2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference season American college football conference season
Sports season
The 2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference season was the 34th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season . This was the MVFC's 8th consecutive season with 10 teams, and would be their last for now as they added North Dakota in the following offseason.
North Dakota State won the conference title and achieved the number 1 overall seed again in the 2019 FCS Playoffs. The Bison would go on to win their 8th National Championship in 9 years. South Dakota State , Illinois State , and Northern Iowa all made the playoffs, with the Jacks being the number 7 overall seed. Illinois State and Northern Iowa both played in the first round. Illinois State beat Southeast Missouri State and Northern Iowa beat San Diego to advance to the second round. In the second round, Illinois State beat 8th overall seed Central Arkansas and Northern Iowa upset South Dakota State to both advance to the quarterfinals. North Dakota State beat Nicholls to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, NDSU beat Illinois State to advance to the semifinals, and Northern Iowa lost to 2nd seeded James Madison. North Dakota State would beat Montana State in the semifinals, and James Madison in the championship.
Previous season
In 2018, North Dakota State won the conference and received the automatic bid to the 2018 playoffs. The Bison won their seventh NCAA Division I Football Championship title in eight years. South Dakota State and Northern Iowa also made the playoffs. NDSU and SDSU were both national seeds, with the Bison being the number 1 overall seed and the Jacks being the number 5 overall seed and received a bye to the second round. Northern Iowa played in the first round, and beat Lamar to advance to the second round. Northern Iowa lost to UC Davis in the second round. North Dakota State beat Montana State in the second round and Colgate in the quarterfinals, before meeting South Dakota State in the semifinals and winning to advance to the title game. South Dakota State beat Duquesne in the second round, and Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals before losing to NDSU in the semifinals. NDSU beat Eastern Washington in the title game.
Coaching changes
North Dakota State
On December 13, 2018, Matt Entz was named the new head coach at North Dakota State.[ 1] Entz takes over for Chris Klieman , who left the program for a head coaching job at Kansas State .[ 2] The Wildcats allowed Klieman to finish out the 2018 playoffs at NDSU before heading to Manhattan.
Preseason
Preseason Poll
The annual preseason poll; voted on by conference coaches, athletic directors, and media members.[ 3]
Predicted finish
Team
Points (1st place votes)
1
North Dakota State
392 (32)
2
South Dakota State
348 (4)
3
Illinois State
289 (3)
4
Indiana State
279 (1)
5
Northern Iowa
266
6
South Dakota
176
7
Youngstown State
153
8
Western Illinois
128
9
Southern Illinois
89
10
Missouri State
80
Preseason awards
Individual awards
Award
Player
School
Position
Year
Preseason Team Offense
Ryan Boyle
Indiana State
QB
Sr.
D.J. Davis
Southern Illinois
RB
Sr.
James Robinson
Illinois State
RB
Sr.
Pierre Strong Jr.
South Dakota State
RB
So.
Clint Ratkovich
Western Illinois
FB
Jr.
Dakarai Allen
South Dakota
WR
Sr.
Dante Hendrix
Indiana State
WR
So.
Cade Johnson
South Dakota State
WR
Jr.
Briley Moore
Northern Iowa
TE
Sr.
Drew Himmelman
Illinois State
OL
Jr.
Zack Johnson
North Dakota State
OL
Sr.
Dillon Radunz
North Dakota State
OL
Jr.
Jackson Scott-Brown
Northern Iowa
OL
Sr.
Wyatt Wozniak
Indiana State
OL
Sr.
Preseason Team Defense
Ryan Earith
South Dakota State
DL
Sr.
Darin Greenfield
South Dakota
DL
Sr.
Anthony Knighton
Southern Illinois
DL
Jr.
Derrek Tuszka
North Dakota State
DL
Sr.
Jabril Cox
North Dakota State
LB
Jr.
Angelo Garbutt
Missouri State
LB
Sr.
Jonas Griffith
Indiana State
LB
Sr.
Christian Rozeboom
South Dakota State
LB
Sr.
Jeremy Chinn
Southern Illinois
DB
Sr.
James Hendricks
North Dakota State
DB
Sr.
Luther Kirk
Illinois State
DB
Sr.
Devin Taylor
Illinois State
DB
Jr.
Xavior Williams
Northern Iowa
DB
Jr.
Preseason Team Special Teams
Bradey Sorensen
South Dakota State
LS
Jr.
