Game Day: SDSU hosts Youngstown State for the annual Hobo Day game – Sioux Falls Live

YOUNGSTOWN STATE (2-4) AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (4-1)
WHEN/WHERE: Saturday, 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
TV: Midco Sports Network
STREAMING: ESPN+
RADIO: WNAX-AM 570; Jackrabbit Radio Affiliates
RECORD LAST YEAR: SDSU 15-0 (FCS champions); YSU 8-5
SERIES: SDSU leads 17-7
LAST TIME: SDSU went 34-0 in Youngstown last year
LAST WEEK: YSU defeated Indiana State 21-14; SDSU defeated UNI 41-3
RANKING: SDSU is No. 1 in the FCS
Trainer: YSU – Doug Phillips – (5th year, 21-26); SDSU – Jimmy Rogers (sophomore, 19-1)

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: When South Dakota State made the jump to Division I-AA (FCS) for the first time, Youngstown State was one of the powers that made North Central Conference fans gulp and ask, “We think we can beat them?” “

The Penguins won four national championships under Jim Tressel in the 1990s and remained a playoff contender after Tressel moved to Ohio State.

Twenty years later, the Jackrabbits are the FCS powerhouse, reigning two-time national champions, welcoming YSU to Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium for the annual Hobo Day game.

And the Penguins are somewhere close to the then Jacks. Not a bad team by any means, but certainly far from being considered as serious title contenders.

When the Penguins hired Youngstown native and former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, there was hope that a return to prominence would follow, and the fiery Pelini led YSU to 12 wins and the FCS title game in 2016. That second place proved to be a success for Fata Morgana, however, and he was gone three years later.

The school took the opposite approach in its search for Pelini's replacement, hiring Doug Phillips, a longtime high school coach and administrator who had spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Cincinnati.

After two tough years, the Penguins won seven games in 2022 and returned to the playoffs last year, where they reached the second round.

Still, the Penguins' return to contention doesn't necessarily mean they're a major threat to beat SDSU. Despite eight wins and a playoff spot, Youngstown State lost 34-0 at home to the Jacks last year.

Marcus Traxler/Mitchell Republic

And it appears the Penguins have taken a step back this year. They are 2-4, with a win over Valparaiso, a non-scholarship team, and last week's 21-14 home win over Indiana State. Their losses included Villanova, Duquesne, Pitt and Missouri State.

The Penguins' spread offense centers around quarterback Beau Brungard, who leads the team with 473 yards and six rushing touchdowns while completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,013 yards. Ethan Wright and Tyshon King have combined for more than 600 rushing yards and four touchdowns each, while Max Tomczak is the Penguins' leading receiver with 28 catches for 392 yards. Max is the nephew of former Bears and Steelers quarterback Mike Tomczak, who serves as an advisor to Phillips on the coaching staff.

The Penguins are averaging 28 points per game on offense, a number skewed by allowing 59 against Valpo, while their defense is allowing 34 per game, a number skewed by allowing 73 against Pitt.

Meanwhile, the Jacks are clearly on the right track, entering the game with a 41-0 win and emerging with a 41-3 win. They haven't allowed a touchdown since 38 seconds into the fourth quarter of their win over Incarnate Word in the home opener, and in their last three games they've given up a total of just six points and an average of 199 yards.

Mark Gronowski has individually thrown for 976 yards and nine touchdowns, while Amar Johnson has led a multi-pronged running attack with 416 yards and four touchdowns. Griffin Wilde caught 27 balls for 345 yards and three touchdowns.

ETC: The Jacks have won 31 in a row against FCS teams. A win would be their 19th in a row in MVFC play, which would tie the conference record set by NDSU from 2017 to 2020. Their last five and five of the seven games have been at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium….SDSU has 23 at home Won in a row. Their last home loss was against UNI in 2021 – on Hobo Day….Brunghard has two 100-yard rushing games for YSU this year…Penguins punter Brendon Kilpatrick is the reigning Valley special teams player by average of the week 47.8 yards on five punts in the win over Indiana State.

Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sportswriter. He graduated from Washington High School, where he played football and Legion baseball and developed a lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at [email protected].