For Immediate Release Aug. 28, 2017 Mike Kern

Illinois State • Indiana State • Missouri State • North Dakota State • Northern Iowa South Dakota • South Dakota State • Southern Illinois • Western Illinois • Youngstown State

1818 Chouteau Ave. • St. Louis, MO 63103 • (314) 444-4360 • FAX (314) 444-4361

2016 Valley Football Standings (FINAL) Schedule/Results MVFC Points Overall Points Thursday, Aug. 31 Team W-L Pct. For Opp W-L Pct. For Opp H A Stk. Eastern Illinois at Indiana State, 7 pm ET North Dakota St. 7-1 .875 213 106 12-2 .857 408 232 7-2 5-0 L1 Terre Haute, Ind. • ESPN3 South Dakota St. 7-1 .875 283 187 9-4 .692 431 355 6-1 3-3 L1 Western Illinois at Tennessee Tech, 6 pm CT Youngstown State 6-2 .750 176 128 12-4 .750 442 319 8-0 4-3 L1 Cookeville, Tenn. Illinois State 4-4 .500 208 187 6-6 .500 312 262 4-2 2-4 L1 Duquesne at South Dakota State, 7 pm CT Northern Iowa 4-4 .500 251 168 5-6 .455 320 242 2-3 3-3 L1 Brookings, S.D. • MidcoSN/ESPN3 Western Illinois 3-5 .375 219 282 6-5 .545 319 346 2-3 4-2 L3 South Dakota 3-5 .375 212 235 4-7 .364 329 379 3-2 1-5 L4 Saturday, Sept. 2 Southern Illinois 2-6 .250 230 261 4-7 .364 340 338 4-2 0-5 W1 Youngstown State at Pittsburgh, 1 pm ET Indiana State 2-6 .250 178 252 4-7 .364 274 359 2-3 2-4 L3 Pittsburgh, Pa. • ACC Network Missouri State 2-6 .250 172 336 4-7 .364 257 393 2-3 2-4 L3 South Dakota at Drake, 6 pm CT Des Moines, Iowa UNI at Iowa State, 7 pm CT Noteworthy Ames, Iowa • Cyclones.tv • • Media Services • • Missouri State at Missouri, 11 am CT Best in the FCS Columbia, Mo. • SEC Network Players of the Week Mississippi Valley St. at NDSU, 2:30 pm CT Each week a panel will select players of The MVFC is well represented on national pre- Fargo, N.D. • NBC ND/ESPN3 season rankings/player recognition lists. The the week for offense, defense, newcomer, Butler at Illinois State, 6:30 pm CT Conference has an FCS-best five teams on the offensive line and special teams. Normal, Ill. • ESPN3 FCS coaches poll; an FCS-best six teams on the MVFC Media Vault STATS FCS top-25 poll; an FCS-best five student- Saturday, Sept. 9 By Tuesday of each week, the league will athletes on the STATS Buck Buchanan Award collect school weekly coach press confer- Watch List; an FCS-best 17 student-athletes on Indiana State at Tennessee, 4 pm ET the STATS FCS pre-season All-America teams, ences (audio/video links) and PDF links to Knoxville, Tenn. • SEC Network which includes an FCS-best seven individuals on weekly notes in the MVFC Media Vault. Missouri State at North Dakota, 4 pm CT the first-team unit. South Dakota State, mean- Grand Forks, N.D. • MidcoSN while, has an FCS-best three student-athletes NDSU at Eastern Washington, 3 pm CT Statistics on the STATS Walter Payton Award Watch List Interactive school and league statistics Cheney, Wash. • NBC ND/ESPN3 (TE Dallas Goedert, QB Taryn Christion, and WR Cal Poly at UNI, 4 pm CT are available, courtesy of the league’s part- Jake Wieneke). Cedar Falls, Iowa • PSN/ESPN3 nership with SIDEARM. South Dakota at Bowling Green, 5 pm CT Against the FBS Bowling Green, Ohio • ESPN3 Weekly Features South Dakota State at Montana State, 7 pm CT The league produces weekly video MVFC schools set a league record with four wins against FBS schools last year. Three MVFC Bozeman, Mont. • PlutoTV segments (Two Minute Drill and The Extra games this weekend are at FBS sites. The Con- Mississippi Valley St. at S. Illinois, 6 pm CT Point) and a bimonthly audio podcast (First ference has had at least one FBS win in each of Carbondale, Ill. • ESPN3 and Goal). Each is available by visiting the the last seven seasons. Western Illinois at Northern Arizona, TBD league’s web site (valleyfootball.org) - under Flagstaff, Ariz. • PlutoTV the Multimedia tab on the main menu bar. Home Sweet Home Robert Morris at Youngstown State, 2 pm ET Youngstown, Ohio • ESPN3 www.valley-football.org Last year, MVFC schools recorded a 16-4 re- cord in home non-conference games. In the last facebook.com/ValleyFootball eight seasons (since 2009), MVFC schools have @valleyfootball • @FCS_Insider combined for a 131-17 (.885) record in games @ESPNCFB • @NCAA_FCS played at MVFC sites. @FCS_STATS • @HeroSportsNews INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) S2 Butler ESPN3 6:30 p.m. A31 Eastern Illinois ESPN3 