Correspondent file photo / Robert Hayes Youngstown State head coach Doug Phillips looks on during the Penguins' game against North Dakota on Oct. 8. YSU was left out of the FCS playoff field after finishing the season 7-4.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State’s season will not continue, as the Penguins were left out of this year’s FCS playoff bracket after finishing the season at 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the Missouri Valley.

The Penguins were considered a bubble team during the final weeks of the regular season and had won five of their final six games, but two narrow losses in particular proved to be too much for YSU to overcome.

The first was Oct. 8’s loss to North Dakota, a 35-30 decision in which YSU had the ball in North Dakota territory in the final minutes before failing to score. The other came Nov. 12 at Missouri State, a 25-22 loss to a Bears team that finished the season 5-6.

A win over North Dakota would have given the Penguins a marquee victory against a team that made the postseason, and a win over MSU would have prevented a bad loss that proved to be an albatross around Youngstown State’s neck.

In addition, the size of this year’s field of bubble teams was larger than usual, creating a logjam for a limited number of spots. Among the teams that were selected ahead of YSU in that territory were Montana, Delaware and Idaho.

Of the three, Idaho (7-4, 6-2 Big Sky) had the best resume. The Vandals beat Montana 30-23, and two of their losses were to Power 5 programs Washington State and Indiana. Another was to Sacramento State, the No. 2 seed in the bracket, and the last was to UC Davis, another bubble team left out.

Montana (7-4, 4-4 Big Sky) lost four of its last six games, but all of those losses were to teams that made the playoff field.

Delaware (7-4, 4-4 CAA) also lost four of its last six (and three of its last four) including a 29-26 loss to 6-5 Villanova on Saturday. That could have prevented the Blue Hens from sneaking in, but their other three losses were to teams in the field of 24. Also, Delaware featured a win over fellow bubble team (that ultimately was left out) Rhode Island as well as an FBS win over Navy.

The FCS playoffs begin Saturday.

jwhetzel@tribtoday.com