CFB-FCS: Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) Week 5 Release & Preview

WEEK 5 SCHEDULE

Saturday, Sept. 28

Houston Christian at -Indiana St. (ESPN+) 12 p.m. CT

Houston Christian Notes

Indiana State Notes
Houston Christian at a Glance
Houston Christian enters the weekend’s contest with a 1-3 overall record following this past weekend’s 45-7 loss at UTSA. The Huskies picked up their first win of Head Coach Jason Bachtel’s tenure on September 14 with a record-setting 70-7 win over Louisiana Christian. The 70-7 win featured a new single-game scoring record for HCU with eight different players finding the end zone in the contest.

HCU was selected seventh overall in the Southland Conference preseason poll as announced in the preseason. The Huskies received 41 total points in the poll. Three HCU players were named to the SLC Preseason All-Conference team including PK Dillon Fedor, OL Dion Daniels, and DL Zae Smith. Houston Christian pulled in the No. 1 recruiting class in FCS according to 247Sports composite recruiting rankings.

Former HCU linebacker Jalyx Hunt was drafted in the third round by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is one of three HCU players in the NFL including Bailey Zappe (New England) and Caleb Johnson (Jacksonville Jaguars).

About the Matchup
Saturday’s contest against Houston Christian marks the first time the two programs have competed against each other in their respective program histories. The Sycamores do not have an extensive history against the Southland Conference lining up against just McNeese State (1-1) and Stephen F. Austin (0-1) overall. Saturday’s contest marks just the third time the Sycamores have hosted a Southland Conference team since 1982.

Sept. 10, 1977 – at McNeese State – L, 25-7
Sept. 18, 1982 – vs. McNeese State – W, 13-10
Sept. 22, 2001 – vs. Stephen F. Austin – L, 31-13

Defense Scores
Indiana State’s defense accomplished a feat that had not happened since 2012 as the Sycamore defense scored a pair of touchdowns in Saturday’s win over Dayton. Both Jorge Valdes (90-yard pick-six) and Garret Ollendieck (12-yard scoop-and-score) scored defensive touchdowns in the first half against the Flyers to propel Indiana State to the 24-13 victory over Dayton in the Sycamores’ 2024 home opener.

It marked Indiana State’s first game with multiple defensive touchdowns since October 13, 2012, when Johnny Towalid returned a pair of pick-sixes for the Sycamore defense against North Dakota State. Overall, Indiana State has recorded at least one turnover in all three games in the 2024 season.

Last Five Defensive Touchdowns

Sept. 14, 2024 vs. Dayton – Garret Ollendieck 12yd FR TD
Sept. 14, 2024 vs. Dayton – Jorge Valdes 90yd INT TD
Oct. 14, 2023 – at Illinois State – Garret Ollendieck 27yd INT TD
Sept. 8, 2023 – at Indiana – Maddix Blackwell 75yd FR TD
Sept. 17, 2022 – vs. Montana – Lucas Hunter 15yd FR TD

Win Whatever It Takes
Indiana State set a mark that has only been accomplished five times since 1996 in their last contest against Dayton as the Sycamores topped the Flyers 24-13 back on September 14. The Sycamores won the contest courtesy of their two defensive touchdowns as the Indiana State offense was limited due to quarterback Elijah Owens sitting out due to injury.

Indiana State topped the Flyers to record their first win of the 2024 season despite recording just 92 yards of total offense on the day. It marked the first time an FCS team had won a game with fewest than 100 yards of total offense since Morgan State topped Howard back on Sept. 25, 2010, with just 64 yards.

Last Five Times an FCS Team Won With Less Than 100 Total Yards

Sept. 14, 2024 – Indiana State 24, Dayton 13 (ISU 92 total yards)
Sept. 25, 2010 – Morgan State 20, Howard 3 (MSU 64 total yards)
Nov. 4, 2006 – Albany 16, Robert Morris 6 (UA 91 total yards)
Oct. 19, 1996 – Bucknell 10, Princeton 6 (BUCK 90 total yards)
Sept. 28, 1996 – Southern 19, Tennessee State 18 (SOU 93 total yards)

*Murray State at 9/8 UND (Midco/ESPN+) 1 p.m. CT

Murray State Notes

It’s game 4 of the season for the Murray State Racers when they tale on the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota at the Alerus Center Saturday in a 1 p.m. kick off.
The game marks the second opener for the Racers in the MVFC. MSU won their opener a year ago against Indiana State at home 30-28.
The game marks just the second meeting between the two after they played in Murray, Kentucky in 2023, which the Fighting Hawks won 45-31.
With the game in Grand Forks, the Racers are playing the northern-most football game in their 100-year history, as they will be about 75 miles from the USA border with Canada.
The previous mark was last season at North Dakota State in Fargo, which is about 75 miles south of Grand Forks.
The game for the Racers at North Dakota marks their second game this season facing a ranked opponent. The other was at Missouri in the season opener.
The Racers are 0-2 against ranked MVFC teams after dropping games to North Dakota and North Dakota State in 2023.
Murray State’s last win over a ranked opponent was at home against Eastern Illinois 41-27 (03-28-2021) when 2020 season was played in spring 2021.
The Racers last win on the road over a ranked opponent was that same spring of 2021 at Southeast Missouri (04-07-21) 24-21.
The Racers are 6-7 since 2010 in their next game after an open week and have won four of their last five including the last three.
Murray State secured the first win of the Coach Jody Wright era in a big way (Sept. 14) defeating Mississippi Valley State 59-8 at Roy Stewart Stadium.
The 59 points scored are the most for the Racers in a game since 2019 vs. Morehead State.
The Racers defense picked up five sacks and 11 tackles-for-loss.
It was the most sacks for MSU since 2022 vs. Tennessee State and the most tackles-for-loss since 2019 vs. Pikeville.
MSU QB Jayden Johannsen scored his 100th career touchdown.
Justice Hill, Kade Neely, Jameson Holcomb, Marcus Floyd Jr., and Kevin Emmanuel all scored their first collegiate Touchdowns for MSU.
James Camden led the Racers with 12 tackles and an impressive three pass break-ups.
Next week, the Racers host the South Dakota Coyotes for the first time in a 2 p.m. game at Stewart Stadium.