Jerry Nunez
Indiana State
PK
Sr.
Garret Wegner
North Dakota State
P
Jr.
Je'Quan Burton
Southern Illinois
RS
So.
[ 4]
Rankings
Legend
Improvement in ranking
Drop in ranking
Not ranked previous week
No change in ranking from previous week
RV
Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
т
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol
Pre
Wk 1
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Wk 5
Wk 6
Wk 7
Wk 8
Wk 9
Wk 10
Wk 11
Wk 12
Wk 13
Final
Illinois State
STATS Perform
15
16
13
15
14
10
14
11
8
7
11
7
7
13
7
AFCA Coaches
13
16
12
10
8
6
13
10
7
7
12
8
6
14
7
Indiana State
STATS Perform
16
14
AFCA Coaches
16
15
Missouri State
STATS Perform
AFCA Coaches
North Dakota State
STATS Perform
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
AFCA Coaches
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Northern Iowa
STATS Perform
18
11
11
9
9
13
10
14
11
9
5
4
9
6
5
AFCA Coaches
20
12
10
8
7
13
10
15
12
10
7
5
10
6
5
South Dakota
STATS Perform
AFCA Coaches
South Dakota State
STATS Perform
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
8
5
10
10
AFCA Coaches
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
4
9
5
12
12
Southern Illinois
STATS Perform
AFCA Coaches
25т
25
Western Illinois
STATS Perform
AFCA Coaches
Youngstown State
STATS Perform
24
22
18
19
19
AFCA Coaches
21
20
17
17
18
Schedule
Index to colors and formatting
MVFC member won
MVFC member lost
MVFC teams in bold
All times Central time.
† denotes Homecoming game
^ denotes AP Poll ranking for FBS teams
Regular season schedule
Week 0
Week 1
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
August 29
6:30 PM
Southern Illinois
No. 17 Southeast Missouri State
Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO
ESPN+
L 26–44
8,312
August 29
7:00 PM
Western Illinois
North Alabama
Braly Municipal Stadium • Florence, AL
ESPN+
L 17–26
10,567
August 29
8:00 PM
No. 3 South Dakota State
Minnesota
TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN
FS1
L 21–28
49,112
August 29
8:00 PM
Missouri State
Northern Arizona
Walkup Skydome • Flagstaff, AZ
Pluto TV
L 23–37
6,891
August 31
11:00 AM
No. 16 Indiana State
Kansas
David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS
FOX
L 17–24
32,611
August 31
11:00 AM
No. 18 Northern Iowa
No. 21^ Iowa State
Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA
Big 12 on ESPN+
L 26–29(3OT)
61,500
August 31
2:00 PM
No. 25 Montana
South Dakota
DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
ESPN+
L 17–31
5,193
August 31
3:00 PM
Butler
No. 1 North Dakota State
Target Field • Minneapolis, MN
ESPN+
W 57–10
34,544
August 31
6:00 PM
No. 15 Illinois State
Northern Illinois
Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL
ESPN+
L 10–24
14,568
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 2
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
September 7
1:00 PM
Dayton
No. 14 Indiana State
Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN
L 35–42
4,950
September 7
2:00 PM
Howard
Youngstown State
Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH
W 54–28
12,390
September 7
2:30 PM
North Dakota
No. 1 North Dakota State
Fargodome • Fargo, ND
ESPN+
W 38–7
18,923
September 7
2:30 PM
Southern Illinois
UMass
McGuirk Stadium • Amherts, MA
FloSports
W 45–20
10,524
September 7
3:00 PM
Western Illinois
Colorado State
Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, CO
L 13–38
24
September 7
4:00 PM
Southern Utah
No. 11 Northern Iowa
UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA
W 34–14
9,241
September 7
6:00 PM
South Dakota
No. 4^ Oklahoma
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
L 14–70
82,181
September 7
6:00 PM
Long Island
No. 3 South Dakota State
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD
W 38–3
10,153
September 7
6:30 PM
Morehead State
No. 16 Illinois State
Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL
ESPN+
W 42–14
11,256
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 3
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
September 14
12:00 PM
No. 1 North Dakota State
No. 18 Delaware
Delaware Stadium • Newark, DE
FloSports
W 47–22
14,489
September 14
1:00 PM
Eastern Kentucky
Indiana State
Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN
W 19–7
4,416
September 14
1:00 PM
Drake
No. 3 South Dakota State
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD
W 38–10
11,565
September 14
2:00 PM
Duquesne
Youngstown State
Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH
W 34–14
15,991
September 14
2:00 PM
Houston Baptist
South Dakota
DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
ESPN3
L 52–53
5,077
September 14
2:00 PM
No. 13 Illinois State
Eastern Illinois
O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL
ESPN+
W 21–3
6,119
September 14
3:00 PM
No. 10 Montana State
Western Illinois
Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
ESPN+
L 14–23
4,728
September 14
6:00 PM
UT Martin
Southern Illinois
Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL
ESPN+
W 28–14
8,983
September 14
7:00 PM
Missouri State
Tulane
Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA
ESPN3
L 6–58
18,746
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 4
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
September 21
1:00 PM
Eastern Illinois
Indiana State
Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN
W 16–6
6,216
September 21
2:00 PM
No. 6 Kennesaw State
Missouri State
Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
ESPN+
L 24–35
11,421
September 21
2:30 PM
No. 4 UC Davis
No. 1 North Dakota State
Fargodome • Fargo, ND
ESPN+
W 27–16
18,425
September 21
3:00 PM
South Dakota
Northern Colorado
Nottingham Field • Greeley, CO
Pluto TV
W 14–6
5,745
September 21
3:00 PM
Tennessee Tech
Western Illinois
Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
ESPN3
L 24–38
1,594
September 21
4:00 PM
Idaho State
No. 9 Northern Iowa
UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA
W 13–6
8,339
September 21
6:00 PM
Southern Illinois
Arkansas State
Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR
ESPN3
L 28–41
24,176
September 21
6:00 PM
Southern Utah
No. 3 South Dakota State
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD
W 43–7
14,269
September 21
6:30 PM
Northern Arizona
No. 15 Illinois State
Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL
ESPN+
W 40–27
9,891
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 5
Week 6
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
October 5
12:00 PM
No. 1 North Dakota State
No. 10 Illinois State
Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL
ESPN+
NDSU 37–3
13,391
October 5
2:00 PM
Southern Illinois
No. 3 South Dakota State
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD
ESPN+
SDSU 38–10
13,776
October 5
2:00 PM
Indiana State
South Dakota
DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
ESPN+
USD 38–0
5,255
October 5
3:00 PM
Missouri State
Western Illinois
Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
ESPN+
MOST 37–31(3OT)
3,149
October 5
4:00 PM
No. 18 Youngstown State
No. 13 Northern Iowa
UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA
ESPN+
UNI 21–14
10,137
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 7
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
October 12
12:00 PM
Western Illinois
Indiana State
Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN
ESPN+
INST 20–10
7,243
October 12
1:00 PM
No. 10 Northern Iowa
No. 1 North Dakota State †
Fargodome • Fargo, ND
ESPN+
NDSU 46–14
18,178
October 12
2:00 PM
South Dakota
Missouri State
Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
ESPN3
USD 45–10
5,784
October 12
5:00 PM
No. 3 South Dakota State
No. 19 Youngstown State
Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH
ESPN+
SDSU 38–28
12,381
October 12
6:00 PM
No. 13 Illinois State
Southern Illinois
Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL
ESPN3
ILST 21–7
5,525
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 8
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
October 19
12:00 PM
No. 3 South Dakota State
Indiana State
Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN
ESPN3
SDSU 42–23
4,642
October 19
1:00 PM
No. 10 Illinois State
Western Illinois
Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
ESPN+
ILST 28–14
2,984
October 19
2:00 PM
No. 18 Youngstown State
Southern Illinois †
Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL
ESPN+
SIU 35–10
7,670
October 19
2:30 PM
Missouri State
No. 1 North Dakota State
Fargodome • Fargo, ND
ESPN+
NDSU 22–0
18,252
October 19
4:00 PM
South Dakota
No. 14 Northern Iowa
UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA
ESPN+
UNI 42–27
10,201
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 9
In Week 9, the 2019 edition of the Dakota Marker was preceded by ESPN's College Gameday on the campus of South Dakota State University .
