For Immediate Release Sept. 23, 2013 Contact: 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
• • Media Services • • Players of the Week
Each week a panel will select players of the week for offense, defense, newcomer, offensive line and special teams.
Valley Football Radio Report
Each week’s games are previewed on the Missouri Valley Football Conference Radio Report, produced by Jim Powers. The report can be heard on most schools’ network affiliate station.
Weekly Coaches Call
Teleconferences featuring the league’s head coaches are each Tuesday at 10 a.m. CT. Replays are accessible on the league web site by visiting www.valley-football.org
877-393-4731 10:00 a.m. CT – Eric Wolford, YSU 10:06 a.m. CT – Joe Glenn, USD 10:12 a.m. CT – John Stiegelmeier, SDSU 10:18 a.m. CT – Terry Allen, MSU 10:24 a.m. CT – Brock Spack, ILS 10:30 a.m. CT – Bob Nielson, WIU 10:36 a.m. CT – Craig Bohl, NDSU 10:42 a.m. CT – Mike Sanford, INS 10:48 a.m. CT – Dale Lennon, SIU 10:54 a.m. CT – Mark Farley, UNI
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MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE IN THE TOP 25 THIS WEEK
FCS Coaches Poll (Sept. 23) 1. North Dakota State 5. Northern Iowa 6. South Dakota State 24. Illinois State 25. Youngstown State Sports Network Poll (Sept. 23) 1. North Dakota State 5. Northern Iowa 6. South Dakota State
2013 Valley Football Standings (thru 9/21) Team
MVFC Points W L For Opp Pct.
North Dakota State Northern Iowa South Dakota State Youngstown State Southern Illinois Western Illinois Illinois State Indiana State South Dakota Missouri State
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000
Overall Points W L For Opp 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 0
0 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 4
131 99 144 171 138 95 83 119 40 82
31 41 127 95 111 82 125 100 60 109
Pct. Stk. 1.000 1.000 .750 .750 .500 .500 .333 .333 .333 .000
W3 W3 L1 W1 W2 L2 W1 W1 L2 L4
Upcoming Schedule (Saturday, Sept. 28) *RV/#24 Illinois St. (1-2, 0-0) at Missouri St. (0-4, 0-0), Springfield, MO, 1:00 p.m. [Mediacom] 4 Note: Illinois State holds a 17-15-1 advantage in the series, which includes a 38-13 victory in the Redbirds’ last visit to Springfield (2011). 4 Last Year: Missouri State outscored Illinois State 15-3 in the fourth quarter last year and posted a 24-17 win at then-ranked No. 11 Illinois State. QB Matt Brown became the league’s all-time leading passer in that loss. *#1/1 NDSU (3-0, 0-0) at #6/6 SDSU (3-1, 0-0), Brookings, S.D., 2:00 p.m. [ND NBC/Midco] 4 Note: The teams have met 100 times previously and the Bison hold a 55-40-5 series edge, including the last meeting in Brookings (38-14 in 2011). 4 Last Year: The Dakota Marker game was close as the Bison won, 20-17, in Fargo, but the teams met in the second round of the FCS playoffs with NDSU handling visiting SDSU, 28-3. The game marked the third time in league history that two league teams faced one another in the playoffs. 4 Notable: The game marks the 101st all-time in which two ranked league teams have faced one another, and the 25th time that two Top 10 MVFC teams squared off. Home teams are 60-40 in the previous games, and the higher ranked team is 57-43. *South Dakota (1-2, 0-0) at RV/NR Western Illinois (2-2, 0-0), Macomb, IL, 3:00 p.m. [WIUS-td] 4 Note: Before last year’s 24-17 Western Illinois victory, the teams hadn’t faced each other since 1977. USD leads the all-time series, 2-1. 4 Last Year: Western Illinois’ defense made a stop on the final drive to preserve the victory, while USD QB Josh Vander Maten threw for 167 yards and ran for 67 yards in the loss. #9/9 McNeese State (4-0, 0-0 Southland) at #5/5 UNI (3-0, 0-0), Cedar Falls, IA, 4:00 p.m. 4 Note: The two teams have met 10 times previously, but haven’t faced each other since 1999, a 41-17 UNI victory. UNI holds a 6-4 edge in the series, which includes one UNI playoff win. *RV/#25 Youngstown St. (3-1, 0-0) at RV/NR S. Illinois (2-2, 0-0), Carbondale, 6 p.m. [Valley TV] 4 Note: Youngstown State leads the all-time series, 12-11-1, and the Penguins won the last meeting in Carbondale, 35-23. 4 Last Year: Youngstown State jumped to a 14-3 lead but visiting Southern Illinois scored three times on special teams/defense and won in Stambaugh Stadium, 38-21. RV/RV Indiana State (1-2, 0-0) at Tennessee Tech (2-2, 0-1 OVC), Cookeville, TN, 7:00 p.m. 4 Note: Indiana State will be looking to snap a 10-game losing streak to members of the Ohio Valley Conference when the Sycamores take on Tennessee Tech on the road Saturday. ISU has never faced Tennessee Tech in football. *indicates MVFC game; first poll rank indicated is The Sports Network, second is coaches poll rv - indicates team received votes in the poll; nr - not ranked in the other poll
2013 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (Sept. 23) Players of the Week Offense RB Zach Zenner, South Dakota State 6-0, 220, Jr., Eagan (Minn.) High Zenner rushed 20 times for 202 yards and two touchdowns at Nebraska. He opened the Jackrabbit scoring with a 40-yard touchdown run and also scored on a 3-yard run later in the first quarter. He posted his 13th career 100-yard game and fifth career 200-yard game despite not playing in the fourth quarter. Zenner has scored at least two rushing touchdowns in all four games this season. Zenner leads the FCS with 742 rushing yards.
Defense LB Bryan Presume, Southern Illinois 5-11, 229, Sr., North Cobb (Ga.) High Presume led the team with nine tackles in SIU’s win over Southeast Missouri State. The senior captain sealed the victory with his interception and 34-yard return on SEMO’s final possession of the game. He also blocked an extra point attempt late in the third quarter which kept the game tied at 19-19 and had one tackle for loss. Presume also forced a fumble in the fourth quarter.
