The Youngstown State football team will kick off a rare spring campaign on Sunday afternoon with a visit to top-ranked North Dakota State. The contest against the Bison is set for 3:30 p.m. Eastern/2:30 p.m. Central from Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D. The game is available on ESPN+, WBCB TV, WKBN 570 AM and iHeartRadio.
It will be a new-look Penguins program that visits NDSU this weekend. YSU returns just 25 players who saw action in its most recent contest in November 2019 and has nearly an entirely new coach staff. First-year Head Coach Doug Phillips, who took over the program in February 2020, will finally get to coach his first game as the Guins' head coach.
Some of the familiar faces returning for YSU include QB Joe Craycraft, QB Mark Waid, PR Jake Coates, TB Christian Turner, DE Antoine Cook, DT DeMarko Craig Jr., PK Colt McFadden, DB Zaire Jones and DB Demetries Ford among others. Only six players who started on offense or defense in the 2019 season finale vs. Illinois State could start on Sunday at NDSU.
The Bison (1-0) played one contest in the fall beating Central Arkansas 39-28 on Oct. 3 at the Fargodome. Then-quarterback Trey Lance threw for 149 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 143 yards on 15 attempts and adding two more scores. Lance has declared for the NFL Draft and all mock drafts have him as a projected early first-round selection.
Nine of the current 10 MVFC members are planning on playing football this spring. Only Missouri State, Southern Illinois and NDSU were able to play games in the fall while Indiana State has opted out of the upcoming spring campaign. The only active MVFC team the Penguins are not scheduled to face is Illinois State.
Against the Bison, YSU has won four of the 14 all-time meetings with its last win coming on Nov. 12, 2011, in Fargo (27-24). NDSU has won the previous eight contests since that time.
The Penguins play their first home of the spring season on Saturday, Feb. 27 when they take on UNI at Stambaugh Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.
Last Time Out: YSU 21, ISU 3
In November 2019, the Penguins used a strong defensive effort in a 21-3 victory in the season finale over Illinois State at Stambaugh Stadium.
YSU held the Redbirds to just 142 yards of total offense, highlighted by six sacks and three interceptions. The Penguins also stopped ISU on 12 third-down attempts.
The Penguins took a 7-0 lead in the final minute of the first quarter on a six-yard run by Braxton Chapman.
After a Sam Fenalson field goal trimmed YSU's lead to 7-3, the Penguins scored a touchdown with just 13 seconds before halftime on a quarterback sneak by Joe Craycraft.
Neither offense scored in the second half, but the Penguins' defense found the end zone. With 5:06 remaining, Zaire Jones intercepted a Jack Baltz pass and returned it 30 yards for the score. The Redbirds had just three pass completions in the game for 30 yards.
In his final game, TB Joe Alessi rushed for 103 yards on 18 carries.
Last Time vs. NDSU
YSU dropped a 56-17 decision to North Dakota State at Stambaugh Stadium in November 2019. NDSU erupted for 21 points in the first and second quarters in the contest.
Following a YSU fumbled punt, NDSU capitalized four plays later on a nine-yard run by Trey Lance. Lance then connected with Christian Watson on a 69-yard touchdown pass to put the Penguins in a 14-0 hole. Josh Babicz followed with a pair of 6-yard touchdown grabs and Dimitri Williams' four-yard scoring run put the Bison on top 35-0 with 2:35 left in the half.
YSU got on the scoreboard on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Joe Craycraft to Miles Joiner. But NDSU's Kobe Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown. In the second half, Colt McFadden kicked a 27-yard field goal and third-string quarterback Mark Waid scored on a 27-yard run while NDSU added a pair of touchdown runs.
YSU Coaching Debuts
Head Coach Doug Phillips will make his YSU debut against NDSU. Phillips was named the eigthth coach in school history in February 2020. The Penguins' new head coaches are 2-5 in their debut game.
Coach Bo Pelini dropped a 45-37 contest at Pittsburgh in 2015; Eric Wolford dropped a 44-14 decision at Penn State in 2010; Coach Jon Heacock earned a 38-7 win over Division II Lock Haven in his opener in 2001; Coach Jim Tressel lost 34-19 at Nicholls State in 1986; Coach Bill Narduzzi won 10-0 over Central State in 1975; Coach Rey Dempsey lost 22-0 to Dayton in 1973 and Coach Dike Beede lost 12-6 to Geneva in the first game in the program's history in 1938.
Plenty of New Faces
Only seven players who started the 2019 season finale against Illinois State are back for the 2021 spring campaign.
The only offensive starters from that game who are part of the 2021 spring roster are OT Dan Becker, QB Joe Craycraft and TE Josh Burgett. A group of four defensive starters, DT Antoine Cook, LB Griffin Hoak, DB Demetries Ford and DB Zaire Jones return.
Only 26 players who played in the final game of the 2019 season return for the upcoming spring season.
Team of Graduates
The Penguins have an impressive amount of college graduates on this year's squad.
QB Joe Craycraft, TB Christian Turner, TB London Pearson, DE James Jackson, PK Colt McFadden, DB Zaire Jones, DB Patrick Minenok, OL Jordan Velez, WR Samuel St. Surin, LB Malachi Newell and OL Henry Youboe have all earned their undergraduate degrees from YSU.
Joining that group is graduate transfers Grant Dixon (Marist), Quincy Lenton (Florida), Nick Rosen (Lehigh), Ty Eddington (Eastern Michigan), Malick Mbodj (Cincinnati), Andrew Ogletree (Findlay) and Allen Stritzinger (Syracuse).
Phillips Finally Making Debut
After being hired on Feb. 8, 2020, YSU Head Coach Doug Phillips will get to make his debut for the Penguins.
