As the regular season came to its halfway mark, so too did several upsets among the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Indiana State ended the nation’s longest losing streak and South Dakota State established itself among the top teams in the nation.
South Dakota State University Jackrabbits 24
University of Northern Iowa Panthers 14
With just one game, the No. 11 Jackrabbits proved themselves to be among the elite teams in the MVFC. SDSU (6-1, 5-0 MVFC) defeated No. 6 UNI (5-3, 3-2 MVFC) in front of the fourth-largest crowd in Coughlin-Alumni Stadium in Sioux Falls, S.D. history.
SDSU took the momentum from the start, forcing UNI to fumble on its first offensive play of the game. The team went back and forth in the first half before the Jackrabbits capped the game with 10 unanswered points.
SDSU held UNI to season lows in points and total yards (327) and also forced the Panthers into two interceptions and four forced fumbles.
Indiana State Sycamores 17
Western Illinois Leathernecks 14
For the first time since 2006, the Sycamores have won a football game.
Indiana State (1-7, 1-4 MVFC) picked off Western Illinois’ Wil Lunt desperation pass with six seconds left to secure its first victory since Oct. 21, 2006. The Sycamores had been on a 33-game losing streak, the longest in the Football Championship Subdivision. Only three Division I football teams have had worse losing streaks.
The loss was the Leathernecks (1-6, 0-4 MVFC) sixth straight loss, and fourth straight since former head coach Don Patterson stepped down due to health concerns.
Missouri State Bears 21
North Dakota State Bison 17
Bison’s running back Pat Paschall continued his dominance on the ground, but his fumble on the Bear’s 1-yard line in the fourth quarter doomed his team’s comeback.
The senior rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown, but his first fumble of the season prevented NDSU (1-7, 0-5 MVFC) from breaking out of its season-long slump. The Bison are off to the program’s worst start since 1962.
Missouri State (5-3, 3-2 MVFC) came into the day averaging only 105 yards rushing a game, finished with 225 rushing yards.
Ryan Voyles can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 256