Special Teams PK Tyler Sievertsen, UNI 6-2, 185, Sr., Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Kennedy Sievertsen set a career high against Northern Colorado after knocking in four field goals in a 26-7 victory. The senior finished with 14 points out of the 26 the Panthers scored off of 28, 25, 31 and 27-yard field goals. The last UNI player to make four field goals in a game was Billy Hallgren (2010 vs. South Dakota).
Newcomer TB Martin Ruiz, Youngstown State 5-11, 195, Fr., Tampa (Fla.) Robinson High Ruiz continued his strong start to the campaign with his first three-touchdown performance of his career in the win over Duquesne. Ruiz had scoring runs of nine, five and four yards in the contest. He had 17 carries for 65 yards in the contest. In four games, Ruiz has scored eight touchdowns, including seven on the ground.
Offensive Lineman RT Ethan Wirth, Southern Illinois So., 6-6, 291, Williamston (Mich.) High Wirth led the Saluki offensive linemen with an 81 percent grade, the highest percentage by a starter this season. The sophomore helped SIU to 409 yards of total offense and 209 rushing yards. He helped carve space for Malcolm Agnew, who ran for 127 yards, and the Salukis averaged 5.1 yards per carry.
Conference Play Begins
Eight of the league’s 10 teams begin Missouri Valley Football Conference play this Saturday, and all of the league’s teams are in action as UNI (vs. nationally ranked McNeese State) and Indiana State (at Tennessee Tech) both conclude their non-conference portion of the schedule Saturday.
Open Season
At 13-3, including a perfect 9-0 in home conference openers, Youngstown State continues to hold the league’s best record in MVFC openers. The Penguins have won fourstraight league openers, including a 42-35 decision against UNI on Sept. 22, 2012. Team
Record
Home
Away
Streak
Illinois State 12-16 Indiana State 8-19 Missouri St. 12-16 NDSU 2-3 UNI 20-8 South Dakota 0-1 SDSU 3-2 S. Illinois 15-13 W. Illinois 15-13 Youngstown St. 13-3
5-6 7-8 5-8 1-0 12-2 0-1 2-1 10-5 9-5 9-0
7-10 1-11 7-8 1-3 8-6 0-0 1-1 5-8 6-8 4-3
W1 L1 L8 W2 L1 L1 W1 W2 L2 W4
Last Week
The Missouri Valley combined for a 5-4 record in non-conference play. The four losses included two against ranked FCS teams and two against FBS teams.
Effective on Third Down
North Dakota State leads the nation in third-down conversion percentage, making good on 2/3 of its third-down tries. Notably, five Missouri Valley Football teams are in the Top 50. The Bison have converted 28 of 42 third downs this season.
Hardly Any Penalties
North Dakota State (3rd) and Youngstown State (13th) are both among the national leaders for fewest penalties committed. The Bison have been whistled for a miscue a total of just 7 times in three games (2.33 per game). Youngstown State’s per game average of 4.25 is second best in the MVFC.
No Fumbles Yet
Western Illinois and North Dakota State are among just 12 teams to not lose a fumble this year. Indiana State has lost just one fumble to rank tied for 13th this year in the FCS.
On the Tube This Week
Four of the league’s six contests this week are on television, including all four conference games. The Southern IllinoisYoungstown State contest is the first of seven on the Valley Football TV Network. Youngstown State at Southern Illinois, 6 pm CT 4 WBCB-TV (YSU), Mediacom, ESPN3 Scott Warmann (PBP), Danan Hughes (analyst) Kelly Burke (sidelines)
Tuning In
Approximately 50 league games will air on a myriad of television networks during the 2013 season. The Conference will produce seven league games as part of its 2013 Game of the Week package, and more than 40 additional games will air in conjunction with MVFC institutional packages.
Something’s Gotta Give
Southern Illinois’ top-ranked MVFC rushing defense (83.5 yards per game allowed) faces the league’s top-ranked rushing offense (Youngstown State at 237.5 yards per game) this Saturday in the league’s MVFC TV Game of the Week. SIU ranks ninth nationally in rushing defense, while YSU is 16th in the nation in rushing offense.
Turnover Margin Leaders
South Dakota State (+2.5) and Western Illinois (+2.3) are second and third, respectively, in the FCS in turnover margin. The national leader, Cornell, had a +6.0 margin in its first and only game of the year on Sept. 21. North Dakota State isn’t far behind as NDSU ranks No. 12 nationally (and No. 3 in the league) with a +1.3 turnover margin.
SDSU Leads FCS in Interceptions South Dakota State has picked off nine passes this year to rank in a three-way tie for the FCS lead this year (with Stephen F. Austin and Eastern Illinois). Western Illinois ranks No. 6 with seven picks in 2013.
Good Luck Scoring on These Guys
Four league teams rank in the Top 25 in scoring defense through the first month of the season. North Dakota State has allowed 10.3 points per game this year to rank a league-best 3rd in the nation. UNI (13.7, 8th), South Dakota (20.0, 20th) and Western Illinois (20.5, 24th) also are among the national best.
2013 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (Sept. 23) Sack Masters
UNI failed to reach six sacks in a game for the first time this year in its win at Northern Colorado, but the Panthers are averaging 4.67 through three games to rank No. 3 in the NCAA. UNI had six sacks each in their first two wins (against Iowa State and Drake).
Hess Nears Yardage Record
Youngstown State senior QB Kurt Hess is just 264 yards shy of breaking the school record for career passing yards. Hess has 7,465 yards and trails four-year starter Tom Zetts who finished his career with 7,728 yards. Hess owns the school mark with 59 career touchdown passes, 20 200-yard passing games, is tied for TDs responsible for with 67, passing yards per game 201.8 and passer rating at 142.16. Zetts ranks No. 10 all-time in the MVFC record books.
Best in Show?
