The 10th-ranked Youngstown State football team opens Missouri Valley Football Conference play on Saturday when the Penguins take on South Dakota. Kickoff at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D. is set for 2:05 p.m. Central time/3:05 p.m. Eastern time. The game is available on WKBN 570 AM, iHeartRadio and on TV in the Youngstown area on WBCB TV.
    YSU (2-1, 0-0) was idle last Saturday following its most complete victory of the year, a 48-3 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sept. 19 at Stambaugh Stadium. The offense scored six touchdowns, including five on the ground, while the defense held the Red Flash to just 87 total offensive yards on 45 plays. The Penguins scored the first 48 points of the contest, including 38 in the first half on another rainy Saturday at home.
    Jody Webb and Shane Kuhn had two touchdown rushes each in the victory. The YSU passing defense was strong again allowing just one completion for 10 yards. The Guins scored on their first eight possessions of the contest - six TDs and two Zak Kennedy field goals.
    South Dakota (2-1, 0-0) was also off last Saturday following an impressive victory. The Coyotes beat Drake 52-0 in their home opener on Sept. 19. USD relied on a strong ground game as RB Trevor Bouma scored three rushing TDs, and the Yotes amassed 296 yards rushing. It was the first shutout for the Coyotes since 2011.
    The Penguins have played three hard-fought contests against South Dakota since the Coyotes joined the league in 2013. YSU has won all three games by a combined 18 points.
    The program's lone trip to USD was in 2013. YSU had to rally for a 38-34 win after trailing by 11 points in the second half.  In that back-and-forth contest, Martin Ruiz had the game-deciding touchdown run with 11 seconds left.
    In 2014 at Stambaugh Stadium, the Penguins trailed 17-7 before scoring three fourth-quarter touchdowns. Down 10 points, Andrew Williams scored on a 58-yard pass from Hunter Wells and Jody Webb scored on a 60-yard run with 11:15 left to put YSU in front for good. Martin Ruiz scored on a two-yard run with just under three minutes left to seal the victory.

SFU Game Notes
• YSU scored on its first eight possessions of the contest and did not punt until late in the fourth quarter.
• The one completion allowed tied the school mark which had happened twice before. Northern Michigan (1975) and Western Kentucky (2001) each completed just a single pass against the Penguins. The lone completion of the game came in the first quarter.
• The 10 yards passing were the second-fewest allowed in school history behind just a two-yard performance by Indiana State in 1997.
• TE Shane Kuhn had the first rushing attempts of his YSU career. It paid dividends as Kuhn had two rushing scores on five attempts.
• The 87 total offensive yards were the fewest allowed in a game since 1979. YSU allowed just 68 to Alabama A&M in that contest. It marked the third fewest yards allowed in a game in school history and the least since YSU became an FCS program.
• The Penguins had an 18-play drive that took 9:08 off the clock to start the third quarter.
• QB Hunter Wells has thrown a touchdown pass in 10 consecutive games. Against SFU he had a third-quarter scoring toss to Martin Ruiz.
• Besides Kuhn, QB Ricky Davis also had the first rushing touchdown of his career, and reserve tailback Tevin McCaster had his first rushing attempts as a Penguin.
• YSU improved to 7-0 all-time against Saint Francis and has scored at least 48 points in each of the past three games since the series resumed in 2011.
• The Guins posted a winning record in non-conference play for the seventh straight season.

Saint Francis Recap
    YSU jumped out to a strong start and never looked back in a complete 48-3 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) at Stambaugh Stadium on Sept. 19.
    The Penguins racked up 471 yards of total offense while limiting the Red Flash to just 87 yards on 45 plays.
    YSU built a 17-0 first-quarter lead behind a Zak Kennedy field goal, a Jody Webb 22-yard touchdown run and a Shane Kuhn one-yard score.
    The Guins tacked on three second-quarter touchdowns as Webb scored from 20 yards out, Martin Ruiz caught an 11-yard pass from Hunter Wells and Kuhn found paydirt again, this time from six yards out.
    YSU added 10 points in the third quarter behind another short Kennedy field goal and the first career touchdown by backup QB Ricky Davis.
    The YSU defense allowed just one pass completion for 10 yards and seven first downs  in the game.

Last Year vs. USD
    YSU scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to overcome an upset bid by South Dakota with a 28-17 win over the Coyotes last year at Stambaugh Stadium.
    After a scoreless first quarter, Jody Webb scored on a 34-yard run to put the Penguins in front 7-0. Just before halftime, USD knotted the game at seven when Jasper Sanders scored on a seven-yard pass from Kevin Earl with nine seconds remaining.
    In the third quarter, Miles Bergner drilled a 50-yard field goal, and the Coyotes extended their lead to 17-7 on a one-yard plunge by Earl.
    On the first play of the fourth quarter, Hunter Wells connected with Andrew Williams on 58-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 17-14.
    Another long score gave the Penguins a 21-17 lead as Webb scored on a 60-yard run with 11:15 left. Martin Ruiz closed out the scoring with a two-yard run late in the game.

