YSU’s ‘margin for error’ shrinking, as Penguins welcome Illinois State
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YOUNGSTOWN -- Before the start of the season, Youngstown State set a goal to get back to the FCS playoffs after narrowly missing out last year.
The Penguins had significant numbers returning on both sides of the ball and hoped that they could make the leap forward this season to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
After six games, YSU's playoff hopes are still very much alive. Despite being 3-3, the Penguins are still ranked in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll (No. 25) and are just outside the top 25 in the Coaches Poll, still receiving votes.
YSU has a noteworthy win on its playoff resume -- a 31-3 victory over now-No. 12 Southern Illinois -- something it didn't have last year. Plus, one of its losses was to FBS opponent Ohio State.
However, in the wake of its third loss of the season last week at No. 6 South Dakota, YSU's margin for error for earning a playoff berth is as small as it's ever been as it heads into Saturday's Homecoming showdown with Illinois State at 2 p.m. (ESPN+/570 WKBN) at Stambaugh Stadium.
"Our margin of error definitely shrinks a lot. We've gotta play perfect from now on," sophomore free safety Tyjon Jones said. "We need to make sure both sides of the football are playing together so we can succeed."
After a pair of road trips in the last three weeks, the Penguins get their next two games at home and three of their next four at home, starting this week with the Redbirds. YSU is 3-0 at home this season, but is 0-3 on the road. The team's two remaining road trips are to Indiana State and Murray State, which are a combined 2-10 this season.
YSU has won eight of its last nine games in the friendly confines of Stambaugh Stadium dating back to the start of the 2022 season.
"We're not worried about it. We're not going to look at our record and have that affect our mindset," sophomore receiver Max Tomczak said. "We know we have to win every game. Road wins are a must. We have to win the away games. But we gotta defend Youngstown this week, and I think that's what we're going to do."
One of the reasons for YSU's road woes this season is the defense's struggles in the secondary.
The Penguins have given up 248.8 passing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks through six games, which ranks 99th out of 122 FCS teams.
"Everybody sees the secondary, you don't see the D-lineman when he makes a mistake and there's plenty of that, or when a linebacker makes a mistake," head coach Doug Phillips said. "You see a corner or safety make a mistake -- just one second, maybe his eyes for a quarter of a second goes in the backfield, it's over. Those guys live on an island. They have to thrive in that. Every day they have to practice with that pressure on them.
"They go against good receivers in practice every day. Iron sharpens iron every day in practice. But I still have faith in our kids and I believe in our kids. We just have to work on that consistency."
However, YSU has faced its share of top-caliber quarterbacks, as well. Each of the three MVFC quarterbacks the Penguins have faced this season all rank in the top-50 in the FCS in passing yards per game.
"We have great quarterbacks in this league," Phillips said. "You give those guys time to throw, they're going to complete balls. You gotta find ways to affect them. If you can't affect a quarterback, it's hard. ... When you can affect the quarterback (like against Southern Illinois), you don't see it. It's called a unit for a reason. There's 11 players that play and each of them has a job to do to make it easier for each other. So we have to find ways to affect the quarterback so take the heat off (the secondary)."
The Penguins will face another one this week in Illinois State's Zack Annexstad, who is averaging 215.5 yards per game through the air.
Annexstad is coming off a career day in the Redbirds' win last week against Indiana State, in which he threw for a career-high four touchdown passes and also rushed for 79 yards.
"Their quarterback -- really like Zack. He knows how to run that offense," Phillips said. "He can make every throw, but different from UNI or South Dakota in that he can run. He can pull a zone read and get them 20 or 30 yards. He has shown that he can escape pressure, get out and be able to run."
Led by linebacker Amir Abdullah, who leads the team in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (10.0), the Redbirds' defense presents a challenge similarly stout to what the Penguins faced against Southern Illinois.
Illinois State is No. 8 in the country in scoring defense, giving up just 16.0 points per game, and is 11th in total defense, only allowing 287.2 yards per game.
"Defensively, (they're) unbelievable. They always have that," Phillips said. "They come with a physical front. They come at you from different angles. They'll blitz, they play four-man -- they'll bring four, but you just don't know what four they're bringing. They bring them from all over the place."
nmadhavan@tribtoday.com