7:00 p.m. ET S16 at Eastern Illinois TV TBD 2:00 p.m. S9 at Tennessee SEC Network 4:00 p.m. ET S23 *at Missouri State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. S16 at Liberty Big South Net 6:00 p.m. ET S30 *Indiana State ESPN3 6:30 p.m. S30 *at Illinois State ESPN3 7:30 p.m. ET O7 at Northern Arizona TV TBD TBA O7 *North Dakota State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. ET O14 *at Southern Illinois ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O14 *South Dakota ESPN3 3:00 p.m. ET O21 *South Dakota (HC) CSN / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O21 *Southern Illinois (HC) ESPN3 3:00 p.m. ET O28 *at Youngstown State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. O28 *at Missouri State ESPN3 3:00 p.m. ET N4 *Western Illinois ESPN3 Noon N4 *Youngstown State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. ET N11 *at South Dakota State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. N11 *Western Illinois ESPN3 1:00 p.m. ET N18 *North Dakota State CSN / ESPN3 Noon N18 *at UNI ESPN3 5:00 p.m. ET *MVFC game *MVFC game

Pioneer League Lid Lifter New Era The Redbirds are a combined 10-6 against current members of the The Curt Mallory era is set to begin Thursday under the lights Pioneer League, with the only losing record coming at the hands of against regional rival Eastern Illinois. Mallory was announced as In- Valparaiso. ISU has winning records against Butler (1-0), Dayton (1-0), diana State’s 21st head coach on Jan. 23, and since he has brought Drake (5-3) and Morehead State (2-1), but has only defeated Valpo in in an entirely new coaching staff and an upbeat feel to the Sycamore one out of its three games in the all-time series. Football program. This is Mallory’s first stint as a head coach, but the former Michigan linebacker has had an illustrious career as an assistant coach at Ball State, Central Michigan, Indiana (where his Home Sweet Home father Bill led the program to unprecedented success from 1984-96), The Redbirds have played well at home under the leadership of Illinois (where he helped lead the Illini to a Rose Bowl as the co-de- head coach Brock Spack, including in their home openers the last fensive coordinator in 2007), Akron, Michigan and, most recently, at eight seasons. ISU is a perfect 8-0 in home openers in the past eight Wyoming with former North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl. seasons, and the Redbirds hope to extend that streak to eight against Valparaiso last season. In 2015, the ‘Birds put an early exclamation point on the season with a 67-14 drubbing of Morgan State in the All of the Lights home opener. For the first time in seven seasons, the Sycamores will be playing under the lights at Memorial Stadium. ISU’s last home night game was on Sept. 4, 2010 (vs. St. Joseph’s) and its last Thursday night Go For Four game was held Aug. 27, 2009 (vs. Quincy). When Illinois State heard its name called on the NCAA FCS selec- tion show in 2016, the Redbirds punched their third-straight ticket to Harker Earns Starting Job the playoffs for the first time in program history. ISU made its seventh For the second straight season, Isaac Harker has won the starting playoff appearance overall, and had previously advanced to the QB job following a spring practice and training camp battle. Harker, playoffs in back-to-back seasons in 1998-99. The four playoff appear- a Second-Team All-MVFC honoree in 2016, had a superb sophomore ances in the last five years for the Redbirds is also unprecedented for season last year. He was the first Valley QB to 2,000 yards passing the ISU football program, but one streak the team hopes to continue (ending with 2,559, the third-best passing season in school history), in the future. he recorded five 300-yard games (coming one game shy of Mike Perish’s 2014 single-season record of six games) and nearly broke Perish’s single-season TD record of 21 with 19 passing TD. Runnin’ Runnin and Runnin’ Runnin’ Indiana State’s depth at the running back slot resulted in two talented tailbacks moving to the defense. Redshirt senior and Pre- season Honorable Mention All-MVFC running back LeMonte Booker, who missed all of 2016 due to injury, enters his final year with 2,321 career all-purpose yards and will be featured as the main