2021 Missouri Valley Football Conference season | |
---|---|
League | NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision |
Sport | Football |
Duration | September 1, 2022 through January 8, 2023 |
Number of teams | 11 |
2022 NFL Draft | |
Top draft pick | Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa |
Picked by | New Orleans Saints (round 1, pick 19) |
Regular season | |
Champion Playoff Participants | North Dakota State Missouri State Southern Illinois South Dakota South Dakota State Northern Iowa |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 1 North Dakota State $^ | 7 | – | 1 | 14 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 14 Missouri State ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 16 Southern Illinois ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 18 South Dakota ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 South Dakota State ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 11 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 23 Northern Iowa ^ | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana State | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
North Dakota | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Illinois | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois State | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youngstown State | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The 2021 Missouri Valley Football Conference football season was the 36th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's 2nd straight season with 11 teams.
North Dakota State made it to the National Championship and won their 9th FCS title in program history.[1] South Dakota State made the playoffs unseeded, and won their way into the semifinals where they lost to 8th seeded Montana State.[2] Southern Illinois also made it to the playoffs, and beat fellow MVFC member South Dakota in the first round, but would fall to eventual champion North Dakota State in the second round.[3] Northern Iowa also made it to the playoffs, but lost to Eastern Washington in the first round.[4]
Previous season
The 2020 season was a spread out season after the conference schedule and FCS playoffs were postponed to the spring due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the modified Spring 2021 season, South Dakota State made it to the National Championship for the first time in program history, but fell to Sam Houston State. North Dakota State also made the playoffs and beat Eastern Washington in the first round, but fell to eventual champion Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals. Southern Illinois made the playoffs as well and beat Weber State in the first round before falling to South Dakota State in the quarterfinals. North Dakota made the playoffs as well and beat fellow MVFC member, Missouri State, in the first round but fell to James Madison in the quarterfinals.
Preseason
MVFC Media Day
Preseason Poll
The annual preseason poll; voted on by conference coaches, athletic directors, and media members.[5]
Predicted finish | Team | Points (1st place votes) |
---|---|---|
1 | South Dakota State | 454 (24) |
2 | North Dakota State | 435 (18) |
3 | North Dakota | 357 |
4 | Southern Illinois | 345 |
5 | Northern Iowa | 311 (1) |
6 | Missouri State | 256 |
7 | Illinois State | 196 |
8 | South Dakota | 163 |
9 | Youngstown State | 126 |
10 | Indiana State | 112 |
11 | Western Illinois | 83 |
Preseason Awards
Individual awards
|
|
Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
Honorable Mention Offense | Will McElvain | Northern Iowa | QB | Jr. |
Connor Sampson | Western Illinois | QB | Sr. | |
Tyler Hoosman | Northern Iowa | RB | Sr. | |
Tim McCloyn | Illinois State | FB | Sr. | |
Josh Babicz | North Dakota State | TE | Sr. | |
Dante Hendrix | Indiana State | WR | RS Jr. | |
Isaiah Weston | Northern Iowa | WR | Sr. | |
Isaiah Edwards | Indiana State | OL | RS Sr. | |
Mason Scheidegger | South Dakota | OL | Sr. | |
William Waddell | Western Illinois | OL | Sr. | |
Christian Turner | Youngstown State | AP | Sr. | |
Honorable Mention Defense | James Jackson | Youngstown State | DL | Sr. |
Jacob Matthew | South Dakota | DL | Sr. | |
Inoke Moala | Indiana State | DL | RS Sr. | |
Reece Winkelman | South Dakota State | DL | Jr. | |
Jack Cochrane | South Dakota | LB | Sr. | |
Jaxson Turner | North Dakota | LB | Sr. | |
Jordan Canady | North Dakota | DB | Sr. | |
Myles Harden | South Dakota | DB | Fr. | |
Benny Sapp III | Northern Iowa | DB | Sr. | |
Honorable Mention Special Teams | Adam Fellner | Western Illinois | P | Sr. |
Nico Gualdoni | Southern Illinois | PK | Sr. | |
Dan Heilbron | Southern Illinois | LS | Jr. | |
Luke Skokna | North Dakota | RS | Jr. |
Rankings
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 |
Final | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Illinois State | STATS Perform | RV | RV | ||||||||||||
AFCA Coaches | RV | RV | RV | ||||||||||||
Indiana State | STATS Perform | ||||||||||||||
AFCA Coaches | |||||||||||||||
Missouri State | STATS Perform | 24 | 23 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
AFCA Coaches | RV | 25 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 14 | |
North Dakota | STATS Perform | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | ||||
AFCA Coaches | 7 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 24 | RV | RV | ||||||
North Dakota State | STATS Perform | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
AFCA Coaches | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