Series History
    All three games between YSU and South Dakota have come down to the fourth quarter. Last year, YSU trailed 17-7 at Stambaugh Stadium before scoring three touchdowns in a 28-17 win. In 2014 at the DakotaDome, the fourth quarter featured three lead changes with the last in favor of YSU with 11 seconds left. In 2012, the Penguins led 13-0 before hanging on to win 13-10.

MVFC Openers
    The Guins are 15-3 in Missouri Valley Football Conference openers since joining the league in 1997. In its 19th season of play in the league, this is the first time that YSU will open the conference slate against South Dakota.
    Of the 18 league openers, the Guins are a perfect 9-0 at home while going 6-3 on the road. In first road games of the MVFC slate, the Guins are 9-9 all-time. Last year the Penguins won at Missouri State, 14-7.
    In MVFC openers YSU is 5-0 against Missouri State, 3-0 vs. Indiana State, 2-0 against Western Illinois, 2-0 against Illinois State, 2-0 against Southern Illinois, 1-0 against UNI, 0-1 vs. South Dakota State and 0-2 vs. Western Kentucky.

Penguins Defense Ranks No. 1
    Through the first month of the season, the Youngstown State defense leads the FCS in total defense allowing just 237.7 yards per contest. In fact, the Guins lead the FCS in fewest passing yards allowed (53 yards per game), team passing efficiency defense (60.14) and first-downs defense (32) as well.
    YSU's pass defense leads the FCS by an impressive 59.3 yards per game. The Penguins have allowed a total of 159 yards on 14 completions for an average of 53 yards. Alcorn State ranks second allowing 112.3 yards a game.
Pass Defense Stout
    In the past two games the Penguins have allowed their opponents to complete just three passes. After allowing two completions for 16 yards in the win over Robert Morris, YSU followed that up with a one-completion effort for just 10 yards against Saint Francis (Pa.).
    The last two opponents are a combined 3-of-23 passing for 26 yards. Outside of two long completions by Pittsburgh (42 and 55 yards), YSU has allowed 12 completions for 62 yards in the three games.
    In total, YSU has allowed just 14 completions in three games, an average of 4.7 per contest.

FEWEST PASSING YARDS IN A GAME:
1. 2, Indiana State, 1997
2. 10, Saint Francis, (Pa.), 2015
3. 13, Eastern Kentucky, 1987
4. 16, Robert Morris, 2015

FEWEST COMPLETIONS IN A GAME:
1; Saint Francis (Pa.) | Sept, 19, 2015
1; Western Kentucky | Oct. 27, 2001
1; Northern Michigan | Oct. 4, 1975
 
Kuhn Smashmouth Addition
    Sophomore TE Shane Kuhn had five carries for 18 yards and two touchdowns in a fullback role against Saint Francis (Pa.).
    Kuhn, who said he last carried the ball as a sophomore in high school, scored on a one-yard run in the first quarter to put YSU in front 17-0. His next carry was another touchdown, this time from six yards out late in the second quarter.
    In the third quarter, Kuhn had a six-yard run on a third-and-2, a one-yard pickup on a third-and-2 and a four-yard gain on a fourth-and-1. He had his first career receiving touchdown against Robert Morris in the previous game.

Rivers Closing In On Sack Mark
    Junior DE Derek Rivers needs just two sacks to tie the school record for most in a career. Rivers enters the contest at South Dakota with 20 and trails Jermaine Hopkins (1992-95) by just two.  Impressively he has done it in just 25 games.
    Rivers had a sack in the opener against Pittsburgh and picked up a pair in the win over Robert Morris. With his effort against RMU he moved ahead of Harry Deligianis (1995-97) and James Terry (2004-07) and into second place in school history.
    Last season, Rivers registered 14 sacks while during his first campaign in 2013 he had three. Last year against South Dakota, Rivers tied a school record with four sacks in the contest.

Webb is Big-Play Scorer
    Junior TB Jody Webb scored on runs of 22 and 20 yards in the win against Saint Francis. For Webb it marked the second time this year that he had scored two touchdowns in a game. In the opener at Pitt Webb scored on a 75-yard run and a 27-yard run.
    In his career, Webb has been a big-play touchdown scorer. Of his 19 career rushing touchdowns, 11 have been of more than 20 yards.
    Against South Dakota, he has four career touchdowns and scored twice in each game he has played. Webb scored on a 42-yard run and caught a 40-yard pass in 2013. Last year he scored on jaunts of 60 and 34 yards.