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
October 26
1:00 PM
Western Illinois
Youngstown State
Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH
ESPN+
YSU 59–14
10,437
October 26
2:00 PM
No. 11 Northern Iowa
Missouri State †
Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
ESPN+
UNI 29–6
6,583
October 26
2:00 PM
No. 1 North Dakota State
No. 3 South Dakota State
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD
ESPN+
NDSU 23–16
19,371
October 26
2:00 PM
Indiana State
No. 8 Illinois State
Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL
ESPN3
ILST 24–7
8,510
October 26
4:00 PM
Southern Illinois
South Dakota
DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
ESPN+
SIU 48–28
4,734
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 10
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
November 2
12:00 PM
No. 9 Northern Iowa
No. 7 Illinois State
Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL
ESPN+
UNI 27–10
6,705
November 2
12:00 PM
Southern Illinois
Indiana State
Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN
ESPN+
MOST 23–14
4,110
November 2
1:00 PM
South Dakota
Western Illinois
Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
ESPN+
WIU 38–34
1,728
November 2
2:00 PM
No. 4 South Dakota State
Missouri State
Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
ESPN3
SDSU 35–14
5,108
November 2
5:00 PM
No. 1 North Dakota State
Youngstown State
Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH
ESPN+
NDSU 56–17
11,102
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 11
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
November 9
2:00 PM
Youngstown State
South Dakota
DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
ESPN+
USD 56–21
4,561
November 9
2:00 PM
No. 11 Illinois State
No. 4 South Dakota State
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD
ESPN+
ILST 27–18
7,211
November 9
2:00 PM
Missouri State
Southern Illinois
Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL
ESPN3
SIU 37–14
4,678
November 9
2:30 PM
Western Illinois
No. 1 North Dakota State
Fargodome • Fargo, ND
ESPN+
NDSU 57–21
17,441
November 9
4:00 PM
Indiana State
No. 5 Northern Iowa
UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA
ESPN+
UNI 17–9
8,442
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 12
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
November 16
1:00 PM
Youngstown State
Indiana State
Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN
INST 24–17
3,645
November 16
12:00 PM
Missouri State
No. 7 Illinois State
Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL
ESPN+
ILST 17–12
5,701
November 16
1:00 PM
Southern Illinois
Western Illinois
Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
ESPN+
SIU 45–21
1,739
November 16
2:00 PM
No. 4 Northern Iowa
No. 8 South Dakota State
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD
ESPN3
SDSU 38–7
7,317
November 16
2:30 PM
South Dakota
No. 1 North Dakota State
Fargodome • Fargo, ND
ESPN+
NDSU 49–14
17,844
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Week 13
Date
Time
Visiting team
Home team
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
Ref.
November 23
11:00 AM
No. 7 Illinois State
Youngstown State
Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH
ESPN+
YSU 21–3
9,190
November 23
1:00 PM
Western Illinois
No. 9 Northern Iowa
UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA
ESPN+
UNI 38–7
8,920
November 23
2:00 PM
No. 1 North Dakota State
Southern Illinois
Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL
ESPN+
NDSU 21–7
5,423
November 23
2:00 PM
No. 5 South Dakota State
South Dakota
DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD
ESPN+
USD 24–21
5,405
November 23
2:00 PM
Indiana State
Missouri State
Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
ESPN+
INST 51–24
3,352
# Rankings from Stats Perform . All times are in Central Time .
Postseason
In 2019, four MVFC teams made the FCS playoffs. North Dakota State (No. 1) and South Dakota State (No. 7) both received a first round bye. Illinois State and Northern Iowa both were unseeded and played in the first round.
Index to colors and formatting
MVFC member won
MVFC member lost
MVFC teams in bold
All times Central time.
