If you’re a fan in the Dakotas, get ready because 2024 is set to be incredibly thrilling. South Dakota State and North Dakota State are currently the top teams in the Missouri Valley, both eyeing another potential national championship season. But it’s not just the Bison and the Jackrabbits who have a shot in the Valley this year.
South Dakota made a name for itself last season and shows no signs of slowing down as fall approaches. North Dakota comes off back-to-back playoff trips, and the Illinois schools might also be strong contenders. The MVFC is not for the faint-hearted, and as always, whoever emerges will have truly earned it.
NDSU and SDSU: The Teams to Beat
The key battle this year will be between North Dakota State and South Dakota State—the former FCS dynasty against the current one in the making. Despite a “down year” in 2023, the Bison reached the semifinals, losing in double overtime, while the Jackrabbits won the championship again. Both teams could realistically be the top two seeds come playoff time, and their October 19 meeting is just one of many potential clashes.
SDSU is likely to start 2024 as the favorite to win a third consecutive national title, though their path seems less certain than last year. Walter Payton Award-winning quarterback Mark Gronowski returns, along with a highly talented defense. However, going perfect again seems more challenging, although not impossible.
The Jackrabbits lost key players to the NFL, including standout running back Isaiah Davis and linemen Garrett Greenfield and Mason McCormick, who were crucial to the last two championship runs and the team’s active 29-game winning streak. Despite these losses, the line still features one of the country’s best centers in Gus Miller, and Amar Johnson seems ready to step up at running back.
On defense, stars like linebacker Adam Bock and defensive backs Tucker Large and Dalys Beanum will continue to shine. Large, also a special teams dynamo, intercepted four passes last year, while Beanum had five interceptions. The pair also combined for 16 pass breakups. Bock, despite missing some games, recorded 65 tackles and two sacks.
NDSU: The Main Rival
The main challenger to SDSU appears to be their northern rival, NDSU. The Bison, who played most of last year’s playoffs on the road, almost made it back to Frisco and are hungrier than ever. This promises some exciting football down the stretch.
Quarterback Cam Miller returns after a standout season, throwing for 2,688 yards with a 72% completion rate and rushing for another 629 yards, totaling 32 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
Tight end Joe Stoffel and receiver Eli Green will support Miller in the passing game. Stoffel, one of the top tight ends in the FCS, caught six touchdowns on 25 receptions, while Green averaged nearly 20 yards per catch, leading the team with 877 receiving yards.
NDSU’s powerful rushing attack remains formidable, with Miller, T.K. Marshall, and Cole Payton out of the backfield. This trio combined for 1,630 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2023 and should be just as productive this season.
Defensively, NDSU boasts top talent like safety Cole Wisniewski, perhaps the best secondary player in the country, with eight interceptions, five pass breakups, and a team-leading 92 tackles last fall. Linebacker Logan Kopp also had a breakout sophomore season with 85 tackles (7.5 for loss), two forced fumbles, and 3.5 sacks.
The “Dakota Marker” game will be pivotal, but the season-long battle between SDSU and NDSU promises to be exciting. Both teams have strong cases for a spot in Frisco come January, but can anyone else keep up?
South Dakota Hopes to Keep Making Strides
If any team exceeded expectations last year, it was the Coyotes. USD won 10 games, including one against the Bison, reached the quarterfinals for the first time in their Division I history, and finished the regular season as the #3 ranked team in the country. Retaining most of the talent that achieved these milestones should help the Coyotes continue to make an impact this season.
It all starts with quarterback Aidan Bouman, who returns for his junior season. Bouman was the undisputed leader for USD last year, throwing for 2,551 yards and 15 touchdowns. It feels like the Coyotes can go as far as he can take them, and with talents like tight end J.J. Galbreath and receiver Carter Bell, Bouman and the offense might be set for another great year.
The defense might have taken a slight step back, with linebacker Brock Mogensen and defensive back Myles Hardin both vying for NFL rosters, along with several others. How does this affect the returning group?
Head coach Bob Nielson turned to the transfer portal to mitigate these losses, and he and his staff did a solid job filling the gaps. Former Michigan State DB Marqui Lowery Jr. and ex-Monmouth DB Mike Reid were brought in to strengthen the secondary. USD also added linebackers Wade Abrams (Valparaiso) and Jonathan Bunce (St. Thomas).
Combining these new additions with returning players like DB Dennis Shorter and defensive lineman Nick Gaes, the prospect of South Dakota fielding a strong defense again doesn’t seem far-fetched.
The Coyotes, barring any major setbacks, should be a playoff team once more and are likely to appear in the preseason Top 10 in the FCS polls. However, staying competitive in the Missouri Valley is no easy task, and it won’t just be the other Dakota teams that USD will have to contend with.
