Big Week Ahead
Four of the five MVFC games this weekend will feature at least one Top 25 team. Two games (12th-ranked UNI at No. 5 North Dakota State; 7th-ranked Southern Illinois at No. 2 South Dakota State) pair two MVFC ranked teams. UND, ranked No. 13, travels to play South Dakota, and the Yotes are receiving votes in both polls this week.
Weekly Notebook (PDF)
Saturday, Oct. 9
Western Illinois at Indiana State, 12 p.m. CT (ESPN3)
#15/16 Missouri State at Youngstown State, 1 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
#16/12 UNI at #5/5 NDSU, 1 p.m. CT (ABC ND/ESPN+)
#8/7 Southern Illinois at #2/3 SDSU, 2 p.m. CT (Midco/E+)
#13/15 UND at RV South Dakota, 2 p.m. CT (Midco/ESPN+)
Idle: Illinois State
Ranked vs. Ranked
Counting last week’s UND-NDSU game in Grand Forks, N.D., there have been 197 games in league history in which two ranked MVFC teams played one another. The home team is 113-83, and the higher-ranked team has an all-time mark of 125-72.
Six MVFC Teams Crack Top 15
Four (or more) league teams have been ranked in the Top 15 of FCS polls all six weeks this year. That’s now happened 100 times in league history. All six of the MVFC’s ranked teams are in the Top 15 in one or both of the FCS polls this week. That’s now happened five times in league history, most recently on March 1, 2021.
Campbell Trophy Semifinalists
Five MVFC student-athletes have been selected as Semifinalists for one of college football’s most prestigious awards, the National Football Foundation’s William V. Campbell Trophy. There are 36 total nominees from the FCS. Celebrating its 32nd year, the Campbell Trophy® recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.
- OL Wes Genant, South Dakota State
- DE Brawntae Wells, UNI
- LB Jack Cochrane, South Dakota
- RB Christian Turner, Youngstown State
- LT Matt Waletzko, North Dakota
Working Overtime
Southern Illinois defeated Western Illinois this past week in overtime, 31-30. It marked the first overtime in league play since 2019 (Missouri State beat Western). Southern Illinois improved its record to 7-2 in league games decided in overtime, while Western Illinois fell to 5-3 all-time in conference overtime games.
Only 11 Unbeatens Remain
Through games of Saturday, Oct. 2, there are only 11 FCS teams who still have a perfect record -- two of those 11 schools are in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. North Dakota State and South Dakota State are both 4-0.
5-0 -- ETSU, Eastern Washington, UC Davis
4-0 -- JMU, NDSU, Rhode Island, Sam Houston, SDSU
3-0 -- Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton
MVFC is 18-2 vs. the FCS
Missouri Valley Football schools have built its FCS-best record against peer conferences to 18-2 following South Dakota State’s win against visiting Dixie State.
Kicking It
Led by Missouri State’s 44.45 net punting average, four MVFC schools are in the Top 8 of the FCS in that statistical category. South Dakota (6th, 42.28), Southern Illinois (7th, 42.16) and Illinois State (8th, 41.52) represent the league on that list.
Getting Defensive
Five MVFC teams are allowing fewer than 100 yards rushing per game this season. North Dakota State leads the league and ranks fifth nationally by allowing opponents just 60.8 rushing yards per game. The Bison rank fourth nationally in total defense, yielding just 219.8 yards per contest. Also, three league schools rank in the Top 5 nationally in scoring defense. NDSU is second in the FCS, allowing just 5.8 points per game; SDSU is third (9.2) and UNI is 5th (10.5).
NDSU, which leads the nation in Red Zone defense, has allowed only four total trips in four games inside its own 20-yard line, with just one TD allowed. SDSU, meanwhile, ranks fifth in the FCS in Red Zone defense.
Getting Offensive
North Dakota State continues to lead the FCS in rushing yards per game as the Bison are averaging 317.0 yards through its first four wins. SDSU ranks 6th-best nationally with its 249.0 per game rushing average. South Dakota State’s scoring average (48.2) leads the league and ranks third in the FCS.
