To celebrate 30 years of excellence in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the league is recognizing some of its all-time top moments.  We’ve divided these moments into 10 categories, and have selected the Top 3 in each … today, we take a look at the “Number Ones.”

League teams have spent a combined 79 weeks as the nation’s No. 1 team, but this segment takes a look at our success against the Number Ones.  A league member has beaten a non-league No. 1 team five times in the league’s first 29 seasons.  Seven other times, a league team beat an MVFC team who was ranked No. 1.  The league has an all-time 5-11 record against non-MVFC No. 1 teams (four of those came in the playoffs, and two of them were in the title game.)

If not listed below, the moment you are looking for could be coming later in another yet-to-be released Top Moment segment (or has already been included in a previous segment).  Still to come:

• Championship Clinchers
• Streak Snappers
• Individual Accomplishments 

TOP 3

Oct. 13, 2012 (Indiana State 17, #1 North Dakota State 14) –Johnny Towalid had two interceptions and returned both for scores as the Sycamores defeated top-ranked and unbeaten NDSU in Fargo.   It marked ISU’s first win over a No.-1 ranked team.

Oct. 27, 2005. (Southern Illinois 31, # 1 Western Kentucky 20).  In a nationally televised game on ESPNU, Arkee Whitlock had 207 rushing yards to help down the nation’s top-ranked team.  It remains SIU’s lone win against a No. 1 team.

Dec. 3, 2005 - UNI knocked then No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded New Hampshire in the FCS quarterfinals, 24-21. It marks one of two wins for the Panthers against a No. 1 rated team.

OTHERS CONSIDERED

Oct. 3, 1998 (#11 Western Illinois 14, #1 Youngstown State 0)  For the only time in its history, Western knocked off the nation’s No. 1 team during an eight-game win streak in 1998, a season where Western reached the NCAA semifinals.

Nov. 12, 2011 • (Youngstown State 27, #1 North Dakota State 24) Youngstown State trailed by 11 points twice in the first half, and a third-quarter FG held up.  It marked YSU’s first win over a top-ranked team in a regular-season game.

Nov. 7, 1992 – (Eastern Illinois 21, #1 UNI 15) Eastern Illinois spoiled UNI’s bid for a perfect conference season in what was the EIU’s only victory over a No. 1 ranked team in 11 seasons as a league member.

Nov. 13, 1993 (Illinois State 13, #1 Youngstown State 10) -- Danny Barnett connected with Kevin Glenn on a 71-yard pass with 2:50 left to lead the Redbirds to a victory over the No. 1 Penguins and head coach Jim Tressel.

WINNING AGAINST NO. 1

A Valley Football school has 12 wins vs. a No. 1-ranked team.  Seven times a league team has knocked another league team from the top spot - the last to do it was Indiana State (in 2012 vs. NDSU).

1992 -- Eastern Illinois 21, #1 UNI 15

1993 -- Illinois State 13, #1 Youngstown State 10

1997 -- UNI 35, #1 Youngstown State 32

1997 -- Youngstown State 37, #1 Villanova 34

1998 -- Western Illinois 14, #1 Youngstown State 0

2002 -- Western Kentucky 34, #1 McNeese St. 14

2005 -- Illinois State 61, #1 Southern Illinois 35

2005 -- S. Illinois 31, #1 Western Kentucky 20

2005 -- UNI 24, #1 New Hampshire 21

2011 -- Youngstown State 27, #1 N. Dakota State 24

2011 -- North Dakota State 17, #1 Sam Houston 6

2012 -- Indiana State 17, #1 North Dakota State 14