Conference play begins Saturday for eight league schools.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference continues to dominate the Top 25 rankings, with six teams in both the Stats Perform and AFCA FCS top-25 polls.  South Dakota State, ranked No. 2 in the Stats Perform poll this week, leads the way for MVFC schools.

Weekly Notebook (PDF)

Saturday, Sept. 25
#2/3 South Dakota State at Indiana State, 12 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
RV Illinois State at #7/8 Southern Illinois, 2 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Western Illinois at Youngstown State, 5 p.m. CT (ESPN+)     
RV South Dakota at #18/18 Missouri State, 7 p.m. CT (ESPN3)
Idle:  UNI, North Dakota State, North Dakota

Top-25 designations list Stats Perform poll first, followed by the AFCA Coaches rankings.  RV = receiving votes.

Open Season
The Missouri Valley Football Conference is celebrating its 37th anniversary this fall. Last spring, North Dakota State extended its active winning streak in MVFC season-opening games to 10 games with a 25-7 victory vs. Youngstown State on Feb. 21.  Notably, Southern Illinois and Missouri State played in the league’s first conference game on Sept. 7, 1985.

MVFC is 17-2 vs. the FCS
Missouri Valley Football schools went 7-1 in non-league play on Sept. 18, and it has built its FCS-best record against peer conferences to 17-2.   Here are the leaders (FCS vs. FCS) thru Sept. 18.

Missouri Valley -- 17-2
CAA Football -- 16-3
Big Sky -- 11-7
SoCon -- 8-5

Dominant in the Massey Ratings
All 11 MVFC schools are ranked in the top 36 of the Massey Ratings.  South Dakota State leads the league (and the nation), and the Jacks are one of eight MVFC schools in the Top 14.  Four league teams are in the Top 6.

Home-Opening Win Streaks
North Dakota continues to roll in home openers, notching its 35th straight win with a shutout over visiting Drake in the Alerus Center on Sept. 18.  Earlier this season, North Dakota State extended its streak -- second-best nationally -- to 23.

35 – North Dakota (1987-21)
23 – North Dakota State (1999-21)
22 – Central Arkansas (2000-21)
19 – James Madison (2003-21)
19 – Harvard (2001-2019)
18 – Montana (2004-21)
17 – McNeese (2005-21)

Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series
The Missouri Valley Football Conference has won the 2021 Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series.  The 2021 season is the fifth year of the series.  Last year’s series had no regular-season games, but the MVFC won both playoff meetings.  The previous three seasons (2017-19) featured 26 total regular-season matchups.  Including the six games this year, MVFC schools have a 20-12 overall edge in regular-season games played and have won the series each season (5-3 in 2017, 5-3 in 2018, 6-4 in 2019, 4-2 in 2021).

Sept. 4 -- #7 North Dakota at Idaho State    UND, 35-14
Sept. 11 -- Northern Arizona at South Dakota    USD, 34-7
Sept. 11 -- Western Illinois at #4 Montana    UM, 42-7
Sept. 11 -- #14 UNI at Sacramento State    UNI, 34-16
Sept. 18 -- #6 E. Washington at W. Illinois    EWU, 62-56
Sept. 18 -- South Dakota at Cal Poly    USD, 48-14

NDSU Leads the Nation
North Dakota State continues to lead the FCS in rushing with 348.3 yards per game through three non-conference games. The Bison have used 13 ball carriers with eight of those players averaging more than 8.0 yards per carry, and seven players have rushed for touchdowns led by fullback Hunter Luepke’s three. Dominic Gonnella leads the Bison with 29 carries for 238 yards and SMU transfer TaMerik Williams is second on the team with 172 yards on 19 carries.

Good to the Last Drop
On Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, Indiana State knocked off Eastern Kentucky on the game’s final play.  Not counting overtimes, there have now been 24 games in which a league team won or lost on the final play. All but four of those 24 have been decided by a field goal.  Notably, the Conference is 8-1 in non-league games decided on the final play.

Rushing Yards Per Game
A pair of league RBs are in the top five nationally heading into the final week of September in rushing yards per game.  Youngstown State’s Jaleel McLaughlin leads the MVFC and ranks fourth nationally with 138.0 yards per game.  Pierre Strong Jr. of South Dakota State is 5th nationally with a 124.0 ypg average.

Total Receiving Yards
Western Illinois WR Dennis Houston leads the FCS with 455 total receiving yards through WIU’s first three games.  Avante Cox of Southern Illinois is fifth nationally as he’s amassed 325 total yards in SIU’s first three contests.

