Six MVFC Teams Ranked This Week; Five Among the Top 13 -- Six league teams are in the Stats Perform poll this week (Oct. 12). The league has had five teams in the Top 15 of a national poll during the same week eight times this year and 55 times in MVFC history. On Sept. 14, the league matched a Conference record by placing five teams in the Top 10 of the Stats Perform top-10 list.
| Saturday, Oct. 17 |
|
| [#1/#1] SDSU at [#11/#15] UND [Midco/ESPN+] |
1:00 p.m. CT |
| [#13/#13] Illinois State at [RV] S. Illinois [ESPNU] |
3:00 p.m. CT |
| [#9/#9] South Dakota at Murray State [ESPN+] |
4:00 p.m. CT |
| [#19/#25] UNI at [#6/#6] Youngstown St. [ESPN+] |
5:00 p.m. CT |
Click Here for Weekly Notebook (PDF)
Panthers Crack Top 25; Back-to-Back Top-5 Victories -- UNI, which has claimed victories against top-5 teams in back--to-back games is back in the Top 25 rankings for the first time since Sept. 30, 2024. The Panthers are No. 19 in the Stats Perform poll and No. 25 in the AFCA Coaches rankings. UNI defeated No. 4 North Dakota this past week, 24-17, and beat then-ranked No. 3 Illinois State in its previous game on Sept. 26. The last league team to win back-to-back games against Top-5 teams was North Dakota State in the 2024 playoffs (semis against No. 2 SDSU and championship game against No. 1 Montana State). The last MVFC team to win back-to-back regular-season games against Top-5 opponents was SDSU when it beat No. 5 Southern Illinois and No. 2 North Dakota State in successive games in the Spring 2021 season.
Best in the FCS -- Missouri Valley Football teams have combined for an FCS-best 19-4 record against other FCS opponents in 2026. No other FCS league can match that winning percentage (.826) this season. The MVFC’s overall win percentage (.617) and record (21-13) is also an FCS best.
FCS Leagues, Non-Conference vs. FCS Teams
1. Missouri Valley Football (19-4) .826
2. Ivy (14-6) .700
3. United (16-9) .640
4. Southland (6-4) .600
5. Big Sky (13-10) .565
6. MEAC (14-11) .560
7. Patriot (10-8) .556
8. Coastal (14-14) .500
9. SoCon (12-12) .500
10. OVC (9-14) .391
11. SWAC (5-9) .357
12. PFL (5-19) .208
13. NEC (3-19) .136
Massey Ratings Leaders -- Seven MVFC teams rank among the top 20 in the Massey Ratings. South Dakota State occupies the top spot, while Youngstown State (3) and South Dakota (5) are in the top five in Massey.
FCS Massey Leaders (FCS Sagarin in Parentheses)
1. South Dakota State (1)
2. Montana State (3)
3. Youngstown State (2)
4. Tarleton State (6)
5. South Dakota (4)
6. SF Austin (7)
7. Montana (5)
8. North Dakota (8)
9. Northern Arizona (13)
10. Illinois State (9)
12. UNI (15)
20. Southern Illinois (16)
ISU’s Conrad Is National Stats Perform Player of the Week -- Indiana State punter Spencer Conrad was named this week’s Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance against Youngstown State this past weekend inside Memorial Stadium.
Salukis-Redbirds Tabbed for ESPNU -- The Salukis’ Homecoming football game against the Redbirds will air on ESPNU. It will be the first nationally-televised game in Carbondale since the Salukis hosted Delaware in the 2007 FCS playoffs at McAndrew Stadium. In addition to Homecoming, the Oct. 17 game will feature SIU’s 2026 Hall of Fame class.
Ranked vs. Ranked -- This week, there are two MVFC games that feature ranked teams playing one another. In Conference history, there have been 267 previous games in which two league teams ranked in the top 25 played one another. Of those 267 games, 76 times the meeting involved teams that were both ranked in the Top 10 at the same time. Twenty-one meetings have occurred in the playoffs. The home team is 146-119 in those games; the higher-ranked team is 170-96. Those figures include two neutral-site games, and one game in which the teams were both ranked No. 25.