Bari Breaks Out
Heading into the game against Missouri State, talented redshirt freshman Jabari Khepera had just six receptions dating back to last spring in eight games played. Against No. 16 Missouri State, Khepera nearly tied that mark with five receptions and set career-highs with 107 yards receiving against the Bears in a breakout performance. The Texas native caught his first career touchdown, a 75-yard bomb from fellow freshman quarterback Jackson Waring, and averaged 21.4 yards per reception in the contest. He now ranks second on the team in receiving and is averaging 13.9 yards per grab on the year.
Waring Airs It Out
In just his second career start, Jackson Waring came out strong in the first half of the Redbirds’ game against Missouri State. Facing stout fronts shutting down the running game, Waring took the top off the defense with long completions of 30, 24, 59, 23, 75 and 17 yards. He also threw the first three touchdowns of his young career, including the 75-yard strike to Jabari Khepera midway through the second quarter. He would finish the game with a career-high 318 yards passing and is now completing 61.3 percent of his passes on the year.
Third Time’s a Charm
The Redbird defense had great chances at some interceptions against No. 16 Missouri State but couldn’t seem to haul one in until Jarrell Jackson finally hauled one in late in the contest. On back-to-back plays in the third quarter, the Redbirds had potential interceptions bounce off their hands, but they ultimately forced a punt. However, Jackson was able to record his second of the season after the ball bounced off the Bears receiver and he dove to get the pick. It was his team-leading second of the season as the Redbirds now have seven total interceptions.
Larkin Does It All
Redshirt senior tight end Zach Larkin has been a jack-of-all-trades for the Indiana State offense in the 2021 season. Larkin has posted back-to-back five-catch games, scored receiving touchdowns against Northwestern and South Dakota, lined up as the Sycamores Wildcat quarterback in short-yardage situations, and the former quarterback even completed his first pass of the season against the Coyotes. Larkin’s ability to make things happen when the ball is in his hands has been vital to the Indiana State offense on the year and he enters the week having caught at least one pass in 12 consecutive games, while coming off a career-high 42 receiving yard game against USD. He is expected to once again be among the team leaders this weekend in a key matchup against Western Illinois.
DBs in the Backfield
Indiana State recorded four sacks this past weekend against South Dakota, but they did not come from the usual suspects as the Sycamores found a way to utilize their defensive back pass rush effectively against the Coyotes. Both Dwayne Thompson II and Michael Thomas both recorded their first sacks of the season, while JJ Henderson added another tackle for loss as the defensive backs continued to pressure the line of scrimmage. The Sycamores will look to their veteran leaders to continue to add to a pass rush that has already accumulated 13.0 sacks and 36.0 tackles for loss.
Spreading the Ball Around
Indiana State’s quarterbacks have been able to spread the ball around to the wealth of targets in the offense this season. The Sycamores have completed passes to 12 different players on the year with Daijon Collins and Anthony Thompson adding their names to the list this past weekend against South Dakota. Rontrez Morgan leads the team with 26 catches on the year, while Phazione McClurge (15) and Zach Larkin (16) are also in double-digits on the year. Overall, 10 different players have recorded multiple catches in the Sycamores offense this season.
Second-Half Separation
In conference games, the Bears have outscored their MVFC foes by a combined 37-0 margin in the second half. Likewise, MSU’s defense has held its first two league foes to a combined 5-for-28 (.178) on third down in the second half and just 236 yards on 62 combined plays in the third and fourth quarter.
Murray Approaching 1,000
Jordan Murray (WR, Lee’s Summit, Mo.) is just 18 receiving yards away from 1,000 for his career. He has 82 receptions in 34 career games with the Bears and scored his 10th career TD in last week’s win at Illinois State. He would become just the 24th Bears player to reach 1,000 career receiving yards (joining teammate Damoriea Vick).
Bragging on Braswell
Cornerback Montrae Braswell (Avon Park, Fla.) snagged his third interception of the season in last week’s win at Illinois State and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. It marked Braswell’s sixth interception in 11 games at MSU. He ranks fifth nationally in interceptions per game (0.75) and fifth in kickoff return average (34.2).
Against the Yotes
Over its history, North Dakota has racked up 62 all-time wins over South Dakota in a series that dates back to 1903. A win on Saturday would give the Yotes the honor of being the program that UND has defeated most in its history. The Hawks have totaled 62 all-time wins against both USD and NDSU, and is the only Division I school in the Dakotas to hold a winning record against the other three.