North Dakota Notes

No. 9/8 North Dakota will end its four-game homestand with Murray State in MVFC action inside the Alerus Center this Saturday. The Fighting Hawks and Racers are slated to kickoff at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on Midco Sports. It will also be carried on the Fighting Hawks Radio Network with a pregame show starting at Noon.

UND carries a 3-1 record following the 41-24 win over San Diego last weekend. The Hawks outgained the Toreros by a 197-34 margin in total yardage in the third quarter and won that stanza 24-3. Sawyer Seidl had his first 100-yard rushing game of his career and picked up 123 yards on 13 carries, including a 70-yard touchdown rush. Bo Belquist recorded his eighth 100-yard receiving game in his career, racking up 116 yards and a pair of scores on just three catches. Tyler Erkman had his first career interception, while Devin Hembry also picked off a pass and Josh Navratil recovered a fumble in the win.

MSU enters Grand Forks with a 1-2 record. To open the season, the Racers fell at Missouri (51-0) and to Butler (19-17) before picking up the first win of the Jody Wright era in a 59-8 victory against Mississippi Valley State two weeks ago. Murray State averages 158.3 yards rushing per game and 96.3 yards passing. Kywon Morgan paces the Racers on the ground this season with 21 rushes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per touch. Jayden Johannsen leads the passing attack and is 26-for-47 for 237 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Justice Hill is the top receiver with five grabs for 77 yards and a score.

This will just be the second meeting between North Dakota and Murray State in history. NoDak was victorious in Murray last year, 45-31. The Racers became official members of the MVFC on July 1, 2023.

• In the victory at Murray State last season, the Fighting Hawks had 10 chunk plays of 20 yards or more and neither team turned the ball over.

• In the third quarter this season, North Dakota is outscoring the opposition, 45-10.

• UND has won 28 of its last 31 games inside the Alerus Center.

• North Dakota has averaged 10,257 fans per game at home this season. The first two games at the Alerus Center had over 10,000 fans in attendance, highlighted by 11,595 fans witnessing the 27-24 comeback win over No. 4 Montana in the home opener.

• The Fighting Hawks have made the FCS playoffs in four out of the last five seasons. The only other teams with this distinction are Holy Cross, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota State and South Dakota State.

*17/17 Southern. Illinois at 5/5 USD (Midco/ESPN+) 1 p.m. CT

Southern Illinois Notes

Series versus South Dakota

The game versus the Coyotes will be the 10th meeting between the schools in a series that began in 2014. South Dakota holds a 5-4 edge, including wins in the last two games (in 2022 and 2023). SIU’s last win in the series was in the 2021 playoffs, a 22-10 victory in the Dakota Dome. In that victory, SIU forced four turnovers and played turnover-free football itself to advance to Sweet 16 round of the FCS Playoffs. Safety Qua Brown had two interceptions.

Hill vs. Top 5 opponents

Head coach Nick Hill is 4-8 all-time against Top 5-ranked FCS teams. The most recent win came at No. 2 South Dakota State on Oct. 9, 2021. Nine of the 12 Top 5 opponents were from the Dakotas.

QB Hunter Simmons throws for 341 yards in starting debut

In his first-career start last Saturday versus SEMO, quarterback Hunter Simmons completed 28-of-48 passes for 341 yards, 1 TD and no interceptions. It marked the highest passing yardage for a Saluki quarterback in their first start, in school history and ranked 23rd overall. LB Ben Bogle is 3rd in nation in TFL, 5th in sacks Sophomore

LB Ben Bogle ranks third in the nation with 10.0 tackles for loss

He also ranks fifth in the nation in sacks with 5.5. He had a school-record 3.5 sacks at Austin Peay in Week 2, in which he earned FCS national player-of-the-week honors. SIU’s single-game season record for TFL is 18.0 (Bart Scott, 2001) and for sacks is 12.0 (James Phillips, 1978).

SEMO recap

• SIU led, 21-15, with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but SEMO closed the game with 21 unanswered points

• LB Stephen Green blocked a PAT in the first quarter and returned it 89 yards for two points — the first time in school history a PAT has been returned for points.

• True freshman RB Jerrian Parker made his first-career start and had 53 total yards on 15 rushes and three catches.

