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BEAVER TOWNSHIP - With their 35-22 victory over Northern Iowa this past weekend a fading memory, Youngstown State head football coach Doug Phillips will do anything but rest over the next 11 days during a much welcomed bye week.
Currently 6-2 through eight games, the Penguins are in sole possession of the top spot in the Missouri Valley Football Conference at 4-1 with three league games remaining.
Saturday's win over the Panthers vaulted YSU into the No. 4 spot in this week's FCS rankings, up two spots after No. 1 South Dakota State and No. 4 Lehigh suffered losses in their games.
It's still a week by week, never get caught looking ahead mentality that Phillips preaches to his squad.
"We’ve had some guys out, probably the last three weeks or so," Phillips told the Curbstone Coaches during Monday's meeting at Avion Banquet Center. "We lost Thomas Jolly weeks back, Weston Sturzinger is healing and we are trying to get some guys healthy that haven’t played who will benefit from the off week. Also, there are guys who have been fighting through injuries and playing, so it's a good time for them to heal.
"The timing is probably good on both sides, getting guys back then getting guys time to heal who have been battling and playing at about 80%. The opportunity to give them what they need and get focused on finishing healthy is paramount."
Despite being one of the top-ranked teams in the FCS, Phillips said there is still plenty of room for improvement with an MVFC title on the line and deep run in the playoffs the goal.
"I don’t think we have even come close to peaking and where I think we need to be, so there is still improvement to be made," Phillips said. "You look at the second half of the Northern Iowa game and we must still clean up some things, whether it is defensively, offensively or on special teams. Our guys know that even when you win, you must constantly be improving. We want to be the team that we are capable of being, so we must show that improvement week to week and it is better to do that coming off a win than a loss."
Team chemistry and upperclass leadership has been a plus for Phillips and staff.
"I kind of knew the capability of the guys that we have on the team and the guys that have played," Phillips said. "The leadership of our fifth-year seniors sticks out along with a brotherhood that is so strong in our locker room. To see the offense come together, especially with a new group of receivers, whether it’s Lynn Wyche-El or Bryan Hunt -- those guys we brought in -- and to see them with the chemistry, with the quarterbacks has been great. Plus, the play of our tight ends and offensive line. They have played a lot of football games but can continue to get better.
"You need to be playing your best football in November, and as we finish October, that's the month that you are either a pretender or contender. We wanted to be contenders in October, then hitting on all cylinders in November. With this bye week, I’m probably going to give them off the front half of the week, but we are going to get back at it Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We must be ready for a tough opponent in North Dakota on Oct. 31."
The schedule threw a curve ball at Phillips right from the start.
"It has been an awkward year, and what I mean by that is we had 12 games scheduled. North Dakota State and Sacramento State moved up to FBS prior to the season, so we are only playing 11 this year," he said. "We only had three non-league games, and it was concerning that you had to be ready to go against South Dakota State in week number 4. That game was moved up after the schedule was switched around, but those are things that are out of your control.
"I think our young men handled that well, understanding that some teams are playing 12 games to our 11 and we must make the most of the ones that we are playing, especially when it comes to playoffs. You are trying to win, there is a pay day on the schedule, and to get to the playoffs you had better win nine games. When you are only playing 11, those games have a sense of urgency each and every week."
Since 2013, the FCS has had a 24-team playoff field with the top eight teams earning a first-round bye.
"We've done a great job of focusing weekly and this week is a reboot," Phillips said. "Can we improve with our fundamentals? Can we improve in the areas of weakness, then head into the following week and go 1-0? We don’t look further than that and don’t look at the rankings. The rankings are nice, I think they are great for fans and for people to talk about, but our guys know that you must be ready to play in this league."
Coaching talent quarterback Beau Brungard, the reigning Walter Payton Award winner, has had multiple benefits.
"When Beau came in, you could see the people who had their doubts and it was just crazy," Phillips said. "To see the work that he has put in to develop himself, his work ethic, then starting year number two and going into year number three as a starter and understanding how he had to do some things differently, developing his throwing and learning defenses and protection, that was amazing.
"People don’t see those things. He is the first one in the office at 5:30 a.m., making the coffee and the preparation that it takes to be successful on Saturday. I have probably had two players that had that type of mentality, the other being Jaleel McLaughlin, who is currently with the Cleveland Browns.
Phillips said Brungard’s performance as a Penguin is “special” and he hopes fans enjoy watching him play.
"He is a player that doesn't care about personal statistics, he only cares about one thing and that is winning football games for this team,” Phillips said. “Whether you are rushing him 200 times, having him hand the ball off to the tailback or stand in the pocket and throw the football, he’ll do whatever it takes to win. If I ask him to go out and return a punt, he is going to go out there and return that punt."
Next week, Dan Hiner, sports editor of The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle will serve as guest speaker.