ay for a different team in the middle of their season. Shawn Kemp Jersey .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. https://www.su

(STATS) -- Tre Roberson, Marshaun Coprich and Carson Wentz were the headliners when North Dakota State and Illinois State last went head-to-head in the 2014 FCS championship game. Gary Payton Jersey .Those stars and many others are no longer playing in this series, but that doesnt mean either side is dismissing the Bisons thrilling 29-27 win that day in preparation for Saturdays Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown in Fargo.Were looking at that game a lot, North Dakota State coach Chris Klieman confessed. I dont care if Roberson and Coprich were in the game -- (the Redbirds) did a great job against our defense and they did a really good job defending our offense.We also know that they have shared the league title with us the past two seasons and thats why this is such a huge game because this is a team thats perennially one of the best teams in the league.Jake Kolbe, who has since replaced Roberson as Illinois States starting quarterback, is expected to play after a sore throwing shoulder kept him sidelined for most of the first half last weekend. The 18th-ranked Redbirds (2-2, 0-1) tried to get by without him at Indiana State, but coach Brock Spack had to get the sophomore in the game after his team fell behind.Kolbe nearly led the Redbirds back from a 24-7 deficit in the second half, completing 25 of 32 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns. He was pushing them toward a game-winning score before Indiana States sack and forced fumble clinched a 34-31 win.Obviously, you know, the quarterback is what drives everything and (Kolbe) has thrown the ball well, Spack said. I was surprised with how well he did throw the ball last week -- I didnt think hed throw the ball like that. Hes tough.Hes going to be a really good player before he leaves here.The Redbirds, who hope to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2008 -- before Spacks arrival -- have used a committee approach to replace Coprich in the backfield. Sophomore George Moreira (240 yards, three TDs) is leading the way, but Illinois State ranks eighth in the MVFC with 161.2 rushing yards per game.Top-ranked NDSU allowed 450 passing yards in a 50-44 overtime win over Eastern Washington on Sept. 10 before tightening things up and surrendering just 231 total yards in an impressive 23-21 victory at FBS then-No. 13 Iowa on Sept. 17. The Bison, however, have lost one of the nations top linebackers after Nick DeLuca underwent season-ending shoulder surgery.Junior Matt Plank is the next man up for NDSU (3-0), which is going after a 23rd consecutive victory when coming off an open week in the regular season or playoffs.Sophomore Easton Stick, 11-0 as a starter, has thrown for 575 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions while also rushing for 140 yards and a score in his first full season as Wentzs replacement under center. The Bison are also relying heavily on senior running back King Frazier, who has totaled 217 yards on 37 attempts while scoring a touchdown in all three games.The Redbirds easily lead the MVFC in pass defense, allowing just 165.8 yards per game, but they dropped to fifth against the run (113.0) after letting the Sycamores gain 208 last weekend.I know not everyone wants to hear it, but weve got a lot of inexperience at some spots and its rearing its ugly head sometimes in these tight games, Spack said. The future of this team is going to be really good but I want to be good right now.Spacks squad could endure more growing pains against an NDSU team that has won 50 of 54 home games since 2010. The Bison also have won four straight and six of the eight all-time meetings, including a 28-10 victory in the last regular-season matchup at the Fargodome in November 2013.This is why we play -- for a chance to compete in the Missouri Valley Conference -- and as everyone knows anybody can beat anybody on any given week, Klieman said. The fact that Illinois State is coming off of a loss just ensures us that were going to get their best game.---=ACROSS THE MVFC=Lance Lenoir seeks a Western Illinois record with his 34th consecutive game with a reception when the eighth-ranked Leathernecks try to stay unbeaten Saturday night at No. 15 South Dakota State (1-2) in the MVFC opener for both clubs.Western (3-0) ended a seven-game skid in the series with a 30-24 double-overtime home win last season.The 24th-ranked Sycamores (3-1, 1-0), who have not opened 2-0 in league play since 2011, put up 445 total yards last week but face a stiff test Saturday against a Missouri State team that leads the MVFC in total defense at 271.3 yards allowed per game.The visiting Bears (2-1) are without starting quarterback Breck Ruddick, who has been suspended indefinitely while the schools office of student conduct investigates allegations of animal abuse.No. 12 Northern Iowa (1-2) hopes to avoid dropping its fifth consecutive conference opener Saturday when it welcomes Southern Illinois (2-1). No. 20 Youngstown State (2-1), meanwhile, will try to move to 3-0 at home against South Dakota (1-2). Tom LaGarde Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Shawn Kemp Jersey .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. https://www.supersonicsjerseys.com/ . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. NORMAL, Ill. -- Jake Kolbe threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns while Jamal Towns and DeMarco Corbin each topped 100 yards rushing to lead Illinois State past Missouri state 37-0 on Saturday.Towns had 134 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and Corbin had 102 yards on 11 carries. Anthony Warrum had 133 yards receiving off eight receptions and a touchdown.Mitchell Brees and Dalton Keene each picked off the Bears Brodie Lambert once. Illinois State (6-5, 4-4 Missouri Valley) held Missouri Statee (4-6, 2-5) to 77 yards passing and 116 yards rushing, 44 of which came from Lambert. Jim McIlvaine Jersey. Illinois State broke the game open in the second quarter when Kolbe threw a 38-yard TD to Warrum. Just more than two minutes later Kolbe connected with Christian Gibbs on a 35-yard score and Sean Slattery made his second field goal of the first half to make it 20-0 at half. ' ' '