This week the Missouri Valley Football Conference was just an appetizer for the winner-take-all matchup next Saturday between Southern Illinois and South Dakota State. Both teams won this weekend, which sets up the first ever meeting in the MVFC between two teams with 6-0 conference records. The winner will claim at least a share of the regular-season title and the conference’s automatic bid into the FCS Playoffs.
South Dakota State Jackrabbits 17
Youngstown State Penguins 3
Kyle Minett rushed for 87 yards and scored two second-half touchdowns to lead the No. 9 South Dakota State over Youngstown State Saturday.
SDSU (7-1, 6-0 MVFC) held Youngstown without a touchdown, the third time the Jackrabbits held an opponent without a touchdown. Their defense is allowing only 12.6 points per game as they are off to the best start in school history since 1963.
The Penguins (4-4, 2-3 MVFC) lost their second straight game against a top-ranked conference opponent, seemingly ending their playoff hopes.
Illinois State Redbirds 24
Missouri State Bears 14
Matt Brown passed for 133 yards and two touchdowns to lead Illinois State to a 24-14 victory over Missouri State on Saturday.
The Redbirds’ (4-4, 3-2 MVFC) Brown connected with Brandon Venson on a last-second 38-yard pass in the first half to give Illinois State the go-ahead touchdown.
The Bears’ Cody Kirby threw for a pair of touchdowns in the first half, but Missouri State (5-4, 3-3 MVFC) was held scoreless in the second half.
North Dakota State Bison 14
Western Illinois Leathernecks 7
The Leathernecks (1-7, 0-5 MVFC) found another way to lose Saturday en route to their longest losing streak since 1982.
Western Illinois stopped North Dakota State on a key third down with less than four minutes left in the game, but Leathernecks’ linebacker Kyle Glazier was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Bison (2-7, 1-5 MVFC) a automatic first down.
Running back Pat Paschall made Western pay with a 24-yard touchdown run on the following play to give the Bison the go-ahead touchdown.
Ryan Voyles can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 256