point of at- tack in the new run-first system. MISSOURI STATE BEARS (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) S2 at Missouri SEC Network 11:00 a.m. S2 Mississippi Valley State NBC ND / ESPN3 2:30 p.m. S9 at North Dakota Midco SN 4:00 p.m. S9 at Eastern Washington NBC ND / ESPN3 3:00 p.m. S16 Murray State KOZL / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. S23 Robert Morris NBC ND / ESPN3 2:30 p.m. S23 *Illinois State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. S30 *Missouri State (HC) NBC ND / ESPN3 1:00 p.m. S30 *at North Dakota State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. O7 *at Indiana State NBC ND / ESPN3 Noon O14 *at Western Illinois ESPN3 3:00 p.m. O14 *at Youngstown State ESPN3 6:00 p.m. O21 *South Dakota State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O21 *Western Illinois NBC ND / ESPN3 2:30 p.m. O28 *Indiana State (HC) ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O28 *UNI NBC ND / ESPN3 2:30 p.m. N4 *at Southern Illinois ESPN3 1:00 p.m. N4 *at South Dakota State NBC ND / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. N11 *UNI ESPN3 2:00 p.m. N11 *South Dakota NBC ND / ESPN3 2:30 p.m. N18 *at Youngstown State ESPN3 11:00 a.m. N18 *at Illinois State NBC ND / ESPN3 Noon *MVFC game *MVFC game

Season’s Greetings NDSU Opens 14th Division I Season Missouri State will kick off its 106th season of varsity football Sat- North Dakota State opens its 121st season of football this Satur- urday (Sept. 2) when the Bears travel to Columbia for an 11 a.m. non- day at home against Mississippi Valley State. The Bison are 81-33-6 conference contest against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium. all-time in season openers and have won 11 of 13 as a Division I The Bears and Tigers will be meeting for the first time in varsity action program since 2004. NDSU is looking to bounce back from a season- since 1923, when MU logged a 10-0 home victory. MSU is 51-51-3 ending loss against James Madison in the national semifinals last all-time in season openers, including a 15-20 mark since its move to December. The Bison have not lost back-to-back games since 2009. Division I in 1982. The Bears will be gunning for their first win over an FBS opponent since opening the 1990 season with a 31-24 decision over UNLV. Bison Return 16 Starters North Dakota State returns nine starters on defense and seven on offense from last year’s NCAA semifinal team that finished 12-2 and Happy Homecoming won a sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference champion- Saturday’s game will be a homecoming of sorts for the majority of ship with a 7-1 league record. Included are linebacker Nick DeLuca, the Bears’ coaching staff. Head coach Dave Steckel spent 14 years a two-time nominee for the Butkus Award who returns for a fifth sea- on the Tigers’ coaching staff under Gary Pinkel, while eight of his nine son after being limited to three games last year with a shoulder injury, full-time assistants either played or coached at Mizzou. Former All-Big and defensive tackle Nate Tanguay, who missed the final five games 12 safety Kenji Jackson (2008-11) was a two-year starter for the with a knee injury. Tigers, while Munir Prince (2008-09) and Jason Ray (2003-07) each contributed on three bowl teams during their time in Columbia. Menard Out For Year Two-time All-America defensive end Greg Menard will miss the Historic Holliman 2017 season with a knee injury suffered during the opening week Senior return specialist Deion Holliman earned preseason All-Amer- of fall camp. Menard will take a redshirt year and have one season ica recognition after ranking among the nation’s top home run threats of eligibility remaining in 2018. He played in 14 games as a true over the last two years. Holliman is the lone FCS return man to bring freshman in 2014 and has made 29 consecutive starts at right back both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in each of the last two defensive end. Menard has 125 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and seasons and enters the 2017 campaign second on the Bears’ all-time ranks seventh at NDSU with 28.0 career sacks in 43 games for the lists for return TDs (4) and kickoff return yardage (1,952). Bison. He is a civil engineering major and