MVFC Ranked vs. Ranked (Oct. 17)
[#1/#1] SDSU at [#11/#15] UND [Midco/ESPN+] -- 1:00 p.m. CT
[#19/#25] UNI at [#6/#6] Youngstown St. [ESPN+] -- 5:00 p.m. CT
First Things First -- MVFC schools hold the top two spots in the FCS for total first downs. Youngstown State (1st, 177) and North Dakota (2nd, 170) have more total first downs than any other FCS teams this year.
FCS Leaders, Total First Downs
1. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 177
2. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 170
3. Alcorn (SWAC) -- 169
Top Conversion Rates -- Illinois State and Youngstown State rank 1 & 2 in the FCS for success on third downs this season.
FCS Leaders, Third-Down Conversions
1. Illinois St. (MVFC) 47-of-81 -- .580
2. Youngstown St. (MVFC) 43-of-77 -- .558
3. Jackson St. (SWAC) 40-of-78 -- .513
MVFC Offenses Atop FCS -- Four MVFC teams rank among the FCS’ top 10 scoring offenses in 2026, led by South Dakota State (3rd, 40.8 ppg). The league’s all-time single-season mark is 42.6 ppg, established by Southern Illinois in 2004.
FCS Leaders, Scoring Offense
1. South Carolina St. (MEAC) -- 43.6
2. Alcorn (SWAC) -- 42.4
3. South Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 40.8
4. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 39.7
5. Jackson St. (SWAC) -- 39.5
5. Tarleton St. (UAC) -- 39.5
7. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 38.9
8. SFA (Southland) -- 38.3
9. Illinois St. (MVFC) -- 38.2
Scoring Offense, Season (MVFC All-Time Records):
42.6, Southern Illinois, 2004 (12 games)
42.5, South Dakota State, 2024 (13 games)
41.5, North Dakota State, 2018 (15 games)
41.1, North Dakota State, 2025 (13 games)
39.2, Illinois State, 2005 (11 games)
38.7, North Dakota State, 2013 (15 games)
38.7, North Dakota State, 2017 (15 games)
Putting Up the Points -- MVFC QBs hold two of the top three spots in the FCS for most points responsible per game. Beau Brungard of Youngstown State leads the nation with 23.7 ppg, while Jerry Kaminski of North Dakota is third-best in the FCS (19.1 ppg).for the top spot with 22.3 points per game. Kaminski and USD freshman Austyn Modrzewski lead the FCS (19 TD passes).
FCS Leaders, Points Responsible For
1. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 23.7
2. Dante Reno, Yale (Ivy League) -- 22.7
3. Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota (MVFC) -- 19.1
FCS Leaders, Total TD Passes
1. Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota (MVFC) -- 19
1. Austyn Modrzewski, South Dakota (MVFC) -- 19
1. Jaylon Tolbert, Alcorn (SWAC) -- 19
4. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 17
4. Keali’i Ah Yat, Montana (Big Sky) -- 17
On the Offensive -- South Dakota State (291.8 ypg) leads the FCS in rushing yards per game. SDSU’s total leads the nation and would rank fourth-best all-time in the MVFC. SDSU also ranks second in the nation in total offense as the Jacks are averaging 503.7 yards per game.
FCS Leaders, Rushing Yards Per Game
1. South Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 291.8
2. Lehigh (Patriot) -- 262.5
3. Southern Utah (Big Sky) -- 261.5
4. Mercer (SoCon) -- 250.9
5. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC) -- 240.2
--
11. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 211.6
15. South Dakota (MVFC) -- 199.4
17. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 195.7
22. Illinois St. (MVFC) -- 188.2
Yards Per Game, Season (MVFC All-Time Records):
315.5, Missouri State, 1989 (11 games)
298.7, Missouri State, 1985 (11 games)
293.4, Western Kentucky, 2001 (12 games)
287.6, North Dakota State, 2019 (16 games)
FCS Leaders, Total Offense (Yards Per Game)
1. Tarleton St. (UAC) -- 509.7
2. South Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 503.7
3. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 477.4
4. Campbell (CAA) -- 474.7
5. Yale (Ivy League) -- 474.5
--
13. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 457.3
Booting It -- Led by USD (3rd, 42.85), four MVFC schools are in the top nine for net punting.
