WEEK 10 SCHEDULE
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024
*Youngstown State at Southern Illinois (ESPN+) 12 pm CT *
Indiana St. at #5/5 USD (Midco/ESPN+) 1 pm CT *
#18/17 Illinois State at UNI (PSN/ESPN+) 1 pm CT *
#3/3 SDSU at #21/23 UND (Midco/ESPN+) 1 pm CT *
#15 Missouri State at Murray State (ESPN+) 1 pm CT
MVFC NOTEBOOK
vs. Non-Conference (23-19)
Ranked vs. Ranked
This week, South Dakota State and North Dakota face one another in a matchup of two top-25 MVFC programs. In Conference history, there have been 239 games in which two league teams ranked in the top 25 played one another. Of those 239 games, 69 times the meeting involved teams that were both ranked in the Top 10 at the same time. Nineteen meetings have occurred in the playoffs. The home team is 134-103 in those games; the higher-ranked team is 151- 87. Those figures include two neutral-site games, and one game in which the teams were both No. 25.
Winning Against No. 1
On Nov. 16, Missouri State will be looking to post the league’s 21st all-time win vs. a No. 1-ranked team when it faces top-ranked NDSU. Eleven of the previous 20 MVFC wins against a No. 1 team have been league games.
6 MVFC Teams Ranked
Six league teams are ranked the Coaches poll and five are ranked in the Stats Perform poll this week. The league had seven or more teams ranked during the first six weeks this year (and 30 times in its history). North Dakota State reclaimed the top spot in both polls after defeating top-ranked South Dakota State on Oct. 19. NDSU last held the No. 1 position on Oct. 10, 2022, while NDSU has been ranked No. 1 as a league member 80 weeks, more than any other MVFC program. The league has three of the Top 5 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches poll. Notably, four MVFC teams have been ranked in the Top 10 the same week 43 times in MVFC history, including the first nine weeks this season.
Players of the Week
Offense Player of the Week
RB Jayden Becks, Missouri State 5-11, 185, So., Waxahachie, Texas
Becks carried 11 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s win over Southern Illinois. He finished the game with 9.2 yards per carry but was over 10 yards a carry before his last rush of the afternoon — a one-yard TD score that put the game on ice. Becks also posted a 29-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter that made it a 17-0 game at the time.
Defense Player of the Week
DE Joey Shew, Indiana State 6-3, 245, R-Jr., Clinton, Ind. (South Vermillion)
Shew posted six tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble, and he also scored Indiana State’s first points of the game courtesy of a 20-yard pick-six in a standout effort. Shew’s pick-six was the first defensive touchdown of his career and gave Indiana State the 6-0 lead 34 seconds into the contest. He added a strip-sack near midfield late in the first quarter that resulted in an 11-yard loss and ended a UND drive as the Sycamores secured their first win against a ranked opponent since 2018 and first win against a Top 15 team since 2016.
Newcomer Player of the Week
RB CharMar Brown, North Dakota State 5-11, 214, RFr., Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep)
Brown had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season in North Dakota State’s 42-19 win over Northern Iowa. He carried 18 times for 124 yards including a 5-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry. Brown leads the conference with 156 carries and is second with 798 yards, the most rushing yards among FCS freshmen
Special Teams Player of the Week
PK James London, Murray State 6-0, 170, So., Miami, Fla. (Central HS)
London set a new career long against the defending national champs at South Dakota State, booting a 55-yard effort through the uprights. The kick made London the first Racer to have five field goals of 50-yards or more in the 100-year history of Murray State Football. The sophomore now has the two longest field goal in the MVFC this season. In addition to his career long, London also made a 35-yard effort to score all of the Racers points on the week.
