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Top-five matchup comes to Stambaugh Stadium
By Brian Dzenis
YOUNGSTOWN
If there was ever a week to gauge where Youngstown State stands among the Football Championship Subdivision powers, it’s this one.
The Penguins (2-1), tied for No. 5 in the nation, host No. 4 South Dakota State on Saturday night.
YSU coaches and players expect a fired-up Stambaugh Stadium crowd.
“Hopefully we’re at a point where people understand that there’s some really good football being played here and there’s going to be a good football game being played here Saturday night,” Penguins coach Bo Pelini said. “I’d put it up against any game that’s going on in the country.”
After two blowout wins and a bye week, there’s little that needs to be done from a motivational standpoint for the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener.
“We’re all excited, since we played Central Connecticut State, it’s all we’ve been thinking about,” left tackle Justin Spencer said. “It’s not often you get a top-five matchup here and we’re ready to go.”
The Jackrabbits (3-0) was predicted to finish second in the MVFC this season. They own the series with YSU at 12-6 and the Penguins have yet to beat them in the Pelini era, with the last win coming in 2014.
When the two teams last met in Brookings, S.D., the Penguins went down by two touchdowns less than five minutes into the game en route to a 24-10 defeat.
“It would be great for us to get off to a good start against them this year,” said running back Tevin McCaster, who scored the Penguins’ only touchdown against the Jackrabbits last year.
FEELING REFRESHED
Any players who were dealing with injuries from the first three games of the season are ready to roll against the Jackrabbits, Pelini said. That group includes starting quarterback Hunter Wells — who hasn’t played since Week 2 — and right tackle Cameron Fraser.
“They get a chance to get away from it for a little bit,” Pelini said. “I’m sure most of them enjoyed their weekend and their time off. That’s a novelty this time of year for players and coaches alike.”
BO STANDS FOR ANTHEM
The past weekend of football featured hundreds of NFL players, coaches and owners locking arms, taking a knee or not even taking the field during the pre-game national anthem. The movement started last year with former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick kneeling to protest police brutality, but the number of players protesting ballooned over the weekend after President Donald Trump suggested NFL players who protest during the anthem should be fired.
Don’t expect the Penguins head coach to join the crowd.
“To me, it’s disappointing. I know people have the right to protest,” Pelini said. “Everybody seems to have their agenda and what they want to protest these days, but I think there is a time and a place.
“In my humble opinion, that’s not the time nor the place.”
At YSU home games, a player leads the team out of the tunnel carrying an American flag.