The Youngstown State football team opens the 2021 season against Southland-foe Incarnate Word. Kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium is set for 7:05 p.m. The game is available live on ESPN+, WKBN 570 AM and iHeartRadio.
The Penguins played seven games in the spring and now set their sights on a 10-contest fall campaign. The first test is a visit from UIW on a Thursday night in the 40th season of play at Stambaugh Stadium.
YSU faced a daunting spring schedule with an inexperienced team and a first-year head coach. The Penguins played hard throughout the spring leading in five contests and all seven were within one score in the second half. Now the Guins hope to use the experienced gained to its benefit.
Entering the fall, the offense returns nine starters, including second-team All-MVFC picks TB Jaleel McLaughlin and OT Dan Becker. The defense returns 10 starters and its top 13 tackles from the spring. LB Grant Dixon was a first-team All-MVFC pick while S Zaire Jones was a second-team selection and CB Keyon Martin and DE James Jackson were honorable-mention.
UIW was able to play six games, winning three contests, in the spring. The Cardinals averaged 42 points and 552.3 yards per game. In five of the six games, UIW scored at least 42 points and it started out the spring campaign by winning its first three games.
The high-octane offense is led by Jerry Rice Award Winner in quarterback Cameron Ward. In just six games, Ward threw for 2,260 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Jerry Rice Award is presented to the top freshman in the FCS. On the ground, one of the top running backs in the FCS, Kevin Brown, leads the charge. Brown averaged 129.1 yards per game in the spring season.
The Cardinals are the first team from Texas to make the trip to Youngstown since 1995 when Stephen F. Austin made the trip. The Lumberjacks made two consecutive trips to Stambaugh Stadium during the mid 90s. Prior to that, the most recent visit was in 1963.
YSU is playing just 10 games this fall, eight of which are against Missouri Valley Football Conference foes. The Penguins play their lone non-conference road game of the season on Sept. 11 when they visit Michigan State. It is YSU's first trip to East Lansing since 2013 and first against a Big Ten foe since playing at Illinois in 2014.
Last Time Out: Missouri State 21, YSU 10
The Penguins dropped a 21-10 contest in their final game of the spring at Missouri State in April. YSU scored the first and last points of the contest, but three Bears touchdowns in the middle portion of the game proved to be too much to overcome.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Penguins were able to take a 3-0 lead on a 38-yard field goal by Colt McFadden with 8:38 left in the second. The Bears answered with a 15-play, 85-yard drive led by backup quarterback Jaden Johnson. With 1:43 left in the half, RB Jeremiah Wilson plowed in from two yards giving the Bears a 7-3 lead. In the third quarter, Johnson threw two touchdown passes to Damoriea Vick to extend the lead to 21-3.
YSU cut the deficit to 21-10 on a six-yard touchdown pass from Joe Craycraft to Dra Rushton with 8:40 left.
LB Grant Dixon led a strong defensive effort by being credited with 12 solo tackles, including three TFLs.
Tough Schedule
The Penguins played five ranked foes during the spring season.
YSU opened the season at No. 1 North Dakota State. In week two, YSU played its home opener against then No. 5 UNI. The Guins next played 11th-ranked Southern Illinois at home. YSU traveled to eighth-ranked South Dakota State on March 13. The Penguins visited No. 15 Missouri State on April 10 in what turned out to be their final game of the spring.
The only unranked foes for YSU in the spring were South Dakota and Western Illinois.
Starting Experience
A group of seven defensive players started all seven games in the spring. The players who started every game include S Zaire Jones, CB Troy Jakubec, CB Keyon Martin, LB Griffin Hoak, LB Grant Dixon and DT Vinny Gentile.
The offensive unit had three players start every game - C Mike McAllister, G Aidan Parker and G/T Jaison Williams.
Spring MVFC Honors
YSU had seven Penguins earn All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors in the spring.
Linebacker Grant Dixon was a first-team honoree, tailback Jaleel McLaughlin, offensive tackle Dan Becker and safety Zaire Jones were second-team picks while defensive end James Jackson, cornerback Keyon Martin and punt returner Jake Coates were honorable-mention picks.
All but Coates are returning to the program in the fall.
Big Games For Shifty Jaleel
In his final five contests of the spring, Penguins fans and the MVFC have caught glimpses of the speed and moves that TB Jaleel McLaughlin brings to the table. He averaged 127.2 yards per contest in his last five games.
McLaughlin rushed for 636 yards in the last five spring contests, highlighted by a 166-yard effort against South Dakota on March 20. He had a season-high 28 carries against Coyotes.
He carried the ball 26 times for 124 yards and scored twice against Southern Illinois. He had 22 rushes for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns at South Dakota State, including a 42-yard run. He scored on a career-long 73-yard run vs. the Leathernecks. At Missouri State he had 20 attempts for 100 yards.