• WR Vinson Davis III had a career-high 9 catches for 132 yards — his second-career 100-yard game. Both came against SEMO. He has 853 receiving yards in 17-career games at SIU.

Salukis set attendance mark

The 13,421 fans in attendance on Family Weekend versus SEMO were the second-most in stadium history, behind only the standing-room crowd of 15,276 that attended the opening of the stadium in 2010 versus Division II Quincy. Saluki Stadium seats approximately 14,000 in its horseshoe-shaped seating bowl, with an official stadium capacity of 15,774 that includes the standing-room area of the berm.

Dawg bytes

• Three of SIU’s four captains have missed the last two games due to injuries — TE Aidan Quinn, DE Dewey Greene and LB Colin Bohanek. The only captain to play was C Chase Evans. • SIU ranks 7th in the nation in sacks with 14.0 • SIU ranks 15th in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 101.0 yards per game.

Saluki Football in the last four seasons…

• Three FCS Playoff appearances and three playoff wins • 12-11 against FCS ranked teams, including wins over No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4. • Power Five win at Northwestern (9/17/22) — the only FCS team to beat a Power Five in 2022 • FBS win at Northern Illinois (9/6/23) • FCS Playoffs Elite 8 (Spring, 2021) • Playoffs Sweet 16 (Fall, 2021, 2023) • Twenty-two weeks ranked in the FCS Top 10, as high as No. 3 (Oct. 25, 2021)

Salukis have a deep, experienced O-line

Quick Facts

• S Jeffery Wells (19) is the team’s active career leaders in special teams tackles.

• G Jake Green has the longest active streak of games started (27).

• C Chase Evans leads the team with 41 career starts.The Salukis have 123 games of starting experience on the offensive line — C Chase Evans (42), G Jake Green (31), OT Abdou Toure (23), G Derek Harden Jr. (19), OT Noah Fenske (4) and G Marcello Mendiola (4).

South Dakota Notes

COYOTES OPEN MVFC PLAY HOSTING THE SALUKIS

• South Dakota is set to open Missouri Valley Football Conference play in a top-20 showdown with the SIU Salukis inside the DakotaDome on Saturday with a 1 p.m. kick in ESPN+/Midco Sports Plus. • The Yotes are coming off a 42-3 win over Drake, while SIU fell 38-21 to No. 21 SE Missouri State at home. • This weekend marks the third opponent USD has played with their mascot being in the ‘canine’ family, all at home: Northern State Wolves, Drake Bulldogs, and the SIU Salukis. • The Coyotes have scored 40+ points in each of their two home games, while not allowing an opponent TD in the Dome. • South Dakota is 4-3 in MVFC openers under HC Bob Nielson [see table below].

TOP STORYLINES

• Since joining the MVFC in 2012, the Yotes are 4-7 in league openers but 4-3 under Nielson. It’s the first FCS ranked opponent the Yotes will face this season in a grueling league slate. • QB Aidan Bouman moved into ninth in the USD record books in passing yards (3,861) last week against Drake. And with the passing TD (24) now cracks the top-10 in tie for 10th. • Bouman looks to become the 9th Coyote to throw for 4,000 yards in their career. • The Yotes defense leads the MVFC in scoring defense (11.0 ppg) and passing defense (130.7 ypg). The marks sit fourth and seventh, respectively, in the FCS. • South Dakota’s rushing attack sits 24th in the FCS through the first three games of the season (193.7 ypg). • USD features a stout running back duo of Charles Pierre Jr. (254 yards) and Travis Theis (201 yards), both with 30+ carries. • Keyondray Jones-Logan has been electric this season, tying the single-season USD record with his second KO return for a score against Drake [more on p. 5]. • LB Gary Bryant III leads the way defensively with his 24 tackles on the season and Nick Gaes leads the team with 3.5 sacks. • Gaes’ 1.17 sacks/game sits 14th in the FCS and second in the MVFC.

A WIN WOULD..

• Be better than a loss. Be the fifth MVFC opener victory in the Nielson era, and the second-straight. • Be the third-straight win over SIU, improving Nielson to 5-3 against the Salukis. • Make it two-straight wins for the first time this season. • Improve to 2-0 against FCS teams and FCS teams ranked and/or receiving votes this season.

SERIES HISTORY

SOUTH DAKOTA VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Overall: USD leads, 5-4

Current Streak: USD, W2 In Vermillion:

USD leads 3-2 In Carbondale:

Tied 2-2 Last Meeting:

USD won 14-7 (Nov. 4, 2023)

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS NOTES

• Southern Illinois is led by ninth-year head coach Nick Hill and enters Valley play with a 2-2 record. SIU has wins over Austin Peay and Incarnate Word (UIW). The Salukis fell at home last week to No. 21-ranked SE Missouri State (38-21).

• SIU tends to rely on their passing game, sitting third in the MVFC with 239.3 passing yards per game.

• QB DJ Williams has thrown four touchdowns and 571 yards, completing 59% of his passes, but was not listed on this week’s travel roster.

• Junior WR Keontez Lewis sits 14th in the nation (2nd MVFC) in receiving yards this season (334 yards).

• The Saluki defense sits 27th in the FCS in rush defense (112.8 yards per game), sitting fourth-best in the Valley.

• Sophomore DE Ben Bogle leads the Valley with his 1.38 sacks per game, a mark that sits fifth nationally. He leads the Salukis with 5.5 sacks this season.

