Youngstown State vs. Robert Morris
Sept. 16, 2023 | Stambaugh Stadium
Youngstown, Ohio | 2 pm.
Buy Tickets

Broadcast Information
TV – ESPN+ (Drae Smith, Chris  Sammarone)
Radio Network – 570 AM WKBN (Bob Hannon, Steve Leslie, Ron Potesta)
Internet Radio – 570wbkn.iheart.com
App Audio - iHeartRadio App

Penguins
Record: 1-1
Last Game: at Ohio State (L, 7-35)
Head Coach: Doug Phillips (Fourth Season)
X (Formerly Twitter): @ysufootball

Colonials
Record: 1-1
Last Game: vs. Saint Francis (W, 31-21)
Head Coach: Bernard Clark (Sixth Season)
X (Formerly Twitter): @RMU_Football

Series History
All-Time Series: YSU leads 4-0
In Youngstown: YSU leads 4-0
Win Streak: YSU, 4 games
Last Meeting: YSU 45, Robert Morris 10 (2019)

    The No. 25 Youngstown State football team welcomes Robert Morris to Stambaugh Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff for the contest is set for 2 p.m. The game is available live on ESPN+, WKBN 570 AM and iHeartRadio.
    The Penguins (1-1) are coming off a 35-7 loss at Ohio State last Saturday afternoon. After falling behind 7-0, the Guins tied the contest midway  through the first quarter following a one-yard run by QB Mitch Davidson.   The Buckeyes added another score in the first quarter, two touchdowns in the second quarter and a final one in the fourth.
    In Columbus, OSU jumped out to a 7-0 lead when All-American wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hauled in a 71-yard touchdown pass from Kyle McCord. But the Penguins answered right back with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by the one-yard score by Davidson.
    Later in the first quarter, OSU went in front 14-7 on a 38-yard scoring reception by Harrison Jr. In the second quarter, TreVeyon Henderson scored on a 13-yard rush while Emeka Egbuka caught a 28-yard touchdown pass making the score 28-7 at halftime.
    In the second half, Henderson added a 30-yard run in the third quarter for the final margin. YSU had a time of possession of 34 minutes in the game and ran one fewer play than the Buckeyes. The Guins held Ohio State to just 123 yards rushing in the contest.
    Robert Morris (1-1) picked up its first victory of the season last Saturday beating Saint Francis 31-21. RMU opened the year with a 42-7 defeat at Air Force on Sept. 2. 
    Against the Red Flash last Saturday, the Colonials trailed 17-14 in the second quarter before 21 unanswered points to seize control of the game. Quarterback Anthony Chiccott completed 21-of-27 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns. In the game, four different RMU players caught a touchdown pass.
    This is the fifth all-time meeting between the programs. The Penguins have won all four contests including a 45-10 victory in September 2019 at Stambaugh Stadium. YSU and RMU, which also compete in the Horizon League and MAC against each other, have played at Stambaugh Stadium in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

King Penguin Impresses
    Transfer running back Tyshon King has made a strong impression in the first two weeks of the young season.
    King started and rushed for 111 yards on just 11 carries and added two scores in his YSU debut vs. Valparaiso. He scored on a 62-yard run in the first quarter for YSU's first TD of the season.
    At Ohio State, he rushed for 66 yards on 12 carries in a strong performance.
    For his efforts vs. Valpo, he was tabbed the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Newcomer of the Week.

Non-Conference Home Success
    YSU has won 41 of its last 43 non-conference home games since September 2004. The two setbacks came against  Liberty in 2008 (31-28) and Butler in 2018 (23-21). Both defeats came on final-play field goals.
    Since falling to the Flames on Sept. 27, 2008, the Penguins had won 20 straight at home against non-conference foes until the loss to the Bulldogs in 2018. Since 2018, YSU has won nine straight at home against non-conference foes.

Pennsylvania Visitors
    The Penguins have had a tremendous amount of success against visitors from the Keystone State.
    The last time YSU lost a home game to a team from Pennsylvania was to Villanova on Oct. 28, 1978 (22-17).
    Since that time, the Guins have won 37 straight home games against teams from Pennsylvania.
    Most of those contests came against members of the Division II PSAC. YSU has four wins over Duquesne and Robert Morris along with three vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) and a pair of wins against Villanova in the winning streak.

Charleston Back on Field
    One of the fun stories early in the season has been the return to the lineup of CJ Charleston. 
    Charleston missed last year after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in fall camp.
    Against Valparaiso he caught four passes for 47 yards while adding the first touchdown catch of his career. At Ohio State last week he had a reception for seven yards.
    Against Valpo, he was appearing in his first game since Nov. 20, 2021, at Southern Illinois. Since his debut in 2019, has caught 32 passes for 418 yards in 20 games played. In 2021, he caught 16 passes for 147 yards and started six games.

Hooker Makes Successful Return
    DB Marcus Hooker had a successful return to Ohio State where he was a member of the program from 2018-21 before transferring to YSU.
    Against OSU last Saturday, Howard had six tackles and five solo stops against the Buckeyes. Following the game, numerous former teammates of his came up for photos and congratulate Hooker on a strong performance.

Kilpatrick Shows Strong Leg
    Punter Brendon Kilpatrick had an impressive afternoon against Ohio State averaging 45 yards per punt on six attempts.
    He had punts of 58, 53, 44, 41 38 and 36 against the Buckeyes. His 58-yard boot was a career-long. He had three punts inside the OSU 10-yard line pinning the Buckeyes at the 10, nine and seven-yard lines.

