This week in SIU-MVFC Football

Link to Press Conferences around the Valley

http://valley-football.org/sports/2017/8/16/FB_0816174413.aspx 

Link to Valley Football Weekly Notebook

http://valley-football.org/news/2017/10/16/valley-football-weekly-notebook-oct-16.aspx

Link to Nick Hill’s Weekly Press Conference

https://youtu.be/qVA1GluUTR0

OPENING STATEMENT: 

After watching the film from the weekend, obviously it was a good game for us. Anytime you win, you have to enjoy it. That was no different on Saturday. It was good to see how the guys responded, coming off a tough week.

These were two totally different games two weeks in a row. We got beat by 35 points, and then we were able to win by 35 points. That says a lot about the guys in the room and their commitment to each other to figure out a way to come and flip the script and play their best football game.

Now the challenge is keeping it going. Confidence-wise, they see what type of team they can be, but we also know what type of league this is. If you don’t prepare and come to work and execute and do the things necessary to win a football game, the next team on your schedule will beat you, and this week is no different.

We’re ready for a tough Indiana State team. I have a ton of respect for those guys. They’ve had a few really tough games. They could have a few wins. They’ve played a lot of teams really close. They went to Liberty and had a short field goal blocked to win on the road in front of 20,000 people.

This is a good football team that’s looking for their first win, and it’s their Homecoming. It’s on the road, and our focus won’t be any different than what it has been.

Link To FCS Top 25 Polls

http://valley-football.org/news/2017/10/16/football-six-mvfc-teams-ranked-4-in-the-top-10.aspx

Valley Players of the Week

This week’s Missouri Valley Football Conference honorees include QB Sam Straub of Southern Illinois; QB Chris Streveler of South Dakota; LB Brett Taylor of Western Illinois; PK Cam Pedersen of North Dakota State; and LB Jabril Cox of North Dakota State.

Co-Offense
QB Sam Straub, Southern Illinois
6-4, 240, Jr., Ames (Iowa) High
Straub threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns in SIU’s 42-7 win over No. 15 Illinois State on Saturday. Straub went 22-for-34 (65 percent) in the game without turning the ball over. His 368 yards were 10th-most in school history, and he became the first player in program history with three career games of 4+ touchdown passes.

QB Chris Streveler, South Dakota
6-3, 215, Sr., Crystal Lake (Ill.) Univ. of Minnesota
Streveler accounted for five touchdowns and was near flawless in South Dakota’s big win against Indiana State. In three quarters of work, he completed 27 of 32 passes for 337 yards, and ran eight times for 82 yards. Streveler threw two touchdowns each to wide outs Brandt Van Roekel (10, 55) and Kody Case (35, 22), and scored on a 46-yard touchdown run just before halftime. The Coyotes scored touchdowns on six of Streveler’s eight possessions.

Defense
LB Brett Taylor, Western Illinois
6-2, 230, Sr., Macomb (Ill.) High
Taylor registered a game-high 16 tackles in addition to 2.0 tackles for a loss, one sack and two pass breakups in Western Illinois’ 49-30 win over Missouri State. The Macomb native has now at least tied for the team lead in stops in each of the last 11 contests, including all six games this season. During the game, Taylor moved into fourth place all-time in school history in total tackles with 394.

Special Teams
K Cam Pedersen, North Dakota State
6-2, 199, Jr., Eau Claire (Wis.) Regis High
Pedersen’s 36-yard field goal in overtime lifted North Dakota State to a 27-24 win at Youngstown State.  It was Pedersen’s second career game-winning kick.  He also converted a 19-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter to tie the game 10-10 and converted 3 of 3 extra-point kicks.  Pedersen has converted his last six consecutive field goal attempts.

Newcomer
LB Jabril Cox, North Dakota State
6-3, 227, RFr., Kansas City (Mo.) Raytown South High
Cox had two solo sacks and made a key tackle for loss in overtime that set up a third-and-13 and led to a missed field goal in North Dakota State’s 27-24 victory at Youngstown State.  He tied a season-high with eight tackles and had six of those stops after replacing injured starter Chris Board.

