YSU in league opener

By Pete Mollica

The Penguins and South Dakota State meet for the 10th time tonight at 7.

BROOKINGS, S.D. — Youngstown State will begin play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference tonight when the Penguins take on South Dakota State in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Couglin-Alumni Stadium.

Tonight’s league opener marks the earliest the conference has ever begun play and it is the earliest the Penguins have ever started conference play.

Youngstown State and the Jackrabbits first met in 1942 when the Penguins won 14-0 in Youngstown. This will be the 10th meeting in the series with the Penguins holding a slim lead, 5-4.

The teams renewed their series last season when the Penguins prevailed 23-17 at Stambaugh Stadium. YSU has won the last three meetings between the teams, but they have not played at South Dakota State since 1974, when they won, 35-21.

Both teams suffered one-sided losses in their season openers last week. The Jackrabbits dropped a 44-17 decision at Iowa State and the Penguins were shut out by Ohio State 43-0 in Columbus.

YSU comes into the contest ranked No. 14 in the SportsNetwork poll, while the Jackrabbits are ranked No. 21. Both teams dropped two spots after last week’s losses.

Four other Missouri Valley Conference teams will be in action today.

No. 5 ranked Northern Iowa (0-1) will be at home against South Dakota in a 5 p.m. kickoff at Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Panthers hold a 21-17-1 lead in the series, but the teams haven’t met since 1982.

North Dakota State, which along with South Dakota State are the Valley’s two newest members, will be trying for its second straight victory when it plays host to Central Connecticut State in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Fargo, N.D. The Bison were ranked No. 1 in this week’s FCS coaches poll and No. 2 in the SportsNetwork poll.

Southern Illinois, ranked No. 12, will open its season today at home against Hampton in Carbondale, Ill., at 7 p.m. It will be only the second meeting between the teams; the Salukis posted a 45-27 win a year ago.

Western Illinois (0-1), ranked No. 17, will also be at home today against Quincy in a 7:05 p.m. kickoff in McComb, Ill. The Leathernecks hold a 9-2 advantage in the series, but the teams haven’t played since 2004.

mollica@vindy.com