Missouri Valley Conference football play starts with a bang. We think.

No. 17 South Dakota's visit to No. 1 North Dakota State was a definite Top 5 "circle this on the calendar" in the offseason, considering the Coyotes' "we have arrived" comeback win over in last season's finale to share the MVFC title with the Bison and South Dakota State.

Plus, perhaps you remember, USD beat NDSU the last time the teams played in Fargo. Yeah, you probably remember. The Bison sure do, and they've had an extra week to prepare for revenge (perhaps you heard).

But considering USD's slippery 1-2 start before a resounding win over Drake on Saturday, how loud of a bang is this 2025 MVFC opener?

Happy Hour host John Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer describe their interest and intrigue in the game, and how competitive we should expect the Coyotes to be. Is the Aidan Bouman that at times torched the Bison back after a slow 2025 start?

Can we really be impressed, or the Yotes intimidated, by NDSU's 139-17 obliteration of their three opponents and their combined 3-8 record — The Citadel (1-3), Tennessee State (1-2), and Southeast Missouri State (1-3)?

The attention then turns to a "what to look for" discussion on No. 2 SDSU against Mercyhurst after its bye week. Plus, of course, a scratching of the mosquito bite that is "how do we compare SDSU and USD after they each hosted Drake in back-to-back games?"

What does Carson Wentz have to do to threaten J.J. McCarthy's starting job with the Vikings once McCarthy is healthy enough to play? Or should it be McCarthy's job no matter what?

And, did you catch the NFL Today's 50th anniversary show featuring orgininal host Brent Musberger? One of our two hosts did and gave his review. This leads us down the rabbit hole of the NFL's most famous broadcasters of the last 50 years and how fair of evaluation they get from viewers (we're talking about you Joe Buck, one of the most hated men in Minnesota).

Finally, some baseball. Zim thinks the Canaries "choked" away their first American Association championship in 17 years. Is that fair? The two dig in, plus look forward to a possible Birds follow-up run. How difficult will it be? Who should we expect back in Sioux Falls to try?

Finally... Zim thought "The Natural" sucked.