and one TD on nine receptions.

#25 Western Illinois 48, Illinois State 45 (ot)
Taylor Rowan kicked the game-winning 34-yard field goal in overtime following Robert Hodges’ endzone interception, Herb Donaldson ran for 243 yards and three touchdowns and Jason Williams forced a record-breaking 14th fumble, as the four WIU seniors were among those who helped the Leathernecks (6-4, 4-3) prevail in a back-and-forth battle that saw more than 800 yards of total offense, 48 first downs and 93 points.

Hodges’ interception ended the overtime drive for the Redbirds (3-7, 2-5), who had the ball first in the extra period. With a 17-yard pass to Warren McCarty and three rushes by Geno Blow, they were able to advance to the 1-yard line. A penalty, however, on first-and-goal, pushed them back five yards, where Blow was stopped for a 1-yard gain on first down. A second-down pass into the right corner of the end zone was incomplete, and the third-down attempt to the opposite corner into double-coverage was tipped by Tim Franken and intercepted by Hodges. After Donaldson rushed three times for eight yards to the 17-yard line, Rowan converted his second field goal of the game.

Rowan had put the Leathernecks on the board first with a 30-yard field goal that capped the first drive of the game, but the Redbirds responded with a touchdown on their first drive to provide the first of five lead changes in the first half. Six of the seven second-quarter possessions ended in touchdowns as the Leathernecks took a 31-21 lead into halftime behind 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns by Donaldson.

A Redbirds’ touchdown on the first drive of the second half brought them within three, 31-28, but the Leathernecks responded immediately with a scoring touchdown of their own to go up 10 again, only to give up a touchdown and field goal in the fourth quarter and see their lead disappear. After ISU tied the game at 38 with 8:24 remaining, the Leathernecks drove 68 yards on 11 plays to regain the lead, 45-38, with 2:36 left. The Redbirds then retaliated with a 9-play, 61-yard drive to tie the game at the :43 mark.

The two teams combined for 830 yards of total offense and the sixth-most points in Western Illinois history.

Donaldson’s three touchdowns set a school record of 49 career rushing touchdowns, while the sixth 200-yard game of his career matched a school record. He rushed for 159 yards in the first half and 115 in the second quarter alone.

Williams’ forced fumble, which led to the 10-point halftime lead, set a single-season school record (6) and the FCS career record while tying the all-time Division I record.

#25 North Dakota State 48, Missouri State 27
After an even first half of football on senior day at Missouri State, the Bears fell short as visiting North Dakota State, ranked No. 25 in the Division I FCS, rolled up 35 second-half points en route to a 48-27 win.

A Nick Schommer interception of a Cody Kirby pass on Missouri State’s opening drive of the second half, led to the Bison driving 30 yards for the go-ahead score.  Tyler Rohl danced into the endzone from six yards out at the 10:15 mark of the third to give the lead back to the Bison, 20-13.  The NDSU defensive pressure continued on the next Bears’ possession when Kirby was hit and fumbled, allowing Joe Lardinois to pick up the loose ball and return it 14 yards for a touchdown and extend NDSU’s lead to 27-13, with 7:48 remaining in the third.

That series of plays ultimately sunk the Bears (3-7, 2-5) who fought valiantly on senior day at Plaster Field. NDSU (6-4, 4-3) had 462 yards total offense, but the Bears won the time of possession (35:45) and had more first downs.

Kirby finished with 217 passing yards -- his fifth 200-yard game of the season -- and was 15-for-28 through the air, despite being sacked eight times on the day. Bears' tight end Clay Harbor caught a career high eight passes for 113 yards, while Chris Geisz had a touchdown grab. Kirby also ran for two scores for the Bears.

Trailing 27-13 in the third, Kirby brought the Bears back within 27-20 after a one-yard Kirby TD run as he eclipsed the 3,500-yard mark in career passing on the drive with 52 yards on 2-for-3 attempts. The 86-yard drive consumed 6:16 and took 13 plays.

However, with the Bears creeping back into the game, the Bison went to the air, marching 59 yards on a pair of long completions to extend their lead to two touchdowns just three plays later.  Nick Mertens completed a 12-yard TD strike to Thor Brown to make it 34-20 with 1:08 left in the third quarter to put the finishing touches on a quick, 59-yard drive.

A Clayton Dickehut fumble recovery at the NDSU 19 with 9:52 remaining in the fourth set up a 15-yard touchdown pass from Kirby to Geisz three plays later to once again bring the Bears back within seven points, 34-27. But, Tyler Roehl turned the tides with an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the ensuing drive to extend the lead to 41-27.  The Bison added a late touchdown to pull away 48-27 in the final 1:19.

Roehl finished with 188 yards on 21 carries and a pair of touchdowns for the Bison, while Mertens was 8-for-10 for 108 yards.

On the game’s opening kickoff, the Bears’ Skylar Smith forced a fumble, and the Bears recovered at the NDSU 29 yard line, setting up an eventual 44-yard field goal by Matt Hottelman to give the Bears an early 3-0 lead.

The Bison retaliated with a 29-yard field goal of their own on the ensuing drive, as Shawn Bibeau connected on a 29-yard field goal to cap a 71-yard scoring drive and tie the game, 3-3, at the 8:08 mark.

Bibeau added a 23-yard field goal on the Bison’s next possession to make it 6-3, but the Bears regained the lead at the 13:14 mark of the second quarter on a five-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Cody Kirby. Kirby’s 15th career rushing touchdown capped a 55-yard drive that took just six plays and gave the Bears a 10-6 lead.

At the 9:59 mark of the second quarter, Bison quarterback Nick Mertens countered with a one-yard TD run of his own.  The eight-play, 66-yard drive gave the lead back to NDSU, 13-10.

The Bears marched 67 yards on 12 plays moments later, and tied the game on Hottelman’s second field goal of the half – a 22-yarder – to tie the game, 13-13 with 3:11 to go in the half. The drive included a 32-yard completion from Kirby to Chase Mejia and a 24-yard strike to Clay Harbor, extending Harbor’s streak to 20 consecutive games with a reception.

NDSU fumbled the ensuing kickoff, setting up the Bears at the Bison 43 late in the half, but the Bison held on defense, and the teams went in to the half tied at 13-13.