Correspondent photo/Robert Hayes. YSU defensive end Michael Boitas, 42, and defensive tackle Nehemiah Dukes, 44, hit North Dakota’s Quincy Vaughn on the final play of last week’s overtime victory at Stambaugh Stadium. It put pressure on the players.
YOUNGSTOWN — Two signs above the tunnel leading from the Youngstown State University locker room to the Bead Field turf at Stambaugh Stadium read: “Soccer is a 60 minute game” and “Finish.”
Both are part of the Penguins’ ethos and something the coaching staff has emphasized to the team all season.
Now, YSU saw the fruits of their efforts with an overtime victory over the then-No. 1 university. Last week, there was a newfound belief in the program in North Dakota.
“What we’ve preached and what we’ve believed in is what this victory does is give us the belief that if we all come together, we can make it happen.” Head coach Doug Phillips said in his weekly press conference Tuesday. “I always say it takes a ‘W’ to get that belief. We haven’t lost faith, but you keep telling them, ‘We need to play 60 minutes.’ Play for 60 minutes and you’ll get the job done. When you walk off the field, you look up at the scoreboard and you know if you played hard and if you accomplished it. ”
This was not a perfect effort. YSU turned the ball over twice and allowed some big plays while allowing University of North Dakota quarterback Simon Ronfo to be effective in the pocket.
“I told my kids, you’ve got to come out hungry, you’ve got to come out wanting to get better.” Phillips said. “Saturday night wasn’t perfect and we have to correct our mistakes. We were able to deal with some things that might have broken down on Saturday and we could have handled them a little differently, but those must be corrected.”
Still, the Penguins accomplished something against the Fighting Hawks that they have struggled to do consistently all season. He made some key defensive stops in the second half, the offense moved the ball consistently, and he finished the drive with a touchdown.
“I think this shows a lot of our players that we are the team we say we can be.” left guard Aidan Parker said. “When you go through tough times like we went through a few weeks ago, things start to get difficult. But winning with a big statement like this is a great way to show what we claim we can be. We have to keep working to get there.”
YSU hopes this win serves as a springboard for the rest of the year as the Penguins close out their final three games of the regular season.
“I tell the kids, you know how you felt Saturday night? They had to feel it, they had to sing (the fight song), you You should want more.” Phillips said. “Once everyone tastes it, they want more. Now our job is to get them back focused and improve the areas they need to improve.”
The situation continues this week as the Penguins travel to Normal, Illinois to face No. 21 Illinois State in the opening game of a two-game road stand.
“It’s a harsh environment.” Phillips said. “Their student section is right behind your bench. Last time we were there, I told my guys you have to ignore everything. You have to focus on what you can control. It’s between the white lines. We started talking about it this week.”
YSU has had some battles with the Redbirds in recent years.
The Penguins hold a narrow 16-15 lead in the series against Illinois State, but YSU has won the past two meetings by a combined margin of just five points. Last year, the Penguins needed a game-winning field goal as time expired to beat the Redbirds 41-38, but in 2022, YSU scored the winning touchdown with 10 seconds left and won 19-17. did.
Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse is a lot like Penguins quarterback Beau Brungard in his ability to use his legs. Rittenhouse has thrown for 1,420 yards in eight games, while adding 375 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Rittenhouse’s ability to run and throw is combined with tailback Wenkers Wright, who had a breakout season with 640 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Receiver Daniel Sovkovic, who had 170 receiving yards and three touchdowns in YSU’s secondary last season, also returns to the Redbirds. However, he was paired with fellow receiver Xavier Lloyd, who led the team in receiving with 622 yards and three touchdowns.
“They’re physical, tough and stubborn.” Phillips said. “They got a quarterback who can run the ball and throw the football just like our quarterback. They got three tremendous wide receivers, and our quarterback It’s going to be a big challenge for the ends. Up front, they’re a Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent – they’re going to be big and physical. I think they’ll be 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8 at the tackle spot. .
“Coach (Brock) Spack is a defensive guy. There’s going to be different pressures coming from different areas. They’re going to make some moves. So it’s a really great challenge. … of their program. “Look at the history. We won a football game in the playoffs. So now we’re in November and we’re playing a team that’s thinking about the playoffs.”
Do you have any interesting stories? Email Neel Madhavan at nmadhavan@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @NeelMadhavan.
