For Immediate Release Oct. 30, 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 2017 Valley Football Standings (thru Oct. 28) Schedule/Results Saturday, Oct. 28 MVFC Points Overall Points Team W-L Pct. For Opp W-L Pct. For Opp H A Stk. #16 Illinois State 35, #19 Youngstown State 0 North Dakota State 5-0 1.000 171 61 8-0 1.000 339 81 5-0 3-0 W8 Missouri State 59, Indiana State 20 South Dakota 4-1 .800 188 104 7-1 .875 345 145 4-0 3-1 W1 #2 North Dakota State 30, #25 UNI 14 Illinois State 4-1 .800 137 85 6-2 .750 242 135 3-0 3-2 W2 #6 South Dakota 42, Southern Illinois 0 South Dakota State 3-2 .600 188 125 6-2 .750 321 175 3-1 3-1 W2 #8 South Dakota St. 52, #12 Western Illinois 24 Northern Iowa 3-2 .600 124 117 4-4 .500 214 221 2-1 2-3 L1 Saturday, Nov. 4 (Times CT) Western Illinois 2-3 .400 156 173 5-3 .625 287 217 1-2 4-1 L2 Southern Illinois 2-3 .400 118 146 4-4 .500 239 210 2-1 2-3 L1 *#15 Western Illinois at #12 Illinois St., Noon Youngstown State 1-4 .200 85 119 3-5 .375 195 156 3-2 0-3 L4 Normal, Ill. • ESPN3 Missouri State 1-4 .200 139 203 2-6 .250 210 330 2-2 0-4 W1 *Youngstown State at Indiana State, Noon Indiana State 0-5 .000 63 236 0-8 .000 131 342 0-3 0-5 L8 Terre Haute, Ind. • ESPN3 *Missouri State at Southern Illinois, 1 pm Carbondale, Ill. • ESPN3 Noteworthy *#2 N. Dakota St. at #8 S. Dakota St., 2 pm • • Media Services • • Brookings, S.D. • NBC ND / Midco / ESPN3 Players of the Week Christion Earns National Honor *#6 South Dakota at UNI, 1 pm Each week a panel will select players of QB Taryn Christion of South Dakota State Cedar Falls, Iowa • PSN / ESPN3 the week for offense, defense, newcomer, has earned STATS National Offensive Player *denotes Conference game offensive line and special teams. of the Week honors -- he’s the seventh MVFC player to be honored by STATS this season. What’s Left MVFC Media Vault By Tuesday of each week, the league will Ranked vs. Ranked Below is a snapshot of what remains collect school weekly coach press confer- for the MVFC schools during the regular- ences (audio/video links) and PDF links to Before two games this weekend, there have season league slate. The “OPP” column weekly notes in the MVFC Media Vault. been 161 games in which two ranked MVFC teams have faced one another. In those is the combined overall record of the four Statistics games, the home team is 94-66 (there was remaining opponents. Interactive school and league statistics one neutral site game), and the higher ranked Team N4 N11 N18 OPP are available, courtesy of the league’s part- team is 98-63. The NDSU-SDSU meeting nership with SIDEARM. Illinois State WIU at SDSU NDSU 19-5 marks the 39th game in league history in Indiana State YSU WIU at UNI 12-12 which both teams were ranked in the Top 10. Missouri State at SIU UNI at YSU 11-13 Weekly Features N. Dakota St. at SDSU USD at ILS 19-5 The league produces weekly video Ruling the Rankings UNI USD at MSU INS 9-15 segments (Two Minute Drill and The Extra South Dakota at UNI at NDSU SDSU 18-6 Point) and a bimonthly audio podcast (First Eight MVFC teams rank in the Top 20 for S. Dakota St. NDSU ILS at USD 21-3 and Goal). Each is available by visiting the FCS schools in the Sagarin Rankings, which S. Illinois MSU YSU at WIU 10-14 W. Illinois at ILS at INS SIU 10-14 league’s web site (valleyfootball.org) - under includes 7 of the top 8 spots (James Madi- Youngstown St. at INS at SIU MSU 6-18 the Multimedia tab on the main menu bar. son of the CAA is the only non-MVFC school in the Top 8.) HERO Sports’ BennettRank Based on cumulative opposition (past www.valley-football.org yields similar results -- with six MVFC schools opponents and future opponents), six of 10 MVFC schools rank in the Top 18 in facebook.com/ValleyFootball ranked in the Top 11. UNI’s schedule strength is rated as the the NCAA for ‘toughest schedules.’ SDSU @valleyfootball • @FCS_Insider most difficult in the nation by three different leads the MVFC at No. 3 (.690 win percent- @ESPNCFB • @NCAA_FCS age by its past/future opponents). @FCS_STATS • @HeroSportsNews metrics - BennettRank, Sagarin, Massey. 