Effort Best Since 1979
    The YSU defense held Saint Francis to just 87 total yards in the win two weeks ago. The last time YSU limited an opponent under 90 yards was when Alabama A&M had just 68 yards in the 1979 playoffs. That was the fewest yards allowed in a game in school history.
    The only other game in which the Guins allowed fewer yards was in 1973 when Eastern Illinois had 76. The lowest total that YSU had allowed as an FCS opponent was 90 against Buffalo in 1994.
 
Williams, Ruiz Moving Up
    Junior TB Martin Ruiz and Senior WR Andrew Williams have continued to make a steady climb up the YSU career rankings in various categories.
    Ruiz now ranks eighth in school history with 2,639 yards rushing while his 505 career attempts put him 10th. Williams has caught 117 passes and is now tied for seventh in school history. His 1,920 receiving yards put him ninth on the career charts.
    Senior WR Andre Stubbs (3,388 yards) and Ruiz (3,314 yards) rank 13th and 14th in career all-purpose yardage as well.

Going to the Wells
    Sophomore QB Hunter Wells has thrown four touchdown passes in three games this season. In his 13-game  YSU career, Wells has thrown 18 touchdown passes.
    Following a touchdown pass in the win over Saint Francis, Wells has now thrown a touchdown pass in 10 straight games dating back to last year.
    The past two games have been played in rainy conditions, and Wells responded well against Saint Francis completing 10-of-16 passes for 148 yards and a score.
    Against Pittsburgh in the opener, he had a career-high 38 passing attempts. Wells completed 19-of-38 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown. In the win against Robert Morris he threw two touchdown passes.

Williams A Top Target
    Senior WR Andrew Williams has now caught a pass in 18 straight games after a four-reception performance against Saint Francis.
    Williams has caught three-or-more passes in each of the first three games this season. He had three receptions for 46 yards against RMU after catching three for 40 yards at Pitt.
    Williams has caught a pass in 35 of the last 37 games he has played in dating back to the start of the 2012 season. The only two times he failed to catch a ball was against Pitt in 2012 and at Western Illinois in 2013.
    He now has 117 catches for his career, which ranks him seventh in school history. He is tied with Renauld Ray (1996-99) (117) and is five behind Lorenzo Davis (1986-89), who had 122 on the school's all-time charts. His 1,920 yards rank ninth in YSU history.

Webb's Load Increases
    Junior TB Jody Webb has had 13-or-more carries in the first three games. Entering the 2015 campaign he had more than 13 just one time in his career.
    Against Robert Morris, he had a career-best 23 carries for 99 yards, one game after a then-high of 17 totes against Pittsburgh. In the opener at Pitt, Webb rushed for 127 yards, including a 75-yard scamper in the fourth quarter to keep the Penguins within striking distance. He had 93 yards on 13 attempts in the win over Saint Francis. His previous best in carries was 14 at Illinois State in 2014.
    Webb leads the team with 53 carries and 319 yards rushing through the three games.

Rivers on Watch List
    Junior DE Derek Rivers is among a group of 22 top FCS standouts who are named to the STATS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
    Rivers is one of six non-seniors on the Watch List, and the MVFC is well represented with three players. Joining Rivers on the list from the conference are Indiana State's Connor Underwood and Illinois State's  Pat Meehan.
    Last season Rivers was a first-team All-MVFC honoree after being credited with 50 total tackles, including 17 TFLs and 14 sacks.

Harvin Makes An Impact
    Looking for a new threat in the lineup, sophomore WR I'Tavious Harvin is emerging into a key contributor.
    Harvin is third on the team with seven receptions for 92 yards. He had a career-long 54-yard catch in the win over Saint Francis. Last season, Harvin caught one pass for 10 yards.
    Against Robert Morris, he caught a career-best three passes for 17 yards and what turned out to be the game-winning score in overtime. His two-yard reception in overtime was the first receiving touchdown of his YSU career.

Stubbs Is A Mainstay
   Senior WR Andre Stubbs has amassed an impressive 3,388 all-purpose yards in his career. His total ranks 13th in school history, but among players who were primarily wide receivers he sits behind only Jim Ferranti (4,054) and Dominique Barnes (3,314).
   Stubbs has had more than 100 all-purpose yards in a game on 16 occasions.
   At Pittsburgh in the season opener he had a career-best 147 yards receiving on a career-high-tying six receptions. Last year, his best all-purpose performance came against Western Illinois when had 158 yards.
   He has caught a pass in 33 of the 37 games he has played since the start of his sophomore season.

