football by tiers
The NCAA now calls the second tier of Division I football the Football Championship Subdivision. Western Illinois, Saturday's Gophers opponent, plays in a potent FCS league that has been called the Missouri Valley Football Conference since 2008.
After this game at TCF Bank Stadium, there will be three teams among the 10 in the MVFC the Gophers have not played: Missouri State, Youngstown State and Southern Illinois (Carbondale).
The Gophers are 27-4 all-time vs. teams now in the MVFC:
• Illinois State: 2-0. Last game — Gophers 37-21 in 2004.
• Indiana State: 2-0. Last game — Gophers 27-10 in 1993.
• North Dakota State: 7-2. Last game — NDSU 37-24 in 2011.
• Northern Iowa: 1-0. One game — Gophers 24-7 in 1987.
• South Dakota: 9-2. Last game — South Dakota 41-38 in 2010.
