Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes. YSU defensive linemen Jabarrek Hopkins (16) and Ebony Curry Jr. (90) combine to make a tackle during the Penguins’ victory over Indiana State last week at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — Through six games, Youngstown State is still trying to put it all together.

The Penguins have shown glimpses and they’ve had stretches in games where they’ve looked like the team they want to be, but they haven’t yet been able to put together a complete game on both sides of the ball.

“For us, we have yet to see our team play 60 minutes,” head coach Doug Phillips said. “That’s the approach we have going into week seven. We have yet to see a 60-minute game with fundamentals, execution, discipline and physicality over a four-quarter game. … It’s still about us, and can we get the Penguins to be able to play for 60 minutes. If you do those things and you execute, you give yourself a chance in every football game that you play.”

In the season opener against Villanova, YSU struggled offensively in the first half, but were able to bounce back and put together a pair of scoring drives in the second half.

Then against Valparaiso, the Penguins were able to limit the Beacons for three quarters, but gave up 22 points in the second quarter.

Against Duquesne and Indiana State, the offense disappeared in the second halves of both games after starting strong in the first half. Finally, in road games at Pitt and Missouri State, the defense simply could not keep either team from moving the ball or getting into the end zone.

“I wish there was magic for it, but there isn’t,” Phillips said. “Practice execution becomes game reality — playing with great fundamentals, playing for 60 minutes, not letting your mind wander and staying focused on the task at hand, those are the things we’ve made mistakes with over the last six weeks. We need to keep correcting it and talking about it. We have a responsibility to go and see if we can improve on those things and put it all together because I do believe we can put it all together.”

The offense has been able to show stretches of consistency. YSU is 15th in the FCS in rushing (211.0 ypg), 39th in total offense (380.7 ypg) and leads the country in time of possession (36 minutes per game).

But, the Penguins need to translate that into points on a regular basis.

“Offense, we always say score points, but they gotta be opportunistic,” Phillips said. “When the defense is in the game and playing well, can we get first downs? (We don’t) always have to score touchdowns, but I don’t know if we need to see three straight three-and-outs in the third quarter of a football game. We need to see a first down. That’s being opportunistic. Can we move the ball? Can we run the ball when they know you’re going to run the ball? That measures toughness. How you come out after halftime, that measures toughness. So for me, offensively, it’s always going to start with can you run the football?”

However, the defense has had fewer bright spots with the Penguins still giving up 7.47 yards per play.

The improvement over the course of the season has been slow, but incremental. Yet, after last week against the Sycamores, YSU has reason to be positive.

The first half against Indiana State was the best the defense has looked for a prolonged stretch all season after the Penguins held the Sycamores scoreless and limited them to just 33 total yards.

“It gave us a chance to let us know that when we do things right, this is what we can do as a unit,” SAM linebacker Kerion Martin said. “It’s exciting whenever we’re able to have success like that on the field. That’s what we’ve been trying to do ever since we started this in January. We’re just going out there every day trying to build that trust and continuity every single game, every single day and every single practice.”

YSU will have its hands full trying to put together a complete game on Saturday at 3 p.m. against two-time defending FCS national champion and top-ranked South Dakota State.

The Jackrabbits need no introduction, and save for a season-opening defeat to FBS Oklahoma State, have dominated their opposition this season just like they have in previous years. Last week’s 41-3 victory over Northern Iowa extended SDSU’s FCS win streak to 31 games.

Led once again by veteran quarterback Mark Gronowski, SDSU has the 16th-ranked scoring offense (34.2 ppg) and the sixth-ranked scoring defense (14.80 ppg).

“I give them all the respect because they’ve built (their program) the hard way,” Phillips said. “They’ve built it through time and consistency. When you look at South Dakota State, that’s what you want to look like — fundamentally sound. They’re going to play a 60-minute game. They’re going to execute. They got a great quarterback, great running back, great offensive line and a defense that is very opportunistic — they wait for you to make mistakes. … They wait for that, they thrive on that. So you cannot beat yourself when you’re playing a team like that.”

Have an interesting story? Contact Neel Madhavan by email at nmadhavan@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NeelMadhavan.