two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American®. NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) S2 at Iowa State Cyclones.tv 7:00 p.m. S2 at Drake TV TBD 6:00 p.m. S9 Cal Poly PSN / ESPN3 4:00 p.m. S9 at Bowling Green ESPN3 5:00 p.m. S16 at Southern Utah PlutoTV 7:00 p.m. S16 North Dakota Midco / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. S30 *at Southern Illinois ESPN3 6:00 p.m. S30 *at Western Illinois ESPN3 3:00 p.m. O7 *Western Illinois (HC) PSN / ESPN3 4:00 p.m. O7 *Youngstown State (HC) Midco / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O14 *at South Dakota State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O14 *Indiana State Midco / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O21 *Youngstown State PSN / ESPN3 1:00 p.m. O21 *at Illinois State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O28 *at North Dakota State ESPN3 2:30 p.m. O28 *Southern Illinois Midco / ESPN3 3:00 p.m. N4 *South Dakota PSN / ESPN3 1:00 p.m. N4 *at UNI ESPN3 1:00 p.m. N11 *at Missouri State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. N11 *at North Dakota State ESPN3 2:30 p.m. N18 *Indiana State ESPN3 4:00 p.m. N18 *South Dakota State Midco / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. *MVFC game *MVFC game

UNI Opens at Iowa State Year Two Under Nielson Northern Iowa begins its 118th season of football against in-state South Dakota begins year two under Bob Nielson with eight start- foe Iowa State on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT. The game will mark the third- ers back on offense and five on defense. Senior quarterback Chris straight season the Panthers have faced the Cyclones. In the last Streveler (MVFC Newcomer of the Year, All-MVFC) returns nearly all meeting, UNI defeated ISU in Ames by a score of 25-20 to open the of his receivers and three linemen. Junior Michael Fredrick earns his season. The victory marked the Panthers’ third win over the Cyclones first turn at lead back. Senior linebacker John Wessel returns to lead in the last five contests. The series between the Panthers and Cy- the defense after missing last year due to injury. clones dates back to 1899. Opener Against Drake Panther Success Over FBS Teams South Dakota and Drake are meeting in a season opener for the UNI owns an all-time record of 22-70-5 against FBS opponents. first time. The Coyotes last visited Drake in 1971. USD has won each Most of the success has come in the last 28 years, with an 11-26 of the three meetings since (1972, 2009, 2015), all of which took mark against FBS teams since 1985. Head coach Mark Farley is 4-16 place in Vermillion. South Dakota won 51-21 in 2009 and 52-0 in against FBS foes, with wins over Ball State (2001) and Iowa State 2015. (2007, 2013, 2016). Two Keys Sack Happy Stopping the run and position battles to replace the leg of All- Under head coach Mark Farley, UNI has been known to produce American Miles Bergner have been a focus throughout fall camp. The stout defenses. Since 2009 however, the Panthers have used a Coyotes allowed 250 yards rushing on average a year ago. Redshirt fierce pass rush to rank among the best in the nation when it comes freshman Brady Schutt and true freshman Bryan Clements are vying to sacking the quarterback. In six of the last eight seasons, UNI has for the open punting position. Junior Ethan James and Kansas trans- landed in the Top-30 in the FCS for sacks. The highest the Panthers fer Ryan Weese are dueling for place-kicking duties. have climbed is third in the FCS for sacks, after recording a mon- strous 51.0 in 2014. Over the last three seasons, the UNI defense has ranked 3rd, 20th and 18th for sacks in the FCS. Farley Named to Preseason Teams Senior linebacker Jared Farley earned a pair of prestigious honors ahead of the 2017 season as the Cedar Falls native was named to the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Second Team and the Pre- season All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First Team. Farley was just one of 17 MVFC players selected to the STATS FCS All-America teams. In addition to the national honors, Farley was also named one of UNI’s team captains. SOUTH DAKOTA ST. JACKRABBITS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) A31 Duquesne Midco / ESPN3 7:00 p.m. S9 Mississippi