YSU hosts Missouri State

The Penguins will try for their second consecutive conference win.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — The last time the Youngstown State football team opened Missouri Valley Football Conference play with a 2-0 record was in 2006, and that year the Penguins won the conference championship, went to the playoffs and reached the semifinals.

Today the Penguins will try for their second straight MVFC victory today when they play host to Missouri State in a 6 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium.

It is just the second home game for the Penguins (3-1, 1-0) and they have already won two games on the road after winning just once all last season when they struggled through a 4-8 season, 3-5 in the conference.

YSU is also going for its first four-game winning streak since the 2007 season.

Last week the Penguins shut out Indiana State on the road, 28-0, and the shutout was the first on the road since 2005 and just the fourth in conference play since YSU joined in 1997.

The Penguins have really struggled early in all three victories, trailing at halftime in two of the three games, but they have outscored those three opponents 66-14 in the second half.

Missouri State (2-2, 0-1) is playing just its second road game of the season after having three straight at home. The Bears lost 35-7 to Northern Iowa last Saturday at home.

The Penguins lead the all-time series with the Bears 11-2, including a perfect 6-0 record at Stambaugh Stadium. Missouri State, however, won the last meeting a year ago, 42-28, in Springfield scoring the most points they have ever scored against the Penguins.

In the six home wins against the Bears, YSU has scored under 31 points just once (17 in 1999) and have scored 30 or more points on 26 occasions, including twice this year, since the 2005 season.

Six of the first nine meetings in this series were decided by a touchdown or less, but each of the last four contests have been decided by at least 14 points.

The Penguins, who have played three of their four games to date on the road, will remain at home again next week when they host Western Illinois in a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Penguins will then have an open date on Oct. 17 before returning to the road to take on Southern Illinois on Oct. 24.

Elsewhere around the conference today, Northern Iowa (3-1, 1-0) will be at home against Indiana State (0-5, 0-2) in a 5:05 p.m. kickoff in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Panthers lead the series 21-4 and have won the last six meetings. The Sycamores haven’t won at the UNIDome since 1988.

North Dakota State (1-3, 0-1) will celebrate homecoming by hosting Illinois State (1-3, 0-1) in a 2 p.m. contest at Fargo, N.D. The Bisons lea the series 2-0 including a 25-7 win a year ago.

Western Illinois (1-2, 0-0) will host its conference opener against Southern Illinois (2-1, 1-0) today at 7 p.m. in Macomb, Ill. WIU leads the series 33-17-4, but the Salukis have won seven straight including a 24-14 win a year ago.

Unbeaten South Dakota State (3-0, 2-0) will step out of the conference tonight to take on Cal Poly in a 9 p.m. kickoff at San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Jackrabbits trail in the series 3-2 including a 42-28 loss a year ago.

mollica@vindy.com