Behind The Numbers: Week 0 MVFC Preview

We take a look at the biggest questions and key stats surrounding the biggest Week 0 games across the MVFC.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits quarterback Chase Mason (7) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's finally time to bring back our annual "Behind The Numbers" series here at FCS Football Central. You should be familiar with our Behind The Numbers recaps each week, but we are taking it a step further this season. We will be adding a preview series, which will spotlight the biggest games in each conference.

Our goal with this new addition is to highlight teams every week and bring you what I think will be the most important statistic to monitor for that specific game. This won't be a comprehensive preview of the game; we will have that in another article each week, but it will allow me to give you important tidbits on a wide variety of games throughout the season.

The first edition of this series will begin in the MVFC. We will turn our attention to other conferences later this week. The games are listed in chronological order and do not include any games against non-Division I opponents.

Mercyhurst at No. 9 Youngstown State

What does Youngstown State's defense look like in Week 0?

There's been plenty of discussion about new defensive coordinator Ryan Riemedio, who was formerly the head coach at Mercyhurst, and what his defense will look like this upcoming season.

Last year, the Penguins allowed nearly 8 yards per pass, which included over 300 yards passing to this same Mercyhurst team. We need to see if Riemedio's unit will look improved. It's worth mentioning that Mercyhurst finished with one of the worst defenses in the NEC, allowing 5.8 yards per play.

Eastern Illinois at Murray State

Can the Racers find any consistency with their passing attack?

Murray State had a passing efficiency of 120.9 with 16 interceptions and only 13 passing TDs. It was easily the worst passing attack in the MVFC last year. The massive question will be whether the starting quarterback at Murray State can take care of the ball and threaten opponents down the field. Jim Ogle returns after starting nine games in 2025, but the Racers also added VMI transfer Collin Shannon this offseason.

No. 16 Southern Illinois at West Florida

What does the rushing defense look like for the Salukis?

Southern Illinois was elite offensively in 2025, plus the Salukis return a ton of key contributors, which means they should have no problem putting up points on Thursday night. The question for the Salukis is on the other side of the ball, where they ranked No. 102 nationally in yards per carry allowed.

This team reloaded with young but talented players in the front seven. How will these new additions hold up against a very good West Florida rushing offense, which features All-GSC running back TJ Lane? Lane led the Argos with 869 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs last season. It'll be an interesting test for a revamped Southern Illinois defense.

Long Island at No. 10 North Dakota

How much chemistry does Jerry Kaminski have with the WR room?

The biggest thing holding North Dakota back last year was this passing attack, which completed 57.1% of their passes (10th in MVFC), 192 passing yards per game (9th in MVFC), and 6.6 yards per attempt (9th in MVFC). They also lost their best wide receiver, BJ Fleming.

There's a lot of optimism over Jerry Kaminski's growth and a potential breakout for wide receiver Deng Deng. They'll be tested against what was the 4th-best defense in the FCS in yards per attempt allowed (5.7) and yards per completion allowed (9.7) last season. Long Island will be a solid early test for this North Dakota offense.

Central Connecticut State at No. 12 South Dakota

Can the Coyotes continue to find explosive plays in the passing game?

With Aidan Bouman under center, the Coyotes have averaged 8.1, 9.5, and 8.8 yards per attempt over the past three seasons. The play-action deep shots have been a true staple in this offense and something that has helped keep this offense truly dangerous. Does that continue with redshirt freshman Austyn Modrzewski? The Blue Devils offer a good challenge for the South Dakota offense with several good athletes in the secondary, including All-American Christopher Jean.

SEMO at Indiana State

Can Indiana State find a way to stop the run?

I mentioned bad rushing defenses earlier. Indiana State was even worse with the 116th-ranked rushing defense, allowing 5.3 yards per carry last season. The Sycamores must show they can stop the run if they want to challenge any of the top teams in the conference. SEMO had the second-worst rushing offense in the country in 2025. If the Sycamores can't stop the run this week, it doesn't bode well for the rest of the season.

Stetson at No. 3 South Dakota State

Does South Dakota State's offense look sharp?

We can be honest here. We won't learn much about South Dakota State this week. Despite the mismatch, this was an offense that looked discombobulated at times last season, even when Chase Mason was at the helm.

For the entire season, the offense averaged 5.4 yards per play and was basically the statistical equivalent of a bad Indiana State offense, which also had to play its backup quarterback all year. I'm sure it'll look great against Stetson, but I will be paying close attention to how sharp the overall operation of the offense is on Saturday night.

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