• Bogle also leads the team in tackles, a key piece to the SIU run defense, having 35 tackles to his name this season.

SERIES HISTORY NOTES

• In a series that dates back to 2014, USD holds the slight edge with a 5-4 series lead.

• South Dakota has won the last three meetings played in Vermillion. South Dakota has the lone shutout in the series with a 42-0 win in Vermillion in 2016. The Yotes were also ranked inside the top-10 at the time of that meeting (No. 6).

• Twice has USD been ranked when playing the Salukis, holding a 1-1 record.

• Only once have the two teams met when they’ve both been ranked at the time (2021). SIU prevailed in Vermillion, 22-10.

RED ZONE SUCCESS

• South Dakota has made 12 trips to the red zone this season, converting 10 trips into points.

• Eight times have led to a Coyote touchdown.

• The 83.3% success rate in the red zone sits fourth in The Valley.

DOMINATING THE MIDDLE QUARTERS

• The Coyotes have outscored opponents 62-10 in the second and third quarters this season.

• Dominant second quarters have sent the Yotes into the locker room with a lot of momentum, outscoring opponents 38-7. The lone score came on the road at Wisconsin.

*Youngstown St. at MoState (ESPN+)

Youngstown St. Notes

The Youngstown State football team opens Missouri Valley Football Conference play on Saturday at Missouri State. Kickoff at Plaster Stadium is set for 3 p.m. Eastern time/2 p.m. Central time. The game is available on ESPN+, WKBN 570 AM and iHeartRadio.
   The Penguins (1-3 overall, 0-0 in the MVFC) dropped a 73-17 decision to Pitt at Acrisure Stadium this past Saturday. YSU got off to a slow start against the Panthers trailing 21-0. An Andrew Lastovka field goal and Beau Brungard to Cyrus Traugh TD pass cut the deficit to 28-10 late in the second quarter and YSU trailed 35-10 at halftime.
   Trailing 42-10 in the third, Brungard found a wide-open Traugh for a 44-yard scoring toss for YSU’s final score of the game. Brungard completed 18-of-28 passes for a career-best 233 yards.
   Missouri State (2-2 and 0-0) has won two straight following a 31-24 road victory at UT-Martin last Saturday. The Bears led 24-7 in the third quarter before fighting off a Skyhawks comeback bid.
   This is the 25th all-time meeting between the programs but will be the final time the school’s play as both members of the MVFC as MSU moves to Conference USA in 2025.
   YSU leads the all-time series 17-7, but last won in Springfield in 2016. The Bears defeated the Penguins in the spring of 2021 (21-10) and in November 2022 (25-22). The Guins have won six of the past eight meetings since the 2014 campaign.
   Youngstown State beat the Bears 44-28 at Stambaugh Stadium last October. YSU trailed 7-0 before building a 38-14 lead early in the third quarter. QB Mitch Davidson passed for a career-high 390 yards and tied his career best with four touchdowns. Dra Rushton’s one-yard score gave the Guins their 38-14 lead. The Bears cut the deficit to within 10 points entering the fourth quarter before Lastovka kicked a pair of field goals.
   After playing three of five on the road to start the 2024 season, the Penguins will play three of four at home starting with an Oct. 5 contest vs. Indiana State. The Homecoming game vs. the Sycamores kicks off at 2 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.

