1. There was a very brief point at the end of the third quarter of Saturday's game when I wondered, "Could Youngstown State really lose this game?"

The Penguins were down 17-7, had committed three turnovers and looked really flat. And yet, the game never really felt like it was in doubt. YSU was clearly the better team.

As South Dakota coach Joe Glenn told me afterward, "Their athletes shone. We have speed, but not like that."

2. YSU outscored South Dakota 21-0 in the fourth quarter to pull away for its third straight win. Afterward, Penguins coach Eric Wolford said, "Sometimes you need games like that on your resume."
Maybe, but if the Penguins play like that over the last three games, they're going to lose at least two of the three.

3. For whatever reason, South Dakota seems to bring out the worst in YSU. Two years ago, when QB Kurt Hess was going through a major funk, offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery gave Jamaine Cook the ball 42 times and he finished with more than 200 yards as YSU won 13-10. Last year, the Penguins lost three fumbles and needed a late score to win 38-34.

I'm sure YSU fans would love to see the Penguins blow the Coyotes out, but the bottom line is they won all three games.

4. Glenn is a very good coach -- he won a national championship at Montana -- but his team just doesn't have as much talent as rest of the Missouri Valley. It makes you wonder, with North Dakota State's dominance and South Dakota State's success, if there just aren't enough good football players in that part of the country to support three good MVFC teams.

5. Glenn is also an outstanding interview. Late in the second quarter, when he was arguing (unsuccessfully) for YSU to get called for a false start on fourth-and-1, he got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. He then kicked the penalty flag, Lou Piniella-style.

When I asked him if it was the first time he kicked a flag, he hesitated, then grinned and said, "I did it 40 years ago." He then told a hilarious five-minute story about his team getting two straight touchdowns called back by holding penalties.

He kicked the second penalty flag and got hit with unsportsmanlike conduct, which prompted his athletic director to ask him what happened.

"I kicked the flag," Glenn said.

"You should have done it while it was still in his pocket," the AD said.

6. YSU is 6-2 and 4-1 in the Missouri Valley. The Penguins are tied with this weekend's opponent, Illinois State, for second place in the conference. They're in great shape for the postseason. If they win two of the last three, they're in, no question.

Even if they lose two of the last three, I'd be surprised if they don't make it, unless they get blown out. The Penguins have wins over three teams that were ranked at the time they played them (Missouri State, Southern Illinois, South Dakota State) and their last three opponents are all currently ranked: Illinois State, Indiana State and North Dakota State.

If they lose all three … well, that's not something anyone wants to think about.

7. I got a couple emails from YSU fans who were upset with Saturday's crowd, which was down to about 1,000 fans in the fourth quarter.

Here's the thing: As someone who gets paid to cover games — and gets in for free — I'm very reluctant to criticize fans for not going to games, particularly on cold, windy days like Saturday.

Yes, the fourth quarter crowd was a bit of an eye-opener, especially considering YSU is tied for second place in the nation's toughest conference. And yes, you'd think a football town like Youngstown would be able to get at least a few thousand fans, since that's normal for high school football games.

YSU distributed more than 8,000 tickets for the game, which means a lot of people are staying home. And it means a lot of people still don't believe this team is for real.

8. For the record, I do. The Penguins aren't going to win a national title, but are they one of the three best teams in the conference? Looks like it.

Penguins athletic director Ron Strollo said they've always had trouble getting crowds for November games, because companies don't buy huge blocks of tickets for cold-weather games.

I'm sure Saturday's opponent (South Dakota is the league's worst team) and YSU's recent November struggles had something to do with it.

9. There seems to be a lot of resentment from YSU fans over Ohio State's popularity.

The Buckeyes obviously cast a large shadow, but Ohio State's game didn't start until 8 on Saturday. That doesn't quite explain the small crowd.

To me, it's like hot dogs and hamburgers. Liking one doesn't mean you can't like the other.

10. YSU has one more home game in two weeks against Indiana State. If the Penguins win at Illinois State, I think you'll see more fans. If not, well, maybe they can pray for sunshine and temperatures in the mid-50s.