Northern Iowa | STATS Perform | 21 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 20 | RV | RV | 23 |
AFCA Coaches | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 24 | 17 | 15 | 24 | RV | 25 | 25 | |
South Dakota | STATS Perform | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 15 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||
AFCA Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | |||||||||||
South Dakota State | STATS Perform | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 4 |
AFCA Coaches | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 5 | |
Southern Illinois | STATS Perform | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 16 |
AFCA Coaches | 10 | 9 | 9т | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 15 | 23 | 17 | |
Western Illinois | STATS Perform | ||||||||||||||
AFCA Coaches | |||||||||||||||
Youngstown State | STATS Perform | RV | RV | ||||||||||||
AFCA Coaches | RV | RV |
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
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 28 | 6:00 PM | Eastern Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | W 26–21 | 5,540 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Week 1
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2 | 6:30 PM | No. 7 Southern Illinois | Southeast Missouri State | Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | W 47–21 | 4,075 | |
September 2 | 7:00 PM | Western Illinois | Ball State | Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN | ESPN+ | L 21–31 | 13,149 | |
September 2 | 7:00 PM | Incarnate Word | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 44–41OT | 8,637 | |
September 3 | 7:00 PM | South Dakota | Kansas | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS | ESPN+ | L 14–17 | 26,103 | |
September 3 | 8:00 PM | No. 3 South Dakota State | Colorado State | Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, CO | FS1 | W 42–23 | 32,327 | |
September 4 | 2:00 PM | No. 8 North Dakota | Idaho State | Holt Arena • Pocatello, ID | ESPN+ | W 35–14 | 4,667 | |
September 4 | 2:30 PM | Albany | No. 4 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 28–6 | 15,156 | |
September 4 | 3:30 PM | No. 21 Northern Iowa | No. 7^ Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA | ESPN+ | L 10–16 | 61,500 | |
September 4 | 6:00 PM | No. 24 Missouri State | Oklahoma State | Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, OK | ESPN+ | L 16–23 | 50,807 | |
September 4 | 6:30 PM | Butler | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN3 | W 49–7 | 8,148 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
September 4 | Indiana State |
Week 2
Week 3
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 18 | 3:00 PM | No. 7 Eastern Washington | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | L 56–62 | 5,385 | |
September 18 | 4:00 PM | St. Thomas | No. 18 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN3 | W 44–3 | 5,124 | |
September 18 | 4:00 PM | Drake | No. 11 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | W 38–0 | 10,143 | |
September 18 | 5:00 PM | No. 5 North Dakota State | Towson | Johnny Unitas Stadium • Towson, MD | FloSports | W 35–7 | 9,109 | |
September 18 | 6:00 PM | Dayton | No. 8 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 55–3 | 7,338 | |
September 18 | 6:00 PM | Illinois State | Eastern Illinois | O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL (Mid-America Classic) | ESPN+ | W 31–24 | 6,424 | |
September 18 | 7:00 PM | South Dakota | Cal Poly | Alex G. Spanos Stadium • San Luis Obispo, CA | W 48–14 | 11,075 | ||
September 18 | 7:00 PM | Indiana State | Eastern Kentucky | Roy Kidd Stadium • Richmond, KY | ESPN+ | W 23–21 | 4,550 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week | |
---|---|---|
September 18 | No. 17 Missouri State | No. 2 South Dakota State |
Week 4
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 25 | 12:00 PM | No. 2 South Dakota State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | SDSU 44–0 | 6,652 | |
September 25 | 2:00 PM | Illinois State | No. 7 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 35–17 | 8,618 | |
September 25 | 6:00 PM | Western Illinois | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN3 | YSU 38–35 | 13,751 | |
September 25 | 7:00 PM | South Dakota | No. 18 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | MOST 31–23 | 12,738 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week | ||
---|---|---|---|
September 25 | No. 5 North Dakota State | No. 17 Northern Iowa | No. 10 North Dakota |
Week 5
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 2 | 1:00 PM | No. 16 Missouri State | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 41–20 | - | |
October 2 | 2:00 PM | No. 5 North Dakota State | No. 10 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 16–10 | 12,846 | |
October 2 | 2:00 PM | Indiana State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | USD 38–10 | 6,267 | ||
October 2 | 3:00 PM | No. 7 Southern Illinois | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 31–30OT | 4,107 | |
October 2 | 4:00 PM | Youngstown State | No. 15 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | UNI 34–7 | 8,771 | ||
October 2 | 6:00 PM | Dixie State | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 55–7 | 14,427 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Week 6
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 9 | 1:00 PM | No. 16 Northern Iowa | No. 5 North Dakota State† | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 34–20 | 18,536 | |