Missouri State Notes

Fresh off a convincing victory over Lindenwood in their home opener, the Missouri State Bears return to the road this week for a Saturday showdown at UT Martin in MSU’s non-conference finale. The fourth meeting between the clubs in four seasons will kick at 6 p.m. with coverage on ESPN+.
QB Jacob Clark (Sr., Rockwall, Texas) is this week’s MVFC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after he broke the club single-game record for pass completion percentage (.848) against Lindenwood. Clark was 28-for-33 for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns and engineered scoring drives on MSU’s first three possessions in its home opener. It marks the second straight year Clark has earned MVFC honors after the home opener.
Clark leads all MVFC signal callers in passing yards (817), passing yards per game (272.3) and completions per game (23.33), which all rank in the top 10 nationally (4th-6th-9th). He is also 2nd in The Valley in pass efficiency (142.1) and yards per attempt (7.86). Clark passed for 332 yards and 3 TDs last year at UT Martin.
Jacardia Wright (Sr., Decatur, Ill.) needs 133 rushing yards to reach 2,000 for his career to go with his 399 carries and 19 rushing TDs. He is part of Missouri State’s “Thunder and Lightning” backfield along with Jayden Becks (So., Waxahachie, Texas). The tandem has combined for 315 ground yards and 5 rushing scores through Missouri State’s first three ball games.
Safety P.J. Hall (Little Rock, Ark.) has an interception in each of the last two games (5 for his career) and ranks 2nd nationally (1st in the MVFC) in interceptions per game (0.67). The fifth-year standout has started the last 14 games in the MSU secondary.
Hunter Wood (Sr., Springdale, Ark.) became the 18th MSU receiver to record 10 pass receptions in a game when he snagged a career-high 10 catches for 90 yards vs. Lindenwood in week three. He now ranks 22nd nationally in receptions per game (5.7), 27th in punt return average (7.3), 49th in receiving yards (187) and 53rd in receiving yards per game (62.3). He ranks 3rd in the MVFC in receptions per game. He had 7 receptions for 74 yards against the Skyhawks last season in Martin.
MoState’s offense ranks among the national leaders in completion percentage (11th), passing offense (12th), first downs (14th), passing efficiency (24th), red zone offense (28th), total offense (28th) and 3rd-down efficiency (31st). The Bears lead the MVFC in passing offense (272.3) and 2nd in efficiency (142.14).
Defensively, Missouri State is emerging as a force to reckon with, ranking 8th nationally in interceptions (4), 17th in tackles for loss (7.0), 25th in takeaways (5); and 27th in turnover margin (+0.67). MSU’s 5 takeaways leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Jacardia Wright (Sr, Decatur, Ill.) logged his third career 100-yard rushing game (143) and racked up a career-high 208 all-purpose yards and a pair of touchdowns in MSU’s win over Lindenwood. The standout running back averaged 6.8 yards per carry and 13.5 yards (on five receptions for 65 yards). He ranks 7th nationally and 1st in the MVFC in total offense (136.0) and 29th nationally in rushing yards per game (88.3).
WR Jmariyae Robinson (So., Cocoa, Fla.) has scored in all three games and ranks 12th nationally in touchdowns (4) and 18th nationally in points per game (8.0), both ranking 2nd in The Valley.
MSU linebacker Tahj Chambers (Sr., Arlington, Texas) is coming off a team-high and career-high 13 tackles against Lindenwood, catapulting him to 16th nationally and 3rd in the MVFC in tackles per game (10.0), just behind teammate Todric McGee (Jr., Wichita, Kan.) who is 14th nationally and 2nd in the MVFC (10.3).
The Bears have scored in 20 of their last 24 quarters (dating back to last season) and have notched double-figure scoring totals in 42 consecutive ball games, including 20 or more points 34 times in that span.

Series History

Missouri State leads the all-time series vs. UT Martin, 7-2, including a 2-1 record in Martin.
The teams have played three times in recent years, including a narrow 32-31 Skyhawks win in Springfield during the 2021 NCAA FCS playoffs. The Bears avenged that loss at Plaster in 2022 (35-30) before UTM struck back last season with a 38-31 victory in Martin. MSU is averaging 39.1 points per game in the nine previous meetings.
Last Meeting: UTM 38, MSU 31 (9/9/23) | Box Score

Coach Ryan Beard

Missouri State University officially presented Ryan Beard as its new head football coach on Dec. 19, 2022. At the time of his hire, Beard was the program’s youngest coach on record and was the 22nd person to hold the football Bears’ top coaching position.
Beard is 5-9 overall in his second season as MSU head coach (0-1 vs. UTM).
His elevation to head coach came on the heels of three seasons as defensive coordinator (2020-22) at Missouri State under former head coach Bobby Petrino.
In his inaugural head coaching season, Beard guided the Bears to a 4-7 overall record and a 3-5 ledger in the MVFC. The team’s strong November surge included and a 35-16 home win over No. 18-ranked Northern Iowa.
The 2023 Bears finished No. 5 in the nation in passing offense (300.3), No. 7 in pass efficiency (158.77), 26th in total offense (400.8) and 31st in scoring (29.8).
Missouri State was rewarded with seven All-MVFC selections in Beard’s first campaign as head coach, including first-teamers Grant Burkett (P) and Raylen Sharpe (WR). Sharpe finished fourth in the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year voting. Likewise, Burkett (second team) and Sharpe (third team) were named to the Associated Press FCS All-America Team, while the Bears also boasted three Phil Steele Freshman All-America honorees, including first-teamers Cash Hudson (OL) and Avery Powell (CB).
At season’s end, Beard was named to the American Football Coaches Association’s exclusive 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.
During his three seasons as MSU’s defensive coordinator, Beard played a significant role in the team’s resurgence, managing a defensive unit that boasted 18 all-conference selections, four All-Americans and three professional players in his tenure at MoState.
Before coming to Missouri State, Beard spent the 2019 season at Central Michigan as the special teams and safeties coach for head coach Jim McElwain. He joined the Central Michigan staff in February of 2019 and helped lead the Chippewas to an 8-6 campaign on a defensive secondary that created 13 interceptions.
Beard served as an assistant at Louisville during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, starting as the defensive backs coach and in quality control before moving on to become the Cardinals’ linebackers coach and their co-special teams coordinator. As the DB coach at WKU (2016), Beard was part of a CUSA championship Boca Raton Bowl win.
He was a standout defensive back at Western Kentucky himself from 2007-11. He was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and was named to the league’s All-Freshman squad and its All-Academic team. A native of Bowling Green, Ky., Beard was a four-year letterman at Bowling Green High for coach Kevin Wallace, where his efforts helped the Purples advance to the state 3A championship contest each of his last two years.
Beard, 35, holds two degrees from Western Kentucky: a Bachelor of Science in Business Management (2012), and a master of science in Recreation and Sport Administration (2014).
He is married to the former Katie Petrino. The couple have four children with son Beau and daughter Lainey, in addition to twins Jacob and Kailey born in the spring of 2022.

