For the first time since 2005, the league will have a winner-take-all contest as South Dakota State hosts Southern Illinois next Saturday and the winning team will claim at least a share of the regular-season title and the conference's automatic bid into the FCS Playoffs.  That scenario came about after No. 3 SIU and No. 9 South Dakota State both won on October 31.  Illinois State and North Dakota State also grabbed victories on Halloween.

The last time the league had a decisive Saturday similar to next weekend's SDSU-SIU game in Brookings, was in 2005, when UNI claimed the league's automatic bid on the final weekend of the regular season with a 25-24 victory against SIU.  That forced a three-way co-championship and UNI won a tiebreaker with the tri-champs (UNI, SIU, YSU).

Next Saturday will also be the first-ever meeting between two teams with 6-0 league records.

Saturday, October 31
#3 Southern Illinois 33, Indiana State 0
#9 South Dakota State 17, Youngstown State 3
Illinois State 24, Missouri State 14
North Dakota State 14, Western Illinois 7

#3 Southern Illinois 33, Indiana State 0
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - No. 3 Southern Illinois only allowed 90 yards of total offense in a 33-0 shutout victory over Indiana State Saturday for its 12th-straight Missouri Valley Football Conference win in an early afternoon game at Memorial Stadium.  The seventh-straight win for the Salukis moves its 2009 record to 7-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference play heading into next weeks game at No. 9 South Dakota State. The shutout was SIU's first since Oct. 18, 2008 at Youngstown State when the Dawgs won by the same 33-0 score as they did Saturday.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Paul McIntosh threw for 159 yards and rushed for another 57 with two touchdowns on the ground in his first career start. He completed 15-of-22 passes without an interception against the Sycamores (1-8, 1-5 MVFC).  Senior running back Deji Karim had a game-high 87 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown in a light day of work for him. Wide receiver Bryce Morris had a career-high 80 yards receiving as well as a blocked punt that Beau Hoffman returned four-yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

The first quarter was uneventful for the most part. Late in the period the Salukis got the ball at the Sycamore 44-yard line following a punt return from Mike McElroy. It took the Dawgs 10-plays, but just after the turn of the quarter Karim scored on a four-yard run on a fourth-and-two for the first points of the game.

Four minutes later, McIntosh capped off an eight-play, 91-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. He completed several big passes on the drive, including a 37-yarder to Morris when the Dawgs had the ball at their own nine-yard line.

Morris, who had 70 yards receiving at the time, blocked Braulio Martinez's punt after the Salukis held the Sycamores to a three-and-out. Senior wide receiver Beau Hoffman recovered the ball at the four-yard line and walked in for the score to give SIU a 21-0 lead. That score would hold going into the half.

McIntosh got his second two-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter after a six-play drive. Karim set up the score with his 23-yard rush that got the ball down to the eight, and McIntosh put it in three plays later.

Dougherty would add a 30-yard field goal with just under a minute left in the third quarter before SIU pulled its first team offense. That made the score 31-0.  Brad Briggs tacked on a safety for the Salukis to round out the scoring Saturday.

#9 South Dakota State 17, Youngstown State 3
The South Dakota State University football team methodically moved one step closer to a possible Missouri Valley Football Conference championship, posting a 17-3 road victory at Youngstown State behind stout defense and two rushing touchdowns from Kyle Minett.

The ninth-ranked Jackrabbits matched their best start since 1963, improving to 7-1 overall and 6-0 in the MVFC by holding an opponent without a touchdown for the third time this season. SDSU came into the game ranked fifth in the Football Championship Subdivision by allowing an average of 12.6 points per contest.

SDSU's victory also sets up a showdown with Southern Illinois for sole possession of first place in the league standings next Saturday (Nov. 7) at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. SIU also improved to 6-0 in league play with a 33-0 victory over Indiana State in action earlier Saturday.

Quarterback Ryan Crawford, who missed the last three games due to injury, was sharp early on in his return to the starting lineup as he completed his first four passing attempts on the opening drive for 41 yards to set the Jackrabbits up first and goal at the YSU 4-yard line. A motion penalty stalled the drive and SDSU came up empty as Peter Reifenrath missed a 26-yard field goal.

The Penguins came back to score on their first possession of the game, marching 49 yards on 11 plays before Stephen Blose tied a career long with a 48-yard field goal.

SDSU tied the game in the second quarter after the Jackrabbits put together a methodical drive that consumed more than eight minutes. Reifenrath capped the 15-play, 75-yard drive with a 25-yard field goal at the 4:33 mark.

The Jackrabbits came up with a big play defensively to open the second half. On the first play from scrimmage, linebacker Derek Domino dropped into coverage and made a diving interception - his fourth of the season - to give SDSU the ball at the Penguin 32. Seven plays later, Minett bounced around right end from five yards out for the first touchdown of the game.

Youngstown State, which was able to establish more of a running game in the second half, drove the ball deep into Jackrabbit territory on its next drive, but the Penguins came up empty as a 17-play drive ended when Blose missed a field goal attempt from 41 yards.

SDSU iced the game in the fourth quarter with a nine-play, 66-yard scoring drive. Crawford was 3-for-3 on the drive for 37 yards and Minett gained 25 yards on the ground, including the final yard for his second rushing touchdown of the game at the 4:51 mark.