Tournament seedings in parentheses
First round
Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship
MVFC records vs other conferences
2019-20 records against non-conference foes (through January 11, 2020):
Awards and honors
Player of the week honors
Week
Offensive
Defensive
Special Teams
Newcomer
Player
Position
Team
Player
Position
Team
Player
Position
Team
Player
Position
Team
Week 1 (Sept. 1)[ 5]
Trey Lance
QB
NDSU
Kaleb Brewer
DL
INST
Matthew Cook
PK
UNI
Trey Lance
QB
NDSU
Week 2 (Sept. 8)[ 6]
Javon Williams
RB
SIU
Christian Rozeboom
LB
SDSU
Jaxon Janke
PR/WR
SDSU
Will McElvain
QB
UNI
Week 3 (Sept. 15)[ 7]
Austin Simmons
QB
USD
Inoke Moala
DL
INST
Griffin Crosa
K
NDSU
Tre' Strong
CB
SIU
Week 4 (Sept. 22)[ 8]
Brady Davis
QB
ILST
Elerson G. Smith
DL
UNI
Sam Fenlason
PK
ILST
Avante Cox
WR
SIU
Week 5 (Sept. 29)[ 9]
Joe Alessi
RB
YSU
Chris Kolarevic
LB
UNI
Jake Coates
PR
YSU
Will McElvian
QB
UNI
Week 6 (Oct. 6)[ 10]
Austin Simmons
QB
USD
Elerson Smith
DE
UNI
Brendan Withrow
P
MOST
Trey Lance
QB
NDSU
Week 7 (Oct. 13)[ 11]
J'Bore Gibbs
QB
SDSU
Clayton Glasco
LB
INST
Garret Wegner
PK
NDSU
J'Bore Gibbs
QB
SDSU
Week 8 (Oct. 20)[ 12]
Isaiah Weston
WR
UNI
Chris Kolarevic
LB
UNI
Jack Colquhoun
P
SIU
Javon Williams
RB
SIU
Week 9 (Oct. 27)[ 13]
Avante Cox
WR
SIU
Josh Hayes
CB
NDSU
Matthew Cook
PK
UNI
Avante Cox
WR
SIU
Week 10 (Nov. 3)[ 14]
Connor Sampson
QB
WIU
Omar Brown
DB
UNI
Kobe Johnson
RB/KR
NDSU
Omar Brown
DB
UNI
Week 11 (Nov. 10)[ 15]
Austin Simmons
QB
USD
Dylan Draka
LB
ILST
Sam Fenlason
PK
ILST
Jalen Bussey
RB
NDSU
Week 12 (Nov. 17)[ 16]
D.J. Davis
RB
SIU
Devin Taylor
DB
ILST
Brendan Withrow
P
MOST
Javon Williams Jr.
RB
SIU
Keaton Heide
QB
SDSU
Week 13 (Nov. 24)[ 17]
Nathan Mays
QB
YSU
Justus Reed
DE
YSU
Dalton Godfrey
LS
USD
Dominique Dafney
WR
INST
Dominique Dafney
WR
INST
Players of the Year
On November 27, 2021, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.[ 18]
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Newcomer of the Year
Freshman of the Year
Coach of the Year
All-Conference Teams
Award
Player
School
Position
Year
First Team Offense
Trey Lance
North Dakota State
QB
Fr.
James Robinson
Illinois State
RB
Sr.
Pierre Strong Jr.
South Dakota State
RB
So.
Clint Ratkovich
Western Illinois
FB
Jr.
Dante Hendrix
Indiana State
WR
So.
Cade Johnson
South Dakota State
WR
Jr.
Isaiah Weston
Northern Iowa
WR
So.
Ben Ellefson
North Dakota State
TE
Sr.
Drew Himmelman
Illinois State
OL
Jr.
Zack Johnson
North Dakota State
OL
Sr.
Dillon Radunz
North Dakota State
OL
Jr.
Jackson Scott-Brown
Northern Iowa
OL
Sr.
Cordell Volson
North Dakota State
OL
Jr.
First Team Defense
Romeo McKnight
Illinois State
DL
Jr.
Justus Reed
Youngstown State
DL
Jr.
Elerson Smith
Northern Iowa
DL
Jr.
Derrek Tuszka
North Dakota State
DL
Sr.
Jabril Cox
North Dakota State
LB
Jr.
McNeece Egbim
Missouri State
LB
Sr.
Jonas Griffith
Indiana State
LB
Sr.
Christian Rozeboom
South Dakota State
LB
Sr.
Omar Brown
Northern Iowa
DB
Fr.
Jeremy Chinn
Southern Illinois
DB
Sr.
James Hendricks
North Dakota State
DB
Sr.
Luther Kirk
Illinois State
DB
Sr.
Devin Taylor
Illinois State
DB
Jr.
First Team Special Teams
Matthew Cook
Northern Iowa
PK
Fr.
Chandler Collins
Missouri State
LS
Sr.
Brady Schutt
South Dakota
P
Jr.
Dakota Caton
Indiana State
RS
So.
Award
Player
School
Position
Year
Second Team Offense
Austin Simmons
South Dakota
QB
Sr.
D.J. Davis
Southern Illinois
RB
Sr.
Javon Williams Jr.