Two of the league’s quarterbacks are among the top five for active QBs in the FCS in career passing efficiency, while Brock Jensen of North Dakota State continues to climb the all-time leaderboard for FCS victories as a quarterback. Active Career Leaders in the FCS Passing Efficiency 1. Mason Mills, San Diego 2. Sawyer Kollmorgen, UNI 3. Denarius McGhee, Montana State 4. Brian Bell, Sam Houston State 5. Kurt Hess, Youngstown State
147.95 146.83 146.76 143.64 142.17
Most Wins, FCS Quarterbacks, All Time 1. Aramanti Edwards, APSU (2006-09) 2. J.R. Revere, Georgia Southern (1998-2001) 3. Eric Ward, Richmond (2006-09) 4. Cole Bergquist, Montana (2005-08) 4. John Edwards, Montana (1999-02) 4. Greg Hill, Georgia Southern (1996-99) 7. Brock Jensen, North Dakota State (2010- 7. Eric Sanders, UNI (2004-07) 7. four other players tied
43 42 41 40 40 40 36 36 36
Rushing Leaders
Zach Zenner of South Dakota State (185.5 yards per game) and David Johnson of UNI (154.3) rank No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in rushing yards per game. Tyler Varga of Yale had 236 yards in his only game of the year last week and currently leads the FCS. Zenner, meanwhile, leads the FCS in total rushing yards with 742 for the Jackrabbits. Active Career Leaders in the FCS Rushing Yards Per Game 1. Zach Zenner, South Dakota State 2. Rob Hollomon, Central Conn. State 3. Shakir Bell, Indiana State 4. Terrance West, Towson 5. Zach Bauman, Northern Arizona
116.3 115.7 114.9 113.7 109.8
Active Career Leaders in the FCS Highest Gain Per Rush 1. Darien Robinson, Citadel 2. Donovan Johnson, Wofford 3. Zach Zenner, South Dakota State 4. Gavin McCarney, Colgate 5. Shakir Bell, Indiana State
6.6 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.4
Pre S2
S9
S16
S23 S30
Illinois State Indiana St. MSU NDSU UNI USD SDSU S. Illinois W. Illinois Youngstown
10 16 rv rv rv -- 1 1 16 9 -- rv 6 6 rv rv -- rv 24 25
16 rv -- 1 7 rv 6 rv rv 23
24 rv -- 1 7 rv 6 rv rv rv
24 rv -1 5 -6 rv rv 25
Network
A29
Hampton at Western Illinois
WIUS-td
Illinois State at Ball State
ESPN3
Indiana State at Indiana
BTN
Northwestern St. at Missouri St.
Mediacom
Dayton at Youngstown State
MyYTV-td
A30
North Dakota State at K-State
Fox1
A31
Southern Illinois at Illinois
BTN
UC Davis at South Dakota
Midco
Butler at South Dakota State
Midco
UNI at Iowa State
Mediacom
S7
Indiana State at Purdue
BTN
Missouri State at Iowa
BTN
Quincy at Western Illinois
WIUS-td
Morehead at Youngstown State
MyYTV-td
Drake at UNI
PSN
Ferris St. at North Dakota State
ND NBC/ESPN3
South Dakota at Kansas
Jayhawk TV
S14
Western Illinois at Minnesota
BTN
Youngstown St. at Michigan State BTN
S21
Delaware State at N. Dakota State ESPN3
Duquesne at Youngstown State
South Dakota at Northern Arizona Fox AZ Plus
Since 2008, the NCAA FCS rushing champ has come from the Missouri Valley Football Conference four times, including each of the past two seasons. Five of this season’s top 12 single-game highs are MVFC players.
South Dakota State at Nebraska
BTN
S28
Illinois State at Missouri State *
Mediacom
NDSU at South Dakota St. *
ND NBC/Midco
South Dakota at Western Illinois * WIUS-td
Youngstown St. at S. Illinois *
O5
Youngstown St. at Indiana State * WBCB
MVFC / NCAA Rushing Champs, since 2008
Missouri State at South Dakota * Midco
2008 2009 2011 2012
S. Illinois at South Dakota State * Valley TV
UNI at North Dakota State *
Herb Donaldson, WIU (162.2 rush yards/game) Pat Paschall, NDSU (139.7 rush yards/game) Shakir Bell, INS (151.8 rush yards/game) Zach Zenner, SDSU (157.2 rush yards/game)
Top Single-Game Rushing Performances, 2013 1. Zach Zenner, SDSU (vs. North Dakota) 2. Omar Osbourne, Albany (NY) (vs. Colgate) 3. Tyler Varga, Yale (vs. Colgate) 4. Kyle Harbridge, St. Francis (vs. Lincoln-PA) 5. Darien Robinson, Citadel (vs. ODU) 6. Courtney Brown, Prairie View (vs. Southern) 7. DJ Adams, Portland State (vs UC Davis) 8. Sean Bell, Sacred Heart (vs. Lincoln/Pa.) 9. Adaris Bellamy, YSU (vs. Dayton) 10. Zach Zenner, SDSU (vs. Nebraska) 11. Vernon Scott, MSU (vs. Murray State) 12. David Johnson, UNI (vs. Iowa State)
295 256 236 230 227 224 208 205 203 202 201 199
2013 Valley Football Teams in the Top 25 Team
2013 Valley FB Television Date Event
O7
O14 O21 O28 N4 N11 N18 END
*Rank represents highest position in either of two polls (Sports Network or FCS Coaches polls)
myYTV-td
Valley TV
ND NBC/FCS/
Fox Sports North
O12 Missouri St. at N. Dakota State *
ND NBC/ESPN3
S. Dakota St. at Western Illinois * Valley TV
Illinois St. at Youngstown State *
MyYTV-td/E3
O19 Indiana State at Illinois State *
Valley TV
S. Dakota St. at Missouri State *
Mediacom/E3
N. Dakota St. at Southern Illinois * ND NBC/ESPN3
Western Illinois at Youngstown St.* MyYTV-td/E3
O26 N. Dakota St. at Indiana State *
Valley TV
UNI at South Dakota State *
Midco
Missouri State at Western Illinois * WIUS-td
N2
Youngstown St. at South Dakota * Valley TV
S. Illinois at Western Illinois *
WIUS-td
N9
Montana at South Dakota
Midco
Illinois St. at North Dakota State * ND NBC/FCS/
Fox Sports North
PSN
Youngstown State at UNI *
N16 UNI at Missouri State *
Valley TV
N. Dakota St. at Youngstown St.*
ND NBC/ESPN3
S. Dakota St. at South Dakota *
Midco/FCS
N23 S. Dakota St. at Youngstown St.*
MyYTV/ESPN3
S. Dakota at North Dakota State * ND NBC/Midco
check local listings for “Valley TV” clearances *indicates Conference game
2013 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (Sept. 23) 2012 Vs. Non-League (19-16) Home: 14-3 / Away: 4-13 / Neut: 1-0
NCAA FCS Teams (13-6) Big Sky.................................................... 3-1
UC Davis.......................................................1-0 North Dakota...............................................1-0 Northern Arizona.........................................0-1 Northern Colorado......................................1-0
Mid-Eastern Athletic............................... 2-0 Delaware State............................................1-0 Hampton......................................................1-0
Northeast................................................ 1-0 Duquesne....................................................1-0