Net Punting
Grant Burkett of Missouri State is averaging 50.8 yards per boot so far this season.  That figure leads the league and ranks second nationally.  No MVFC punter has averaged better than 50 yards per punt for a full season, as Mike Scifres of Western Illinois holds the league single-season mark with his 48.0 average in 2002.  Missouri State, meanwhile, leads the FCS in net punting with its 48.30 average.

Scoring Defense
North Dakota State is yielding just 4.3 points per game (through three games this year).  That leads the league and ranks 2nd nationally.  Four MVFC schools rank in the Top 15 nationally.

Scoring Offense
South Dakota State is averaging 47.0 points per game to lead the league in scoring.  That figure ranks 6th-best nationally.  SDSU and NDSU join James Madison, Villanova and Harvard as the only FCS schools to rank in the Top 15 in scoring offense and in scoring defense.

Turnover Margin
UNI leads the Conference and ranks fourth in the FCS with a +2.33 per game turnover differential.  Five league schools are in the Top 14.

Winning with Waring
Freshman QB Jackson Waring has seen limited action during his young Redbird career, but an injury to starter Bryce Jefferson early in the contest against Eastern Illinois forced him into action. Waring controlled the game for ISU and led the Redbirds to the 31-24 victory in the 109th Mid-America Classic, completing 5-of-7 passes and running for a crucial touchdown late in the third quarter to put the ‘Birds up by a score.

Breaking Loose
Freshman RB Cole Mueller of Illinois State broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown run in the opener against Butler on way to 111 yards rushing and followed that up with a career-high 144 yards rushing to help the Redbirds pick up a rivalry win over Eastern Illinois. He’s currently averaging 9.3 yards per carry and currently ranks second in the MVFC with 261 yards on the ground.

Getting Defensive
The Redbirds have become accustomed to finding the end zone on the defensive side of the football in recent years, and they kept that streak alive at Eastern Illinois thanks to an impressive pick six by Jarrell Jackson. The 95-yard interception return for a touchdown was the first of the season for the Redbirds and the first since Kenton Wilhoit’s 26-yard pick six last spring at UNI. ISU has now scored a defensive touchdown in each of the last 13 seasons under the leadership of Brock Spack.

McClurge’s Big Day
The Indiana State wide receiver room has showcased a “next man up” mentality in the 2021 season and Phazione McClurge has taken advantage over the last two weeks to post nine catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns. His six-catch, 75-yard evening at Eastern Kentucky featured two touchdown catches, including the game-winning 24-yard catch in traffic as time expired at Roy Kidd Stadium. McClurge has taken over one of the top receiving roles on the season with Rontrez Morgan and provides a potent 1-2 punch in the Indiana State passing game.

Morgan Catches Everything
Rontrez Morgan continues to be a vacuum for the football this season as the senior wide receiver has already surpassed his previous season-high for catches through just three games in the 2021 season. After opening up the year with a six-catch game against Eastern Illinois, he added nine more receptions at Northwestern two weekends ago. He added four more catches for a season-high 75-yards in the win against Eastern Kentucky and continues to sit among the Missouri Valley receiving leaders heading into conference play.

There Goes That Man Again
Inoke Moala continues to terrorize opponent backfields through the first three games of the season as the Sycamores head into conference play. The redshirt senior defensive lineman has recorded multiple tackles for loss in each of the three games this season and paces the Missouri Valley with 5.5 TFLs after his 1.5 tackle-for-loss game against Eastern Kentucky. His 2.5 sacks also lead the Valley on the year with teammates Heath Stephen II (2.0) and Kaleb Brewer (1.5) in the top-six in the conference in QB takedowns this season.

Coming From All Angles
Missouri State’s 43-34 win over UCA in its Sept. 11 home opener included offensive, defensive and special teams touchdowns for the Bears. It marked the first time MoState has achieved that feat since its 27-24 win last season (March 13) against this week’s opponent, South Dakota.

Rant About Grant
Bears punter, Grant Burkett (So., Joplin, Mo.) is tops in the MVFC and 2nd nationally in punting average (50.8), while helping the Bears lead the nation in net punting (48.3) this fall. Five of his 10 punt attempts this season have been for 50 yards or more with a long of 62, while he has also placed half his attempts inside the 20. Last year, Burkett had a 43.0 punting average, which ranked 13th nationally and third in the MVFC while earning All-MVFC honorable mention distinction. 