October 9 | 1:00 PM | No. 16 Missouri State | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 41–33 | 12,444 | |
October 9 | 2:00 PM | No. 8 Southern Illinois | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SIU 42–41OT | 12,216 | |
October 9 | 2:00 PM | No. 13 North Dakota | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD (Sitting Bull Trophy) | ESPN+ | USD 20–13 | 5,304 | |
October 9 | 1:00 PM | Western Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | INST 37–27 | 3,943 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
October 9 | Illinois State |
Week 7
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 16 | 12:00 PM | No. 7 South Dakota State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | SDSU 41–17 | 2,827 | |
October 16 | 2:00 PM | No. 3 North Dakota State | Illinois State† | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 20–0 | 12,416 | |
October 16 | 2:00 PM | Indiana State | No. 20 Missouri State† | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 37–7 | 14,336 | |
October 16 | 2:00 PM | No. 22 North Dakota | No. 4 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | SIU 31–28 | 10,644 | |
October 16 | 4:00 PM | No. 21 South Dakota | No. 16 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | USD 34–21 | 7,202 | ||
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
October 16 | Youngstown State |
Week 8
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 23 | 2:30 PM | No. 17 Missouri State | No. 3 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 27–20 | 15,559 | |
October 23 | 1:00 PM | Illinois State | No. 15 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | ILST 20–14 | 5,415 | |
October 23 | 2:00 PM | No. 20 Northern Iowa | No. 6 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN3 | UNI 26–17 | 16,889 | |
October 23 | 1:00 PM | Youngstown State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | INST 28–17 | 5,479 | |
October 23 | 2:00 PM | Western Illinois | No. RV North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 34–10 | 8,807 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
October 23 | No. 4 Southern Illinois |
Week 9
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 30 | 1:00 PM | No. 10 South Dakota State | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | SDSU 47–16 | 9,423 | |
October 30 | 2:30 PM | Indiana State | No. 2 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 44–2 | 14,383 | |
October 30 | 2:00 PM | No. RV North Dakota | No. 17 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 32–28 | 8,372 | |
October 30 | 4:00 PM | No. 3 Southern Illinois | No. 16 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 23–16 | 5,902 | |
October 30 | 3:00 PM | Illinois State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN3 | WIU 38–31 | 2,118 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
October 30 | No. 21 South Dakota |
Week 10
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 6 | 2:00 PM | No. 2 North Dakota State | No. 9 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD (Dakota Marker) | ESPN+ | SDSU 27–19 | 18,122 | |
November 6 | 12:00 PM | No. 17 Missouri State | No. 7 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | MOST 38–28 | 7,176 | |
November 6 | 12:00 PM | No. 23 South Dakota | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | USD 42–21 | 1,972 | |
November 6 | 12:00 PM | No. 13 Northern Iowa | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ILST 17–10OT | 6,000 | ||
November 6 | 12:00 PM | Youngstown State | North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 24–21 | 8,441 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
November 6 | Indiana State |
Week 11
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 13 | 11:00 AM | No. 5 North Dakota State | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | NDSU 49–17 | 8,307 | |
November 13 | 2:00 PM | No. 20 Northern Iowa | No. 16 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 34–27 | 9,173 | |
November 13 | 12:00 PM | No. 15 Southern Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN3 | SIU 47–21 | 3,265 | |
November 13 | 1:00 PM | No. 4 South Dakota State | No. 19 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | USD 23–20 | 9,068 | ||
November 13 | 2:00 PM | Illinois State | North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 14–7 | 6,141 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
November 13 | Western Illinois |
Week 12
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 20 | 12:00 PM | Youngstown State | No. 17 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | YSU 35–18 | 4,935 | |
November 20 | 1:00 PM | Indiana State | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | INST 15–10 | 2,890 | ||
November 20 | 1:00 PM | Western Illinois | No. RV Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN3 | UNI 41–3 | 6,785 | |
November 20 | 2:00 PM | North Dakota | No. 12 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 24–21 | 8,132 | |
November 20 | 2:30 PM | No. 16 South Dakota | No. 4 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 52–24 | 16,252 | |
November 20 | 8:00 PM | No. 14 Missouri State | Dixie State | Greater Zion Stadium • St. George, UT | ESPN+ | W 55–24 | 2,794 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Postseason
In 2021, six teams made the FCS playoffs. North Dakota State (No. 2) received a first bye. Missouri State, Southern Illinois, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Northern Iowa were all unseeded and played in the first round. Below are the games in which they played.
