Valley Football Announces Specialty Awards

South Dakota's Chris Streveler is the league's Offensive Player of the Year and Western Illinois' Brett Taylor has been voted the league's top defensive player in a vote of league coaches, sports information directors and media, as announced by the conference office today.



Jabril Cox of North Dakota State earned both the Freshman and the Newcomer of the Year honor, while coach Chris Klieman has been tabbed "Bruce Craddock" MVFC Coach of the Year. The full MVFC All-Conference Team will be announced Monday, Nov. 27. The MVFC All-Newcomer Team will be announced Tuesday, and the MVFC All-Academic Team will be unveiled Wednesday.







Streveler is the first Coyote to earn MVFC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Taylor is the first Western Illinois student-athlete to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since 2010 (LB Kyle Glazier). In addition to Taylor and Glazier, two other Leathernecks have won the league's top defensive honor including James Milton (1998) and Edgerton Hartwell (1999, 2000). Cox is the first North Dakota State student-athlete to win the league's Newcomer of the Year award and also the Bison's first Freshman of the Year winner. Cox is the third in league history to sweep both honors, joining QB Sawyer Kollmorgen of UNI (2012) and RB Martin Ruiz of Youngstown State (2013). Klieman, meanwhile, joins Craig Bohl (2011, 2012, 2013) as North Dakota State head coaches to earn the MVFC's top coaching award.



Five league teams earned selection to the 2017 NCAA Division I Football Championship, which begins Saturday.



OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

QB Chris Streveler, South Dakota, Sr.

Team captain … finalist for National Player of the Year … broke USD single-season records for total offense (3,871 yds) and passing yards (3,236) … accounted for 33 touchdowns against five turnovers in 10 games … leads the Valley in completion pct.., passing yards per game, and total offense … is also the eighth-leading rusher in the league with the third-most rushing TDs … attempted 195 passes before throwing an interception … twice passed for more than 400 yards … passed for 306, ran for 119, and had four touchdowns in a win vs. Bowling Green



DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LB Brett Taylor, Western Illinois, Sr.

Leads FCS with 150 tackles, 13.6 per game and 90 assisted stops... 13.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, four breakups, two FF and a QB hurry... MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after matching program-record with 28 tackles (fifth in MVFC history) vs. USD. His 18 assisted stops were the second-most in a single game in program history... Recorded double-digit tackles in all but three games in 2017 ... Has led Western Illinois in stops in 15 of the last 16 games, including all but one contest this year... Team Captain... Has made 38 straight starts.



FRESHMAN & NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

LB Jabril Cox, North Dakota State, Fr.

Jerry Rice Award finalist…Two-time MVFC Newcomer of the Week…Leads NDSU with 52 tackles and 9.0 tackles for loss…Also has 4.0 sacks, one interception, two breakups, three QB hurries, one forced fumble and one recovery…NDSU’s leading tackler on special teams…Played all 11 games and made four of the last five starts after being thrust into the lineup for the second half at Youngstown State…STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week after making a season-high eight tackles including two sacks and a key TFL in overtime of the win at YSU…His 32-yard INT return at Illinois State set up a four-play scoring drive.



‘BRUCE CRADDOCK’ COACH OF THE YEAR

Chris Klieman, North Dakota State

Klieman, who won his 50th game as NDSU head coach last week at Illinois State, is just the fifth Bison coach to reach that mark and the second fastest to 50 wins behind Ron Erhardt. He has a 50-6 record at NDSU and has guided the Bison to their seventh straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship. Klieman has been a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award in 2014, 2016 and this year. The Bison are 28-4 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference the past four seasons, have gone 30-5 against FCS Top 25 teams, and have an FBS Top 25 win over No. 11 Iowa. North Dakota State is 10-1 this season and has an FCS-best six Top 25 victories.





FIRST-ROUND GAMES (Saturday, Nov. 25)

Lehigh (5-6) at Stony Brook (9-2) at Stony Brook, New York, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Western Illinois (8-3) at Weber State (9-2) at Ogden, Utah, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Monmouth (9-2) at UNI (7-4) at Cedar Falls, Iowa, 5 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Central Conn. St. (8-3) at New Hampshire (7-4) at Durham, New Hampshire, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Samford (8-3) at Kennesaw St. (10-1) at Kennesaw, Georgia, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

South Dakota (7-4) at Nicholls St. (8-3) at Thibodaux, Louisiana, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Furman (7-4) at Elon (8-3) at Elon, North Carolina, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

San Diego (9-2) at Northern Ariz. (7-4) at Flagstaff, Arizona, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)



SECOND-ROUND GAMES (Saturday, Dec. 2)

Lehigh/Stony Brook winner at #1 James Madison (11-0) at Harrisonburg, Virginia, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Western Ill./Weber St. winner at #8 Southern Utah (9-2) at Cedar City, Utah, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Monmouth/UNI winner at #5 South Dakota St. (9-2) at Brookings, South Dakota, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Central Conn. St./New Hampshire winner at #4 Central Ark. (10-1) at Conway, Arkansas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Samford/Kennesaw St. winner at #3 Jacksonville St. (10-1) at Jacksonville, Alabama, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

South Dakota at Nicholls St. winner at #6 Sam Houston St. (10-1) at Huntsville, Texas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

Furman/Elon winner at #7 Wofford (9-2) at Spartanburg, South Carolina, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)

San Diego/Northern Ariz. winner at #2 North Dakota St. (10-1) at Fargo, North Dakota, 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)



Playoff Bids - MVFC History

The MVFC has had a league-record five teams selected to the playoffs three times (2014, 2015, and this year). In the past four seasons, the MVFC has had a total of 19 bids - more than any other league.



Playoff Selections - MVFC History

5 -- three times (2014, 2015, 2017)

4 -- twice (2016, 2003)

3 or more -- 7 times (03, 06, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16)

2 or more -- 26 times (in 33 seasons)

2 or more playoff bids every year since 1995



Against Other Leagues

The league is 92-63 in the NCAA FCS playoffs. Included in that overall record is a .500 or better performance against nine of the 11 conferences it has faced. The Missouri Valley Football Conference has recorded a 44-19 record since 2010 in the playoffs -- better than any other league. Over the last two-plus years the MVFC has a 25-12 record in the playoffs, which includes six intraconference games, meaning the league is 19-6 vs. the rest.



The Power Five

In the past seven playoffs (2010-16), five leagues (Big Sky, CAA Football, MVFC, Southern and Southland) have combined to win 126 of 149 total games. The MVFC has 44 of those wins (35 percent).