OTHERS NOMINATED
Offense
QB Nathan Mays, Youngstown State — Mays ran for 81 yards and threw for 188 in the Penguins’ 27-24 overtime loss to North Dakota State. He rushed 21 times in the contest. He completed 11-of-15 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

RB Marcus Weymiller, UNI — Led the Panthers to a road upset of No. 7 South Dakota State on Saturday, after rushing for 170 yards on 42 carries and two touchdowns. Before Saturday’s game, Weymiller had not run the ball since Nov. 19, 2016 (also against SDSU).

QB Easton Stick, North Dakota State — Rushed 11 times for a career-high 172 yards and a touchdown in North Dakota State’s 27-24 overtime win at Youngstown State.  Stick’s career-long 80-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave NDSU its first lead of the game, 24-17.  He went 11 of 20 passing for 113 yards and two TDs, and he extended his streak to 149 pass attempts without an interception, passing the NDSU record of 143 set by Carson Wentz.

RB Steve McShane, Western Illinois — Recorded his fourth career 100-yard rushing game, totaling a season-high 143 yards on the ground on 23 carries (6.2 yards per carry). He also scored a 39-yard touchdown in Western Illinois’ 49-30 victory over Missouri State. The Freeport, Ill., native also caught two passes for two yards.

WR Malik Earl, Missouri State — Set a program record with his 14 receptions against the Leathernecks. Earl, who also rushed for a 30-yard touchdown to help stake the Bears to a halftime lead, finished his day with 145 receiving yards and moved up to sixth on MSU’s all-time receptions list (128).

Defense
LB Jabril Cox, North Dakota State — earned Newcomer of the Week honors

DL Colby Isbell, Missouri State — Had four total tackles at Western Illinois, including a pair of sacks. The Rogers, Ark., product made three stops for losses totaling 30 yards Saturday, in addition to forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass.

LB Jim Litrenta, South Dakota — Leader of a defense that limited Indiana State to two field goals and not much else. After totaling six points on two possessions, the Sycamores were limited to 94 yards on 37 plays the rest of the way. Litrenta finished with a game-high eight tackles and had one of nine USD tackles-for-loss. Indiana State ran 22 plays in the second half earned two first downs.

DT Donald Mesier, Youngstown State — Had seven tackles, including four solo stops in the Penguins’ 27-24 overtime loss to North Dakota State. He had a sack for a seven-yard loss in the game.

Special Teams
PR Craig James, Southern Illinois — Had two punt returns and both went for 30+ yards in SIU’s 42-7 win over No. 15 Illinois State on Saturday. James had a 33-yard return and a 30-yard return in the win, the longest two punt returns for SIU this year. His first punt return set up a short field for the offense, which took advantage with a 31-yard touchdown drive to give SIU a 21-0 lead at halftime. James also had an interception and two pass breakups in the win.

K/P JT Bohlken, Illinois State — Bohlken was home for the weekend, but got a call on Friday when regular ISU punter Zach Breen fell ill. Bohlken got in his car and traveled to Carbondale, Illinois, from his home in Jefferson City, Missouri, to serve as the team’s punter for the first time in his career at ISU. Despite the short notice, Bohlken rose to occasion punting seven times for an average of 44.6 yards per punt against the Salukis. He pinned SIU inside the 20 yard line once and booted a long punt of 56 yards to lead the way for the Redbirds on special teams.

KO Specialist Nathan Erickson, Western Illinois — Kicked off eight times, compiling six touchbacks and helping to hold all-conference returner Deion Holliman to just 25 total yards on his two returns, with a long of just 15. Erickson averaged 59.0 yards per kickoff (one kickoff came from the Missouri State 35-yard line, not the Western Illinois 35-yard line due to a pair of penalties).