In his first two games, he had 16 carries for 57 yards.
Non-Conference Home Success
YSU has won 37 of its last 39 non-conference home games since September 2004. The two setbacks came against Liberty in 2008 (31-28) and Butler in 2018 (23-21).
Since falling to the Flames on Sept. 27, 2008, the Penguins had won 20 straight at home against non-conference foes until a loss to the Bulldogs in 2018. Both defeats came on final-play field goals.
YSU's last non-conference game was on Sept. 28, 2019 against Robert Morris.
Texas Visitors
The Penguins have played only one team from Texas in the history of Stambaugh Stadium - Stephen F. Austin. The Penguins played host to the Lumberjacks in 1994 and 1995. Prior to that time, that last team from the Lone Star State to come to Youngstown was in 1963.
In 1963, YSU played host to McMurry and Texas Lutheran at Rayen Stadium. The Penguins beat McMurry in October after losing to Texas Lutheran in September.
Other teams from Texas to visit Youngstown were Abilene Christian, Midwestern Texas and North Texas State all came up north in the 1950s.
Linebackers Played Well
The Penguins starting linebacking duo of Grant Dixon and Griffin Hoak were stout for the Penguins in the seven spring games.
Both players have 43 total tackles so far this year. Each player has 28 solo stops and 15 assisted tackles. Also, they each have three TFLs. Hoak has two sacks while Dixon has one. Dixon also has an interception.
Dixon has had 10 tackles on two occasions while Hoak has been credited with nine on two occasions - South Dakota and Southern Illinois.
Long-Drive Champs
YSU had eight scoring drives of 12-or-more plays in the spring. Also the Penguins had six drives of over seven minutes during the campaign.
Against South Dakota, YSU had a 13-play touchdown drive and a 12-play drive that resulted in a field goal. At SDSU, YSU had a scoring drive that took 10:14 off the clock and featured 18 plays. Against SIU, YSU's long scoring drives were 19, 18 and 13 plays. The 19-play drive against SIU took 10:05.
The Penguins had a 15-play scoring drive in the opener at North Dakota State and a 14-play drive at Missouri State.
Overall, YSU's 19 scoring drives averaged 10 plays each. The fewest was
Sack Attack
After not recording a sack in the first four games, the Penguins had eight sacks in the last three games, including five sacks in the victory over South Dakota. LB Griffin Hoak had two while LB Grant Dixon, DE James Jackson and DT Chris Fitzgerald all had one apiece.
It was the first sacks in the careers of Hoak and Fitzgerald. It was the second career sack for Jackson (2019 - WIU) while it was Dixon's first sack at YSU and first since 2019 vs. Dayton when he was at Marist.
Hoak led the team with three sacks while Dixon and Jackson each had two.
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 Sam St. Surin, TE Josh Burgett, DB Quincy Lenton, WR Jake Cummings, OT Dan Becker, OL Jordan Velez and OL Henry Yoboue have all earned their undergraduate degrees from YSU.
YSU has seven graduate transfers as well - LB Grant Dixon, DB Isacc James-Gray, P Paddy Lynch, DE JT Ngangum, TE Andrew Ogletree, WR Jorge Portorreal and OL Nick Rosen.
Transfers
YSU picked up some key transfers entering the fall season. Joining the program to bolster some numbers were WR Bryce Oliver (Kentucky), WR Jorge Portorreal (Lehigh), OL Mike Morris (Kent State), OL Nick Sabrin (Notre Dame - Ohio), DB Elijah Curtis (Army), OL Ryan Johnson (Duquesne) and DE JT Nganum (Glenville State). Unfortunately, Nganum suffered a season-ending knee injury in August.
Two Campbell Award Nominees
The Penguins can boast one thing not many other programs can - two 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 in 2020. The other Campbell semifinalist on the team is Grant Dixon who transferred by Marist in 2020.
Touchdowns By Current Guins
The Penguins have 10 players on their roster who have combined for a total of 36 touchdowns while at YSU. TB Christian Turner and TB Jaleel McLaughlin each have five rushing touchdowns. Turner leads the team with five receiving TDs.
Numbers of Note
• Turnover Margin: Since 1996, YSU is 144-42 when they win or tie the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 27-79.
Since 1990 YSU is:
• 171-22-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
• 146-19 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
• 168-29 when scoring 28-or-more points.
• 89-12-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
• 199-18 when leading entering the fourth.
• 92-3-2 when holding opponents to 10 points-or-less in a game.
Up Next:
YSU plays its first true non-conference road game since 2018 when the Penguins vs. Michigan State on Sept. 11.
