Youngstown State Penguins quarterback Beau Brungard (12) throws a pass over UNI Panthers linebacker Caleb Frazer (17) during the first half of their game at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (David Dermer/Warren Tribune Chronicle)

YOUNGSTOWN – The Youngstown State football team is back in the FCS playoffs.

The team gathered inside Stambaugh Stadium as the brackets were released at noon on Sunday. And after 23 of the 24 teams were revealed, YSU finally heard its name called.

YSU will host Ivy League champion Yale on Saturday at noon. It will be the first time the Penguins have faced an Ivy League program.

“This started last January to get to this point,” YSU head coach Doug Phillips said. “The flip from 4-8 to 8-4, now we get into the playoffs. Now guess what? It’s a new season. Learn from the 12 games that we played and play our best football right now.”

It’s the Penguins first trip to the playoffs since 2023, when they hosted and beat Duquesne before falling to Villanova in the second round.

Phillips learned a couple lessons during his first postseason as YSU’s head coach, and he knows what to look out for heading into Saturday.

“The focus, back then, it was just trying to keep guys focused,” Phillips said. “Because some of them had one year of eligibility left, and at that time, it was the wild, wild west. Guys were getting contacted while you were playing to transfer out. If you recall, after the playoff run, we had 10 of our defensive guys go in the portal.

“It’s a different group this year. The brotherhood is strong. Have seen that day in, day out. I think they’re excited to continue playing with each other. I think they’re excited for the challenge of going into this ’25 playoffs.”

It will be an interesting game for YSU defensive back Dathan Hickey.

Hickey, a redshirt senior, started his college career at Yale in 2018. He appeared in 29 games and had five career interceptions before transferring to YSU prior to last season.

“It’s definitely a full-circle moment,” Hickey said. “It’s cool to play against guys that I’ve played with before, but we just gotta go in like another game. Prepare the same way, prepare to win. It’s the playoffs now, actually the playoffs now. You lose, you go home, so you gotta take care of business.”

YSU (8-4) enters the tournament on a three-game winning streak and a winner in five of its last six games. The Penguins closed the regular season on Saturday with a 35-32 win over Northern Iowa in the UNI-Dome.

Unless there are upsets, Saturday will more than likely be the final home game for the Penguins.

“I think for the seniors, they didn’t know if they’d play again in the Ice Castle, and now they get that opportunity,” Phillips said. “So I think that’s the first thing that jumped out to them. That they get a home game, and they get another chance to play in front of their crowd and play in the Ice Castle.

“For us, traditionally when YSU’s made the playoffs, you always want to get that first-round home game. Not that it’s an advantage, but not having to get on the road the day after Thanksgiving and to have your home crowd here. And hopefully we can have a loud, raucous crowd here.”

The winner between YSU and Yale (8-2) will travel to face Montana State in the second round. But Hickey said the Penguins are staying focused on what needs to be done on a week-to-week basis.

“It’s a new season. Everybody’s 0-0,” Hickey said. “The only difference is you don’t get another week if you lose. Once we take the steps forward to win this week, we’ll worry about next week. But we really have to focus one week at a time.”