2017 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (Oct. 30) Players of the Week The Week Ahead 5 MVFC Teams in Top 15 All 10 league teams are in action this For the first time this season, the MVFC Offense weekend with five Conference games on the has fewer than six Top-25 teams, but all QB Taryn Christion, South Dakota State slate. All five games this weekend will be five of the league’s ranked teams are in 6-2, 220, Jr., Sioux Falls (S.D.) Roosevelt High available on ESPN3. The league’s ESPN3 the Top 15 of the STATS poll. Youngstown Christion accounted for six touchdowns and 423 yards of total offense to lead the Jackrab- production is the Western Illinois-Illinois State and UNI continue to be among bits to a 52-24 road win Oct. 28 at Western State contest at 12 pm CT. Adam Seidel, those receiving votes. HERO Sports’ Ben- Illinois in a battle of nationally ranked teams. Danan Hughes and Kelly Burke will be on the nettRank is also listed below and is a com- The reigning MVFC Offensive Player of the Year, call from Normal, Ill. Christion completed 26-of-41 passes for 386 puter predictive metric that ranks all FCS yards and ran eight times for 37 yards and an- teams. The Sagarin ranking ranks all 254 other score. His five touchdown passes, which 100th All-Time Meeting Division I teams, but the number listed is covered 30, 13, 1, 46 and 6 yards, tied a Illinois State and West- career high, while his passing total is seventh- each team’s position within the FCS. most in program history and his total offense ern Illinois will meet for the Team FCS STATS HERO SAG. mark ranks eighth in the Jackrabbit annals. 100th time on the gridiron North Dakota State 2 2 2 1 this Saturday when the Defense South Dakota 6 6 5 3 Redbirds host the Leather- South Dakota State 8 10 9 4 LB Christian Rozeboom, South Dakota State necks. The series began Illinois State 13 12 21 7 6-2, 225, So., Sioux Center (Iowa) High in 1904 and is the third- Western Illinois 18 15 7 5 Rozeboom registered a team-high 10 tack- most played rivalry among league members Youngstown State rv rv 11 8 les and recorded a pair of takeaways in the UNI rv rv 6 6 Jackrabbits’ 52-24 road win Oct. 28 at Western (South Dakota State-South Dakota have Southern Illinois -- -- 16 17 Illinois. The Buck Buchanan Award nominee faced one another 109 times, while North recovered a fumble in the third quarter and notched his first interception of the season in Dakota State and SDSU have played 106 Among conferences, the MVFC is the the fourth quarter. Rozeboom, who notched previous games.) top-rated league in the FCS, but also ranks double figures in tackles for the fifth time this ahead of a number of FBS leagues, includ- season and 12th time in 21 career games, led a Jackrabbit defensive effort that held Western Dakota Marker This Saturday ing the Mountain West (West Division), the Illinois to 285 yards of total offense – nearly South Dakota State hosts North Dakota C-USA (both the East and West divisions), 150 yards below its season average. State in the annual Dakota Marker game the MAC (East Division), and the Sun Belt. on Saturday. The programs have played Sagarin Rankings, Conference Leaders (FCS) Special Teams for the trophy annually since 2004 when 1. MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL PK Zach Drake, Missouri State the two football teams began NCAA Divi- 6-2, 191, So., Lee’s Summit (Mo.) O’Hara High 2. CAA Football Drake continued a string of successful kicks sion I competition. NDSU leads the Dakota 3. Big Sky Saturday against Indiana State, nailing his Marker series, 8-5, while South Dakota State 4. Southern fifth-straight field goal attempt and all eight claimed the trophy last year with a 19-17 win 5. Ohio Valley PAT tries in MSU’s first Valley win of the sea- in Fargo. NDSU and SDSU have met 106 son. Drake opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal and has now successfully converted previous times on the football field, dating Against the FCS each of his last 16 field goal/PAT attempts over back to 1903. the last three games. The MVFC is 18-5 against FCS schools this year, which includes two road losses to Newcomer Bison Stay Perfect ranked FCS teams, one of which (Liberty) Two teams have been 6-0 in the same is transitioning to FBS.