Southern Illinois
RB
Fr.
Dominique Dafney
Indiana State
FB
Sr.
Luke Sellers
South Dakota State
FB
Sr.
Avante Cox
Southern Illinois
WR
So.
Caleb Vander Esch
South Dakota
WR
Jr.
Christian Watson
North Dakota State
WR
So.
Brett Samson
South Dakota
TE
Jr.
Spencer Brown
Northern Iowa
OL
Jr.
Matt Clark
South Dakota State
OL
Sr.
Ernest Dye Jr.
Southern Illinois
OL
Sr.
Zeveyon Furcron
Southern Illinois
OL
Jr.
Wyatt Wozniak
Indiana State
OL
Sr.
Second Team Defense
Jared Brinkman
Northern Iowa
DL
Jr.
Ryan Earith
South Dakota State
DL
Sr.
Darin Greenfield
South Dakota
DL
Sr.
Ma'Lik Richmond
Youngstown State
DL
Sr.
Jack Cochrane
South Dakota
LB
Jr.
Cody Crider
Southern Illinois
LB
Sr.
Ty DeForest
Illinois State
LB
Sr.
Chris Kolarevic
Northern Iowa
LB
So.
Marquise Bridges
North Dakota State
DB
Sr.
Qua Brown
Southern Illinois
DB
Jr.
Don Gardner
South Dakota State
DB
Jr.
Josh Hayes
North Dakota State
DB
Jr.
Xavior Williams
Northern Iowa
DB
Jr.
Second Team Special Teams
Jerry Nunez
Indiana State
PK
Sr.
Jared Drake
Western Illinois
LS
Sr.
Brendan Withrow
Missouri State
P
Sr.
Jake Coates
Youngstown State
RS
Jr.
All-Newcomer Team
Award
Player
School
Position
Year
Newcomer Team Offense
Trey Lance
North Dakota State
QB
Fr.
J'Bore Gibbs
South Dakota State
QB
Fr.
Will McElvain
Northern Iowa
QB
Fr.
Kobe Johnson
North Dakota State
RB
Fr.
Jeff Proctor
Illinois State
RB
Jr.
Javon Williams Jr.
Southern Illinois
RB
Fr.
Dominique Dafney
Indiana State
FB
Sr.
Avante Cox
Southern Illinois
WR
So.
Jaxon Janke
South Dakota State
WR
Fr.
Kacper Rutkiewicz
Illinois State
WR
Fr.
Adam Solomon
Illinois State
OL
Sr.
Newcomer Team Defense
Quinton Hicks
South Dakota State
DE
Fr.
Aaron Mends
Illinois State
LB
Sr.
Jakari Starling
South Dakota
LB
Fr.
Omar Brown
Northern Iowa
DB
Fr.
Keawvis Cummings
Indiana State
DB
Sr.
Zaire Jones
Youngstown State
DB
Jr.
Marquis Smith
Western Illinois
DB
Jr.
Diamond Evans
South Dakota State
CB
Fr.
Michael Griffin II
South Dakota State
S
Jr.
Clayton Isbell
Illinois State
S
Fr.
Newcomer Team Special Teams
Matthew Cook
Northern Iowa
PK
Fr.
Jack Colquhoun
Southern Illinois
P
Jr.
Justin Hall
Western Illinois
RS/WR
Fr.
Source:[ 19]
National awards
On November 25, 2019, STATS Perform released their list of finalists for the Walter Payton Award, Buck Buchanan Award, and the Jerry Rice Award, respectively.
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is given to the best FCS offensive player. Trey Lance (QB) of North Dakota State won the award. Lance was also the first freshman to win the Walter Payton Award in its 33-year history. Here were the other MVFC finalists:
Buck Buchanan Award
The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the best FCS defensive player. Here were the MVFC finalists:
Jerry Rice Award
The Jerry Rice Award is given to the best FCS freshman. Trey Lance (QB) of North Dakota State won the award. Here were the other MVFC finalists:
FCS Coach of the Year
Matt Entz of North Dakota State was the only finalist for FCS Coach of the Year.