Staying in Our Lane
Xavier Lane (WR, Montgomery, Ala.) is coming off a career-high 148 yards on 9 pass receptions in his last outing against UCA, the most receiving yards by a Bears wideout since 2018. He currently ranks 2nd in the MVFC in both receptions per game (8.5) and receiving yards per game (113.0) while checking in at No. 4 nationally in receptions per game and No. 7 among all FCS receivers in receiving yards per game.

Hawks Extend Streaks
North Dakota extended its streak to 12-straight home wins and 35 consecutive home opening wins as the Fighting Hawks (2-1) shut out Drake (1-2) at the Alerus Center in the Hawks 38-0 victory. It was the first UND shutout since the 2017 home-opener in 2017 against Missouri State.

Skokna Eclipses 100 Yards
Luke Skokna rushed for 101 yards on three carries in the first quarter to record his first 100-yard game as a Fighting Hawk … He finished with 197 all-purpose yards, setting a new career-high one week after his previous best of 145 … Skokna’s 51-yard touchdown run was UND’s longest play from the line scrimmage this season

Up Next .. the Bison
Following a bye week Saturday, the University of North Dakota will open Missouri Valley Football Conference play when it hosts in-state rival North Dakota State on Saturday, Oct. 2.

Bison Top Towson
North Dakota State closed its non-conference schedule with a 35-7 road win over Towson last week. It was the same final score as the last meeting between the two teams in the 2013 national championship game. NDSU scored touchdowns on its first three possessions including a 67-yard passing play from Quincy Patterson to Christian Watson to open the scoring. The Bison held Towson to 103 yards through the first three quarters, extending a streak of nine scoreless quarters on defense. Jackson Hankey made a team-high seven tackles and Will Mostaert had two of NDSU’s five sacks as the Bison limited Towson to 35 yards on the ground and held a 493-200 advantage in total yards.

Getting Off the Field
NDSU leads the conference and ranks fourth in the FCS this week in third-down conversion defense. The Bison have limited opponents to a combined 7 of 40 on third down for 18 percent, including an 0-for-11 effort against Albany in the season-opener. Opponents have gone three plays and out on 32 percent of their drives (11 of 34). NDSU is third nationally in total defense allowing a league-low 196.7 yards per game, and the Bison also lead the league with the nation’s No. 6 in rushing defense allowing 44.0 yards per game.

Up Next .. Penguins
After beating visiting St. Thomas last Saturday, UNI is idle this weekend.  UNI hosts Youngstown State for Homecoming in its next game on Oct. 2. The Panthers are 24-9 against the Penguins. UNI shut out Youngstown 21-0 in the teams last meeting in Ohio on Feb. 27, 2021.

Stopping The Ground Game
UNI dominated St. Thomas in its home season opener, 44-3, last Saturday.  UNI scored off the opening drive, and six Panthers found a way to score. UNI kept St. Thomas to just 26 rushing yards. The Panthers allowed only 105 total offensive yards, the lowest by any MVFC opponent this season.

Day Gets the Start
QB Theo Day got his start at quarterback for UNI in a 44-3 rout of St. Thomas. Day ran a balanced offense, with 193 yards of rushing and completed 18 passes for 193 yards. He kept the ball himself to add 11 yards to the team total for rushing. He connected with Isaiah Weston for a 60-yard touchdown.

Run The Ball
With South Dakota’s top-two running backs limited Saturday, it was freshmen Mike Mansaray (21 carries, career-high 141 yards, 2 TDs) and Nate Thomas (15 carries, career-high 92 yards, 1 TD) who starred in a 48-14 win against Cal Poly. The Coyotes ran for 353 yards, the most in five-plus seasons under Bob Nielson. The Coyotes now have four running backs averaging better than five yards per carry.

Stopping the Run
Opposing running backs during South Dakota’s three non-conference battles ran 58 times for 100 yards with no touchdowns. The Coyotes enter Valley play with the 12th-best scoring defense (12.7 ppg) and 18th-best run defense (94.7 ypg). All-Valley linebackers Jack Cochrane (24 tackles) and Brock Mogensen (22 tackles) have combined for nine tackles for loss.

USD in Valley Openers
South Dakota has won its last four MVFC openers, three of which came on the road. The Coyotes beat then-No. 7 Illinois State to start the spring season. Missouri State is ranked No. 18 in both FCS polls.

SDSU Kicks Off No. 14
The 2021 season marks South Dakota State’s 14th as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Since joining the league in 2008, SDSU is the only program in that span to not have a losing season in conference play.  The Jackrabbits hold a 71-31 record in MVFC games and have won six or more league games six times. SDSU earned a share of league titles in 2016 and during the 2020-21 spring season. 
 
