And Then There Were Six -- Only six FCS programs enter this weekend with unblemished records -- including NDSU.
FCS Perfect Teams -- through games of Oct. 25
Tarleton St. (ASUN) -- 9-0
North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 8-0
Lehigh (Patriot) --8-0
Montana (Big Sky) -- 8-0
Tennessee Tech (OVC) -- 8-0
Harvard (Ivy League) -- 6-0
Weekly Notebook (PDF)
MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL
MVFC Stats –
Click Here | MVFC Composite Schedule --
Click Here | NCAA Statistics –
Click Here | NCAA FCS Records --
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MVFC Records --
Click Here | MVFC Draft Database --
Click Here | MVFC in the Playoffs --
Click Here | MVFC All-Time Honors --
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Top-25 Polls --
Click Here | Stats Perform --
Click Here | HERO Sports --
Click Here | FCS Nation --
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| Saturday, Nov. 1 |
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| *#8/10 UND at RV/RV USD [Midco/ESPN+] |
1 PM CT |
| *UNI at #17/18 Illinois State [Marquee/ESPN+] |
2 PM CT |
| *Indiana State at #T4/5 SDSU [Midco/ESPN+] |
2 PM CT |
| *#18/19 Youngstown St. at #1/1 NDSU [ABC ND/ESPN+] |
2:30 PM CT |
| *#16/17 Southern Illinois at Murray St. [ESPN+] |
4 PM CT |
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| FCS rankings listed are Stats Perform/AFCA Coaches polls; |
| *denotes MVFC contest |
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Winning Streaks -- Winning streaks for all games, dating back to last season:
Active Win Streaks in the FCS
13 -- Tennessee Tech (OVC-Big South)
12 -- North Dakota State
9 -- Tarleton State (United)
8 -- Lehigh (Patriot)
8 -- Montana (Big Sky)
NDSU Starts 8-0 -- In MVFC history (and counting this season), 13 league teams have started a year 8-0 - all of the 12 previous teams reached the playoffs - the last eight MVFC teams to start a season 8-0 won the FCS title. This marks the eight time as an MVFC member that NDSU has started a campaign with eight-straight victories.
Ranked vs. Ranked -- This week, there is one MVFC game that features ranked teams playing one another. In Conference history, there have been 253 games in which two league teams ranked in the top 25 played one another. Of those previous 253 games, 74 times the meeting involved teams that were both ranked in the Top 10 at the same time. Twenty meetings have occurred in the playoffs. The home team is 140-111 in those games; the higher-ranked team is 162-90. Those figures include two neutral-site games, and one game in which the teams were both No. 25.
MVFC Ranked vs. Ranked (Nov. 1)
#18/19 YSU at #1/1 NDSU [ABC ND/ESPN+] -- 2:30 PM CT
Home Sweet Home -- North Dakota State ended SDSU’s home win streak at 33-straight. The Bison rank No. 2 in the FCS with 16-straight home wins.
Longest Active Home Streaks (FCS)
20 -- Villanova (Next Home Game: 11/25 vs. Stony Brook)
16 -- N. Dakota St. (Next Home Game: 11/1 vs. YSU)
13 -- Rhode Island (Next Home Game: 11/22 vs. Hampton)
Winning Against No. 1 -- Thirteen of the previous 22 MVFC wins vs. a top-ranked team have been league games. MVFC programs have a 9-15 all-time mark against non-conference No. 1-ranked teams. As an MVFC member, Youngstown State has two of those 22 all-time wins against a top-ranked team, including one against NDSU during the 2011 campaign.
Payton’s Place -- Cole Payton of North Dakota State is having a monster season in his first year as a full-time starter for the Bison. He leads or is near the lead in the FCS in a host of individual statistical categories. His 75.0 percent completion percentage would rank second-best all-time in MVFC history. His current pass efficiency rating (202.9) would establish an MVFC all-time single-season mark.
Cole Payton in the FCS NCAA Stats (thru 10/25)
1. Yards Per Pass Attempt (12.56)
1. Passing Yards Per Completion (16.74)
1. Completion Percentage (75.0)
2. Passing Efficiency (202.9)
5. Total Offensive Yards Per Game (302.5)
Beau Knows Football -- A pair of MVFC players are among the top four in the FCS in rushing yards per game. South Dakota RB LJ Phillips leads the MVFC with his 132.2 per game average. QB Beau Brungard of Youngstown State leads is fourth nationally, but he’s the top rushing QB in the FCS. His 991 total rush yards is climbing the all-time single-season leaderboard in league history for rushing by a QB. Brungard leads the FCS in total offense, and he’s second in the FCS with 21.3 “points responsible for” per game this season.
All-Time Single-Season Rushing Bests, MVFC QBs
1,334, Aaron Bailey, UNI, 2015 (14 games)
1,291, Tirrell Rennie, UNI, 2010 (12 games)
1,100, Trey Lance, NDSU, 2019 (16 games)
1,034, Sheraton Fox, Indiana State, 1999
1,029, Tre Roberson, Illinois State, 2014 (15 games)
998, Beau Brungard, Youngstown St., 2024 (12 games)
991, Beau Brungard, Youngstown St., 2025 (8 games)
909, DeAndre Smith, Missouri State, 1989
FCS Leaders, Rushing Yards Per Game
1. Rodney Nelson, Monmouth (CAA) -- 154.8
2. Joshua Dye, Southern Utah (United) -- 145.9
3. L.J. Phillips Jr., South Dakota (MVFC) --
132.2
4. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) --
123.9
5. Josh Pitsenberger, Yale (Ivy League) -- 114.0
FCS Leaders, Total Offensive Yards Per Game
1. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 358.3
5. Cole Payton, North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 302.5
7. DJ Williams, Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 291.4
FCS Leaders, Points Responsible For Per Game
2. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 21.3
4. Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota (MVFC) -- 20.3
7. DJ Williams, Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 18.8
Tackle Time -- A pair of MVFC players are among the FCS leaders for total tackles per game.
FCS Leaders, Tackles Per Game
1. James Conway, Fordham (Patriot) -- 14.9
2. Luke Banbury, William & Mary (CAA) -- 12.1
3. Dylan Rowsey, Murray St. (MVFC) -- 12.0
3. Jaydon Southard, SFA (Southland) -- 12.0
9. Kimal Clark, Indiana St. (MVFC) -- 10.6
On the Clock -- Led by North Dakota State (34:10, 2nd), two MVFC teams rank among the national leaders in time of possession.
Mighty Defenses -- Top-ranked North Dakota State ranks in the Top 5 in the FCS in four major defensive categories (rushing yards per game, passing yards allowed per game, scoring defense, and total defense).
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Rush Yards Per Game)
5. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 89.1
6. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 89.4
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Scoring Defense)
1. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 9.6
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Total Defense)
1. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 221.1
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Passing Yards)
1. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 132.0
On the Offensive -- Several MVFC teams are on the leaderboards for scoring offense and rushing offense in the FCS this season.
FCS Leaders (scoring offense)
6. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 42.9
9. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 40.0
16. Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 35.5
20. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 34.1
FCS Leaders (rushing offense)
4. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 244.0
10. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 222.9
14. Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 204.3
16. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 199.4
21. South Dakota (MVFC) -- 194.9