Week 6 Matchup: No. 1 North Dakota State (4-0, 0-0 MVFC) at No. 10 Illinois State (3-1, 0-0)
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET at Hancock Stadium (13,391) in Normal, Illinois
Television: ESPN+, KVLY, NBC North Dakota
Series: North Dakota State leads 9-2 (last meeting: NDSU won 28-14 in Fargo on Oct. 20, 2018)
The Skinny: North Dakota State has won seven straight meetings heading into the Missouri Valley opener for both teams. The Bison have won a Division-I high 25 straight games and with another one, they would tie the 2016-17 James Madison squads for the second-longest streak in FCS history.
NDSU has won its last 30 games (just five true road games) when coming off an open weekend, including in the FCS playoffs. As usual, the two-time defending national champ is getting the job done in the trenches, averaging 286.8 rushing yards per game and allowing 97.8. On offense, RB Ty Brooks (289 yards, 1 TD) and QB Trey Lance (282, 6) have benefited the most. Lance did not throw for any TDs against UC Davis two weeks ago after passing for nine scores in the first three games (including seven to tight ends). The Bison have racked up 27 plays from scrimmage of at least 20 yards. On defense, S Michael Tutsie’s 32 tackles are the team high and his four interceptions are tied for the FCS high. Opponents have only one rushing touchdown.
While NDSU has won eight straight MVFC titles, Illinois State earned shares of it in 2014 and ’15 under coach Brock Spack. QB Brady Davis is coming off a career-high 419 passing yards against Northern Arizona – the most for a Redbird since 2012. However, leading WRs Andrew Edgar and Taylor Grimes suffered injuries in the game – Grimes’ was season-ending – and aren’t available this week. The Redbirds feature a huge starting offensive line (nearly 6-foot-6, 315 pounds on average) and are 10-2 when RB James Robinson (432 yards and 8 TDs on ground) reaches 100 rushing yards in a game during his career, but one of the losses was to NDSU last season. Thirteen defenders have combined on the team’s FCS-leading 20 sacks, led by DE Romeo McKnight with five. NDSU’s ability to convert on third downs will be tested by the Redbirds, who rank second in the FCS in conversions defensively (just 23.1 percent).
Prediction: North Dakota State’s transition to first-year coach Matt Entz has been seamless, and a rested Bison team is a winning Bison team. NDSU, 27-17.
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