FCS Leaders, Net Punting
1. Princeton (Ivy League) -- 45.58
2. Southeastern La. (Southland) -- 43.47
3. South Dakota (MVFC) -- 42.85
4. South Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 42.78
--
7. Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 41.88
9. Illinois St. (MVFC) -- 41.67
FCS Leaders, Punting Average
1. Max Zuluaga, UT Martin (OVC) -- 46.8
2. Spencer Conrad, Indiana St. (MVFC) -- 46.6
3. Chase Lanham, Tennessee Tech (SoCon) -- 46.5
4. Brook Honore Jr., South Dakota (MVFC) -- 46.2
Against the FBS -- Missouri Valley Football Conference schools have combined for 50 wins against FBS teams since 1985.
MVFC Teams w/ FBS Wins (50)
11 -- UNI
8 -- Western Illinois
6 -- Illinois State, NDSU
5 -- Indiana State, Southern Illinois
4 -- Youngstown State
2 -- SDSU
1 -- Eastern Illinois, Missouri State, South Dakota
MVFC-Big Sky Challenge Series -- The MVFC and the Big Sky Conference announced a Challenge Series between the two leagues before the 2017 season. (Only regular-season contests count in the series standings.) The MVFC claimed the 2026 series with a 3-1 advantage. The MVFC has never lost a season series in the Challenge.
Series History (2017-26)
2017 (MVFC Wins, 5-3) | Playoffs: Big Sky 1-0
2018 (MVFC Wins, 5-3) | Playoffs: MVFC 2-1
2019 (MVFC Wins, 6-4) | Playoffs: MVFC 1-0
20-21 (COVID) | Playoffs: MVFC 2-0
2021 (MVFC Wins, 4-2) | Playoffs: MVFC 3-2
2022 (Series Tied, 3-3) | Playoffs: MVFC 2-1
2023 (MVFC Wins, 4-1) | Playoffs: Tied 3-3
2024 (MVFC Wins, 2-1) | Playoffs: MVFC 3-2
2025 (MVFC Wins, 5-2) | Playoffs: Big Sky 3-1
2026 (3-1) | Playoffs: 0-0
S5 -- at Eastern Washington 34, UNI 24
S5 -- South Dakota 38, at Northern Colorado 23
S12 -- at South Dakota 41, Eastern Washington 23
S12 -- North Dakota 47, at Portland State 23
Quite The Day: 9-0 -- For the first time in the league’s 42-year history, all Conference teams played and all teams won on the same day. MVFC teams went 9-0 on Sept. 12 against non-league foes, which included the league’s 50th all-time win against an FBS opponent (Illinois State defeated Northern Illinois).
MVFC: NFL Pipeline -- The MVFC has established itself as one of the most reliable pipelines of NFL talent in the FCS. Program highlights include Carson Wentz (2016, 2nd overall pick), Trey Lance (2021, 3rd overall pick), and a conference-record nine players drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. Two NDSU players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. A total of 99 players have been selected in the NFL Draft in the league’s 41-year history.
Jackrabbits Favored -- For the third time in the past four seasons, South Dakota State has been picked by a voting panel of league coaches, school communications directors, and media as the team to beat in the MVFC.
National Pedigree -- The MVFC holds an FCS-best 14 national championships — more than any other conference. The MVFC has appeared in the FCS National Championship Game 21 times and holds a 14-7 record in those games. Illinois State’s national title game appearance in 2025 marked the 15th consecutive championship game appearance for an MVFC program, extending the conference’s own FCS record.
We’ve Got Six -- In 2021, 2023 and 2025, the MVFC sent six teams to the FCS playoffs — matching the all-time FCS record for bids by a single conference in a single season. Only the CAA (2018) had previously achieved six bids.
Non-Conference Success -- Since 2010, MVFC teams are a combined 115-54 (.680) in FCS playoff games. Against opponents from other conferences, the league is an even more dominant 96-35 (.733). An MVFC team has reached the FCS semifinals 24 times in the past 15 seasons (38 times overall). The league has placed two semifinal teams in the same year eight times since 2014 — and three in 2024, which was a first in FCS history.