Ohio Valley.............................................. 1-3
Eastern Illinois.............................................0-2 Murray State................................................0-1 Southeast Missouri State...........................1-0 Tennessee Tech...........................................0-0
Butler...........................................................1-0 Dayton..........................................................1-0 Drake...........................................................1-0 Morehead State..........................................1-0
Central Arkansas.........................................0-1 McNeese State............................................0-0 Northwestern State.....................................0-1 SE Louisiana................................................1-0
Pioneer.................................................... 4-0
Southland............................................... 1-2
Independents......................................... 1-0
Abilene Christian.........................................1-0
NCAA FBS Teams (2-10) Big Ten.................................................... 0-7
Illinois...........................................................0-1 Indiana.........................................................0-1 Iowa..............................................................0-1 Michigan State............................................0-1 Minnesota....................................................0-1 Nebraska.....................................................0-1 Purdue.........................................................0-1
Big 12...................................................... 2-1
Iowa State....................................................1-0 Kansas.........................................................0-1 Kansas State...............................................1-0
Mid-American......................................... 0-1 Ball State.....................................................0-1
Mountain West....................................... 0-1
UNLV.............................................................0-1
Non-Division I Teams (4-0) Charleston...................................................1-0 Ferris State..................................................1-0 Quincy..........................................................2-0
vs. Ranked (FCS) Teams (0-4)
S7 -- S. Illinois vs. #14 E. Illinois, L, 37-40 (2ot) S14 - Illinois St. at #9 Eastern Illinois, L, 24-57 S21 - Missouri State vs. #13 C. Arkansas, L, 13-17 S21 - South Dakota at #22 N. Arizona, L, 16-22
vs. Ranked (FBS) Teams (0-0) No games
Accurate Kicker
PK Tyler Sievertsen of UNI was 4-for-4 on field goals against Northern Colorado and earned MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He is the FCS active leader in career field goal percentage accuracy. Active Career Leaders in the FCS Field Goal Percentage 1. Tyler Sievertsen, UNI 2. Colton Cook, Southern Utah 3. Cameron Starke, James Madison 4. Eddie Camara, Central Ark. 5. John Macomber, Holy Cross
0.846 0.809 0.784 0.778 0.774
Closing in on the Record
North Dakota State’s Marcus Williams has 20 career interceptions, which ranks third-best all-time on the MVFC list. Among active players, he currently leads all of FCS in career interceptions per game (0.43) and career interception return yards (442). His six picks for TDs is an NCAA FCS record (he had against Delaware State on 9/21/2013.)
Five Teams Ranked This Week
Five league teams are ranked this week. Five Missouri Valley football teams have been ranked in the same top-25 poll 28 times, including a league-record seven times in 2008. Notably for the fourth time this year, a poll has three league teams ranked in the Top 10 (NDSU, UNI, SDSU). MVFC Teams in the Top-25 Polls This Week Sports Network
FCS Coaches
1. North Dakota State 1. North Dakota State 5. UNI 5. UNI 6. South Dakota State 6. South Dakota State rv-Illinois State 24. Illinois State rv-Youngstown State 25. Youngstown State rv-Southern Illinois rv-Indiana State rv-Western Illinois rv-Indiana State
Good Company
In the past two-plus seasons, North Dakota State has the best win percentage of any Division I school (all games, FBS+FCS).
MVFC Career Leaders - Interceptions
Win Percentage, Division I, since 2011-present
24, Adrion Smith, Missouri State, 1990-93 21, Jeff Smith, Illinois State, 1985-88 20, Marcus Williams, North Dakota State, 2010-pres. 18, Ty Talton, UNI, 1995-98 18, Dre Dokes, UNI, 2003-06
1. North Dakota State (MVFC) 2. Alabama (SEC) 3. Oregon (Pac-12) 4. Lehigh (Patriot) 5. LSU (SEC) 6. Stanford (Pac-12) 7. Harvard (Ivy)
Active Career Leaders in the FCS Interception Return Yards 1. Marcus Williams, North Dakota State 2. Jestin Love, Central Ark. 3. Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State 4. Juan Asencio, Incarnate Word 5. Darius Drummond, South Carolina State
442 236 216 213 178
Active Career Leaders in the FCS Interceptions Per Game 1. Marcus Williams, North Dakota State 2. Stephen Godbolt, Tennessee State 3. Joe Rankin, Morgan State 4. Davonte Anderson, Stony Brook Calvin Burnett, Indiana State
.939 .933 .900 .889 .871 .867 .857
Streaking
Two Missouri Valley Football teams are unbeaten this year (North Dakota State and UNI). Dating back to last season, NDSU and UNI are among the list for longest streaks among all FCS schools. FCS Winning Streaks (dating back to last season)
0.43 0.36 0.34 0.33 0.33
What’s the Rush?
Of the active career leaders, 10 of the top 11 are from the FCS and two of the top 10 in the FCS are juniors (Zach Zenner, South Dakota State and Terrance West, Towson) Active Career Rushing Leaders (Division I - FCS/FBS) 1. Timothy Flanders, Sam Houston State 2. Zach Bauman, Northern Arizona 3. Andrew Pierce, Delaware 4. Shakir Bell, Indiana State 5. Dominique Williams, Wagner 6. Zach Zenner, South Dakota State (JR.) 7. Marcus Coker, Stony Brook 8. James White, Wisconsin (FBS) 9. Kyle Harbridge, Saint Francis 10. Dae’Quan Scott, James Madison 11. Terrance West, Towson (JR.)