Bison Snap Streaks
North Dakota dropped a 16-10 contest to No. 5 NDSU last Saturday at the Alerus Center, the first meeting between the two in-state rivals in Grand Forks since 2003. The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak at home for UND, the second longest in the building’s history and a run of seven straight victories at home over ranked foes.
Weah Hits a Century
RB Otis Weah became the Fighting Hawks eighth 1,000-yard rusher in UND’s Division I history after an 85-yard performance against No. 5 North Dakota State. Weah will look to replicate his best performance of his career on Saturday, when he rushed for 163 yards and two scores in the 21-10 win over South Dakota last season.
Homecoming Herd
A standing-room-only crowd is expected when North Dakota State welcomes Northern Iowa into the Fargodome for the NDSU homecoming game this Saturday. The Bison have won nine straight on homecoming including the 2019 tilt with UNI, which is making its fourth appearance in Fargo for the annual game. UNI is looking to snap a six-game losing streak in the Fargodome, where the Panthers are 1-6 with a 42-27 win in their first visit in 2009. NDSU will introduce its 49th class of the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame, which includes All-America left tackle Chuck Klabo, a four-year starter and member of the 2000 NCAA Division II semifinal team that went 12-2.
Burst From the Backfield
North Dakota State continues to lead the FCS in rushing with 317.0 yards per game led by a foursome of Bison backs who are averaging at least 7.0 yards per carry – TaMerik Williams (9.1), Jalen Bussey (9.0), Hunter Luepke (8.4) and Dominic Gonnella (7.6). And that doesn’t include quarterback Quincy Patterson, who had a game-high 19 carries and 92 yards at North Dakota last week. Patterson is averaging 5.0 yards per carry on a team-high 41 rushing attempts.
Defense Stands Strong
North Dakota State made two key fourth-down stops and got a pivotal interception from safety Dawson Weber to escape with a 16-10 road win over North Dakota last week. NDSU kept UND out of the red zone for the second straight year, allowing only a 30-yard passing touchdown and 46-yard field goal. The league-leading Bison rank fourth nationally in total defense (219.8), second in scoring defense (5.8) and third down conversion defense (.218), and first in red zone defense (.250) with a fumble, interception and turnover on downs in four opponent trips inside the 20.
Turnovers a Key for Panthers
With 3 interceptions on the year, Benny Sapp III leads the Panthers in turnovers and ranks 5th in the nation. Sapp finished with one interception against Sacramento State and had two against St. Thomas.
Cuvelier Shines Again
MLB Spencer Cuvelier earned MVFC Defensive Player of the week for the second time this season after finishing with 17 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup against Youngstown State. He has injected himself in every play, averaging 11.8 tackles per game, second best in the MVFC and 5th nationally.
Hovering Around Top 25
South Dakota is receiving votes and sits just outside the top-25 in both FCS polls. The Coyotes have knocked off a ranked opponent every year since 2013 (0-1 this fall). Notably, USD beat then-No. 10 North Dakota 45-7 in 2017 (last meeting in Vermillion)
Thomas Off To Quick Start
Nate Thomas, fourth on the depth chart and didn’t play until game three, is the Valley’s third-leading rusher at 87 yards per game. Speaking of the ground game, opposing RBs have run 97 times for 232 yards with zero TDs (2.4 ypc).
Ringing a Bell
Carter Bell has been Carson Camp’s leading receiver in seven of nine career starts. Also, WR Caleb Vander Esch caught his 100th collegiate pass during last week’s game.
Second-Quarter Outbursts
South Dakota State a program Division I-era record when it scored 35 points in the second quarter of its Oct. 2 Beef Bowl game against Dixie State. It marked the most points in any quarter by a Jackrabbit squad since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, surpassing the previous record of 31 in the second quarter of a 2005 game against Valparaiso. Through four games this season, the Jackrabbits have outscored the opposition by a 90-10 margin in the second quarter. SDSU has scored at least 14 points in the second quarter of each of its games.
Winning the Turnover Battle
The Jackrabbits have yet to turn the ball over through four games, continuing a stretch of taking care of the football that dates back to their run to the national championship game in the spring. Starting with their April 17 win at North Dakota State, South Dakota State has committed only one turnover in its last nine games, with the lone miscue an interception in the title tilt against Sam Houston. Conversely, the SDSU defense has forced 15 turnovers in that span, including five in last week’s win over Dixie State. The Jackrabbits are plus-9 in turnover margin so far this year.
