Youngstown State Recap
Youngstown State enters the contest at 2-6 following a 27-17 setback vs South Dakota (6-1). YSU came out firing on all cylinders against the Coyotes and were able to jump out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. USD rallied from behind and knotted the game up at 14 with 4:07 remaining before the half.
Dawan Martin responded with a strip sack at the 1:12 mark late in the second quarter, resulting in a field goal for the Penguins, 17-14. At the start of the third quarter, USD drove all the way down to the redzone, but was unable to finish the possession with a touchdown as YSU's defense stuffed the Coyotes. Will Leyland capped the effort with a 23 yard field goal to tie the game at 17.
USD's defense controlled the remainder of the game as the Penguins were held scoreless in the second half. Charles Pierre Jr. exploded 50 yards to the house with 5:10 remaining in the third, grasping momentum and fueling the Coyotes relentless defense.
Beau Brungard had a productive game, completing 22-31 passes for 208 yards and 1 touchdown. Max Tomczak led the charge at WR with 9 catches for 90 yards. Defensively, DE Michael Voitus and LB Devin Johnson both had 6 total tackles. DE Dawan Martin, DT Jaelen Crider, and DT Nehemiah Dukes also chipped in up front, applying heavy pressure on Aidan Bouman and registering tackles for loss. YSU is on a two game losing streak and is desperate for a victory with a 1-3 record in MVFC play.
North Dakota Recap
North Dakota (5-2) is fresh off of a 31-7 throbbing of the Northern Iowa Panthers (2-5). UND's first drive chewed 9:22 off the clock and was highlighted by two fourth down conversions, one of which was a well-executed fake punt. Isaiah Smith concluded the possession with a 3 yard touchdown run, 7-0.
UNI's offense found an answer with 7:10 remaining before half when Matthew Schecklman connected with JC Roque Jr. for a 60-yard touchdown pass, tying the game at 7. The Fighting Hawks took control the rest of the way, guided by their defense who finished the contest with 3 sacks and shut out the Panthers after the second quarter air strike. A 34-yard dart to Bo Belquist and a one yard punch up the gut from tight end Quincy Vaughn secured a 21-7 advantage heading into the locker room.
Gaven Ziebarth dashed to the endzone with 12:42 left in the fourth quarter, officially sealing the game shut. Simon Romfo completed 14-24 passes for 1 touchdown and also contributed with 16 rushing yards. Gaven Ziebarth added 83 yards to the ground attack on 14 carries, Sawyer Seidl and Isaiah Smith both balanced the load with a combined 105 rushing yards. Bo Belquist racked up 72 receiving yards and 1 touchdown.
On defense, LB Malachi McNeal had 5 total tackles along with a TFL. DB Jonnie Wiltshire, LB Riley Gerhardt, and DL Montre Samuels-Parker also had standout games. Jy Martin secured the only turnover of the day when he intercepted Schecklman early in the fourth quarter.
Trends
Youngstown State Defense
YSU's defense has struggled all season, allowing 36.50 points per game and 220.5 rushing yards per game. Even more concerning than that is the fact that the 'Guins give up 7.9 yards per rushing attempt, showcasing their inability to limit explosive plays up front. If not already apparent from those statistics, YSU is young and inexperienced across the board and has struggled with putting together a full 60-minute game of football. There have been glimpses of what the front seven could look like, but there hasn't been a complete performance yet.
Recent Defensive Improvement YSU seemed to have found a formula last time out vs USD, as they were able to hold the Coyotes under their season average of 40 points per game and completely shut down their rushing attack in the first half. The coaching staff continues to emphasize the importance of making plays after identifying run fits, something that YSU's LBs had struggled at up until the South Dakota game. It will be interesting to see if YSU is able to stack good practice days and be consistent when Saturday arrives.
Youngstown State Offense
Time of Possession Another stat that sticks out when looking at the Penguins is their time of possession per contest. YSU leads the nation, both FBS and FCS, in TOP with an average of 36 minutes, showcasing their desire to grind games out and physically dominate teams up front. When this philosophy works, it's tough to handle as long drives will wear out a defense and make things tough on the opposition. When it isn't successful, winning games can prove challenging, especially when your offense is unable to generate explosive plays.
Unfortunately for YSU, their offensive line play has regressed this season, resulting in little to no substantial plays in the run game. The running styles of Ethan Wright and Tyshon King haven't aided the offensive line, both are bruising and bell cow backs that lack an explosive element in their games. Through the air, QB Beau Brungard continues to improve his passing attack, but is still developing his downfield air game. He is potent when he uses his legs and actually leads the team with 601 rushing yards. If Beau is able to turn into a legit dual-threat QB, he'll be able to make up for lackluster O-Line performances.
North Dakota Offense
UND has a top 15 scoring offense, averaging 34.7 points per game, and also ranks eighth in the FCS in time of possession with an average of 33 minutes holding the ball. Not only are the Fighting Hawks able to control the football and milk the clock, but they punish defenses for not finding ways to get off of the field.
Running backs Gaven Ziebarth, Isaiah Smith, and Sawyer Seidl have proven challenging to stop, combining for 1,114 yards thus far into the 2024 campaign. The lethal trio has accounted for 9 total touchdowns and is a main reason why UND's offense has been able to consistently move the sticks and extend drives.