31-2 28-2 27-3 24-3 27-4 26-4 18-3
4720 3954 3939 3907 3734 3256 3217 3013 2969 2885 2843
1. North Dakota State (MVFC) 2. Towson (Colonial) 3. UNI (MVFC) North Carolina A&T (Mid-Eastern) 5. McNeese State (Southland) Penn (Ivy)
12 8 6 6 5 5
On the Road Again
North Dakota State has won 13-straight games away from home (which includes two neutral-site games). The Bison last lost a road game in the season finale at Eastern Washington in the 2010 playoffs. Here are the national leaders (FCS+FBS) in road winning percentage over the past two-plus seasons (2011-present). Team
G
W
L
Pct.
North Dakota State Alabama (FBS) Oregon (FBS) Lehigh LSU (FBS) Northern Illinois (FBS) Stanford (FBS) Alabama State
11 10 9 14 9 12 12 11
11 10 9 13 8 10 10 9
0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2
1.000 1.000 1.000 .929 .889 .833 .833 .818
2013 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (Sept. 23) Notable Player of the Week Submissions (Sept. 21)
2013 Players of the Week
OFFENSE RB Malcolm Agnew, Southern Illinois -- Agnew ran for a season high 127 yards in the Salukis’ win against Southeast Missouri State. The junior transfer rushed for 104 yards in the second half and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. He helped put away the Redhawks with a nine-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter. RB John Crockett, North Dakota State -- Averaged 9.4 yards per carry rushing nine times for a season-high 85 yards and one touchdown in North Dakota State’s 51-0 win over Delaware State. Longest rush of the day was 35 yards to the Delaware State 4, which set up NDSU’s first touchdown for a 7-0 lead. QB Kurt Hess, Youngstown State -- Hess completed 15-of-25 passes for a season-high 292 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win over Duquesne. In the second quarter, he tossed a 52-yard scoring toss to Nate Adams. In the fourth, he found Marcel Caver on a 55-yard touchdown pass. It was the 20th time in his career he eclipsed the 200-yard mark, a continuing school record. He now has 59 touchdown passes as well. QB Sawyer Kollmorgen, UNI -- Kollmorgen threw for a season-high 248 yards on the way to leading the Panthers to a 26-7 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday. The sophomore quarterback finished 19-27-0 with one passing touchdown to Chad Owens to put UNI in the lead in the first quarter. QB Josh Vander Maten, South Dakota -- Vander Maten accounted for 263 of USD’s 284 yards of total offense (200 pass, 63 run) and accounted for two scores in Saturday’s 22-16 loss at No. 22 Northern Arizona. He ran in from 2-yards out to cut NAU’s lead to 22-9. He threw a 6-yard TD pass that made it 22-16 with 2:54 to go. QB Blake Winkler, Illinois State -- Winkler made his first career start Saturday against Abilene Christian and completed 18-of-25 passes for 201 yards with a touchdown. Winkler also rushed for 34 yards on 10 carries, including a long run of 15 yards.
Aug. 31 Offense -- RB David Johnson, UNI Defense -- SS Colten Heagle, North Dakota State Special Teams -- P/PK Miles Bergner, South Dakota Newcomer -- DB Dallas Nichols, Western Illinois Offensive Lineman -- LT Billy Turner, N. Dakota St. Sept. 7 *Offense -- RB Zach Zenner, South Dakota State Defense -- LB Jake Farley, UNI Special Teams -- PK Joey Cejudo, Youngstown St. Newcomer -- QB Trenton Norvell, Western Illinois Offensive Lineman -- C Chris Elkins, Youngstown St. Sept. 14 Offense -- QB Mike Perish, Indiana State RB Vernon Scott, Missouri State Defense -- LB Dallas Brown, South Dakota St. Special Teams -- P Nick Liste, Youngstown State *Newcomer -- LB Dallas Brown, South Dakota St. Offensive Lineman -- C Robert Booker, Missouri St. Sept. 21 Offense -- RB Zach Zenner, South Dakota State Defense -- LB Bryan Presume, Southern Illinois Special Teams -- PK Tyler Sievertsen, UNI Newcomer -- TB Martin Ruiz, Youngstown State Offensive Lineman -- RT Ethan Wirth, S. Illinois
DEFENSE LB Dylan Cole, Missouri State -- tallied his first career interception for the Bears in Saturday’s night’s non-conference finale against No. 13 Central Arkansas. Cole matched All-American Caleb Schaffitzel with a game-high 10 tackles in the contest. LB Jake Farley, UNI -- Farley finished with 10+ tackles for the third time this season and for the fourth consecutive game, dating back to the final game of the 2012 season against Missouri State. The junior notched a season-high 13 tackles against Northern Colorado, just two shy of tying his career high of 15. DE Chip Holtschlag, Western Illinois -- Holtschlag recorded a career-high nine tackles in the UNLV game. He entered with 17 career tackles in his three-year career. LB David Perkins, Illinois State -- Combined with Bradon Prate for a sack in the third quarter, marking the first of his career at ISU. He added two more in the fourth quarter and finished with a career-high six tackles, including four solo stops, and two and a half sacks. LB Tyler Starr, South Dakota -- Starr had two sacks, three tackles-for-loss and seven tackles in USD’s 22-16 loss at No. 22 Northern Arizona. He forced his 11th collegiate fumble on his second sack and USD recovered to stall an NAU drive. The Coyotes held NAU scoreless for six consecutive offensive possessions to start the game despite being on the field for more than 18 minutes in the first half. CB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State -- Returned his school-record 20th interception 33 yards for a TD to give NDSU a 20-0 lead…It was his sixth career interception return for a touchdown, tying the FCS record held by Murray State’s William Hampton (1993-96)…Also had one pass break-up on third down to force a punt. LB Teven Williams, Youngstown State -- Williams had six total tackles and two pass breakups in the win over Duquesne. He had four solo stops and added a pair of assists. He also had a TFL in the contest. NEWCOMER RB Malcolm Agnew, Southern Illinois -- see offensive nominations above WR Joey Borsellino, Western Illinois -- Borsellino set personal-highs and game-highs with five catches totaling 60 yards and his first collegiate touchdown. He is now tied for third on the team in receptions. LB Dylan Cole, Misouri State -- see defensive nominations above Tevin Foster, South Dakota -- Earned his first collegiate interception in USD’s 22-16 loss at No. 22 Northern Arizona. Foster’s pick ended the Lumberjacks’ third offensive series and kept the game scoreless. Foster finished with four tackles and was credited with a pass breakup. RB Chase Morlock, NDSU -- Had nine carries all on one fourth quarter drive that covered 76 yards in 13 plays… Rushed for 35 yards for an average of 3.9 yards per carry…Also caught one pass for 29 yards. LB David Perkins, Illinois State -- see defensive nominations above SPECIAL TEAMS K Tom Barneson, NDSU -- Scored his first four collegiate points on a PAT kick and a 27-yard FG in the third quarter against Delaware State…Also handled two kickoffs with a 64.5 average and one touchback. P Miles Bergner, South Dakota -- Averaged 48 yards on seven punts, made a 24-yard field goal, and sent all three of his kickoffs into the end zone in USD’s 22-16 loss at No. 22 Northern Arizona Saturday. Bergner had a long punt of 57 yards and had one punt downed inside the 20. PK Joey Cejudo, Youngstown State -- Cejudo continued his perfect season connecting on a season-long 40-yard field goal and making all eight of his extra-point tries. His field goal came in the first quarter. For the season, Cejudo is 22-of-22 on PAT tries and 3-of-3 on field goals. P Austin Pucylowski, Southern Illinois -- Pucylowski punted three times for an average of 40.0 yards per punt. He pinned two of his punts inside the 10. Pucylowski booted one punt that was downed at the 1-yard line and one that was downed at the 9- yard line. WR Anthony Warrum, Illinois State -- Returned a punt 62 yards for a TD as time expired to give the Redbirds a 2410 halftime advantage. The punt return for touchdown was the first of his young career at ISU and the first for a Redbird player since Sept. 13, 2008, when Tom Nelson returned one for 82 yards at Murray State.
