College GameDay will be headed to Brookings, SD, for the Dakota Marker game between North Dakota State and South Dakota State this Saturday. It marks the ninth time the iconic ESPN show has traveled to an FCS site -- the third time it has visited an MVFC school. It marks the third time the featured site/game will involve two ranked FCS schools, but it’s the first time both FCS schools are ranked in the Top 10 in the polls.
Nov. 16, 2002: Harvard at Penn
Nov. 26, 2005: Southern vs. Grambling State
Nov. 15, 2008: Hampton at Florida A&M
Sept. 21, 2013: Delaware State at #1 NDSU
Sept. 13, 2014: Incarnate Word at #1 NDSU
Nov. 22, 2014: Yale at #14 Harvard
Oct. 24, 2015: #11 Richmond at #4 James Madison
Oct. 14, 2017: #11 Villanova at #1 James Madison
Oct. 26, 2019: #1 NDSU at #3 SDSU
MVFC Weekly Notebook (PDF)
On the Air This Week
All five league games Saturday, Oct. 26, can be seen on either ESPN+ or ESPN3. The Conference will produce and air the Indiana State at Illinois State game on ESPN3 (2 pm CT). Brad Wells, Danan Hughes and Kelly Burke call the action from Hancock Stadium. All four other league games can be viewed on ESPN+.
Saturday, Oct. 26
Western Illinois at RV Youngstown State | Youngstown, OH • 2 p.m. ET [ESPN+]
Indiana State at #7 Illinois State [HC] | Normal, IL • 2 p.m. CT [ESPN3]
#11 UNI at Missouri State [HC] | Springfield, MO • 2 p.m. CT [ESPN+]
#1 North Dakota State at #3 South Dakota State | Brookings, SD • 2 p.m. CT [NBC ND/Midco/E+]
RV Southern Illinois at South Dakota | Vermillion, SD • 4 p.m. CT [Midco/ESPN+]
Ranked vs. Ranked
There have been 177 games in which two MVFC teams ranked in the top 25 played one another. Of the previous 177 games, 46 times the meeting involved teams that were both ranked in the Top 10 at the same time. Ten meetings have occurred in the playoffs. The home team is 103-73, while the higher-ranked team is 112-65. One game (between Illinois State and North Dakota State in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 10, 2015) was played at a neutral site. The last time two MVFC teams ranked in the Top 3 played one another was on Sept. 29, 2018. That’s happened three previous times in MVFC history.
MVFC -- Two Top-3 Teams vs. Each Other
10/29/11 #2 UNI at #3 NDSU NDSU, 27-19
10/6/12 #3 YSU at #1 NDSU NDSU, 48-7
9/29/18 #3 SDSU at #1 NDSU NDSU, 21-17
Winning Against No. 1
When North Dakota State knocked off top-ranked and previously unbeaten James Madison in the 2017 FCS title game, It marked the 17th time an MVFC member had recorded a win vs. the nation’s top-rated team (nine of those 17 wins were against a fellow league member). South Dakota State beat No. 1 North Dakota State in 2016, and the Jackrabbits are 1-8 all-time against top-ranked teams while an MVFC member.
Still Perfect
Just three FCS teams remain unbeaten in 2019. There are still 10 perfect FBS teams.
FCS Unbeaten Teams (2019)
7-0 North Dakota State
5-0 Dartmouth, Princeton
FBS Unbeaten Teams (2019)
7-0 Clemson, Ohio State, Baylor, Minnesota, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Penn State, SMU
6-0 Appalachian State
4 MVFC Teams Ranked
Two-time defending national champ North Dakota State headlines a list of four MVFC teams who appear in the polls this week.
Strength of Schedule Ratings, Massey Ratings
1. UNI
11. Missouri State
15. South Dakota
16. Southern Illinois
20. South Dakota State
27. North Dakota State
30. Illinois State
Home Sweet Home
Three league schools are still perfect at home this season. North Dakota State (23) and South Dakota State (15) lead the FCS. Alabama’s 30-game winning streak at home leads the FBS. UNI (4-0) at home this year has a current 8-game home winning streak.
NCAA Leaders, Active Home Win Streaks
23 - North Dakota State (MVFC)
15 - South Dakota State (MVFC)
13 - Grambling State (SWAC)
Taking the Show on the Road
North Dakota State extended its FCS-leading road winning streak to seven games with its victory at Illinois State on Oct. 5.
NCAA Leaders, Active Road Win Streaks
7 - North Dakota State (MVFC)
6 - Princeton (Ivy)
4 - Dartmouth (Ivy)
4 - James Madison (CAA)
Back to Back, Jack
NDSU picked up its fourth win against a top-25 team in as many games as the Bison knocked off #10 Illinois State on Oct. 12, 2019. The Bison closed the 2018 season with four-straight wins against ranked foes (#23 Montana State, #7 Colgate, #5 South Dakota State and #3 Eastern Washington.) During its current 28-game winning streak, NDSU has beaten 16 teams ranked in the Top 25 at the time of the game.
Bison on Another Run
North Dakota State has extended its current winning streak to an FCS-best 28 games. NDSU set a league and FCS record with a 33-game win streak from 2012-14. Clemson has the longest active streak in the FBS with 22-straight victories.