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
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 27 | 2:00 PM | No. 14 UC Davis (Big Sky) | No. 11 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 56–24 | 3,681 | |
November 27 | 3:00 PM | No. 16 UT Martin (OVC) | No. 12 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | L 31–32 | 5,072 | |
November 27 | 3:00 PM | No. RV Northern Iowa | No. 4 Eastern Washington (Big Sky) | Roos Field • Cheney, WA | ESPN+ | L 9–19 | 3,845 | |
November 27 | 5:00 PM | No. 21 Southern Illinois | No. 17 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | SIU 22–10 | 3,597 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Second round
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 4 | 2:30 PM | No. 21 Southern Illinois | No. 3 (2) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 38–7 | 12,557 | |
December 4 | 8:00 PM | No. 11 South Dakota State | No. 8 (4) Sacramento State | Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA | ESPN+ | W 24–19 | 10,031 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Quarterfinals
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 11 | 11:00 AM | No. 7 (7) East Tennessee State (SoCon) | No. 3 (2) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN | W 27–3 | 11,794 | |
December 11 | 1:00 PM | No. 11 South Dakota State | No. 6 (5) Villanova (CAA) | Villanova Stadium • Villanova, PA | ESPN+ | W 35–21 | 3,401 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Semifinals
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 17 | 8:15 PM | No. 2 (3) James Madison (CAA) | No. 3 (2) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN2 | W 20–14 | 16,550 | |
December 18 | 1:00 PM | No. 11 South Dakota State | No. 7 (8) Montana State (Big Sky) | Bobcat Stadium • Bozeman, MT | ESPN2 | L 17–31 | 20,457 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
National Championship
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 8 | 11:00 AM | No. 7 (8) Montana State (Big Sky) | No. 3 (2) North Dakota State | Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX | ESPN2 | W 38–10 | 18,942 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
MVFC records vs other conferences
2021-22 records against non-conference foes (through January 8, 2022):
|
Post Season
|
Awards and honors
Player of the week honors
Week | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams | Freshman | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | |
Week 1 (Sept. 5) [7] | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | Michael Thomas | DB | INST | Colt McFadden | PK | YSU | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST |
Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Chris Oladokun | QB | SDSU | |||||||
Week 2 (Sept. 12)[8] | Xavier Lane | WR | MOST | Spencer Cuvelier | MLB | UNI | Montrae Braswell | CB | MOST | Xavier Lane | WR | MOST |
Week 3 (Sept. 19)[9] | Connor Sampson | QB | WIU | Braydon Deming | DE | ILST | Hunter Lunsford | DB | INST | Phazione McClurge | WR | INST |
Week 4 (Sept. 26)[10] | Pierre Strong Jr. | RB | SDSU | Darius Joiner | DB | WIU | Izaiah Hartrup | WR | SIU | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST |
Week 5 (Oct. 3)[11] | Tobias Little | RB | MOST | Spencer Cuvelier | LB | UNI | Jake Reinholz | K | NDSU | Nate Thomas | RB | USD |
Week 6 (Oct. 10) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Inoke Moala | DE | INST | Jack Colquhoun | P | SIU | Demeatric Crenshaw | QB | YSU |
Week 7 (Oct. 17)[12] | Isaiah Smith | RB | UND | Jack Cochrane | LB | USD | Steven Ward | LB | MOST | Quincy Patterson | QB | NDSU |
Week 8 (Oct. 24)[13] | Cole Mueller | RB | ILST | JJ Henderson | DB | INST | Matthew Cook | PK | UNI | Cole Mueller | RB | ILST |
Week 9 (Oct. 31)[14] | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST | Ferrin Manuleleua | LB | MOST | Nate Murphy | P | UNI | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST |
Week 10 (Nov. 7)[15] | Pierre Strong Jr | RB | SDSU | Zeke Vandenburg | LB | ILST | JT Bohlken | P | ILST | Nate Thomas | RB | USD |
Week 11 (Nov. 14)[16] | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST | David Miller | CB | SIU | Cade Peterson | P | UND | Jeremiah Webb | WR | USD |
