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From today’s Tribune/Vindy
A look into the 1st half of the 2022 season
LOCAL SPORTS
JUL 27, 2022
JOEL WHETZEL
Staff writer
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com
Correspondent file photo / Robert Hayes Youngstown State receiver Bryce Oliver snags a touchdown catch during the 2021 season.
YOUNGSTOWN — In some ways, the 2022 football schedule shapes up a bit easier for Youngstown State than last season. Don’t be fooled, though. The Missouri Valley, once again, is going to be tough sledding.
The Penguins open their season Sept. 3 against Duquesne. That’s the first of three nonconference matchups, as YSU hosts Dayton the following week and then caps its nonconference slate Sept. 17 at Kentucky.
That’s an extra non-con game compared to last season, in which the Penguins hosted Incarnate Word and then visited Michigan State before beginning MVFC play.
The MVFC slate this season won’t include Northern Iowa and South Dakota State, a pair of teams who have given YSU fits recently. Instead, YSU will host South Dakota and visit Illinois State in consecutive weeks.
Here’s a week-by-week look at the first half of YSU’s 2022 schedule:
WEEK 1: DUQUESNE
The Penguins and Dukes have met four times, all of which resulted in double-digit Penguin victories at Stambaugh. The teams last collided in 2019, a 34-14 YSU win.
This season, the Dukes open a week before YSU does with a road contest at Florida State.
Duquesne is coming off a 7-3 season in which it went 5-2 in the Northeast Conference. The Dukes managed an upset of FBS-level Ohio in Athens during the campaign.
Back from that squad is lead rusher Billy Lucas, who as a freshman ran for 723 yards and six touchdowns. Quarterback Darius Perrantes also is entering his sophomore season after tossing for 1,620 yards and 17 touchdowns on a 139-for-233 season last year. Perrantes doesn’t run much — just 25 attempts a season ago, with his longest run at 11 yards.
The Dukes are tasked with replacing their No. 2 rusher, Garrett Owens, as well as their lead receivers, Cyrus Holder and Davie Henderson.
WEEK 2: DAYTON
The Penguins are 1-9 all-time against Dayton, but 1-0 since the 80s. Their last meeting in 2013 was YSU’s lone win, a 28-10 win at Stambaugh. Prior to that, the teams last played in 1977.
The Flyers went 6-4 last season, which included a 55-3 loss to Southern Illinois in Week 3.
Dayton loses its starting QB from last season, Jack Cook, but does return leading rusher Jake Chisholm (235 rushes, 1,033 yards, 14 touchdowns). Cook was the team’s No. 2 rusher.
Leading receiver Sam Bubonics hauled in 34 receptions for 477 yards and two touchdowns and returns for his redshirt sophomore year.
Dayton opens its season at Robert Morris in Week 1.
WEEK 3: AT KENTUCKY
The annual buy game will come against a team with plenty of Mahoning Valley ties.
UK is coached by Cardinal Mooney alumnus Mark Stoops, and associate head coach/tight ends coach Vince Marrow, also a Mooney grad, played at YSU before transferring to Toledo.
UK’s safeties coach, Frank Buffano, also went to Mooney and coached at YSU from 2010 to 2012 under Eric Wolford. Buffano also coached at Mooney in the 90s, and he was on Mooney’s 1987 state championship team.
Under Stoops, the Wildcats have undergone a bit of renaissance in football, and are fresh off a 10-3 season that concluded with a Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa.
Penn State transfer Will Levis returns for his senior season at quarterback after tossing for 2,827 yards and 24 touchdowns a year ago. However, he loses his top three targets from the receiving corps.
Leading rusher Chris Rodriguez is back after accumulating 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He and Levis each tallied nine scores, and Levis added 376 yards rushing.
YSU will receive $550,000 for the game, according to FBSchedules.com.
Week 4: Bye week
Week 5: at North Dakota State
On one hand, this is a really, really tough way to open the MVFC slate. On the other, at least YSU is getting it out of the way early.
The Bison are coming off yet another national championship, their ninth in 11 years. It wasn’t even a close game, as NDSU stampeded over Montana State, 38-10.
A season ago in Youngstown, North Dakota State made quick work of the Penguins, as the Bison led 21-3 at halftime en route to a 49-17 win.
NDSU returns plenty on offense, as quarterback Cam Miller and tailbacks TaMerik Williams and Kobe Johnson each are back.
Miller went 103-for-152 last season for 1,444 yards and 14 touchdowns and added 69 rushes for 280 yards and four scores.
Williams led the Bison rushing attack with 773 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Johnson added 671 yards and three scores.
Week 6: North Dakota
Here’s where a really important stretch to the season begins. Presumably, YSU will enter this game at 2-2. Over the next five weeks, YSU will face UND, Indiana State, Western Illinois, South Dakota and Illinois State — a slate that likely will determine how the 2022 season will be remembered.
The Penguins owe North Dakota after surrendering a 14-10 lead in the fourth quarter in a 24-21 loss to the Fighting Hawks, which went 5-6.
Quarterback Tommy Schuster is back for UND after throwing for 2,493 yards and 13 touchdowns on a 237-for-362 season last year, but tailback Otis Weah, by far the team’s leading rusher, transferred to Missouri State before a Title IX complaint over allegations of sexual assault at UND resulted in the Bears rescinding that offer.
However, leading receiver Bo Belquist is back after hauling in a team-high 52 receptions for 535 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.
Week 7: Indiana State
Another game last year YSU was in a season ago that got away from the Penguins in the fourth. Youngstown State led 17-14 before the Sycamores ripped off 14 unanswered points in the final quarter to win 28-17. ISU finished 5-6 last year.
Lead rusher Peterson Kerlegrand is gone after running for 830 yards and five touchdowns last season and 151 yards and two touchdowns against YSU. Gone, too, is starting quarterback Anthony Thompson, who threw for 1,326 yards and eight scores. He ran for a pair of scores against YSU, as well.
However, playmaker Dante Hendrix is back at receiver. He led ISU with 42 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns despite playing in just six games.
guinpen:
The Duquesne game makes me very anxious.
Wick250:
--- Quote from: guinpen on July 27, 2022, 06:59:48 AM ---The Duquesne game makes me very anxious.
--- End quote ---
When Duquesne beat Ohio last season, it was the Bobcats version of our "Butler fiasco." Later in the year, Duquense lost to Sacred Heart and Saint Francis. They don't have enough talent to beat us; we can most assuredly beat ourselves.
Our coaches are recruiting much better than the lazy Pelini. We are coming off this staff's first legitimate full off-season in the weight room. If the strength training has improved it should remedy our deficiencies on both lines. I think that we have the skilled athletes to be pretty good.
guinpen:
--- Quote from: Wick250 on July 27, 2022, 12:44:40 PM ---
--- Quote from: guinpen on July 27, 2022, 06:59:48 AM ---The Duquesne game makes me very anxious.
--- End quote ---
When Duquesne beat Ohio last season, it was the Bobcats version of our "Butler fiasco." Later in the year, Duquense lost to Sacred Heart and Saint Francis. They don't have enough talent to beat us; we can most a$$uredly beat ourselves.
Our coaches are recruiting much better than the lazy Pelini. We are coming off this staff's first legitimate full off-season in the weight room. If the strength training has improved it should remedy our deficiencies on both lines. I think that we have the skilled athletes to be pretty good.
--- End quote ---
I hope that you are correct!
goodnews:
There are no easy games for YSU. We have ONE winning season in the last 5. After opening with FSU, the game at Stambaugh will be much slower and manageable for the Dukes. Don't forget it will be our opener too. Hoping for a victory but afraid its gonna be closer then people think.
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