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FIRST AND TEN
- The Missouri State Bears embark on their first MVFC road trip of the 2017 season Saturday (Sept. 30) when they travel to Fargo to take on the second-ranked North Dakota State Bison
- The Bison hold a 7-2 all-time edge in the series with Missouri State, including a 3-1 mark against the Bears in Fargo; NDSU has won three straight home meetings since MSU claimed a 21-17 victory in their first trip to the Fargodome on Oct. 24, 2009
- Saturday's game will mark the 1,000th varsity contest in the history of the Missouri State program; the Bears bring a 463-497-39 (.483) all-time record into the game
- The Bears will be looking to stop a 10-game losing streak in the Dakota states that dates back to the 2010 season; MSU has not posted a win in either North or South Dakota since their first trip to NDSU in October 2009Â
- MSU's defense ranks second in the MVFC and 34th nationally in takeaways (7), while the Bears rank fifth among all FCS squads in fewest penalty yards per game (33.25)
- Senior receiver Malik Earl moved up to ninth on the Bears' career receiving yardage chart with his 4-catch, 73-yard    afternoon vs. Illinois State; he needs 199 additional yards to match the career total of Jeff Hewitt in the No. 8 position; Earl also ranks 10th on MSU's all-time receptions list (109), three away from Tom Hamilton in the 9th spot
- Senior return specialist Deion Holliman recorded the first rushing touchdown of his MSU career in Saturday's MVFC opener with Illinois State, becoming the first Bear on record to score via rush, reception, kickoff return and punt return in his career     Â
- Junior safety Jared Beshore snagged his third interception of the season Saturday against Illinois State; his average (0.8) ranks sixth nationally, while MSU's four team interceptions is the third-best total in the Valley and 31st overall in the country
- Senior tailback Calan Crowder leads the MVFC and ranks ninth nationally in rushing yards per carry (7.68) and 26th in total rushing yards (307)
- Senior defensive lineman Colby Isbell logged his 30th consecutive start for the Bears in Saturday's MVFC opener; Isbell's streak is the longest for an active MSU player, while junior offensive lineman Marquis Prophete has made 20 straight starts for the Bears to lead all offensive players
GAME PREVIEW
After engaging No. 12 Illinois State in a nip-and-tuck battle for three quarters in their MVFC opener, the
Missouri State Bears continue a daunting stretch of their schedule with what figures to be the second of four-straight meetings with ranked foes this Saturday (Sept. 30), when they take on the No. 2
North Dakota State Bison at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.
Missouri State (1-3, 0-1 MVFC), which outgained Illinois State by a combined 311-to-247 margin in total offense in the first, second and fourth quarters, looks to rebound from its 34-9 setback to the Redbirds in their fifth trip to Fargo. The Bears received a big afternoon from
Deion Holliman, who sprinted through the ISU defense for a 53-yard scoring run on the third play from scrimmage last weekend, as well as
Peyton Huslig. The sophomore quarterback rushed for a career-high 43 yards and totaled 200 yards of total offense. On the defensive side, junior safety
Jared Beshore picked off his third pass in four games this season, while sharing the team lead with eight tackles on the day.
