GAME 11:  SOUTH DAKOTA (5-5, 3-4 MVFC) AT ILLINOIS STATE (8-2, 6-1 MVFC)
When	Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015 | Noon CT
Where	Hancock Stadium (13,391) | Normal, Ill. | Forecast
Tickets	Illinois State Tickets
Television	CSN Chicago (Kurt Pegler, Chris Highland, R.C. McBride)
Watch Online	ESPN3
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor, Gary Culver, John Thayer)
Live Stats	Illinois State Live Stats
South Dakota Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Illinois State Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
MVFC Links	MVFC Notes | Conference Stats | Website
Social Media	Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Game
South Dakota and Illinois State are meeting for the fifth consecutive season in, what to this point, has been a one-sided affair. The Redbirds have won all four meetings which includes two in Normal and two in Vermillion. The last two wins have come by at least 14 points.
 
Plenty is at stake in the regular season finale. The Coyotes can earn their first winning season as a member of the Missouri Valley. A playoff berth at 6-5 may be wishful thinking, but a resume that would include road wins at North Dakota State and Illinois State would certainly warrant consideration. USD enters Saturday's game with a GPI ranking of 28. This is the first year the selection committee will consider resumes from an 11-game season for a 24-team field so a six-win team from the nation's best conference may not be out of the question.
 
Illinois State can capture its second consecutive MVFC championship with a win. The defending national runner-up Redbirds can win it outright with a victory coupled with a North Dakota State loss at home to Missouri State. A first-round bye and a second-round home game would be all but guaranteed for Illinois State with a win Saturday.
 
The Streak
Illinois State has won 17 consecutive home games at Hancock Stadium, the longest active streak in FCS football and the third-longest in MVFC history. The Coyotes ended North Dakota State's record 26-game winning streak earlier this season in Fargo.
 
The Weather
Hard to believe, but South Dakota hasn't played an outdoor game since Oct. 10. It will be the Coyotes' second outdoor game since Sept. 12. Snowy and windy could be the conditions at kickoff with a game-time temperature expected to be around 32 degrees (and feel like 19).
 
The Playmakers
Illinois State features a trio of stars in running back Marshaun Coprich, quarterback Tre Roberson and wide receiver Anthony Warrum. Coprich is the nation's third-leading rusher with 1,469 yards. He's also scored 16 touchdowns. Roberson has passed for 1,683 yards, ran for 509 and combined for 22 touchdowns. He averages just eight pass completions per game, but at a nation's best 20.5 yards per catch. Warrum has 43 receptions for 1,031 yards for a 24-yard average. He's caught 13 touchdowns. Coprich is the team's second-leading receiver with 13 catches.
 
The Numbers
South Dakota senior wide out Eric Shufford needs four catches to become the ninth player in program history to reach 100 career receptions … Junior quarterback Ryan Saeger needs 40 yards passing to become the fourth Coyote to throw for 2,000 yards in a season … Junior kicker Miles Bergner needs two field goals to tie the program's all-time record of 44
 
One Final Note
South Dakota true freshman running back Michael Fredrick has averaged 97 yards rushing in four starts in place of injured starter Trevor Bouma. Fredrick carried 31 times for a career-high 143 yards last week against South Dakota State. He leads the Coyotes and ranks eighth in the Valley with 613 yards rushing this season. South Dakota mustered 41 yards rushing on 20 run plays against Illinois State last season.