Valley State ESPN3 6:00 p.m. S9 at Montana State TV TBD 7:00 p.m. S16 at SE Missouri State TV TBD 6:00 p.m. S16 Drake Midco / ESPN3 6:00 p.m. S23 at Memphis WMC / ESPN3 7:00 p.m. S30 *at Youngstown State ESPN3 6:00 p.m. S30 *UNI ESPN3 6:00 p.m. O7 *Southern Illinois ESPN3 6:00 p.m. O7 *at South Dakota State ESPN3 6:00 p.m. O14 *UNI (HC) Midco / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O14 *Illinois State (HC) ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O21 *at Missouri State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O21 *at Indiana State ESPN3 2:00 p.m. O28 *at Western Illinois ESPN3 1:00 p.m. O28 *at South Dakota ESPN3 3:00 p.m. N4 *North Dakota State Midco / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. N4 *Missouri State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. N11 *Illinois State Midco / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. N11 *Youngstown State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. N18 *at South Dakota Midco / ESPN3 2:00 p.m. N18 *at Western Illinois ESPN3 1:00 p.m. *MVFC game *MVFC game

For Openers Year Two Now in his 21st year as head coach, John Stiegelmeier has led SIU head coach Nick Hill is in his second year as the head coach of SDSU to a 12-8 record in season openers. The Jackrabbits won each his alma mater. Hill, who was the starting quarterback for SIU in 2006 of their first seven season openers under Coach Stig, starting with and 2007, led SIU to a 4-7, 2-6 MVFC record in his inaugural season a 17-7 victory at UC Davis in 1997. SDSU is 9-1 when opening the in 2016. Hill’s staff returns defensive coordinator Kraig Paulson and season at home, with the last home-season combination opener offensive coordinator John Van Dam, the first time since 2012 and being played exactly four years ago to the day (Aug. 31, 2013), when 2013 that SIU has had continuity with both its coordinators in back- the Jackrabbits scored a 55-14 victory over Butler at Coughlin-Alumni to-back seasons. Stadium. Of SDSU’s eight losses in season openers under Coach Stig, four have come against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents, includ- ing a 59-41 defeat at TCU in 2016. Preseason All-MVFC Offensive lineman Austin Olsen was named preseason first-team All-MVFC, and five other Salukis were named honorable mention. Wieneke Nears Another Record Southern’s six combined honorees were fourth-most in the confer- All-America wide receiver Jake Wieneke is poised to add his name ence. After finishing in a tie for eighth in the MVFC in 2016, the Salu- to another SDSU receiving record. He enters the season opener with kis were picked eighth in the 2017 preseason MVFC poll. 223 career receptions — three away from passing Josh Davis (225 receptions from 2002-05) for the Jackrabbit all-time lead. Wieneke has recorded 72 or more receptions in each of his first three seasons, First Week Bye including a career-best 78 in 2016 to rank in a tie for second on the SIU’s bye week is on the opening weekend of the season. The SDSU single-season charts. Wieneke already holds school and MVFC Salukis won’t play this weekend, and the season opener is Sept. 9 career records with 4,192 receiving yards and 43 touchdown catches vs. Mississippi Valley State at Saluki Stadium. Starting with the MVSU in 39 career games. The MVFC career record for receptions is 273, game, the Salukis will play 11-straight weeks. which was set by Lance Lenoir of Western Illinois from 2013-16. Wieneke’s 4,192 receiving yards also rank 11th in FCS history, and he stands only 137 yards from moving into the top five. He also ranks in a tie for 11th for career touchdown receptions in the FCS annals. Top Sophomores The top-two vote-getters in the race for the 2016 STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in the FCS a year ago will be on op- posite sidelines in Thursday’s opener. Duquesne RB A.J. Hines won the balloting by a single vote over Jackrabbit LB Christian Rozeboom. Hines rushed for 1,291 yards and 13 touchdowns, and added 15 catches for 200 yards and a score. Rozeboom paced the Jackrabbit defense with 132 tackles and contributed two interceptions. WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) A31 at Tennessee Tech TV TBD 6:00 p.m. S2 at Pittsburgh ACC Network 1:00 p.m. ET S9 at