Return of Central State may be elixir for winless Penguins

By Pete Mollica

Youngstown hasn’t started a season 0-3 since 1986.

YOUNGSTOWN — After losing two road games, the Youngstown State football team will play its home opener this afternoon against Central State at Stambaugh Stadium.

Today’s contest will be the first meeting between the Penguins and the Marauders since the 1979 season, a game YSU won 17-6 at Austintown Fitch’s Falcon Stadium.

The Penguins played the Marauders eight times during the 1970s and won all eight meetings.

Since the Penguins joined the Football Championship Subdivision in 1981, they have won 29 straight games against non-Division I teams.

The Penguins have won 12 straight home openers dating to 1995 when they were defeated by Stephen F. Austin, 27-0.

While losing 43-0 to Ohio State and 40-7 to South Dakota State, this season’s Penguins have set some low marks.

They allowed two consecutive opponents to score 40 points for the first time since 1998 and their seven points in the first two games are the fewest they’ve scored since 1980.

The Penguins have not started a season with three consecutive losses since the 1986 campaign, which was Jim Tressel’s first season as coach. That year, YSU finished 2-9 and lost nine of their first 10 games.

Central State also comes into the contest with two straight losses. The Marauders were defeated by Dayton 31-12 in their opener and dropped a 47-13 decision to West Virginia State last week.

In the Missouri Valley Football Conference today, there will be only one conference matchup.

South Dakota State (1-1, 1-0) will play host to Western Illinois (1-1) in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Brookings, S.D. This will be the sixth meeting between the teams, but the first as MVFC opponents. Western Illinois leads the series 4-1, including a 29-26 win last year that took four overtimes to decide.

North Dakota State (2-0), ranked No. 2 in the latest SportsNetwork Poll, will take on Wyoming in a 3 p.m. contest at Laramie, Wyo. It will be the first meeting between the teams.

Illinois State (0-1) will play at Murray State at 7 p.m. at Murray, Ky. The Redbirds lead the series 4-1, including a 43-17 win last year.

Southern Illinois (1-0) will battle Big Ten member Northwestern in a noon kickoff at Evanston, Ill. It will be the first meeting between the programs.

Missouri State (0-1) will travel to Stillwater, Okla., to take on Oklahoma State in a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Cowboys have won five straight against the Bears. The last meeting in 2006 ended 52-10.

Indiana State, which has lost 33 of its last 34 games and hasn’t had a winning season since 1996, will travel to meet Eastern Illinois in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Charleston, Ill. The Sycamores trail 41-37-4 in the overall series and lost last season 54-20.

mollica@vindy.com