Week 12 (Nov. 21)[17] | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | Riley Van Wyhe | LB | UNI | Jose Pizano | PK | MOST | Kevon Latulas | RB | MOST |
Players of the Year
On November 29, 2021, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.[18]
Offensive Player of the Year
- Jason Shelley, QB (RS-Jr, Missouri State)
Defensive Player of the Year
- Jared Brinkman, DL (RS-Sr, Northern Iowa)
Newcomer of the Year
- Jason Shelley, QB (RS-Jr, Missouri State)
Freshman of the Year
- Demeatric Crenshaw, QB (RS-Fr, Youngstown State)
Coach of the Year
All-Conference Teams
|
|
All-Newcomer Team
Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
All-Newcomer Team Offense | Demeatric Crenshaw | Youngstown State | QB | RS-Fr. |
Theo Day | Northern Iowa | QB | RS-So. | |
Bryson Deming | Illinois State | TE | Jr. | |
Xavier Lane | Missouri State | WR | RS-Sr. | |
Cole Mueller | Illinois State | RB | RS-Fr. | |
Chris Oladokun | South Dakota State | QB | GS | |
Quincy Patterson | North Dakota State | QB | Jr. | |
Tyrone Scott | Missouri State | WR | RS-So. | |
Jason Shelley | Missouri State | QB | RS-Jr. | |
Isaiah Smith | North Dakota | RB | RS-Fr. | |
Nate Thomas | South Dakota | RB | Fr. | |
Tamerik Williams | North Dakota State | RB | Jr. | |
All-Newcomer Team Defense | ||||
Geoffrey Brown | Indiana State | LB | Fr. | |
Braydon Deming | Illinois State | DL | Jr. | |
Nick Gaes | South Dakota | DT | RS-Fr. | |
Josiah Ganues | South Dakota | DB | Fr. | |
JJ Henderson | Indiana State | DB | GS | |
Darius Joiner | Western Illinois | DB | Sr. | |
Allen Love | Missouri State | DL | RS-So. | |
Ben McNaboe | North Dakota | DL | So. | |
David Miller | Southern Illinois | CB | Fr. | |
Loshiaka Roques | North Dakota State | DE | RS-Fr. | |
Marques Sigle | North Dakota State | CB | RS-Fr. | |
Siale Suliafu | Missouri State | DL | Fr. |
Source:[19]
National Awards
On December 7, 2021, 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. Here are the MVFC finalists:[20]
- Pierre Strong Jr. (RB - South Dakota State)
- Trevor Penning (OT - Northern Iowa)
- Jason Shelley (QB - Missouri State)
Buck Buchanan Award
The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the best FCS defensive player. Here are the MVFC finalists:[21]
- Darius Joiner (S - Western Illinois)
- Adam Bock (LB - South Dakota State)
Jerry Rice Award
The Jerry Rice Award is given to the best FCS freshman player. Here are the MVFC finalists:[22]
- Demeatric Crenshaw (QB - Youngstown State)
All-Americans
AP[23] 1st Team |
AP 2nd Team |
AP 3rd Team |
AFCA[24] 1st Team |
AFCA 2nd Team |
STATS[25] 1st Team |
STATS 2nd Team |
STATS 3rd Team |
ADA [26] |
HERO [27] 1st Team |
HERO 2nd Team |
HERO 3rd Team | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adam Bock, LB, South Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||
Brayden Thomas, DL, North Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() | |||||||||
Cordell Volson, OL, North Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||
Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() | ||||||||||
Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||
Darius Joiner, DB, Western Illinois | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||
Dennis Houston, WR, Western Illinois | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() | |||||||||
Grant Burkett, P, Missouri State | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||
Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||
Jack Cochrane, LB, South Dakota | ![]() |
![]() | ||||||||||
Jared Brinkman, DL, Northern Iowa | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||
Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Youngstown State | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() | |||||||||
Jayden Price, PR, North Dakota State | ![]() |
|||||||||||
Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State | ![]() |
|||||||||||
Matt Waletzko, OL, North Dakota | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||
Matthew Cook, PK, Northern Iowa | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||
Michael Tutsie, DB, North Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||
Montrae Braswell, DB, Missouri State | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||
Noah Gindorff, TE, North Dakota State | ![]() | |||||||||||
Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||||||