Junior QB Simon Romfo has had a solid season, completing 99/172 passes for 1,213 yards and 9 touchdowns. Similar to YSU QB Beau Brungard, Romfo is not scared to use his legs and has amassed 190 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Bo Belquist is another versatile weapon at wide receiver that defenses have to account for in order to prevent getting burnt over the top. The New Rockford-Sheyenne HS product ranks #24 in the FCS in yards per reception, averaging 17.97. He continues to push for the 1,000 receiving yard mark, already more than halfway there with 611 yards.
North Dakota Defense
Defensively, UND's core pieces have flourished in the disruptive 3-4 system. Wyatt Pedigo, Malachi McNeal, and Josh Navratil are the top three tacklers on the team, revealing a distinct defensive identity that highlights the importance of fast and physical linebacker play.
Devin Hembry has been a bright spot for a secondary that has struggled at times throughout the season, racking up 2 interceptions and 8 pass break ups. While the numbers may not suggest that this is an elite defense, this is certainly a very good unit that is extremely hard to game plan for and will only get better as the season progresses. Watch out for this defense in November!
Prediction
YSU is going to keep this game a lot closer than many people may think. UND hasn’t played outside the state of North Dakota since their first game against Iowa State. Not only this, but the Fighting Hawks haven’t played outside of a dome in eight weeks. YSU is going to attempt to put their foot on the throttle in the first half and create a commanding lead that will be tough to battle back from. UND has to respond to the early storm which they are more than capable of doing if you look back to the Montana win. Something tells me that this is the week YSU puts all three phases together and executes when it matters most, but I can’t bet against a UND team that has been rolling this season apart from the NDSU loss. YSU jumps out to an early 17-0 lead, UND storms back in the 4th quarter to win. Fighting Hawks 28-24.
Starting Lineups
North Dakota
Offense
- QB - Simon Romfo (Jr., 5-11, 190)
- RB - Gaven Ziebarth (Jr., 6-0, 205)
- WR - Bo Belquist (5th, 6-1, 185), Nate DeMontagnac (Jr., 6-2, 195), Caden Dennis (Jr., 6-2, 180)
- TE - Quincy Vaughn (5th, 6-4, 260)
- OL - LT Liam Becher (So., 6-6, 310), LG Jack Kuntz (Sr., 6-4, 320), C Ben Buxa (R-Fr., 6-3, 300), RG Caleb Olson (So., 6-2, 290), RT Seth Anderson (Sr., 6-4, 300)
Defense
- DL - DE Myles Terry (Jr., 6-3, 245), NT Craig Orlando (Sr., 6-3, 285), DE Jack Teiken (So., 6-4, 250)
- LB - OLB Lance Rucker (So., 6-3, 225), ILB Wyatt Pedigo (Sr., 6-0, 230), ILB Malachi McNeal (Jr., 6-0, 220), OLB Josh Navratil (Gr., 6-2, 235)
- CB - Antonio Bluiett (So., 6-1, 200), Devin Hembry (5th, 6-2, 190)
- S - Tyler Erkman (R-Fr., 6-1, 200), Jett Sutton (So., 6-0, 205)
Special Teams
- P - Luke Silvernale (So., 6-0, 190)
- K - C.J. Elrichs (So., 6-2, 205)
- H - Simon Romfo (Jr., 5-11, 190)
- LS - David Neuberger (Jr., 6-0, 205)
- KR - Sawyer Seidl (R-Fr., 5-10, 165), Donavan Hunt (Jr., 5-11, 195)
- PR - Bo Belquist (5th, 6-1, 185)
Youngstown State
Offense
- QB - Beau Brungard (So., 6-0, 210)
- RB - Ethan Wright (Sr., 6-1, 208)
- WR - Cyrus Traugh (R-Fr., 6-0, 180), Max Tomczak (Jr., 6-0, 195), Latrell Fordham (Jr., 6-3, 195)
- TE - Brandon Serrano (Sr., 6-0, 250)
- OL - LT Desmeal Leigh (So., 6-7, 325), LG Aidan Parker (Sr., 6-2, 300), C Van Keen (So., 6-4, 305), RG Shane Keenan (So., 6-5, 305), RT Jaison Williams (Sr., 6-4, 320)
Defense
- DL - DE Michael Voitus (Jr., 6-1, 240), DT Jaelen Crider (Jr., 6-3, 310), DT Nehemiah Dukes (So.,6-2, 280), DE Dawan Martin (Jr., 6-4, 230)
- LB - WLB Devin Johnson (Sr., 6-0, 215), MLB Preston Zandier (Jr., 6-0, 225), SAM Kerion Martin (Sr., 6-1, 210)
- CB - Jaylen Castleberry (Jr., 6-0, 190), Peyton Edwards (Sr., 6-0, 185)
- S - SS Stephon Hall (Jr., 6-2, 190), FS Makai Shahid (R-Fr., 6-0, 190)
Special Teams
- P - Brendon Kilpatrick (Jr., 6-2, 220)
- K - Andrew Lastovka (So., 5-8, 170)
- H - Brendon Kilpatrick (Jr., 6-2, 220)
- LS - Sam Merryman (Sr., 6-2, 215)
- KR - Jawon Hall (Sr., 6-1, 185), Jaden Gilbert (R-Fr., 5-10, 180)
- PR - Cyrus Traugh (R-Fr., 6-0, 180)