Northern Arizona TV TBD TBA S9 Robert Morris ESPN3 2:00 p.m. ET S30 at Coastal Carolina TV TBD TBA S16 Central Connecticut St. ESPN3 2:00 p.m. ET S30 *South Dakota (HC) ESPN3 3:00 p.m. S30 *South Dakota State ESPN3 7:00 p.m. ET O7 *at UNI ESPN3 4:00 p.m. O7 *at South Dakota ESPN3 3:00 p.m. ET O14 *Missouri State ESPN3 3:00 p.m. O14 *North Dakota State ESPN3 7:00 p.m. ET O21 *at North Dakota State ESPN3 2:30 p.m. O21 *at UNI ESPN3 2:00 p.m. ET O28 *South Dakota State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. O28 *Illinois State (HC) ESPN3 2:00 p.m. ET N4 *at Illinois State ESPN3 Noon N4 *at Indiana State ESPN3 1:00 p.m. ET N11 *at Indiana State ESPN3 Noon N11 *at Southern Illinois ESPN3 2:00 p.m. ET N18 *Southern Illinois ESPN3 1:00 p.m. N18 *Missouri State ESPN3 Noon ET *MVFC game *MVFC game

Season-Opening Success vs. FCS Florida Duo at WR The Leathernecks have had great success in season-opening YSU’s top two returning receivers are Florida natives Alvin Bailey games against FCS opponents... Western’s 38-21 road win at Eastern and Damoun Patterson. Last season Bailey caught a team-high 47 Illinois last year marked the 12th win in the last 13 opportunities passes for 511 yards and five touchdowns while Patterson had 20 (only loss 20-6 at Sam Houston State in 2011). receptions for 484 yards and two TDs. Patterson averaged a school record 24.2 yards per catch, breaking the mark of 23.4 set in 1969 by Dave DelSignore. He was a big-play receiver with nine of his 20 Preseason Honors for Taylor grabs going for 28 yards or more. During the off-season Brett Taylor was named to the STATS and HERO Sports Preseason All-American First Team... STATS also tabbed Taylor as one of the Top 10 FCS Players to Watch in 2017... In early McCaster TD a Good Sign August Taylor was one of 21 defensive players nationally to earn a Junior TB Tevin McCaster became a key part of the backfield spot on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, an honor given to the rotation a year ago and this season is slated to start at the position. National Defensive Player of the Year. McCaster was second on the team in touchdowns with 11 in 2016. He had rushing touchdowns in nine different games, and YSU is 8-1 in contests when he scored, including playoff wins over Samford, Wof- Valuable Road Experience Needed ford and Eastern Washington. McCaster rushed for 652 yards on 129 Having played six road games last year should benefit the 2017 carries in 2016. At EWU he had a career-high 154 yards on 29 carries Leathernecks... Not only will Western play its first three games on the and scored three touchdowns in the FCS semifinals. He was the only road for the first time since 1935, the seven road games this year are running back to play in all 16 games in 2016. the most in two years overall as the 2015 squad eventually played eight road games (two in the NCAA Playoffs)... The seven regular sea- Spencer a Mainstay son road games currently scheduled are the most in program history. Senior OT Justin Spencer, a preseason third-team All-America pick, has been a mainstay on the offensive line since 2014. A preseason All-MVFC first-team selection, Spencer has started all 39 games in his Career Starts Leaders three-year YSU career. After playing right tackle his first two years with Senior James Torgerson leads all active Leathernecks with 30 the program, Spencer moved to left tackle in 2016 where he started career starts, all consecutive... Brett Taylor is next with 27 starts, also all 16 games for the Penguins. He was a second-team All-MVFC pick all consecutive... David Griffith has 26 starts, 25 of those consecu- in 2016 and an honorable-mention selection in 2015. tive... Jacob Judd owns 24 straight starts... Josh Baldus has 24 career starts, 15 consecutive... Xavier Rowe has made 20 career starts. Season Openers The Penguins are 42-32-2 all-time in season openers. In eight of the previous 10 openers, the Guins started the year on the road against a Power Five conference foe. The season-opening wins since 2007, when YSU opened against a Power Five school (Ohio State) for the first time in school history, were at Pittsburgh in 2012, at home against Dayton in 2014 and Duquesne last year. Head Coach Bo Pelini’s first game on the YSU sidelines came at Pittsburgh in 2015.