Qua Brown, DB, Missouri State | ![]() |
![]() |
||||||||||
Trevor Penning, OL, Northern Iowa | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||||
Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||
ZeVeyon Furcron, OL, Southern Illinois | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
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 | 8,148 | N/A | 12,416† | 6,000 | 2,890 | 29,454 | 7,363 | 55.0% | ||||
Indiana State | Memorial Stadium | 12,764 | 5,540 | 6,652† | 3,943 | 5,479 | 3,265 | 24,879 | 4,975 | 38.9% | ||||
Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium | 17,500 | 11,247 | 12,738 | 14,336† | 8,372 | 9,173 | 5,072‡ | 60,938 | 10,156 | 58.0% | |||
North Dakota | Alerus Center | 12,283 | 10,143 | 12,846† | 8,807 | 8,441 | 8,068 | 48,305 | 9,661 | 78.7% | ||||
North Dakota State | Fargodome | 18,700 | 15,156 | 15,118 | 18,536† | 15,559 | 14,383 | 16,252 | 12,557‡ | 11,794‡ | 16,550‡ | 135,905 | 15,100 | 80.8% |
Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 | 5,124 | 8,771† | 7,202 | 5,902 | 6,785 | 33,784 | 6,756 | 41.4% | ||||
South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 | 5,247 | 6,267 | 5,304 | 5,415 | 9,068† | 3,597‡ | 34,898 | 5,816 | 63.9% | |||
South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,340 | 15,162 | 14,473 | 12,216 | 16,889 | 18,122† | 8,135 | 3,681‡ | 88,678 | 12,668 | 65.5% | ||
Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 | 7,338 | 8,618 | 10,644† | 7,176 | 4,935 | 38,711 | 7,742 | 51.6% | ||||
Western Illinois | Hanson Field | 17,128 | 5,385† | 4,107 | 2,827 | 2,118 | 1,972 | 16,409 | 3,281 | 19.2% | ||||
Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 8,637 | 13,751† | 12,444 | 9,423 | 8,307 | 52,562 | 10,512 | 51.0% |
Bold - Exceed capacity
†Season High
‡FCS Playoff Game
2022 NFL Draft
The following list includes all MVFC players who were drafted in the 2022 NFL draft.
Player | Position | School | Draft Round |
Round Pick |
Overall Pick |
Team | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trevor Penning | OT | Northern Iowa | 1 | 19 | 19 | New Orleans Saints | from Philadelphia |
Christian Watson | WR | North Dakota State | 2 | 2 | 34 | Green Bay Packers | from Detroit via Minnesota |
Pierre Strong Jr. | RB | South Dakota State | 4 | 22 | 127 | New England Patriots | |
Cordell Volson | OT | North Dakota State | 4 | 31 | 136 | Cincinnati Bengals | |
Matt Waletzko | OT | North Dakota | 5 | 12 | 155 | Dallas Cowboys | from Cleveland |
Eric Johnson | DT | Missouri State | 5 | 16 | 159 | Indianapolis Colts | |
Andrew Ogletree | TE | Youngstown State | 6 | 13 | 192 | Indianapolis Colts | from Minnesota |
Chris Oladokun | QB | South Dakota State | 7 | 20 | 241 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Undrafted Free Agents
Player | Position | School | Team |
---|---|---|---|
Aron Johnson | OT | South Dakota State | Baltimore Ravens |
Don Gardner | CB | South Dakota State | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Michael Griffin | S | South Dakota State | Tennessee Titans |
Josh Babicz | TE | North Dakota State | Carolina Panthers |
Brayden Thomas | OLB | North Dakota State | Los Angeles Rams |
Isaiah Weston | WR | Northern Iowa | Cleveland Browns |
Jack Cochrane | LB | South Dakota | Kansas City Chiefs |
Source:[28]
Head coaches
Through January 8, 2022
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 | 13 | 89–60 (.597) | 89–60 (.597) | 56–44 (.560) | 2 | 5 | 7–5 (.583) | 0 |
Indiana State | Curt Mallory | 4 | 17–28 (.378) | 17–28 (.378) | 11–21 (.344) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
Missouri State | Bobby Petrino[a] | 2 | 132–65 (.670) | 13–9 (.591) | 11–3 (.786) | 1 | 2 | 0–2 (.000) | 0 |
North Dakota | Bubba Schweigert[b] | 8 | 69–61 (.531) | 47–40 (.540) | 7–6 (.538) | 0 | 3 | 1–3 (.250) | 0 |
North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 3 | 35–4 (.897) | 35–4 (.897) | 20–3 (.870) | 2 | 3 | 6–1 (.857) | 2 |
Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | 21 | 168–93 (.644) | 168–93 (.644) | 106–53 (.667) | 7 | 13 | 16–13 (.552) | 0 |
South Dakota | Bob Nielson[c] | 6 | 215–114–1 (.653) | 29–34 (.460) | 20–24 (.455) | 0 | 2 | 1–2 (.333) | 2 |
South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier[d] | 25 | 185–111 (.625) | 185–111 (.625) | 76–34 (.691) | 2 | 11 | 14–11 (.560) | 0 |