* - denotes National Player of the Week
Short Yard Specialist
Through three games, Collin Keoshian has been extremely valuable in short-yardage situations and has scored four touchdowns on the ground. Each of those touchdowns has been scored from 10 yards or less, with three from under three yards or less. On the season
Seeing Red
ILLINOIS STATE
The Redbirds scored three touchdowns and added a field goal to go a perfect 4-for-4 in red zone chances in their win against Abilene Christian. That upped the team’s mark to a perfect 10-for-10 in the red zone this year, with eight touchdowns scored and two field goal conversions.
REDBIRDS (1-2, 0-0 MVFC)
A29 at Ball State L S14 at #9 Eastern Illinois L S21 Abilene Christian W S28 *at Missouri State (Mediacom) O5 *Western Illinois O12 *at Youngstown State (ESPN3) O19 *Indiana State (MVFC TV) O26 *South Dakota N2 *UNI N9 *at North Dakota State (FCS) N26 *at Southern Illinois *MVFC game; Times Central
28-51 24-57 31-17 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m.
Quick Starters
ISU has scored on each of its opening drives in the team’s three games this season. Collin Keoshian gave the Redbirds an early lead at Ball State with a one-yard touchdown run that capped off a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive to open the game against the Cardinals. Jared Barnett got the Redbirds started quick in game two at Eastern Illinois with a four-play, 64yard scoring drive that ended with a 22-yard TD pass to Anthony Warrum. Keoshian made it 3-for-3, when he scored from 10 yards out on the opening drive against Abilene Christian to put a bow on a seven-play scoring drive.
Bell Closing in on ISU Record
INDIANA STATE
SYCAMORES (1-2, 0-0 MVFC)
A29 at Indiana L S7 at Purdue L S14 Quincy W S28 at Tennessee Tech O5 *Youngstown State (WBCB) O12 *at South Dakota O19 *at Illinois State (MVFC TV) O26 *North Dakota St. (MVFC TV) N2 *at Missouri State N9 *at South Dakota State N16 *Western Illinois N23 *Southern Illinois *MVFC game; Times Eastern
35-73 14-20 70-7 8:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.
Senior tailback Shakir Bell enter Saturday’s game with 3,907 rushing yards for his career which is third on the Sycamore all-time list. He needs just 429 yards on the ground to become Indiana State’s all-time leading rusher and eclipse the total of 4,335 yards set by Vincent Allen (1973-77). His 3,907 career rushing yards ranks 10th all-time in the history of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and he needs 840 to top Herb Donaldson’s record of 4,746 set from 2005-08 at Western Illinois. Additionally, with 93 more rushing yards, Bell will become just the ninth MVFC player all-time to rush for at least 4,000 career yards.
The ‘other’ Valley
Once a staple of the Indiana State football schedule, the Sycamores will be facing off against a member of the Ohio Valley Conference for the first time since the 2009 campaign when they travel to Tennessee Tech on Saturday. The Sycamores have dropped each of their last 10 meetings against a member of the OVC dating back to a 41-24 home field victory over UT-Martin in 2004.
Looking to End Road Skid
Indiana State is looking to end a three-game losing skid to non-conference opponents on the road at Tennessee Tech, dating back to a road win over Western Kentucky (44-16) in 2011. The Sycamores have not played on the road against a non-conference FCS program since a 38-3 loss at Eastern Illinois in 2008 and have not won on the road against a non-conference FCS program since a 2004 overtime victory against Eastern Illinois, 33-30.
Another Narrow Loss
Missouri State dropped its third game of the 2013 campaign by six points or less in Saturday’s 17-13 setback to Central Arkansas. The outcome is the Bears’ 10th loss by a touchdown or less in the last four seasons.
For Openers
MISSOURI STATE
Missouri State is 12-16 in MVFC openers since joining the league in 1985. Saturday’s contest marks the Bears’ first league opener against Illinois State since 2010 -- a 44-41 double-overtime ISU win in Normal. This week also marks ISU’s first trip to Springfield for a conference opener since 1999 when the No. 11 Redbirds scored a 46-42 win in a shootout in Randy Ball’s first season as head coach of the Bears.
