YSU football schedule features 7 home games

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

For the second straight season, the Youngstown State football team will play seven games at Stambaugh Stadium.

After the opener at Illinois on Aug. 30, YSU will play three home games against Duquesne (Sept. 6), Butler (Sept. 13) and Saint Francis (Sept. 20).

The other home games will be against Western Illinois (Oct. 11), Southern Illinois (Oct. 18), South Dakota (Nov. 1) and Indiana State (Nov. 15).

The Penuins play conference road games at Missouri State, South Dakota State, Illinois State and North Dakota State.

The contest against the Illini marks the seventh time in nine seasons the Penguins will play an opponent from the Big Ten Conference. The Penguins’ visit to Memorial Stadium will mark a return visit for YSU Head Coach Eric Wolford and assistant coach Tom Sims.

Wolford and Sims were assistants with the program in 2007-08.

The Penguins will play Duquesne at home for the second straight season. YSU defeated the Dukes 59-17 last season. The victory was a springboard for a six-game winning streak.

Butler, which won the Pioneer Football League and made its first FCS playoff appearance, returns to Youngstown for the second time. The Bulldogs visited Stambaugh Stadium in 2010.,

In 2013, the Bulldogs won seven of their last nine contests and finished 9-4.

YSU has won all five games in their series against St. Francis. The Red Flash were 5-6 in 2013 and 3-3 in Northeast Conference play.

Because of a schedule quirk, Western Illinois will visit YSU in consecutive years for the first time. YSU won 24-14 at Stambaugh Stadium last October and has won nine of the last 10 contests against the Leathernecks to take an 18-11 series lead.

Season tickets are available by calling the YSU Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.