Youngstown State visits Indiana State in hopes of 1st road win
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YOUNGSTOWN -- Win or lose, Youngstown State's offense has been firing on all cylinders this season.
Through eight games, the Penguins are 10th in the FCS in scoring offense at 36.9 points per game. Remove the game against FBS opponent Ohio State, and YSU is averaging 41.1 points, which would rank fourth in the FCS.
The Penguins have now scored 30 or more points in six straight games, which is a program record. YSU has also eclipsed the 40-point mark five times this year, which ties the school record for a single season.
"I think it all started in the offseason, just with guys getting that extra work in -- (quarterback) Mitch (Davidson) wanting to throw quite a bit with the receivers, the running backs and tight ends," wide receiver CJ Charleston said. "I think the film work during the season has helped us click on all cylinders with the run game and the pass game."
The Penguins have come a long way in just a couple years. In 2021, YSU scored 22.5 points per game. Then just last season, the Penguins averaged 28.5 points per game.
It's a process that has taken time and "development," according to head coach Doug Phillips.
The philosophy and scheme has always been the same offensively, but now the Penguins have the players and depth to do what they want to do.
Phillips calls YSU a "developmental program," and the Penguins coaching staff has recruited and coached up the roster that it has now -- from the quarterbacks to the offensive linemen -- which allows them to be able to do the things they're doing offensively.
"Coach Troy (Rothenbuhler) has been here since the start, got through the lean years," Phillips said. "It takes players and then finding out what your players can do, as a coach, and then finding out where we can put our players to be successful. (Offensive line coach Austen Bujnoch) has been here from the start and has really developed high school players. These are guys that have been in the program and have developed and worked on building depth.
"I think the relationship that Mitch (Davidson), Beau (Brungard) and Max (Blanc) have with Coach Troy (Rothenbuhler) in that quarterback room -- they're all on the same page. So it's almost like you have a coach on the field, no matter which one is in the game."
Complementary football is something the coaches and players stress on a daily and weekly basis, where the offense sets things up for the defense and vice-versa.
Even with the success that the offense has had, Phillips said he still sees things that YSU needs to work on in order to achieve that balance of complementary football that they are striving for.
"There's games where I've seen it (Southern Illinois)," Phillips said. "For us, complementary football goes both ways. Coming from Coach (Jim) Tressel, the offense has to take care of the defense. In that third quarter (against Missouri State), we got a 31-14 lead and we jumped out and scored on the first drive (of the second half). They come back and answer because they're a good football team, and every team in the Missouri Valley is a good football team. But then our offense had three three-and-outs -- can't do that. That's not helping the defense. ... That's where we've gotta get better as a program. When the defense does get a stop, are we getting first downs, winning the field position battle and scoring points?"
Coming off two straight wins and back-to-back 40-plus point performances, the Penguins are looking for their first road win of the season as they head to Terre Haute to face Indiana State on Saturday at 1 p.m. (ESPN+/MyYTY/570 WKBN).
The winless Sycamores may not look like much on paper, but they have been in three one-score games against MVFC competition, including last week's 36-33 overtime defeat to a ranked North Dakota squad.
Indiana State has utilized two quarterbacks this season in Cade Chambers and Elijah Owens, but the Sycamores also like to lean on their run game, led by tailbacks Plez Lawrence and Justin Dinka.
"Indiana State's finally getting back -- they had some guys that were out early in the year," Phillips said. "Dinka's healthy and he's one of the best backs in this league. He's explosive and can change the game at any given second. ... They're fundamental, tough, hard-nosed and they don't quit. They really truly believe in running the football."
Finally getting that elusive road win would do wonders for keeping the Penguins postseason hopes on track.
"It's always tough to win on the road, especially in this conference," defensive tackle Devin Lee said. "That's one of the things that this team has to overcome, is winning on the road. ...That's what separates us from being good to great. That's what's holding us back from where we want to be and what we want to get to. Winning on the road Saturday would set us up for the rest of the season."
nmadhavan@tribtoday.com