Big-Play Jacks
Through its first two games this season, the South Dakota State offense has averaged 8.4 yards per play. The Jackrabbits averaged 7.5 yards per play (62 plays, 464 yards) in the Sept. 3 season opener at Colorado State, followed by averaging 9.3 yards per play (60 plays, 460 yards) in their home opener against Lindenwood.  The Jackrabbits have 14 plays of 20 or more yards in their first two games, the longest of which was a 68-yard run by Pierre Strong, Jr. versus Lindenwood. Strong holds an average of 12.4 yards per rushing attempt, gaining 248 yards on only 20 carries so far this season with three touchdowns.  Conversely, SDSU is limiting the opposition to 4.8 yards per play, including 2.9 yards per rushing attempt. 
 
50-Plus Club
Cole Frahm made his second career field goal of more than 50 yards in the Sept. 11 game against Lindenwood, connecting on a career-long 54-yarder in the second quarter. His previous career best was a 52-yarder this past March against Youngstown State. Frahm’s 54-yarder is tied for the fourth-longest field goal in program history and is the 14th field goal of 50-plus yards by a Jackrabbit. Parker Douglass (2007) and Chase Vinatieri (2018) hold the school record with 57-yard field goals and Douglass connected on five field goals of 50-plus yards in his All-America career. 

Salukis Rout Dayton
In the 55-3 romp over Dayton last week, SIU averaged 9.3 yards per play en-route to 658 yards of total offense, 8 touchdowns and 2 field goals. SIU had 9 plays of 20 yards or more. Six of those nine plays were rushing plays. SIU rushed for 406 yards versus the Flyers. All of SIU’s points came on offense as there were no turnovers in the game.

Scoring Machine
Saluki RB Javon Williams scored his 31st career TD and his 29th career rushing TD vs. Dayton.  He is in sixth place in career TDs at SIU, is tied for 5th in career rushing TDs and is 11th in career points scored with 186. Williams has averaged 6.6 points per game in his 28-game career. 

Climbing The Ladder
WR Landon Lenoir raised his career receptions total to 160 and his career yards receiving total to 1,979 with 7 receptions for 98 yards vs. Dayton. He is third all-time at SIU in career receptions and fourth in career receiving yards.  Meanwhile, DE Anthony Knighton moved into sole possession of second place in career sacks at SIU with 0.5 sacks vs. Dayton. Knighton has 23.0 sacks in his career and is 0.5 sacks shy of first place James Phillips (1977-80).

ISU Series Renewed
SIU leads the Illinois State series 41-38-3, with ISU winning 5 of the last 6 meetings. It is SIU’s second longest football series (Southeast Missouri, 89 meetings). The pandemic riddled 2020-21 season marked the first time since 1969 SIU and ISU did not meet in football.

Valiant Comeback Falls Short
In an admirable comeback attempt, Western ultimately dropped a 62-56 decision to Eastern Washington on Saturday (Sept. 18). It was the first-ever meeting between the two programs. A combined final score of 118 points was the most ever in a WIU game.

Offensive Outburst
WIU’s 56 points against Eastern was the most scored by the Leathernecks since plugging in 49 versus Missouri State in 2017.  It was the first time that WIU had produced over 600 yards of total offense (ending with 643) since totaling 629 vs. Illinois State in 2010.  Additionally, the evening marked the first time Western tacked 80 or more plays (ending with 80) since last spring vs. UNI.

Defense Spreads Wealth
YSU has six players with at least eight-or-more tackles after two contests.  Leading the defense is first-year starter Jordan White who has been credited with 16 tackles in two games. Defensive back D’Marco Augustin ranks second on the team with 15 tackles. Both players had career-best efforts at Michigan State.  LB Grant Dixon, who led the Penguins in the spring, is third on the team with 13 total tackles. FS Zaire Jones is fourth with nine stops. Safety Gage Salyers and DE James Jackson each have eight stops so far this year.  Dixon led the Penguins in the spring with 55 total tackles. In seven of nine games with the program, he has recorded at least six stops.

McLaughlin Readies for MVFC
In his final five contests of the spring against MVFC opponents. TB Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for more than 100 yards in each game. He averaged 127.2 yards per contest in his last five games.  McLaughlin rushed for 636 yards in the last five spring contests, highlighted by a 166-yard effort against South Dakota on March 20. He had a season-high 28 carries against Coyotes.