Week 8 Missouri Valley Football Conference Game Breakdowns
Missouri State @ #13 Illinois State, Saturday, 2:00
After Illinois State was shutout by Southern Illinois on their homecoming two weeks ago, I thought that Illinois State was a letdown and might not be as powerful as once thought. However, last weekend we saw a much different Redbird team. Illinois State rallied back from 14 down at halftime to Youngstown State. They finished off strong and pulled away with a very good victory against a slumping Youngstown State team. This week, Illinois State will take on Missouri State, who is fresh off of their first win of the season. The bottom line is that Missouri State does not have the defense to challenge quarterback Matt Brown. Illinois State wins comfortably.
Projected Score: #13 Illinois State 38, Missouri State 10
Southern Illinois @ #14 Youngstown State, Saturday, 4:00
Southern Illinois is coming off of two straight quality wins against Illinois State and Northern Iowa. It seems that this Saluki team has figured out how to play defense and how to play consistently on offense. After winning four of the last five, this red hot Saluki team has an agenda to continue to knock down foreseen Valley powerhouses. Youngstown State is coming off of two straight losses and will need to get back into winning ways if they want to maintain their playoff track. I think that Southern Illinois is too hot; they win this game in Youngstown.
Projected Score: Southern Illinois 38, #14 Youngstown State 31
South Dakota State @ Northern Iowa, Saturday, 5:00
Northern Iowa has been officially put out of playoff contention. This is extremely amazing considering how strong this Panther team is. South Dakota State on the other hand has quietly put themselves into playoff contention. The problem with this Jackrabbit squad is that they haven’t been tested as much as Northern Iowa has. This game will be interesting in Cedar Falls, but I give the upper hand to Northern Iowa—the Jackrabbits have a hard time playing in the UNIDome.
Projected Score: Northern Iowa 31, South Dakota State 17
#3 North Dakota State @ South Dakota (Sioux Falls), Saturday, 7:00
Two dome Dakota teams will take the game outside and play on a neutral site in Sioux Falls this weekend. North Dakota State is coming off a devastating loss against Indiana State. South Dakota is sitting at 1-5 with a win over Colgate. These two teams couldn’t be more different and the result on the field will be dramatic. I expect that North Dakota State takes out a lot of frustration out on South Dakota and wins by a considerable margin.
Projected Score: #3 North Dakota State 63, South Dakota 3
#21 Indiana State @ Western Illinois, Saturday, 7:00
Indiana State better be careful. After a huge win at North Dakota State last weekend this game is setting up to be a classic trap game. The Sycamores might be looking at the next two weeks like they might be easy wins (Western Illinois & South Dakota), but they must avoid that mindset because Western Illinois has the ability to make big plays and really turn any football game around. This game will come down to defense. After last weekend’s powerful performance in Fargo, I would say that Indiana State has the better one. Indiana State avoids the loss after a big win and proceeds to six wins.
Projected Score: #21 Indiana State 38, Western Illinois 13
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