Four conference games and one non-conference game highlight this week’s action. (In the non-league game, South Dakota hosts nationally ranked Montana. And Western Illinois is on a bye this week). Each of the four league contests features a significant streak, by one or both of the teams.

Streaks of Note This Week
Indiana State at South Dakota State -- INS (L-6)
Youngstown State at UNI -- YSU (W-5), UNI (L-5)
Illinois St. at North Dakota St. -- NDSU (W-17), ILS (W-3)
Missouri State at Southern Illinois -- MSU (W-3)

GAMES THIS WEEKEND (NOV. 9)
Indiana State at #19/20 South Dakota State, Brookings, S.D. [2:00 p.m.]
Note: South Dakota State leads the all-time series, 3-2. The Jacks won the first two games in the series, Indiana State won the next two, and then SDSU won last year, 24-10.

RV/NR Missouri State at RV/RV Southern Illinois, Carbondale, IL, 2:00 p.m.
Note: The all-time series between the two schools is at 18-17 in SIU’s favor. The Salukis have won nine of the past 10 games against the Bears, with the only MSU victory coming in 2010.

RV/NR Illinois State at #1/1 North Dakota State, Fargo, N.D., 2:30 p.m. [ND NBC/FCS]
Note: North Dakota State leads the young series, 4-2, which includes a 20-10 win at Fargo in 2011. In 2012, the teams were both ranked (Illinois State -- #11 and North Dakota State -- #1). The game was played on the final day of the regular-season, with the winner earning the league’s AQ. Before that, the last “winner-take-all” contest in the league was in 2009.

#9/8 Youngstown State at RV/RV UNI, Cedar Falls, IA, 4:00 p.m. [Panther Sports Network]
Note: UNI has a 20-7 lead in the all-time series, which started in 1978. Until last year, the Panthers had won 11-straight against Youngstown State.

#10/12 Montana at RV/NR South Dakota, Vermillion, S.D., 1:00 p.m. [Midco Sports Network]
Note: Montana leads the all-time series, which began in 1915, 10-6. The Griz have a three-game win streak vs. USD, winning last year, 35-24. Before that, the teams hadn’t played since 1999.


Interception Frenzy
 OLB Jeremy Springer of Missouri State tallied half of the Bears’ four interceptions in the win against Indiana State, and he had
one of the club’s three interception returns for touchdowns which established a new MSU and MVFC record. The previous MVFC record of two pick sixes in a game has been accomplished many times, including earlier this year by Western Illinois (vs. Hampton).

Just a Few Perfect Teams Left
 There are a total of 10 teams in Division I football with perfect records through games of Nov. 2 - and three in the FCS. North Dakota State (8-0) represents the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Here’s the list:

Remaining Unbeaten Teams in the FCS
Fordham (Patriot) --- 9-0
Coastal Carolina (Big South) --- 9-0
North Dakota State (MVFC) --- 8-0

Just 11 Teams With 8 Wins
 Only 11 teams in the FCS have eight victories through games of Nov. 2. North Dakota State and Youngstown State represent the MVFC on that list. Just three FCS teams (Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Fordham) have recorded nine wins this year.

5-0 for First Time
 Youngstown State rallied in the fourth quarter to win 38-34 at South Dakota last Saturday, scoring the go-ahead TD with :14 left. The Penguins improved to 5-0 for the first time in the league (YSU joined the MVFC in 1997). Only once previously have two teams with 6-0 MVFC records faced one another (YSU and NDSU play one another on Nov. 16 on ESPN3 at 1 pm CT).

Previous 5-0 League Starts
 Only 11 teams in league history have started a season with at least six-straight conference victories. (21 teams, counting NDSU and YSU this year, have started 5-0). All of the previous 19 teams to start 5-0 finished second or better in the league standings. Eighteen of the 19 earned playoff berths; and 17 won the title. Ten of them went undefeated in league play. Five times in league history (1987, 2003, 2009, 2011, and 2013) two teams were 5-0 or better the same season.

Active Career Passing Leaders
 QB Kurt Hess of Youngstown State is the school’s all-time leader (surpassing Tom Zetts, 2003-07). Hess now has 8,528 career passing yards, which is No. 4 on the all-time MVFC list and leads all active league QBs. The top three active leaders in the MVFC for career passing yards all hold their school’s record for career yards. Austin Sumner (Jr.) of SDSU and Sawyer Kollmorgen (So.) are the two non-seniors among the Top 5 active passers in the MVFC.

Active Career Receiving Leaders
 MyCole Pruitt of Southern Illinois is the league’s active leader in receiving yards and continues to climb the all-time charts -- he is the school’s record-holder for receiving yards by a tight end. No TE in MVFC history has eclipsed 2,000 career receiving yards. Clay Harbor (2006-09) of Missouri State is the league record holder, at 1,906 career yards. RB David Johnson, meanwhile, reached 100 career receptions, becoming the first RB in the league to get to 100 since 2008 (Corey Lewis of UNI had exactly 100 receptions).

In the Zone
 Youngstown State has been remarkable this season when inside the Red Zone. The Penguins rank No. 1 nationally, converting 94.9 percent (37 of 39) of their opportunities inside the 20-yard line into scores. YSU has 33 TDs and four field goals in 39 trips inside their opponents’ 20-yard line. The Top 10 teams in Red Zone Efficiency have combined for a 76-22 (.776) record.

What’s the Rush?
 Zach Zenner led the nation in rushing yards per game last year, and he currently ranks No. 4 this season. SDSU plays Indiana State this weekend, and Zenner, a junior, has rushed for 13 yards (3 carries in 2011) and 237 yards (29 carries last year) in his two previous games against the Sycamores.