*2/2 NDSU at 18/15 Illinois St. (ABC ND/ESPN+)

North Dakota State Notes

THE SERIES: North Dakota State leads the all-time series 14-2 against Illinois State since 2007. NDSU has won 12 straight including a 24-7 victory in the last meeting Oct. 29, 2022. The Bison are 5-1 at Hancock Stadium and have allowed only 10 points over the last three visits, including a 20-0 shutout in the last trip Oct. 16, 2021.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Redshirt freshman running back CharMar Brown was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week and freshman return specialist Jackson Williams was named Special Teams Player of the Week after last week’s performance in the 41-24 homecoming victory over Towson. Brown rushed 24 times for 126 yards and three touchdowns. It was NDSU’s first 100-yard rushing performance of the season and the most carries by a Bison player since March 2021. Williams took his first collegiate punt return 67 yards for a touchdown and had a game-high 169 all-purpose yards including four kickoff returns for an average of 21.3 yards.

LEADING RETURNERS: NDSU has two of the top returners in the FCS through four weeks of play. Jackson Williams leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 224 kick return yards and ranks second in the league and 11th in FCS averaging 28.0 yards on eight attempts. Williams has the two longest plays of the season for NDSU, his 67-yard punt return touchdown against Towson and a 55-yard kickoff return against Tennessee State, and two other kick returns (44 and 35 yards) among the team’s 10 longest plays of the year. Additionally, John Gores leads the MVFC and ranks seventh in the FCS averaging 16.8 yards per punt return on five attempts against Tennessee State and East Tennessee State. NDSU ranks fifth in FCS averaging 25.2 yards per punt return.

LATE RALLY: North Dakota State rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final two minutes to beat East Tennessee State 38-35 in Week 3. The Bison converted a 4th-and-10 with 2:20 left when John Gores caught a 38-yard pass from Cam Miller to the ETSU 3. TK Marshall scored on the next play to make it 35-30 with 1:59 to play. Darius Givance recovered the ensuing onside kick by Kaedin Steindorf, and the Bison went 58 yards in six plays going ahead on Miller’s 11-yard touchdown run with 50 seconds left. Bryce Lance caught the two-point conversion pass to make it 38-35, and linebacker Logan Kopp intercepted ETSU quarterback Jaylen King near midfield with 17 seconds left to seal the victory.

200-YARD GAMES: NDSU quarterback Cam Miller went 21-for-33 passing for 250 yards and one touchdown plus 47 yards on 15 rushes with two TDs in the win at East Tennessee State. Miller tied the Missouri Valley Football Conference record of 41 career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback set by former NDSU quarterback Easton Stick from 2015-2018. It was Miller’s 13th career 200-yard passing game, tied with Stick and Steve Walker (2004-2007) for second most in NDSU history behind Brock Jensen, who passed for 200-plus yards in 14 games from 2010-2013.

RARE KICKS: Redshirt freshman kicker Eli Ozick‘s 54-yard field goal at East Tennessee State was the second longest in school history, one yard shy of Ken Johnson‘s school-record 55-yard field goal at South Dakota State in 1997. Punter Kaedin Steindorf executed NDSU’s first successful onside kick since 2005 when the Bison recovered Cory Vartanian‘s kick trailing 20-7 in the fourth quarter of an eventual 20-14 loss at the Fargodome.

BIG KICKS: Prior to his 54-yard field goal at East Tennessee State, Eli Ozick‘s 51-yard field goal on his first career attempt against Tennessee State was the longest field goal by a Bison kicker in eight years when Cam Pedersen hit from 52 yards in the 2016 season-opener against Charleston Southern. Ozick has booted 27 of 29 kickoffs into the end zone with 26 touchbacks helping the Bison limit opponents to just 32 return yards through four contests.

FIRST-TIMERS: North Dakota State scored seven touchdowns in the home opener against Tennessee State and five players scored for the first time in their career. Junior wide receiver Bryce Lance had a career-high seven receptions and 106 yards with the first two TD catches of his career, scoring on passes of 14 and 6 yards from Cam Miller, who finished 14 of 18 passing for 181 yards and three TDs while also running for a 24-yard touchdown. CharMar Brown scored his first TD on a 3-yard run, John Gores‘ first career reception was a 12-yard TD pass from Miller, Mekhi Collins got his first TD on a 19-yard pass from Cole Payton, and quarterback Nathan Hayes‘ first career rushing attempt went for a 51-yard TD.

Illinois State Notes

THE SERIES
Illinois State and the Bison will meet for the 17th time in the series between the two schools, which dates back to 2007. NDSU has won 12 straight games against ISU, with the last win coming by 17 points in Fargo, North Dakota, in 2022. Illinois State’s only two wins in the series came in back-to-back years in 2009-10, when 2024 ISU Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame inductee Matt Brown led the Redbirds to victory.

THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his 16th season as the head coach at Illinois State (104-71). Spack guided the Redbirds to back-to-back shares of the MVFC title in 2014-15 and an appearance in the 2014 FCS Championship game. He has led the ISU to five playoff appearances overall and became the program’s all-time wins leader in 2021.

North Dakota State: Tim Polasek (Concordia, 2002) is in his first season as the head coach at North Dakota State (3-1), after being named the 32nd head football coach in program history on Dec. 17, 2023. He was part of the NDSU staff under head coach Craig Bohl from 2006 to 2012 and returned to North Dakota State in 2014 and spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach under Chris Klieman.

