The South Dakota State football team is moving into some uncharted territory.

The Jackrabbits (6-1 overall) put their undefeated league record and No. 9 national ranking on the line Saturday at Youngstown State in a key Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup.

The last time the Jackrabbits opened the season with a 6-1 record was 1979, when South Dakota State made its lone postseason appearance, falling at Youngstown State, 50-7, in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. SDSU's pursuit of a 7-1 start that season was thwarted with a 38-14 defeat at North Dakota State in Game 8.

"The program's been built by young men that believed in the transition and stuck to it, and we're reaping the benefits from hard work and belief," SDSU head coach John Stiegelmeier said after last week's 24-14 win over then-sixth-ranked Northern Iowa. "Are we where we want to be? No, we're not."

SDSU will be in search of its first 7-1 start since 1963. That Jackrabbit squad lost the second game of the season at Nebraska, then reeled off eight consecutive victories to finish the season 9-1 and earn the North Central Conference title.

"They just have a great football team," Youngstown State head coach Jon Heacock said. "They are playing great football. They're not turning the ball over and playing great defense. They are doing the things it takes to win a championship."

The Jackrabbits enter the game tied atop the league standings with Southern Illinois at 5-0.

Youngstown State will attempt to keep its playoff hopes alive as it faces a top 10 opponent for the second consecutive week.

Last week, the Penguins dropped a 24-8 decision at third-ranked Southern Illinois to drop to 2-2 in league play and 4-3 overall.

The Penguins lead the MVFC in pass defense at 167.1 yards allowed per game, and is ranked second in the league for total defense - behind SDSU - as it allows an average of 289.3 yards per game.

"I think that's been the Youngstown way since I've been here," Heacock said. "We've built everything around defense, always have and always will. That's where it starts."

Youngstown State features a balanced offensive attack. Kevin Smith, who has a team-best 555 yards and three touchdowns, leads the Penguins' running game. Dana Brown has added 263 yards on the ground.

Quarterback Brandon Summers has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,379 yards. He has thrown 11 touchdown passes this season but also has been intercepted 11 times. Summers can be a dual threat offensively as he has a 73-yard run to his credit this year.

"They're playing some good football. Their defense is very, very aggressive, and their offense is very, very multiple," Stiegelmeier said. "So it is another week of hard work and trying to prepare to fit things right and run things right and to have a chance to win."

The Jacks close out the home portion of its schedule Nov. 7 against Southern Illinois in a game that will likely play a major role in determining the MVFC champion. But Stiegelmeier said his team has to guard against looking ahead.

"We've always preached play in the present, we've always preached 1-0," Stiegelmeier said. "So we don't look ahead, and we don't look behind. There is some excitement in our program right now. The only reason there is excitement is because we've had some success. We need to try and continue that."