Finalists source:[ 20]
Winners source:[ 21]
All-Americans
AP[ 22] 1st Team
AP 2nd Team
AP 3rd Team
AFCA[ 23] 1st Team
AFCA 2nd Team
STATS[ 24] 1st Team
STATS 2nd Team
STATS 3rd Team
ADA[ 25]
HERO[ 26] 1st Team
HERO 2nd Team
HERO 3rd Team
Ben Ellefson , TE, North Dakota State
Y
Y
Y
Bradey Sorenson, LS, South Dakota State
Y
Cade Johnson, WR, South Dakota State
Y
Y
Y
Chandler Collins, LS, Missouri State
Y
Christian Rozeboom, LB, South Dakota State
Y
Y
Y
Y
Derrek Tuszka , DL, North Dakota State
Y
Y
Y
Y
Dillon Radunz , OL, North Dakota State
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Drew Himmelman, OL, Illinois State
Y
Y
Y
Y
Elerson Smith, DL, Northern Iowa
Y
Y
Y
Y
Isaiah Weston, WR, Northern Iowa
Y
Jabril Cox , LB, North Dakota State
Y
Y
Y
James Hendricks, DB, North Dakota State
Y
James Robinson , RB, Illinois State
Y
Y
Y
Y
Javon Williams Jr., WR, Southern Illinois
Y
Jeremy Chinn, DB, Southern Illinois
Y
Y
Y
Y
Jonas Griffith, LB, Indiana State
Y
Y
LaCale London, DL, Western Illinois
Y
Luther Kirk, DB, Illinois State
Y
Y
Y
Y
Omar Brown, DB, Northern Iowa
Y
Pierre Strong Jr. , RB, South Dakota State
Y
Y
Trey Lance , QB, North Dakota State
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Zack Johnson, OL, North Dakota State
Y
Y
Y
Home attendance
Team
Stadium
Capacity
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
Game 4
Game 5
Game 6
Game 7
Game 8
Game 9
Total
Average
% of Capacity
Illinois State
Hancock Stadium
13,391
11,256
9,891
13,391 †
8,510
6,705
5,701
55,454
9,242
69.0%
Indiana State
Memorial Stadium
12,764
4,950
4,416
6,216
7,243†
4,642
4,110
3,645
35,222
5,031
39.4%
Missouri State
Robert W. Plaster Stadium
17,500
11,421†
5,784
6,583
5,108
3,352
32,248
6,449
36.9%
North Dakota State
Fargodome
18,700
18,923 †
18,425
18,178
18,252
17,441
17,844
15,690‡
14,132‡
18,077‡
156,962
17,440
93.3%
Northern Iowa
UNI-Dome
16,324
9,241
8,339
10,137
10,201†
8,442
8,920
3,743‡
59,023
8,431
51.7%
South Dakota
DakotaDome
9,100
5,193
5,077
5,255
4,734
4,561
5,405†
30,225
5,037
55.4%
South Dakota State
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
19,340
10,153
11,565
14,269
13,776
19,371 †
7,211
7,317
4,102‡
87,764
10,970
56.7%
Southern Illinois
Saluki Stadium
15,000
8,983†
5,525
7,670
4,678
5,423
32,279
6,455
43.0%
Western Illinois
Hanson Field
17,128
4,728†
1,594
3,149
2,984
1,728
1,739
15,922
2,653
15.5%
Youngstown State
Stambaugh Stadium
20,630
12,390
15,991†
12,659
12,381
10,437
11,102
9,190
84,150
12,021
58.3%
Bold - Exceed capacity
†Season high
2020 NFL Draft
The following list includes all MVFC players who were drafted in the 2020 NFL draft .
