VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The Valley City State University Vikings' football team will back in action this Saturday after a 46-39 loss to Eastern Oregon.

The Valley City State University Vikings will be traveling to Redding, California, to face the Simpson University Red Hawks this Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m CDT/1:00 p.m. PDT at Ron Hale Stadium.

Both teams are 1-2 on the year and fighting to get to the .500 mark as the halfway mark of the season approaches. 

During their Homecoming weekend at Lokken Stadium, Valley City State lost a heartbreaking game. After coming back from a 20-0 first-half deficit, the Vikings fell short when Eastern Oregon completed a 35-yard pass that left them on the 1-yard line with 12 seconds left where Eastern Oregon eventually pushed it in.

Running Back Laggarius Marshell carried the ball 24 times for a net total of 138 yards, a career high, and scored two rushing touchdowns which led the charge in Valley City's comeback.

Defensive Back Gavin Gerhardt blocked a 45-yard Eastern Oregon field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter, 2:46 left on the clock, keeping the Vikings' comeback hopes alive.

Simpson experienced a similar outcome this past Saturday, losing 42-41 to Mayville State and giving up a total of 402 yards on the ground, 75 of them coming in the final drive. 

When the Vikings hosted the Red Hawks last year, they came out on top by a score of 27-21. At the time of that 2025 matchup, VCSU held a 3-1 record, while Simpson entered the game at 0-4.

Broadcasts and game tracking will be available through the Simpson University Athletics Fan Zone: 

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