THE REDBIRD FOOTBALL PROGRAM

8 FCS playoff appearances (1998, 1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019)
6-time FCS quarterfinalists (1999, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019)
2-time FCS semifinalists (1999, 2014)
The team is 65-22 at home under Spack’s guidance
ISU is 48-16 at Hancock Stadium since 2013 renovation

THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT

North Dakota State University is in Fargo, North Dakota, and has an enrollment of 11,952. The Bison are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and play their home games at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (19,000).
The Bison are currently ranked No. 2 in both FCS national polls, behind only rival and defending national champion South Dakota State with a 3-1 overall record. Their lone loss came in the season opener at FBS Colorado by just five points, 31-26, in Boulder, Colorado. They have since rolled off three-straight wins against Tennessee State, East Tennessee State and last week over Towson.
Running back CharMar Brown rushed for a career-high 126 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bison to the 41-24 homecoming win over the Tigers and Cam Miller finished 17 of 19 for 219 yards with a touchdown for the Bison.
Brown and Jackson Williams both earned MVFC player of the week for their performances in the win over victory over Towson. Brown was named the Newcomer of the Week, while Williams was named Special Teams Player of the Week after a game-high 169 all-purpose yards, including a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE BISON (OCT. 29, 2022)
The Illinois State offense got off to a good start in the first quarter against No. 4 North Dakota State and took an early lead, however the Bison scored 24 unanswered points to come away with a 24-7 victory over the Redbirds at the Fargodome. The Redbirds struck first on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Zack Annexstad to Daniel Sobkowicz on a back shoulder throw to the back of the endzone that made it 7-0 with 3:24 left in the first quarter.

Missouri Valley Football Players of the Week (9-23-24)
This week’s Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include RB Kirby Vorhees of South Dakota State; LB Josh Navratil of North Dakota; RB CharMar Brown of North Dakota State; WR/RS Jackson Williams of North Dakota State; and JJ Guedet of Illinois State.

Offensive Player of the Week
RB Kirby Vorhees, South Dakota State
5-11, 205, R-Fr., Lutz, Fla. (Steinbrenner HS)
Vorhees needed only five carries to rack up 179 rushing yards to score three touchdowns in South Dakota State’s 41-0 road win at Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 21. Vorhees shed several would-be tacklers to score touchdowns of 20 and 22 yards on his first two rushing attempts in the second quarter, then broke through the line for an 80-yard touchdown on his first carry of the third quarter. His two other rushing attempts covered 39 and 18 yards, giving him an average of 35.8 yards per attempt. As a team, South Dakota State rushed for 341 yards and five touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Week
LB Josh Navratil, North Dakota
6-2, 235, Sr., Pine Island, Minn. (Pine Island HS)
Navratil had five tackles (four solo), one sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the 41-24 victory over San Diego. Navratil’s fumble recovery late in the third quarter led to C.J. Elrichs’ 31-yard field goal to bring the tally to 34-17 heading into the final stanza.

Newcomer of the Week
RB CharMar Brown, North Dakota State
5-11, 214, RFr., Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Prep HS)
Brown rushed 24 times for 126 yards and three touchdowns averaging 5.2 yards per carry in North Dakota State’s 41-24 homecoming victory over Towson. In just the fourth game of his career, he posted NDSU’s first 100-yard rushing performance in six games since the second round of the 2023 playoffs and the most carries by a Bison player since March 2021 when Hunter Luepke rushed 28 times for 190 yards and three TDs in a win against North Dakota. Brown had 41 yards on five straight carries in the fourth quarter to lead the Bison on a scoring drive that made it a two-possession game late.

Special Teams Player of the Week
WR/RS Jackson Williams, North Dakota State
5-11, 177, Fr., Omaha, Neb. (Millard West HS)
Williams had a game-high 169 all-purpose yards in North Dakota State’s 41-24 homecoming victory over Towson. On his first collegiate punt return, he went 67 yards for a touchdown to give the Bison a 17-3 second quarter lead. He also had one fair catch and returned four kickoffs for an average of 21.3 yards with a long of 35 yards in the fourth quarter to spark the Bison scoring drive that made it a two-possession game late. Williams leads the MVFC with 224 kick return yards this season and is second in the league averaging 28.0 yards on eight attempts.

Offensive Lineman of the Week
OT JJ Guedet, Illinois State
6-8, 305, Sr., Washington, Illinois (Washington HS / Minnesota)
Guedet led the way for the Redbird offensive line in their dominant 31-7 win over rival Eastern Illinois in the 112^th Mid-America Classic. The Washington, Illinois, native anchored the offensive line unit that helped running back Wenkers Wright rush for 150 yards and a score on the ground for his third-consecutive 100-plus yard effort. The ISU offense also put up a season-best 518 yards of total offense against the Panthers, which featured a balanced attack of 253 yards on the ground and 273 yards through the air.

OTHERS NOMINATED

QB Aidan Bouman, South Dakota — The passing game got going this week for Bouman (R-Jr., Buffalo, Minn.) and the Coyotes. He went 18-for-24 (75.0%) in the 42-3 win over Drake, throwing for his first touchdown of the season. His 219 yards surpassed his passing yards total for the first two games of the season (199 yards).

