Week 5 Missouri Valley Football Conference Game Breakdowns
Last weekend we saw Youngstown State defeat Northern Iowa in a thriller. That game solidified Youngstown State’s position as a power team in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season. Likewise, we also saw South Dakota State beat Indiana State in a game that featured two stellar running backs, Shakir Bell and Zach Zenner-- although the final result was lopsided in Zenner’s favor. This week we have another huge MVFC game as Northern Iowa hosts North Dakota State at the UNIDome. Youngstown State and Western Illinois take their bye weeks this weekend and will enjoy a weekend off before they head off to MVFC games in two weeks.
#14 Illinois State @ South Dakota, Saturday, 3:00
This will be South Dakota’s first Missouri Valley Football Conference game and it will be a tough day for South Dakota. Illinois State is coming into the game 4-0 after knocking off Western Illinois last week on their homecoming. The Redbirds have proved multiple times this season that they are capable of running the ball as well as passing the ball in what has becoming one of the most dynamic offenses in the Missouri Valley this season. I think that Illinois State comes into the DakotaDome and controls the ball much like they did against Western Illinois last weekend.
Projected Score: Illinois State 31, South Dakota 17
Indiana State @ Southern Illinois, Saturday, 7:00
Indiana State has struggled now for two straight weeks. On the other hand, Southern Illinois has been on the rise the past two weeks with two straight victories. South Dakota State unveiled Indiana State’s weaknesses last weekend and I think that the Salukis will play to those weaknesses. However, Indiana State is a much better team than Missouri State and Southern Illinois will struggle to get points on the board. If Southern Illinois can stop Shakir Bell and make Indiana State a one-dimensional like South Dakota State did last week, don’t be surprised to see Southern Illinois pull this one out.
Projected Score: Southern Illinois 31, Indiana State 28
#1 North Dakota State @ #13 Northern Iowa, Saturday, 7:00
This game is easily the biggest game in the Missouri Valley this week. North Dakota State has a chance to dash Northern Iowa’s playoff hopes only 5 weeks into the season. There is no doubt that Northern Iowa is a playoff caliber team, however, their scheduling has been so brutal this year that it might just make playoff eligibility impossible. Remember, seven D-1 wins are needed to even be considered for the playoffs; currently Northern Iowa has zero. Expect a close game in the UNIDome on Saturday, but I think North Dakota State will be too much for the Northern Iowa defense to handle.
Projected Score: North Dakota State 34, Northern Iowa 24
Missouri State @ South Dakota State, Saturday, 7:00
South Dakota State will be back at home after a nice win against Indiana State last weekend. Again, the Jackrabbit run game proved to be extremely effective and enough to pull out consecutive victories. This week they welcome Missouri State to Brookings. Missouri State just cannot get into the win column. After out-gaining Southern Illinois on offense last weekend (by a considerable margin), they need to eliminate the mistakes—either penalties or turnovers—in order to pull off an upset in Brookings. I don’t see that happening this weekend and the Jackrabbits win comfortably.
Projected Score: South Dakota State 38, Missouri State 13
See All FCS Games of the Week Breakdowns