Illinois State, Southern Illinois, and YSU on the Bubble
The race behind the top teams in the MVFC is always exciting, and this year both Illinois schools, along with Youngstown State, might be competing for those coveted at-large playoff bids. Southern Illinois reached the postseason in 2023 and nearly defeated Idaho on the road in the second round but lost a lot of talent during the offseason. Illinois State, meanwhile, is steadily rising and might finally break out of obscurity this year. YSU has a strong chance after a solid run last year, but nothing is guaranteed in these middle-of-the-pack battles.
The Penguins are coming off a good 2023 season, reaching the second round of the playoffs. Quarterback Mitch Davidson and tailback Tyshon King are still around, which bodes well for the offense. King and Davidson accounted for 4,099 total yards of offense last fall and 38 touchdowns between them. Such production will be crucial if YSU wants to keep pace.
Illinois State aims to return to the postseason for the first time since 2019. Receiver Daniel Sobkowicz is coming off a 10-touchdown season with 68 catches for 933 yards. Senior linebacker Amir Abdullah, a first-team All-Conference selection last year, will again lead the Redbirds’ defense.
Southern Illinois hopes the loss of several star players, including quarterback Nic Baker, won’t derail their chances for a third playoff trip in four seasons. Baker graduated after rewriting SIU’s record books, but he wasn’t the only one to leave. Leading rusher Ro Elliot and former receiver Izaiah Hartrup are also gone.
Despite these departures, the Salukis have shown resilience under Nick Hill. Former Murray State QB D.J. Williams and several FBS talents have transferred in, keeping SIU in contention.
The matchups between these three teams will be crucial in determining playoff spots. It’s almost certain that the MVFC will have at least four (probably five) teams in the bracket, and ISU, SIU, and YSU might all earn those nods.
Hawks, Panthers Look to Flip Stagnant Narratives
Once a perennial playoff team, Northern Iowa has struggled recently, failing to reach the postseason for three years. With consecutive 6-5 seasons in 2022 and 2023, the pressure is on for Mark Farley’s team to make a comeback. North Dakota, on the other hand, has made it to the playoffs recently but hasn’t achieved much success there. Can the Hawks or the Panthers break through this year?
For UND, simply getting back to the playoffs isn’t enough—they need to prove they belong. Despite flashes of potential last season, including a significant win over North Dakota State, they had another early playoff exit. Compounding their challenges, quarterback Tommy Schuster has moved on to Michigan State.
However, it’s not all bad news for UND. Standout receiver Bo Belquist remains, having led the offense with 772 yards and six touchdowns last year. Running back Gaven Ziebarth and linebacker Wyatt Pedigo are also back. The roster has talent, but whether it can come together remains to be seen.
UNI faces similar issues. They’ve lost quarterback Theo Day and his favorite target, receiver Sam Schnee, which are significant blows to an already struggling offense. However, they’ve added former Arkansas State QB Jaxon Dailey and retained running back Tye Edwards.
With one of the longest-tenured coaches, Mark Farley, Northern Iowa always has a chance and is likely to make a meaningful push by November. But a 6-5 record won’t suffice, and that’s where UNI has been stuck for a few seasons.
The Rest are (Several) Steps Behind
Playing in the Missouri Valley can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on the caliber of the program. For the bottom half, it’s often more of a curse. Teams like Missouri State (soon to move to FBS), Murray State, and Indiana State seem far from being competitive with the top programs.
Murray State, in its MVFC debut in 2023, struggled with a 2-9 finish and just one conference win. This led to the end of the Dean Hood era and the arrival of Jody Wright, who brings fresh leadership with new offensive and defensive coordinators. Wright, with years of experience as an NFL and collegiate assistant, is now a first-time head coach.
There is considerable hype around Wright as Murray State brought in 23 FBS transfers covering nearly every position. Transfers Jim Ogle and Jameson Holcomb are likely to compete for the starting quarterback role after D.J. Williams’ departure. Despite these new additions, Murray State was picked to finish at the bottom of the league in preseason polls.
Indiana State also finds itself near the bottom after a 1-10 season last year. The Sycamores lost key receivers Dakota Caton and Harry Van Dyne, which hurts an offense that averaged under 14 points and 150 passing yards per game. Unlike Murray State, ISU retained head coach Curt Mallory for his seventh season.
Missouri State, whose FCS days are numbered as they move to Conference USA after the 2024 season, can’t qualify for the postseason even if they wanted to. Outside of playoff trips in 2020 and 2021, the Bears have not had much success, finishing 4-7 last season.
The Bears do retain some top playmakers, including DB Todric McGee and punter Grant Burkett, two of the best in the conference at their positions. However, expectations are low for Ryan Beard’s team in their final FCS season.
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