Howard Sets Tone For Big Year
    LB Alex Howard led the Penguins with nine tackles, including a personal-best eight solo stops against Valparaiso while adding three TFLs. At Ohio State, had five solo tackles, including a sack for a five-yard loss. He has 14 totals through two games.
    Last year, Howard had 34 total tackles and just 3.5 TFLs playing 10 games and making three starts.

Davidson Solid At QB
    Quarterback Mitch Davidson scored the Penguins' first-ever touchdown at Ohio Stadium this past Saturday. The Guins had kicked two field goals in their previous two visits to the Horseshoe.
    Davidson scored on a one-yard keeper in the first quarter tying the contest at seven.
    In two games this season he has completed 23-of-37 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown. He has rushing scores in each of the first two games of the campaign.
     Davidson started the final seven games of last season, all of which came vs. MVFC foes. Davidson had an impressive performance during the year completing 119-of-201 passes for 12 touchdowns and just one interception.
    In five of his seven starts in 2022, he threw for more than 200 yards while leading late-game comebacks against Western Illinois, Illinois State and Southern Illinois. He has not thrown an interception in his last 143 attempts.

Wudke Wreaks Havoc
    DE Dylan Wudke is in his third year as a starter for the Guins. A preseason first-team All-MVFC selection, Wudke has 83 career tackles with 16.5 TFLs and eight sacks.
    He has started 26 games for the Guins including 21 straight. Last year he had 43 total tackles with 12 TFLs and five sacks.
    At Ohio State, Wudke had three tackles with one solo and two assists.

Oliver A Top Target
    WR Bryce Oliver has been a big touchdown producer for the Guins upon his arrival. 
    He has played in 22 games and has a touchdown reception in 12 contests (seven in 2022 and five in 2021). Last year he had a touchdown catch in six of the last seven games which propelled him to earning first-team All-MVFC honors. In the finale vs. Southern Illinois he set the school record with 12 catches.
    In his YSU career, Oliver has 94 receptions for 1,189 yards and 18 touchdowns. He is one of just four players in school history with 18 touchdown receptions in a career.
    In 2022 he had 59 catches for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Tailbacks Show Depth, Talent
    TB Dra Rushton had a breakout year in 2022 rushing for 319 yards on 71 carries and scoring two touchdowns. 
    Against the Beacons, Rushton did not play, but five other running backs stepped to combine for 260 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns. 
    Tyshon King had 111 yards on 11 carries, Da'Shaun Whatley had 59 yards on five rushes, Cephus Harris III had 57 yards on seven attempts, Caleb Mitchell added 25 yards on three carries and Dante Walker had 10 yards on four totes.
    King was a first-team All-GLIAC selection at Northern Michigan in 2022 rushing for 984 yards on 182 carries and scored eight touchdowns in 2022. He also caught 35 passes for 444 yards and five scores.
    At Ohio State, King added 66 yards on 12 attempts while Rushton had 22 as he made his first career start.

First-Time Scorers
    Plenty of Penguins contributed to the impressive 52-point outburst against Valparaiso by scoring for the first time in YSU uniform.
    On the ground QB Beau Brungard, TB Tyshon King and TB Da'Shaun Whatley each found the end zone. Long-time wide receiver CJ Charleston scored the first touchdown of his career while Jaylen Castleberry returned a blocked punt for a score in his Guins debut.
    In the kicking game, a pair of talented young specialists stepped in for long-time kicker Colt McFadden. 
    Andrew Lastokva kicked a 30-yard field goal while adding four PATs. Clay Medvec added a pair of extra points.

O-Line Features Strength
    YSU's offensive line returns four of five starters from a season ago. That group brings a large amount of starting experience into the RMU contest with Jaison Williams (29 starts), Aidan Parker (29 starts), David Metzler (20 starts) and Ryan Johnson (17 starts) leading the way. Redshirt freshman Desmeal Leigh has started the past two games.

Preseason MVFC Accolades
    WR Bryce Oliver, OL Jaison Williams and DE Dylan Wudke were all named preseason first-team All-MVFC selections. DT Chris Fitzgerald and LS Sam Merryman were named to the preseason second team while TB/TE Jake Benio, LB Greg Benton and DB Quincy Lenton were tabbed preseason honorable-mention.

17 Graduates on Roster
    The Penguins have 17 graduate student-athletes on their roster to open the 2023 campaign.
    Those Guins who have their undergraduate degrees are: Greg Benton, Quincy Lenton, Marcus Hooker, Tyshon King, Jake Benio, Ryan Johnson, Dra Rushton, Bryce Oliver, D'Marco Augustin, Adrian Compton, Alijah Curtis, Alex Howard, Caleb Mitchell, Mike Morris, Mitch Davidson, Andres Lehrmann and Dylan Wudke.

Experience On the Lines
    The Guins have a wealth of experience on both the offensive and defensive lines.
    The offensive line features veteran starters Jaison Williams (29 games), Aidan Parker (29), David Metzler (20) and Ryan Johnson (17). Williams and Parker started for the first time in the spring of 2021. Metzler made his first-ever start at left tackle at Michigan State in 2021 and Johnson transferred from Duquesne to start four of the final five games in 2021.
    The defensive line features veterans Dylan Wudke (26 starts), Chris Fitzgerald (23), Anthony Johnson (eight), Devin Lee (five) and Andres Lehrmann (two). Fitzgerald has started 23 straight games while Wudke has started 21.

Numbers of Note
• Turnover Margin: Since 1996, YSU is 153-47 when they win or tie the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 28-86.
Since 1990 YSU is:
• 175-22-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
• 154-23 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
• 176-30 when scoring 28-or-more points.
• 93-14-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
• 205-22 when leading entering the fourth.
• 93-3-2 holding opponents to 10 points-or-less.
• YSU is 21-6 when a back rushes for more than 200 yards in a game.