BEARS
(0-4, 0-0 MVFC) A29 Northwestern State L S7 at Iowa L S14 at Murray State L S21 #13 Central Arkansas L S28 *Illinois State (Mediacom) O5 *at South Dakota (Midco) O12 *at North Dakota St. (ESPN3) O19 *South Dakota St. (Mediacom) O26 *at Western Illinois (WIUS-td) N2 *Indiana State N9 *at Southern Illinois N16 *UNI (MVFC TV) *MVFC game; Times Central
17-23 14-28 38-41 13-17 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
Buford is Back
All-MVFC receiver Dorian Buford snagged an 8-yard TD pass from Kierra Harris for the first score of the game on Saturday and helped pace MSU’s offense with 80 yards on 4 receptions on the night. His TD grab was his first of the season and fourth of his career as he pushed within 62 yards of 1,000 for his career. The senior would become the 18th MSU pass receiver to tally 1,000 yards in his career. Last year against Illinois State (this week’s MSU opponent), Buford had 4 receptions for 100 yards.
Bohl Gets Record 92nd Victory
Craig Bohl became North Dakota State’s all-time winningest coach with his 92nd career victory Saturday against Delaware State. Bohl is 92-32 in his 11th season and passed Rocky Hager, who was 91-25-1 with the Bison from 1987-96.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE
BISON
(3-0, 0-0 MVFC) A30 at Kansas State W S7 Ferris State W S21 Delaware State W S28 *at South Dakota St. (ND NBC) O5 *UNI (ND NBC/FCS) O12 *Missouri St. (ND NBC/ESPN3) O19 *at S. Illinois (ND NBC/ESPN3) O26 *at Indiana State (MVFC TV) N9 *Illinois State (ND NBC/FCS) N16 *at YSU (ND NBC/ESPN3) N23 *South Dakota (ND NBC/FCS) *MVFC game; Times Central
24-21 56-10 51-0 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.
Jensen Climbs NDSU Charts
QB Brock Jensen broke the NDSU career record for pass completions Saturday against Delaware State. He passed Steve Walker (535 completions from 2004-07) and is now the school’s all-time leader in completions (538) and attempts (868). Jensen also passed Walker for second place all-time at NDSU in total offense (7,152) just 90 yards shy of record-holder Kevin Feeney (7,242 yards from 1995-98).
Pick-Six Record Tied
Cornerback Marcus Williams returned his school-record 20th interception 33 yards for a touchdown against Delaware State. It was his sixth career interception return for a touchdown, which tied the NCAA FCS record set by Murray State’s William Hampton (1993-96).
Another Sellout
North Dakota State drew a crowd of 18,995 to the Delaware State game last week. It was NDSU’s third straight regular season sellout and 15th sellout overall since 2006.
Road Warriors
UNI has won four consecutive road games for the first time since the 2008 season. The Panthers won their last two road games of the 2012 season (Western Illinois and South Dakota) and have begun the 2013 season with road victories (Iowa State and Northern Colorado). UNI’s school record for consecutive road wins is six in a row set in the 2007 season (Iowa State, South Dakota State, Drake, Illinois State, Western Illinois, Missouri State).
NORTHERN IOWA
Four Field Goals for Sievertsen
PANTHERS
Tyler Sievertsen scored a career high four field goals (28, 25, 31, 27) against Northern Colorado. The last time someone kicked four field goals for UNI was in 2010 when Billy Hallgren scored four against South Dakota.
(3-0, 0-0 MVFC)
A31 at Iowa State W S7 Drake W S21 at Northern Colorado W S28 McNeese State O5 *at North Dakota St. (ESPN3) O12 *Southern Illinois O19 *South Dakota 026 *at South Dakota St. (Midco) N2 *at Illinois State N9 *Youngstown State (PSN) N16 *at Missouri State (MVFC TV) N23 *Western Illinois *MVFC game; Times Central
28-20 45-14 26-7 4:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m.
First Pick of the Year for UNI
Charles Brown notched his first career interception against Northern Colorado. He also grabbed the Panthers first interception of the season.
Vander Maten Stars Again
Vander Maten accounted for 263 of USD’s 284 yards of total offense (200 pass, 63 run) and accounted for two scores in Saturday’s 22-16 loss at No. 22 Northern Arizona. He has now had a hand in every TD for the Coyotes this year (three rushing and two passing).
SOUTH DAKOTA
Rising Starr
COYOTES
Last week at Northern Arizona, Tyler Starr had two sacks, three tacklesfor-loss and seven tackles in USD’s 22-16 loss. He forced his 11th collegiate fumble on his second sack. He now has 22 sacks in his career and his 11 forced fumbles are the most among active FCS players.
A31 UC Davis W 10-7 S7 at Kansas L 14-31 S21 at #22 Northern Arizona L 16-22 S28 *at Western Illinois (WIUS-td) 3:00 p.m. O5 *Missouri State (Midco) 2:00 p.m. O12 *Indiana State 1:00 p.m. O19 *at UNI 4:00 p.m. O26 *at Illinois State 1:00 p.m. N2 *Youngstown State (MVFC TV) 1:00 p.m. N9 Montana (Midco) 1:00 p.m. N16 *South Dakota State (Midco) 1:00 p.m. N23 *at North Dakota St. (Midco) 2:30 p.m. *MVFC game; Times Central
On the Road Again
(1-2, 0-0 MVFC)
South Dakota travels to Macomb to face Western Illinois on Saturday, marking the third-straight road game for the ‘Yotes. USD has lost 17 consecutive road games since beating Minnesota in Minneapolis three seasons ago by a score of 41-38.
Syrovatka Streak Ends
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
JACKRABBITS (3-1, 0-0 MVFC)
A31 Butler W S7 at North Dakota W S14 SE Louisiana W S21 at Nebraska L S28 *North Dakota State (Midco) O5 *Southern Illinois (MVFC TV) O12 *at Western Illinois (MVFC TV) O19 *at Missouri St. (KDLT/ESPN3) O26 *UNI (Midco) N9 *Indiana State N16 *at South Dakota (Midco) N23 *at Youngstown State (ESPN3) *MVFC game; Times Central
55-14 35-28 34-26 20-59 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
South Dakota State junior kicker Justin Syrovatka has his streak of 15 consecutive made field goals end when he missed a 32-yarder in the Jackrabbits’ loss at Nebraska on Sept. 21. Syrovatka’s streak dated back to Oct. 11, 2012, versus Western Illinois. He had extended his streak to 15 in the Nebraska game by tying his career long with a 48-yarder late in the first quarter. Syrovatka added a 29-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, giving him 28 for his career and pushing him past current NFL standout Adam Vinatieri (27 field goals from 1991-94) for fourth place in SDSU history.
