YSU seeking transition from good to great as 2023 season begins
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YOUNGSTOWN -- By all accounts, the 2022 football season was good as far as Youngstown State is concerned. Now, the Penguins want to make the jump from good to great.
The first step of that journey is, at last, upon them, as the Penguins welcome Valparaiso to Stambaugh Stadium tonight for each team's season opener (7:30 p.m., ESPN+, 570 AM WKBN).
"We've talked about what does it take to (move from) good to great," YSU coach Doug Phillips said. "(We went) 5-3 in our league (in 2022). Guess what? That's good, but it's probably not great. …What does it take to get great? We can go back and look at last year, and we do."
"We were a good team last year. This year, we're looking to be great," defensive tackle Chris Fitzgerald added.
Last year provides YSU with plenty of motivation. Despite winning five of its final six contests, Youngstown State missed out on a playoff berth due to two losses in particular: a 35-30 home defeat to North Dakota and a 25-22 loss at Missouri State in the penultimate week of the season.
"It stings," Phillips acknowledged.
With so much returning firepower on the roster, however, the Penguins expect to make that leap beginning tonight.
In the Beacons, YSU is set to face a program slated sixth out of 11 Pioneer Football League teams. The Penguins topped fellow PFL member Dayton a season ago, 49-16.
"They're going to be fundamentally sound," Phillips said of his opponents. "They're smart kids, they know how to win football games. … In the last three years, they've been trending in the right direction."
Valpo features two Preseason All-PFL selections in receiver Solomon Davis and tight end Evan Jernegan.
Davis, a speedster who set his high school's 400-meter run record, caught 43 passes for 748 yards and four touchdowns in 2022, while Jernegan added 15 catches for 241 yards and two scores.
Also back is starting quarterback Michael Appel Jr., who tossed for 1,878 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He completed 149 of 253 passes, but was picked off six times.
"They have a quarterback that I think can throw the football, and their tight ends have great hands. They have a receiver (Solomon) that can make plays downfield, and their defensive line -- just like our guys, their whole defensive line is back," Phillips said.
Sam Hafner is one of the anchors of that defensive front. An All-PFL second teamer last season, he recorded 65 tackles, nine TFLs, five sacks and forced three fumbles.
The Beacons may look a little different from 2022, however, as they feature new coordinators, Matthew Symmes on offense and David Marquis on defense.
That's added a little twist to game preparation, Phillips noted.
"They got an offensive coordinator coming in. OK, where did he work last? You're digging to see what they could do," Phillips said. "If they come out in the triple option, I'll be a little worried. But our offense plays with one tight end, they play with two tight ends, they play with three tight ends. We'll go with no tight ends. So hopefully, our defense has seen every look that an offense can go."
He added, "They got a new defensive coordinator, but their head coach (Landon Fox) is a defensive coach. But that new coordinator may come in with a new twist, a new coverage or a new blitz. But that's the fun part about football -- I want to see how our kids adapt."
And more than anything, Phillips mentioned, YSU's focus is inward early on as it prepares for the rigors of the Missouri Valley.
"We have 11 guaranteed games, and it starts this week," he said. "There's no do-overs. You hope that the plan you put together is successful, and if there's mistakes in the plan, we'll find out and get hit in the face, and we'll adjust. We'll adapt, and we'll come out better the next week. That's what's been in our talks in our meetings. Everyone thinks it's Xs and Os, but I think there's a bigger picture. I think that bigger picture is the growth and the step that I'm hoping we take this year."
FAST FACTS
-- Valpo is 2-12 in season openers over the last 14 years. Tonight also marks the 10th time in 11 years the Beacons are opening the season on the road.
-- The Beacons are 0-7 all-time in Thursday night contests and 0-9 all-time against Missouri Valley opponents. Valpo gave Ilinois State a scare in 2022 in a 28-21 loss.
-- In its previous three meetings with Valpo, Youngstown State has outscored the Beacons 178-20. The closest contest was in 2018, a 42-7 YSU victory.
-- The Penguins have won 40 of their last 42 nonconference home games.