Minett carried the ball 22 times for 87 yards and added two receptions for 32 yards. Crawford ended the game 19-of-28 passing for 178 yards with no interceptions.  Colin Cochart posted a career-high six receptions for 51 yards, with Saunders Montague adding five catches for 39 yards. The Jackrabbit defense was led by Buck Buchanan Award candidate Danny Batten, who recorded eight tackles, including a sack. Jimmy Rogers and Isaiah Jackson also tallied eight stops.

For Youngstown State, Brandon Summers finished the game 19-of-29 passing for 181 yards after starting the game by completing his first nine attempts. Dominique Barnes caught six balls for 93 yards, and Donald Jones added six receptions for 36 yards. Backup quarterback Dailyn Campbel led the Penguin rushing attack with 32 yards on seven carries.  Overall, SDSU held a 309-254 advantage in total offense, including a 131-73 edge in the rushing department.

Illinois State 24, Missouri State 14
Visiting Illinois State held Missouri State scoreless in the second half and added a fourth-quarter field goal to secure a 24-14 win over the Bears in Missouri Valley Football Conference play here Saturday.
 
The Bears fell to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the conference, while Illinois State (4-4, 3-2) spoiled MSU's homecoming with a steady running attack led by Cliffton Gordon.  The sophomore running back carried 30 times for 122 yards, including 67 in a stalemate of a second half, while freshman quarterback Matt Brown added 133 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
 
After falling behind 21-14 at the half, Missouri State had opportunities in the second half, but it could not convert them into points.  The longest drive of the half took the Bears to the Illinois State 32 early in the fourth quarter, but with the wind at his back, Matt Hottelman missed a 49-yard field goal wide left to secure a 21-14 ISU lead at the time.
 
The Redbirds responded with an 11-play, 43-yard drive to the MSU 25 which set up a 42-yard field goal by Zach Kutch to give ISU a double-figure lead, 24-14.
 
MSU would turn the ball over on downs twice in the fourth quarter, including what looked to be a promising drive into ISU territory in the final two minutes. However, the drive stalled at the ISU 36 when Cody Kirby's fourth-and-eight pass attempt sailed well over his target's head to end the threat.
 
Illinois State took over with 1:09 remaining and ran out the clock to return the favor after the Bears upended the Redbirds on their Homecoming in Normal a year ago, 34-28.
 
Kirby finished with 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 19-of-32 pass attempts. The junior moved into a tie with Mitch Ware (1976-79) and Jeremy Hoog (1994-97) for first place in MSU career touchdown passes with 36 in posting his 13th 200-yard passing game.
 
Tight end Clay Harbor also had a big game for the Bears with eight receptions for 102 yards to move into sole possession of first place on the school's all-time receptions list with 138. It was the All-American's third 100-yard receiving game of the season and fifth of his career.
 
Antoine Wilkinson led four Bears defenders in double-figures in tackles with a career-high 20 stops. He also had a pass break-up and one tackle for loss.
 
At the end of the first half, a desperation pass into the end zone as time expired put Illinois State up 21-14. The 38-yard pass from Brown to Brandon Venson into the end zone bounced off two Bears before Venson reeled it in to give the Redbirds a seven-point advantage for the third time in the game.   It was Brown's second TD pass of the half.  He also connected with Cody White for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
 
The Bears bounced back from a rocky start that saw ISU convert a whiffed punt into seven points early in the game. Four plays after MSU punter Jordan Chiles fanned on a punt attempt from the MSU 26, Geno Blow carried it into the end zone from one yard out to give ISU a 7-0 lead.
 
MSU bounced back with a quick-strike score with 5:03 to play in the opening quarter on a 47-yard pass from Kirby to Jermaine Saffold, his second touchdown reception of the season.
 
The 7-7 tie lasted until Brown hit White at the 14:53 mark of the second to put ISU up 14-7. However, the Bears then rallied for a 10-play, 79-yard touchdown drive that concluded with Kirby connecting with Cadarrius Dotson for a 28-yard touchdown catch-and-run to make it 14-14 before Browns's last-second desperation TD pass to close out the half.  Illinois State outgained the Bears 311 to 279 in the game.

North Dakota State 14, Western Illinois 7
MACOMB, Ill.--Pat Paschall scored on a 24-yard run with 3:10 left and the defense came up with eight sacks and four turnovers to lead North Dakota State to a 14-7 victory over Western Illinois in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game played at Hanson Field on Oct. 31.  North Dakota State (2-7, 1-5 Valley Football) snapped a five-game losing streak with the win, the program's longest since 1975.

The touchdown, Paschall's second of the game, came after Western Illinois' Lito Senatus had caught a 9-yard pass from Wil Lunt to tie the game with 11:13 to go.  Paschall also scored on a 17-yard run in the first quarter that was set up by Shamen Washington's 65-yard return of the opening kickoff.  Paschall rushed 19 times for 111 yards for North Dakota State. He went over 100 yards for the eighth time this season and for the 12th time in his career. Dre Gibbs led the Leathernecks (1-7, 0-5) with 109 yards on 24 carries.

Jose Mohler was 7 of 15 for 90 yards the Bison. Lunt went 11 of 19 for 113 yards and an interception in the end zone that killed a first-quarter drive.

Western Illinois lost three fumbles in wet, muddy conditions. Coulter Boyer had three sacks for the Bison, while Matthew Gratzek recovered a pair of fumbles. NDSU held the Leathernecks to 206 yards of total offense.