Undrafted free agents
Source:[ 27]
Head coaches
Through January 11, 2020
Team
Head coach
Years at school
Overall record
Record at school
MVFC record
MVFC titles
FCS playoff appearances
FCS playoff record
National Titles
Illinois State
Brock Spack
11
84–50 (.627)
84–50 (.627)
53–35 (.602)
2
5
7–5 (.583)
0
Indiana State
Curt Mallory
3
12–22 (.353)
12–22 (.353)
8–16 (.333)
0
0
0–0 (–)
0
Missouri State
Dave Steckel
5
13–42 (.236)
13–42 (.236)
7–33 (.175)
0
0
0–0 (–)
0
North Dakota State
Matt Entz
1
16–0 (1.000)
16–0 (1.000)
8–0 (1.000)
1
1
4–0 (1.000)
1
Northern Iowa
Mark Farley
19
159–83 (.657)
159–83 (.657)
99–45 (.688)
7
12
16–12 (.571)
0
South Dakota
Bob Nielson [ a]
4
207–106–1 (.661)
21–26 (.447)
14–18 (.438)
0
1
1–1 (.500)
2
South Dakota State
John Stiegelmeier [ b]
23
166–102 (.619)
166–102 (.619)
66–30 (.688)
1
9
8–9 (.471)
0
Southern Illinois
Nick Hill
4
17–28 (.378)
17–28 (.378)
10–22 (.313)
0
0
0–0 (–)
0
Western Illinois
Jared Elliott
2
6–17 (.261)
6–17 (.261)
5–13 (.278)
0
0
0–0 (–)
0
Youngstown State
Bo Pelini [ c]
5
100–55 (.645)
33–28 (.541)
18–22 (.450)
0
1
4–1 (.800)
0
^ Bob Nielson coached Western Illinois from 2013-15, which included a run in the playoffs that ended in the second round. Nielson also coached Minnesota-Duluth from 1999-2003 and 2008-12, that second stint included five consecutive NCAA Division II playoff appearances highlighted by 2 National Titles. In the first stint at MN-Duluth included his first Division II playoff appearance. Nielson also coached Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 1996-98 that included one NCAA Division III playoff run that ended in the semifinals. Before that, he coached Wartburg from 1991-95, which included two Division III playoff runs as well. His first head coaching job was at Ripon from 1989-90.
^ John Stiegelmeier has coached South Dakota State since 1997, when the school was still part of NCAA Division II . While in Division II, the school did not achieve any playoff appearances.
^ Bo Pelini previously coached Nebraska of the FBS for 7 straight seasons between 2008-2014. He also coached the Cornhuskers for one game back in 2003. Pelini's teams at Nebraska finished with a 67-27 overall record and a 39-17 conference record between the Big 12 and the Big Ten , since the Cornhuskers moved to the Big Ten in 2011. While at Nebraska, his teams achieved bowl berths in all seven years he was a full-time head coach, including 3 bowl wins in the Gator and Holiday bowls.
References
^ "Matt Entz Named Next NDSU Head Football Coach" . gobison.com . North Dakota State Bison Athletics. December 13, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2023 .
^ "Klieman Named Head Coach at Kansas State, Plans to Coach NDSU Through FCS Playoffs" . gobison.com . North Dakota State Bison Athletics. December 10, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2023 .
^ "MVFC Season Previews" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. August 23, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2023 .
^ "2019 MVFC Preseason Team" (PDF) . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. July 30, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. September 1, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Sept. 8)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. September 8, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023 .
^ "MVFC Players of the Week (Sept. 15)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. September 15, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023 .
^ "MVFC Players of the Week (Sept. 22)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. September 22, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023 .
^ "MVFC Announces Weekly Honors (Sept. 29)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. September 29, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019 .
^ "Valley Football Players of the Week (Oct. 6)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. October 6, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Oct. 13)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. October 13, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Oct. 20)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. October 20, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Oct. 27)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. October 27, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Nov. 3)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. November 3, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Nov. 10)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. November 10, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football Players of the Week (Nov. 17)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. November 17, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Nov. 24)" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. November 24, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "2019 MVFC All-Conference Teams" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. November 27, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "2019 All-Newcomer Team" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. December 2, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "STATS Announces FCS Finalists For Payton, Buchanan, Rice and Robinson Awards" . valley-football.org . Missouri Valley Football Conference. November 25, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "STATS Perform Congratulates All the Winners and Nominees of the 2019 STATS Perform FCS Awards" . statsperform.com . STATS Perform. January 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "2019 Associated Press FCS All-America teams" . fcsinsider.com . FCS Insider. December 17, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "Illinois State's James Robinson & Montana's Dante Olson Highlight the 2019 AFCA FCS Coaches' All-American Teams" . afca.com . AFCA. December 20, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "Six North Dakota State football players lead 2019 STATS FCS All-America Team" . ncaa.com . NCAA. December 20, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "FCS ADA Announces 2019 All-America Team" . nacda.com . FCS ADA. December 18, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "2019 HERO Sports All-American Team" . herosports.com . HERO Sports. December 16, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
^ "Undrafted free agent tracker 2020: Rookie signings from all 32 NFL teams in one spot following NFL Draft" . cbssports.com . CBS Sports. April 30, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2023 .
Teams Championships & awards Seasons