Playing for the Marker
SDSU and NDSU will play for the Dakota Marker for the 10th time Saturday in Brookings, S.D. The two teams began playing for the traveling trophy in 2004, in conjunction with both teams moving to the Division I and FCS ranks. NDSU holds a 5-4 advantage in Dakota Marker games, winning the last three. The Dakota Marker is a replica of actual red quartzite monuments used to define the border between the two states since Dakota Territory was divided in 1889. The Dakota Marker trophy stands about three feet high and weighs 78 pounds. Six of the previous nine Dakota Marker games have been decided by seven points or less.
Home-Field Advantage
The Jackrabbits bring a nine-game home winning streak into Saturday’s game. SDSU’s last home loss came against the Bison, on Oct. 22, 2011, when NDSU scored a 38-14 victory at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
Hitting 400
Southern Illinois has posted more than 400 yards of total offense in each of its first four games of the season for the first time since 2007. The Saluki offense only produced more than 400 yards of total offense in two games in 2012. The last time SIU produced 400 yards or more of total offense in each of its first five games was 1992.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
SALUKIS
(2-2, 0-0 MVFC) A31 at Illinois L 34-42 S7 #14 Eastern Illinois L (2ot) 37-40 S14 Charleston W 31-10 S21 vs. SE Missouri State W 36-19 S28 *Youngstown State (MVFC TV) 6:00 p.m. O5 *at South Dakota St. (MVFC TV) 2:00 p.m. O12 *at UNI 4:00 p.m. O19 *North Dakota State (ESPN3) 2:00 p.m. N2 *at Western Illinois (WIUS-td) 1:00 p.m. N9 *Missouri State 2:00 p.m. N16 *Illinois State 2:00 p.m. N23 *at Indiana State 1:00 p.m. *MVFC game; Times Central
Stopping the Run
Southern ranks first in the MVFC and ninth in the FCS in rushing defense at 83.5 yards allowed per game. The Salukis held Southeast Missouri State to 53 total rushing yards last week, including -3 rushing yards in the second half. The Salukis have held opponents to negative rushing yards in two halves in 2013 (first half at Illinois, second half vs. SEMO).
Faulkner’s Touchdown Total
With two touchdown passes last week against SEMO, Kory Faulkner became the ninth player in school history to throw for 25 TDs in a career. He currently has 26 career touchdown passes. His 10 touchdown passes through the first four games are just one shy of his career-best for touchdowns in an entire season. With eight games left to play, he has already thrown for 949 yards, which is also more than halfway to his career-high of 1,865 passing yards in a single season.
First Turnover of the Year
It took until the third quarter of game four, but Western Illinois finally committed a turnover following an interception. The Leathernecks had been +11 on the year but for the first time finished minus in a game (-2 at UNLV). Western still ranks third in the nation with a 2.3 turnover margin.
Spreading the TD Passes Around
WESTERN ILLINOIS
LEATHERNECKS (2-2, 0-0 MVFC)
A29 Hampton W 42-9 S7 Quincy W 34-6 S14 at Minnesota L 12-29 S21 at UNLV L 7-38 S28 *South Dakota (WIUS-td) 3:00 p.m. O5 *at Illinois State 2:00 p.m. O12 *South Dakota St. (MVFC TV) 3:00 p.m. O19 *at Youngstown State (ESPN3) 3:00 p.m. O26 *Missouri State (WIUS-td) 6:00 p.m. N2 *Southern Illinois (WIUS-td) 1:00 p.m. N16 *at Indiana State 1:00 p.m. N23 *at UNI 4:00 p.m. *MVFC game; Times Central
When true-freshman Joey Borsellino caught his first collegiate touchdown pass at UNLV, it was the sixth TD pass by a Western quarterback this year. All six have gone to a different receiver, and four of those Leathernecks are newcomers. In fact, Trenton Norvell has spread the ball nearly equally among the receivers as the top four in pass catches are all within one reception of each other.
Baker Hits 100 Again
For the second time in his four-game Western Illinois career, junior J.C. Baker recorded 100 rushing yards in a game. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry at UNLV on 15 attempts, totaling 108 yards. Baker also own the two longest runs by Western this year following his 40-yard rush against the Rebels, to go with his 43-yarder earlier this year.
Holtschlag Hits Career High
Junior DE Chip Holtschlag had played in 14 career games entering the UNLV game totaling 17 tackles. He finished with a career-high nine tackles against the Rebels, sharing on one for a loss.
MVFC Openers
The Guins are 13-3 in Missouri Valley Football Conference openers since joining the league in 1997. In its 17th season of play in the league, this is the second time that YSU will open the conference slate against SIU and the first opener in Carbondale. Of the 16 league openers, the Guins are a perfect 9-0 at home while going 4-3 on the road. In first road games of the MVFC slate, the Guins are 7-9 all-time.
YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Getting Turnovers
PENGUINS (3-1, 0-0 MVFC)
A29 Dayton W S7 Morehead State W S14 at Michigan State L S21 Duquesne W S28 *at Southern Illinois (MVFC TV) O5 *at Indiana State (WBCB) O12 *Illinois State (MyYTV-td/e3) O19 *Western Illinois (MyYTV-td/e3) N2 *at South Dakota (MVFC TV) N9 *at UNI (PSN) N16 *North Dakota State (ESPN3) N23 *South Dakota St. (MyYTV/e3) *MVFC game; Times Eastern
28-10 67-13 17-55
59-17 7:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.
The Penguins forced four turnovers in the win over Duquesne. It was the first time the Guins forced four-or-more turnovers in a contest since the 2011 season against Western Illinois. YSU has won 19 straight games when it forces at least four turnovers. The last loss was against UNI in 2006. Since 2006, the Guins are 21-1 when they have at least four takeaways in a game. Last season the most turnovers forced in a contest was two (four times).
Defense Sees New Faces
YSU had four new starters on defense against Duquesne. Senior cornerback Dale Peterman returned to the lineup after missing the first three games of the season. Defense tackle Steve Zaborsky made his second career start and first of the campaign. Sophomore Kevon Caffey was in on the initial play of the game for his first career start. Sophomore strong safety Tre’ Moore, a transfer from Northern Illinois, started his first game as well for the Penguins.