Courtesy: KVRR
MAYVILLE, N.D. (KVRR) — One of North Dakota’s college football rivalries returns Saturday as Mayville State hosts Valley City State, but this year’s matchup carries additional meaning for the Comets.
Saturday will mark exactly three weeks since Mayville State quarterback Matt Donovan suffered a serious head injury that resulted in him being airlifted to Fargo and placed in a medically induced coma.
Since then, the Mayville State football community has rallied around Donovan and his family as the quarterback continues his recovery.
Comets head coach Rocky Larson has frequently visited Donovan and his family in the hospital and shared encouraging signs of progress.
“Matt looks really good. I think that’s the encouraging thing, with the trach in and doesn’t have the tubes coming out of his mouth. He looks excellent,” Larson said. “Swelling’s come down. He squeezed my finger. He was blinking when we were in there. So all stuff that I necessarily haven’t seen him do over the last 19 days. So that was really cool to see, to continue to see his progress.”
Larson says the past few weeks have been an emotional journey for everyone involved, with the focus remaining on Donovan’s recovery.
“There’s times where it feels like this happened yesterday. And there’s times that feels like this happened six months ago,” Larson said. “It’s literally taking every single day, day by day, and appreciating the small little victories that he has and continuing to thank everyone for all their prayers and support for Matt. It’s been incredible, and he’s going to keep fighting.”
On the field, Mayville State enters Saturday’s rivalry matchup with a 4-2 record, while Valley City State comes in at 1-4.
Despite the difference in records, Larson knows the Vikings will present a challenge.
“You can’t get much better than a Saturday afternoon in Mayville, North Dakota, if you like small-town college football,” Larson said. “Valley City is a really good opponent. They’re incredibly well-coached. They do a lot of really good stuff that stresses you.”
For Valley City State, the record doesn’t tell the entire story.
All four of the Vikings’ losses this season have come by one score, with VCSU remaining competitive deep into each contest.
“You know, I think our guys understand that we’ve been very competitive, and in all the games up until the last minute of the game, we’ve been up or tied and had opportunities to win,” VCSU head coach Dennis McCulloch said.
McCulloch believes his team has the talent to compete but must find a way to finish close games.
“Our guys work hard. They’re focused on being better. We’re in the mix with all these schools, talent-wise, the things we’re doing,” McCulloch said. “And so overall, our guys have done a good job of just focusing next game and let’s prepare and let’s find a way to not lose in the final seconds.”
The Vikings have historically controlled the rivalry, holding a 40-7 advantage in the 47 meetings recorded by VCSU since 1986. Valley City State has won the last two matchups, including a 21-0 shutout last season, while Mayville State looks for its first victory in the series since September 2024.
While both teams will be looking for a rivalry victory, Saturday will also provide an opportunity for the community to show its support for Donovan.
Larson says the Comets are planning pregame tributes for their injured quarterback, along with opportunities for fans to donate in support of Donovan and his family.
Kickoff between Mayville State and Valley City State is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Jerome Berg Field in Mayville.
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