Active FCS Winning Streaks
28 -- North Dakota State
15 -- Princeton
7 – Dartmouth
7 -- James Madison
6 -- South Dakota State
Longest FCS Winning Streaks (All Time)
33 -- North Dakota State (2012-14)
28 -- North Dakota State (2017-present)
26 -- James Madison (2016-17)
24 -- Penn (1992-95)
24 -- Montana (2001-02)
Longest Active FCS Win Streaks (League Only)
32 -- San Diego (PFL)
14 -- North Dakota State (MVFC)
11 -- Kennesaw State (Big South)
9 -- Princeton (Ivy)
9 -- Weber State (Big Sky)
MVFC in the XFL Draft
A total of 85 players were drafted from FCS programs, led by WR Rashard Davis from James Madison, who was the first-overall selection in the XFL Draft. UNI’s Elijah Campbell -- taken fourth among DBs by the DC Defenders -- headlines a list of 12 former MVFC players drafted by teams in the upstart league. The season begins Saturday, Feb. 9, 2020.
Player, Pos., (Positional Draft Pick No.)
Dallas Renegades | C.J. Smith, CB, North Dakota State (open draft)
DC Defenders | Jameer Thurman, LB, Indiana State (44)
DC Defenders | Elijah Campbell, CB, Northern Iowa (4)
DC Defenders | Deion Holliman, WR, Missouri State (open draft)
New York Guardians | Nick DeLuca, LB, North Dakota State (39)
New York Guardians | David Rivers, CB, Youngstown State (18)
St. Louis Battlehawks | Damoun Patterson, WR, Youngstown State (open)
St. Louis Battlehawks | Kellen Soulek, DT, South Dakota State (open)
Seattle Dragons | John Santiago, WR, South Dakota (58)
Seattle Dragons | Tyson Graham, S, South Dakota (59)
Los Angeles Wildcats | Taryn Christion, QB, S. Dakota State (open draft)
Los Angeles Wildcats | Roman Tatum, CB, Southern Illinois (28)
Great Start to a Career
Through the first seven games of his career, North Dakota State rookie QB Trey Lance ranks among the NCAA leaders in pass efficiency (4th with a 183.9 rating) and ‘points responsible for’ (t-12th with 18.9 points per game). He’s the NCAA freshman leader in both categories. Former NDSU QB Easton Stick established the league single-season record with his 172.4 rating in 2018.
Paper or Plastic?
Four MVFC student-athletes rank among the top 10 in the FCS in sacks per game this year. Elerson Smith of UNI leads the MVFC and ranks 3rd nationally with 1.21 per game. Derrek Tuszka of North Dakota State (7th at 1.08 per game); Justus Reed of Youngstown State (8th at 1.07 per game) and Romeo McKnight of Illinois State (10th at 1.00) also represent the league in the Top 10. Illinois State ranks 2nd as a team (4.71 per game), Southern Illinois is 7th (3.57) and South Dakota State ranks 8th (3.29).
Among the NCAA Rush Leaders
Two MVFC runningbacks are among the FCS leaders in rushing yards per game. South Dakota State’s Pierre Strong leads the MVFC and ranks 9th in the FCS (108.0). James Robinson of Illinois State is 12th in the FCS with an average of 106.3 per game. Strong is one of the most explosive backs in the FCS, averaging 8.31 yards per carry, which ranks 3rd in the subdivision.
Big Play Guys
UNI’s Isaiah Weston exploded for three scores on Saturday against South Dakota. He had 189 receiving yards on just four catches and now averages 25.9 yards per reception, second in the FCS. Kacper Rutkiewicz of Illinois State ranks 8th (23.0).
First Things First
South Dakota leads the MVFC and ranks sixth in the FCS in total first downs. The Coyotes have accumulated 179 first downs in seven games. Every team ahead of them has played one additional game.
Total Defense Leaders
Two Valley Football teams rank among the FCS leaders in total defense. North Dakota State (2nd with 262.1 yards per game allowed per game) and South Dakota State (6th, 291.6 ypg) lead the way for the MVFC. Three league schools rank in the Top 11 in the FCS for fewest points allowed. North Dakota State leads the MVFC and ranks second nationally (10.3 ppg). South Dakota State ranks 6th (15.6 ppg), while Illinois State clocks in at 11th (18.0 ppg). North Dakota State recorded the 43rd shutout in league play, holding Missouri State scoreless in a 22-0 win last week. USD blanked Indiana State earlier this year, 38-0.
What a Rush
North Dakota State leads the MVFC and ranks fourth in the FCS, averaging 287.0 yards per game on the ground. South Dakota State gains 236.9 per game to rank 13th in the FCS.
In the Red Zone
Illinois State leads the FCS in Red Zone defense, allowing opponents to convert just 52.2 percent of their chances when inside the Red Zone. South Dakota State ranks 8th (65.0 percent), while North Dakota State is 18th (69.2 percent). The Bison are efficient on offense, too, ranking 6th in the FCS, as NDSU has converted 92.9 percent of its trips into the Red Zone into points this year.