QB Tommy Rittenhouse, Illinois State — He completed 77 percent of his passes (17-for-22) and recorded season bests in passing yards and touchdowns in the victory over the Panthers. Rittenhouse threw for a season-high 228 yards and a career-best three touchdown in the win, while also rushing for 47 yards, which included a big run of 30 yards. His first touchdown of the game came on ISU’s first drive of the game, a 31-yard strike to Daniel Sobkowicz that capped off a 98-yard scoring drive. On ISU’s next possession, Rittenhouse rolled to his right and found Xavier Loyd alone in the back of the endzone for a 12-yard touchdown. His final touchdown of the game was his second to Sobkowicz, who made a defender miss and scored from five yards out to make the score 21-0 in the second quarter.

QB Jacob Clark, Missouri State — Clark led Missouri State to a dominant offensive performance Saturday at UT Martin, completing 25-of-33 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and no offensive turnovers. Clark’s passing yardage (388) was the sixth-highest in program history, while his single-game completion percentage (.788) ranked third. His efforts helped MSU reel off 24 unanswered points to help the Bears erase an early 7-0 deficit with a 90-yard TD drive in the final minute of the first half to give MSU its first lead, along with three TD passes. MSU’s 403 total yards was its second-highest offensive output of the season.

WR Bo Belquist, North Dakota — Belquist paced North Dakota with three grabs for 116 yards and a pair of scores in the 41-24 win over San Diego. He hauled in a 69-yard strike from Simon Romfo early in the third quarter to knot the score up at 17-17 and later in the quarter had a 41-yard reception for a touchdown to extend UND’s lead to 31-17. Belquist now has eight 100-yard receiving games in his career. His 357 receiving yards through the first four games this season are the most for a UND receiver in a four-game stretch to start the season since Greg Hardin put down 416 yards receiving in the first four games of 2013.

WR Xavier Loyd, Illinois State — Loyd caught his second touchdown in as many weeks and tied for the team lead in receptions in Illinois State’s big 31-7 win over in-state rival Eastern Illinois. The Blue Springs, Missouri, native recorded seven catches for 75 yards and scored his second touchdown in a Redbird uniform in the victory over the Panthers. Loyd had a long grab of 27 yards in the contest and racked up 25 yards after the catch against EIU, and hauled in a 12-yard touchdown catch from Tommy Rittenhouse on the team’s second drive of the game.

LB Dallas Winner-Johnson, Missouri State — MSU’s redshirt freshman linebacker logged a team-high 10 tackles in Saturday’s win at UT Martin, including 4 solo stops and a tackle for loss. Six of his tackles took place on first down, limiting the Skyhawks opportunities in a memorable breakout performance.

RB Sawyer Seidl, North Dakota — Seidl led North Dakota on the ground in the 41-24 win against San Diego, rushing 13 times for 123 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 9.5 yards per carry and scored on a 70-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to 14-10 early in the second quarter. It was Seidl’s first 100-yard rushing game of his career.

S Keondre Jackson, Illinois State — Jackson led the way for an impressive Redbird defense that held Eastern Illinois to just seven points in a dominant 31-7 victory at Hancock Stadium. The Freeport, Illinois, native led the team with seven tackles and added his first interception of the season, which he returned 24 yards to set up a score for the Redbirds. In all, the Redbird defense allowed just 192 yards of total offense and the secondary led by Jackson gave up just 87 yards in the air.

DL Nick Gaes, South Dakota — Gaes (Sr., Alta, Iowa) led the game with his 1.5 sacks, accounting for half of the Coyotes sacks in the 42-3 win over the Drake Bulldogs. He was consistently in the Bulldog backfield all afternoon long, forcing the Drake QB to throw before he was ready. Gaes currently leads the team with his three sacks on the season.

S Colby Huerter, South Dakota State — Huerter marked his return to the starting lineup by sharing team-high honors with seven tackles and adding an interception as top-ranked South Dakota State pitched a 41-0 shutout Sept. 21 at Southeastern Louisiana. Huerter’s interception and subsequent 38-yard return came on the final play of the first quarter.

PK Ian Wagner, Illinois State — Wagner accounted for seven points for Illinois State in its 31-7 win over rival Eastern Illinois on Saturday night at Hancock Stadium. Wagner was 4-for-4 on extra point attempts and converted his only field goal attempt of the game, when he split the uprights from 28 yards out in the third quarter to give the Redbirds a 24-7 lead at the time. Wagner also handled the kickoff duties for ISU, with five touchbacks on six kickoffs on the day.

CB Dalys Beanum, South Dakota State — Beanum returned a first-quarter punt 88 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring in South Dakota State’s 41-0 road win at Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 21. His 88-yarder marked the longest punt return by a Jackrabbit since 2007 as he ended the night with three returns for a total of 102 yards and also contributed three tackles on defense.

KR Keyondray Jones-Logan, South Dakota — The current FCS leader in kickoff returns for a touchdown struck again against the Bulldogs, making it two games in the Dome with two returns for a score. Jones-Logan (So., Orlando, Fla.) took the opening kickoff 99-yards for the score. He’s tied for the national lead after the weekend and has tied the single-season and career record in USD history for most kickoff returns for a score (Bob Koch had two in 1968 and two for his career).