Tight Ends Catching On
South Dakota State’s stable of tight ends has played a key role in the passing game for the Jackrabbits this season. Combined, the trio of Zach Heins (3), Tucker Kraft (3) and Mike Morgan (2) have combined for eight of the Jackrabbits’ 14 TD catches so far this season. Each of the three has a two-touchdown game this season, with Morgan recording the first two scores of his career on pass plays of 11 and 55 yards Oct. 2 against Dixie State. Kraft also leads the team in total receptions with 16.
Recapping the OT Victory
Southern Illinois beat WIU (31-30) in Macomb for the seventh time in its last 10 tries on a 25-yard TD pass from QB Nic Baker to WR Landon Lenoir on the first play of the overtime. The Leathernecks’ Myles Wanza raced 25 yards for a TD on their first play of the OT only to see WIU fail to convert a subsequent two-point conversion attempt. SIU is 2-0 in MVFC games for the first time since it was 2-0 in 2014. The Salukis are 4-1 overall since starting the 2020 season 4-1.
Gualdoni Ranks 10th
SIU PK Nic Gualdoni moved into 10th place on SIU’s all-time scoring list when he scored 15 points at WIU. He is in fifth place in career PATS (102) and is tied for seventh place in career field goals with 31. He is averaging a career-best 61 yards per kickoff in 2021.
Lenoir Scores
WR Landon Lenoir raised his career pass receiving TD total to 14 with two TD receptions at WIU. He is tied for eighth place all-time at SIU in career receiving TDs. He is third all-time at SIU in career receptions (172) and fourth in career receiving yards (2,168). Lenoir’s caught a pass in 25 consecutive games and in all but five games in his 45 game Saluki career.
Against the Jacks; Top 5
SIU’s lost six in a row versus the Jackrabbits, including two games in Spring 2021. SDSU beat SIU 44-3 in Carbondale during the regular season and then beat the Salukis 31-26 in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. SDSU scored 28 or more points in each of its six consecutive wins. SDSU leads the all-time series, 9-3. SIU is 2-4 lifetime in games played in Brookings, SD. Notably, SIU was 3-1 versus top five teams during the Spring 2021 season. The victories came over #1 North Dakota State, #4 UNI, and #3 Weber State. The lone loss came at #2 SDSU during the FCS playoffs. Prior to Spring 2021, SIU’s last victory over a top five team came in 2013 at #4 UNI.
Another Leatherneck Rally
Hosting Southern Illinois for its Homecoming weekend, Western bounced back from an early deficit to make it a close call but ultimately fell short in overtime, 31-30. It was Western’s first overtime showing of the fall.
Pick Six
Against SIU, Western’s Jalen Powe grabbed his first interception of the season and is one of two Leathernecks to return a pick for a touchdown this year (Mike Lawson being the other). Five different Leathernecks scored for Western.
Sack Masters
Saturday against Southern Illinois marked the first time the WIU team defense recorded five or more sacks since playing at South Dakota in 2018.
Homecoming Happiness
The Penguins are playing their 81st Homecoming contest this Saturday against Missouri State. YSU has won seven of its last 10 Homecoming contests, including a 28-10 win over South Dakota back in March. The Penguins own an all-time mark of 54-25-1 in Homecoming contests. At Stambaugh Stadium, YSU 26-13 in Homecoming games. This is just the second time that Missouri State will be the Guins’ Homecoming foe. YSU beat the Bears 31-7 back in 2005.
Dixon Model of Consistency
Senior LB Grant Dixon has at least six tackles in each of this first four games this season. He leads the team with 26 total stops - 11 solos and 15 assists. In the spring, Dixon led the Penguins in the spring with 55 total tackles. In eight of 10 games with the program, he has recorded at least six stops. He tied his season high with seven tackles at UNI last Saturday. He had his second career interception against the Panthers as well.
Two-Way Starter
Junior CB Natavious Payne made his first career start on defense at UNI. Payne had spent the first three years with the program as a wide receiver. Impressively, he started six games at wide receiver in the seven-game spring campaign before switching positions in fall camp. Payne caught a team-high 12 passes for 141 yards in the spring. This fall, he has 11 tackles, including 10 solos and a sack. In his career he has 30 receptions for 313 yards and a TD.