Southern Illinois | Nick Hill | 6 | 31–37 (.456) | 31–37 (.456) | 18–28 (.391) | 0 | 2 | 2–2 (.500) | 0 |
Western Illinois | Jared Elliott | 4 | 9–31 (.225) | 9–31 (.225) | 8–22 (.267) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
Youngstown State | Doug Phillips | 2 | 4–13 (.235) | 4–13 (.235) | 3–12 (.200) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
- ^ Bobby Petrino coached in the FBS from 2003-06 and 2015-18 for Louisville, 2008-11 for Arkansas, as well as in 2013 for Western Kentucky.
- ^ Bubba Schweigert coached Minnesota Duluth of NCAA Division II from 2004-07. He also coached North Dakota while they were a part of the Big Sky Conference from 2014-17 and were independents in 2018 and 2019.
- ^ 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.
References
- ^ "North Dakota State football continues dominant FCS run, wins ninth championship in 11 seasons". espn.com. ESPN. January 8, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "South Dakota State University's football playoff run ends at Montana State". argusleader.com. Sioux Falls Argus Leader. December 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "North Dakota State beats Southern Illinois to advance to quarterfinals". bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report. December 4, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "EWU's defense leads playoff victory over Northern Iowa, sets up rematch with Montana in round of 16". spokesman.com. The Spokesman-Review. November 27, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "Missouri Valley Football Announces Preseason Team Poll". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Preseason Poll 2021" (PDF). valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football Players of the Week (Sept. 5)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football Players of the Week (Sept. 12)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football Players of the Week (Sept. 19)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football Players of the Week (Sept. 26)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football Players of the Week (Oct. 3)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Oct. 17)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Oct. 24)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football -- Players of the Week (Oct. 31)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Nov. 7)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Valley Football - Players of the Week (Nov. 14)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Missouri Valley Football Players of the Week (N21)". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "2021 Missouri Valley Football All-Conference team". valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "2021 All-Newcomer Team" (PDF). valley-football.org. Missouri Valley Football Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Breaking down 2021 FCS Walter Payton Award finalists". ncaa.com. NCAA. December 14, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Breaking down the 2021 Buck Buchanan Award finalists". ncaa.com. NCAA. December 14, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Breaking down the 2021 Jerry Rice Award finalists". ncaa.com. NCAA. December 14, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "2021 AP FCS All-America team". apnews.com. Associated Press. December 14, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "South Dakota State's Pierre Strong Jr and Florida A&M's Isaiah Land highlight the 2021 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision coaches All-America teams". afca.com. AFCA. December 22, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Widespread Talent Fills 2021 Stats Perform FCS All-America Team". theanalyst.com. STATS Perform. December 20, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "FCS ADA Announces 2021 All-America Team". fcsinsider.com. FCS ADA. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "2021 HERO Sports All-FCS All-American Team". herosports.com. HERO Sports. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ "Undrafted rookie free agents: Team signings after 2022 NFL Draft". nfl.com. NFL. April 30, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2023.