YSU in home debut today

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

The Penguins play host to Austin Peay, the Governors’ first visit in 22 years.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State’s football team has been very successful over the years in home openers, especially since the Penguins moved into Stambaugh Stadium.

Today the Penguins will play host to Austin Peay in a 4 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh in the 69th home opener in the program’s history.

The Penguins are 44-22-2 all-time in home openers, but they are even better in openers played at Stambaugh where they are 20-6-1 since 1982.

That record even gets better since the 1989 season as the Penguins have posted a 17-1-1 record over the last 19 seasons, including wins the last 13 consecutive seasons. The last time the Penguins lost a season home opener was in 1995 when they dropped a 27-0 contest to Stephen F. Austin.

YSU comes into today’s contest with a 0-1 record after losing their season opener last Saturday at Pittsburgh 38-3. Austin Peay is 1-0 after winning its season opener at home against Newberry, 34-23.

YSU is 4-0 against the Governors at Stambaugh Stadium and 6-2 overall from their days when both were members of the Ohio Valley Conference. The two teams last met in 1987 at Stambaugh with the Penguins posting a 20-18 victory.

Today’s contest in the only home game the Penguins have in the month of September as they play their next two games on the road — at Northeastern on Sept. 19 and then Indiana State on Sept. 26 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener.

The Penguins played in the Ohio Valley Conference from 1981-87 and posted an overall record of 27-21, winning the conference title in their final season. The last time the Penguins played an OVC opponent was in 1994 when they defeated Eastern Kentucky 18-15 in the second round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs on their way to a 14-0-1 season and their third national championship.

Seven of the eight other MVFC teams will all be in action today. Only Southern Illinois has an open date.

Illinois State (0-1) will be at Illinois in a 6 p.m. kickoff in Champaign, Ill. The Illini leads the series 2-0, including a 49-22 win in their last meeting in 2003.

Indiana State (0-2) will be home to Eastern Illinois in a 12:05 p.m. kickoff in Terre Haute, Ind. EIU leads the series 42-37-4 and won last year 38-3.

Missouri State (0-1) plays host to Tennessee-Martin in a 3 p.m. kickoff in Springfield, Mo. The Bears lead the series 5-0 and won 51-44 in their last meeting in 2007.

North Dakota State (0-1) will play at Sam Houston State at 6 p.m. in Huntsville, Texas. The Bison won the only other meeting 41-38 in 2007.

No. 4 ranked Northern Iowa (0-1) will play host to South Dakota at 4:05 p.m. in the UNIDome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Panthers hold a 22-17-1 edge in the series including a 24-13 win last year.

South Dakota State (0-1), ranked No. 21, will play host to Georgia Southern in a 6 p.m. kickoff at Brookings, S.D. The Jackrabbits lead the series 3-0.

Western Illinois (1-0) will play at Northern Illinois at 6 p.m. in DeKalb, Ill. The teams haven’t met since 2002 when the Leathernecks won 29-26.

mollica@vindy.com