North Dakota State (3-0, 0-0 MVFC) has been dominant in cruising to a 3-0 start, registering both the top scoring offense and defense in the MVFC to date. Led by Lance Dunn, the Valley leader in individual rushing (133.7 ypg.) and scoring (18.0 ppg.), the Bison have rolled up an average of 377.7 yards per outing. The NDSU defense has stifled the competition, yielding averages of just 106.3 total yards and 27.7 rushing yards per game — both of which lead all FCS defenses.Â
MORE HISTORY FOR HOLLIMAN
Deion Holliman added yet another notable achievement to his Missouri State resume Saturday against Illinois State with a 53-yard scoring run on the game's third play from scrimmage. The career-long run marked the first rushing touchdown of Holliman's career, making him the first Bear to log career touchdowns by a rush, pass reception and kick return since 2005 when Lee Baker accomplished the feat. Holliman is believed to be the first Bear on record to record touchdowns via a rush, pass, kickoff return and punt return in his career. The Camden, Ark., product now has nine career touchdowns, four of which have come via kick returns, ranking second in school history behind Cornelius Perry's five returns (all on kickoffs) for scores.Â
Just one week after becoming the third MVFC player to top the 2,000-yard mark, senior return specialist
Deion Holliman netted the Valley's Special Teams Player of the Week honor for the third time in his career on Sept. 17 thanks to a career-best 80 punt return yards in the Bears' win over Murray State. Holliman became the eighth Bear to top the 3,000 mark for all-purpose yardage, totaling 149 yards (5 rush, 17 receiving, 47 kickoff return, 80 punt return) thanks in large part to several key returns that helped spur MSU's win over the Racers.Â
For his career, the Camden, Ark., product now has 2,161 kickoff return yards, which is just 58 shy of Tony Gilbert's Missouri State record. He is also just 157 yards away from matching The Valley's all-time record of 2,318 return yards, set by UNI's Carlos Anderson (2009-12).Â
BEARS SHOW PROGRESS IN VALLEY OPENER
After being outscored by a combined 75-2 margin in their previous two meetings with Illinois State, Missouri State put together a strong effort for three quarters of Saturday's MVFC opener against the Redbirds. MSU outgained ISU by a combined margin of 311 to 247 yards in the first, second and fourth quarters. The Bears also totaled 17 first downs to the 12th-ranked Redbirds' 12 over the same stretch and outscored ISU by a 9-6 margin. Since allowing an average of 6.4 rushing yards per carry over their first two contests of the season, the Bears have tightened the screws on the opposition in their last two outings, allowing just 235 net rushing yards and 4.2 yards per attempt.
RANKING THE BEARS
Several Bears factor prominently among the national leaders in individual statistical categories, including senior
Deion Holliman, who 17th among all FCS kick returners with his 292 combined (kickoff/punt) return yards. Holliman leads the Valley and ranks 19th nationally in punt return average (10.4), while his career average (13.0) ranks fifth among all active FCS return specialists. Additionally, senior tailback
Calan Crowder's 7.68 rushing yards per carry is good for the ninth-best average in the country entering play this week, and his 307 rushing yards on the season is the sixth-best total in the MVFC and 26th among all FCS rushers. Senior receiver
Malik Earl currently leads the Valley and ranks 24th nationally with 316 overall receiving yards. On the defensive side of the ball,
Jared Beshore ranks sixth among all FCS defenders in interceptions per game (0.8).
As a team, the Missouri State defense has forced seven turnovers through its first four games, which is good for the second-highest total in the Valley and 34th among all FCS programs. Overall, the Bears average of 33.25 penalty yards incurred per game is the fifth-lowest in the nation, while thier 4.25 penalties assessed is the 11th-best in the country.Â
EARL TAKES PLACE AMONG MSU GREATS
With four catches for 73 yards in the Bears' MVFC opener with Illinois State, senior receiver
Malik Earl (1,504 yards) moved past three Bears to move into MSU's career top 10 for receiving yardage. Earl climbed to ninth on the chart, passing Anthony Pegues (1,445), Steven Rush (1,461) and Mark Marcos (1,486) with his performance Saturday. He enters the week just 199 yards away from Jeff Hewitt in the No. 8 position on the chart.
Additonally, the Oklahoma City native continued his climb up the Bears' career receptions list, pulling to within three catches of Tom Hamilton (112) in the No. 9 spot. Earl is within 41 receptions of Clay Harbor's school record of 150, meaning he must average six catches per outing over the Bears' last seven regular-season contests to reach the mark.
BEARS LOOK TO #TACKLEDUCHENNE
This weekend American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) members, including head coach
Dave Steckel and his staff, will wear a Coach To Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines in Fargo. College football fans will be asked to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Over the last decade, Coach To Cure MD in Coach To Cure MD has raised over $1.4 million fo Duchenne research. Football fans can help support the fight to end Duchenne by either going online to CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 50555 (a $10 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill).
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