Week 6 Missouri Valley Game Breakdowns
Forget the fact this is only the second week of the Missouri Valley Football Conference season. The game that could decide it all is this weekend. Okay, maybe we exaggerate a little bit, but the fact is Saturday’s Northern Iowa-North Dakota State matchup is a huge one. There are only 32 unbeaten teams left in all of college football and 12 in the FCS alone. One of those two teams will fall by the wayside when this game is played on Saturday. Let’s take a look at the five matchups this week:
#17 Youngstown State at Indiana State, Saturday, 2:00
Youngstown State dominates this series as it holds a 19-3 edge over Indiana State in the all-time series. Yes, the Sycamores scored two victories in 2010 and 2011, and Indiana State is loaded for bear because Youngstown State’s 27-6 win prevented the Sycamores from a trip to the FCS playoffs. Youngstown State is off to a 4-1 start and QB Kurt Hess is only five yards away from Tom Zett’s career passing yards mark of 7,728, and Hess and Youngstown State should be satisfied on Saturday.
Projected Score: Youngstown State 40, Indiana State 17
Western Illinois at Illinois State, Saturday, 3:00
Who gets the bragging rights in this matchup? Will the party take place in Macomb Saturday night or will Normal be hopping? Illinois State has the edge if the last game played in Normal is any indication. The Redbirds won 31-7 in that game, but Western Illinois leads the all-time series 50-41-3. Confused? Don’t be. The Leathernecks’ defense has been strong to start games and RB J.C. Baker’s two 100-yard rushing games in a row should help Western Illinois score the victory by a narrow margin.
Projected Score: Western Illinois 24, Illinois State 13
Missouri State at South Dakota, Saturday, 3:00
This is the first time the two schools have met in Vermillion, but Missouri State is no stranger to victory as it kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired last year to beat South Dakota. Missouri State’s offense has scored 119 points this season but it has also allowed 119 points. South Dakota’s line? 50 points scored, 84 allowed. Not very impressive, huh? If Missouri State’s rushing defense is anything like last week, when it surrendered just 46 yards against Illinois State, this game could be over in a hurry.
Projected Score: Missouri State 27, South Dakota 10
Southern Illinois at #7 South Dakota State, Saturday, 3:00
After Southern Illinois took the first two meetings, South Dakota State is on a 3-0 run. The Jackrabbits scored a 45-34 victory in Brookings last year, and all indications are a fourth win in a row is on the horizon. South Dakota State knows how to rally late, as evidenced by its 16-12 win over the Salukis in 2011. Oh, did we mention it’s Hobo Day? That’s lingo for Homecoming in Brookings, and South Dakota State holds a 59-35-5 edge in games played on Homecoming weekend.
Projected Score: South Dakota State 37, Southern Illinois 24
#3 Northern Iowa at #1 North Dakota State, Saturday, 3:30
This is the big matchup of the day and one of five matchups in all of FBS and FCS that feature two undefeated teams. The last time the two teams met in Fargo it was a 27-19 win for North Dakota State and a snapping of Northern Iowa’s four-game winning streak. Northern Iowa still leads the all-time series 25-20. NDSU shut out Delaware State and South Dakota State to post back-to-back blankings for the first time since 1987. The Bison allowed minus-32 yards rushing against South Dakota State in last week’s 20-0 win. Northern Iowa has 70 wins in a row over ranked opponents. So who wins this matchup? Sorry Northern Iowa fans. The streak comes to an end this week. After what the Bison did to SDSU’s run offense, I can’t see too many teams stopping North Dakota State.
Projected Score: North Dakota State 23, Northern Iowa 10
See All FCS Games of the Week Breakdowns