Ruiz Model of Consistency
    Junior TB Martin Ruiz has rushed for at least 74 yards in a game on 22 occasions in 28 career games played.
    Against Saint Francis he had his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season going for 103 yards on 20 carries.
    On 13 occasions he has rushed for more than 100 yards, including a career-high eight times last year. Only five times has he been limited to under 50 yards rushing in a game.
    Last year his season-best effort was 185 yards on 28 carries against South Dakota. In 2013, he rushed for 131 yards on 23 carries in YSU's victory at USD and scored a pair of TDs.
    Additionally he has scored a touchdown in 19 games, with seven multi-TD performances.
Veterans on Defense
    The Penguins have five players on the defensive side of the ball who have 80-or-more tackles in their careers.
    Senior LB Dubem Nwadiogbu leads the way with 143 stops, senior FS Tre' Moore has 108 tackles and senior DE Terrell Williams has 95 tackles.
    Among juniors, LB Jaylin Kelly leads the way with 110 tackles while FS Jameel Smith has 87.

Turnovers On The Rise
    The Penguins have forced five turnovers in the first three games of the season and are plus-3 in turnover margin.
    In 85 attempts this year, YSU has not thrown an interception while in 41 passing attempts by the opposition, YSU has three interceptions and six pass breakups.
    Last year, YSU was a minus-5 in the turnover margin and forced just 14 in 12 games.

Pelini Takes The Reigns
    The Penguins are under the direction of Youngstown native Bo Pelini this season. Pelini spent the past seven years at Nebraska before returning to his hometown last December. He is a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School and grew up on Youngstown's South Side.
    With with the Huskers, Pelini won at least nine games every season, including 10 during three different seasons.
    Pelini is also just the sixth coach in FBS history at a Power Five conference (Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) school to win nine games in each of his first seven campaigns. The others in the group include Tom Osborne (Nebraska), Barry Switzer (Oklahoma), Earle Bruce (Ohio State), Steve Spurrier (Florida) and Mack Brown (Texas).
    Pelini and Alabama's Nick Saban are the only two FBS coaches to notch nine-or-more wins in each season since 2008.

Rivers Has Best Tackle Game
    Junior DE Derek Rivers was all over the field in the win over Robert Morris. Rivers had a career-high nine tackles in the victory, including seven solo stops. Rivers was credited with 4.5 TFLs in the game as well.
    His biggest tackle came on the night's final play. With RMU facing a fourth-and-3 from the YSU 5-yard line, Rivers blew through a block and sacked RMU QB Mathew Barr for an eight-yard loss to seal the victory.
    Rivers had a sack in each of the first two games this season. Dating back to Oct. 25 of last year at South Dakota State he has 11 sacks in the past eight contests.

Zaborsky Also Has Career High
    Senior DT Steve Zaborsky also had a career-high in tackles with six against Robert Morris.
    Zaborsky had five solo stops as well in the game, which is also a career best. His previous highs were five (total) and three solos at Southern Illinois in 2013.

Alexander With Another INT
    Junior S LeRoy Alexander has made an immediate impact to the YSU defense with 18 tackles and three interceptions in three games.
    Against RMU, Alexander had eight total tackles, a sack and an interception. This was one game after recording two interceptions and nine stops in the opener at Pitt.
    Alexander was the first Penguin since Dale Peterman at the end of the 2013 season to record INTs in consecutive games. He is the first Penguin with interceptions in the first two games of a season since Bruce Hightower in 2001.

O-Line Returns four Starters
    The YSU offensive line returns four starters from last season's squad. Back are tackles Justin Spencer and Trevor Strickland along with guards Brock Eisenhuth and Dylan Colucci.
    Taking over duties at center this season have been sophomore Cole Newsome and junior Matt Bell. Newsome started against Pittsburgh while Bell was in the lineup against Robert Morris and Saint Francis. It was Bell's first career start in the game vs. RMU.
    For the second straight campaign the Guins have just one senior on the unit - Strickland. C Stephen Page was the lone senior a year ago.

Numbers of Note
• Turnover Margin: Since 1996, the Penguins are 120-30 when they win or tie in the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 20-56.
Since 1990 YSU is:
• 147-19-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
• 121-14 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
• 143-23 when scoring 28-or-more points.
• 75-9-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
• 173-13 when leading entering the fourth.
• 76-3-2 when holding opponents to 10 points-or-less in a game.
More recently:
• YSU has scored points in 77 straight games.
• YSU has scored in double figures in 33 consecutive contests.

Up Next: Illinois State
    The Penguins return home to take on Illinois State next Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium. Kickoff for the contest is set for 7 p.m.
    The home team has won each of the last seven meetings in the series. In the most recent contest played at Stambaugh Stadium, YSU won 59-21. Illinois State rallied for a 42-28 win last year in Normal.