His previous first contest was set for Sept. 5 at Akron, in what was a highly-anticipated contest among Penguins fans. YSU had not played the Zips since 1995.
Offensive Line Revamped
Only two members of the current offensive line bring any kind of starting experience to the opening game at North Dakota State.
Dan Becker has by far the most experience with 21 career starts. The only other offensive line starter on the team is Jordan Velez, who has one career start (vs. Samford).
Craycraft Brings Experience
The Penguins will have the more experienced FCS quarterback in the matchup in Joe Craycraft.
In 2019, Craycraft started four contests and played in 11 contests. On 59 carries he rushed for 143 yards and scored three touchdowns. He completed 66-of-127 passes (52 percent) for 893 yards and eight touchdowns.
Jones Leads Secondary
SS Zaire Jones showed improvement throughout the 2019 season and will be a key leader on the secondary.
Jones finished the 2019 campaign with 60 total tackles which ranked him second on the squad. He had three interceptions and capped off the year with a pick-six against Illinois State.
Jaelin Madison stepped in last season and had 41 total tackles (22 solos) while Demetries Ford had 25 stops, John Harper had 17 and Troy Jakubec had nine.
Mid-Year Transfers
YSU picked up some key reinforcements in January to help bloster the program at some key positions. The Guins had additions from Division II, FCS, Junior College, Group of Five and Power Five and another country.
The Guins added punter Paddy Lynch (Australia), LB Grant Dixon (Marist), DT Ty Eddington (Eastern Michigan), DB Quincy Lenton (Florida), LB Dorian Holloway (Cincinnati), TB Jaleel McLaughlin (Notre Dame, Ohio), TE Andrew Ogletree (Findlay), OL James Morrow (Butler County) and OL Nick Rosen (Lehigh). DB Allen Stritzinger (Syracuse) and WR Malick Mbodj (Cincinnati) joined Penguins prior to fall camp.
D-Line Has Some Experience
YSU returns a good amount of experience on the defensive line with the return of Antoine Cook, DeMarko Craig and James Jackson.
Cook had 39 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and four sacks in 2019. Craig also had 39 stops with 11.5 TFLs and five sacks. Jackson had 14 tackles, including his first career sack vs. Western Illinois.
Record Season For Coates
Senior PR Jake Coates had one of the best seasons by a punt returner in school history during the 2019 campaign. Coates returned 32 punts for a school-record 353 yards this season, an average of 11 yards per return.
He was named second-team All-MVFC as a kick returner, the first Penguin to earn all-league first or second team honors as a kick returner since Jerald Burley in 2001.
He ranks first in school history in career punt returns (76) and second in yards (517). He is just 17 yards shy of the mark set by Trent Boykin (1991-94).
Looking For Playmakers
The top returning receiver from the 2019 squad had five receptions during that season and all of those came in the same game.
With Samuel St. Surin out for the spring with an injury, CJ Charleston is the next highest returning receiver on the team from 2019. Charleston had five catches for 105 yards at Indiana State in 2019. Jake Coates (2), Jake Cummings (2), Mike Diaz (1) and Rahmiere Knight (1) are the only Guins wide outs with pass receptions returning from 2019. Sophomore Natavious Payne, who played sparingly in 2019, caught 18 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown in 2018. His TD reception came against Valparaiso that season.
St. Surin had 16 catches in 2019 and is the only previous wide out with a TD catch.
The additions of Malick Mbodj and Andrew Ogletree will be a huge help. Mdobj caught 23 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown at Cincinnati and Ogletree had 54 receptions for 785 yards and had 10 touchdowns at Findlay.
Turner's Versatility Key
YSU can lean on the versatility of veteran TB Christian Turner early in the season. In his career, Turner has rushed for 893 yards on 180 attempts and caught 66 passes for 559 yards.
He has 21-or-more receptions in each of his three seasons with the Penguins.
McFadden Times Three
The Penguins' Colt McFadden assumes duties as placekicker for the second straight year. That last name is very familiar to YSU fans.
His father, Paul, played for the Penguins from 1980-83, while his brother Connor, was with the program from 2013-16. Both his father and brother were placekickers.
Last season, Colt McFadden made six field goals and was 46-of-49 on PAT tries. He made his final 31 PATs of the season.
Paul McFadden finished his career with 240 points making 52 field goals and 78 PATs. He earned notoriety for being a barefoot-style kicker. Connor McFadden played a big role in YSU's playoff run in 2016. In the NCAA quarterfinals against Wofford, he converted a PAT kick in a two-overtime win.
Two Campbell Award Semifinalists
The Penguins can boost one thing not many other programs can - two 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame semifinalists.
YSU's nominee for the honor was senior TB Christian Turner. The other Campbell semifinalist on the team is Grant Dixon who transferred from Marist.
Touchdowns By Current Guins
The Penguins have nine players on their roster who have combined for a total of 24 touchdowns. TB Christian Turner and QBs Mark Waid and Joe Craycraft each have three rushing scores. Turner and Samuel St. Surin each have four receiving TDs.
TD Scorers
Turner – 7 - 3 rush / 4 pass
St. Surin – 4 pass
Waid - 3 rush
Pearson – 3 - 1 rush / 2 pass
Craycraft - 3 rush
Payne – 1 pass
Coates - 1 punt return
Burgett - 1 pass
Jones - 1 int return
Numbers of Note
• Turnover Margin: Since 1996, YSU is 143-39 when they win or tie the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 27-76.
Since 1990 YSU is:
• 170-21-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
• 145-18 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
• 167-29 when scoring 28-or-more points.
• 88-11-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
• 198-17 when leading entering the fourth.
• 91-3-2 when holding opponents to 10 points-or-less in a game.
Up Next:
YSU begins a stretch of four home games in a five-week span when it plays host to UNI on Feb. 27 at Stambaugh Stadium.
