Correspondent Photo / Robert Hayes YSU receiver Max Tomczak tries to escape two Pitt defenders after making a catch in last week’s loss to the Panthers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

YOUNGSTOWN – With non-conference play now behind us, Youngstown State is looking to get a fresh start as it begins Missouri Valley Football Conference play this week.

The Penguins had gotten off to a 1-3 start in four games against non-league opponents, including two heartbreaking losses by one point each.

“You have to learn from disappointments and hopefully be able to apply that lesson when league play begins,” said head coach Doug Phillips. “There were times when we went into the league feeling pretty good and suddenly lost two of the first three in the first part. It’s a new season for us. Prepare for this. … We have to have the mindset that we just have to let it fly and show tremendous growth compared to last week.”

How the Penguins begin conference play could have a big impact on how the season goes overall.

Win those first two games against Missouri State and Indiana State, and suddenly YSU is at a steadier 3-3 heading into five straight games against ranked opponents.

“Coach Phillips has maintained that we are 0-0 right now and that we need to go into every game like it’s our last and just give it our all to win every single game,” junior linebacker Preston Zandier said. “(We need to) start each week as if it were our last week so we don’t miss any opportunities and seize the moment that lies ahead.”

In 2021, when YSU finished 3-7, the Penguins lost their first two MVFC games, losing to Western Illinois and Northern Iowa. In 2022, YSU did the same, losing to North Dakota State and North Dakota before winning five of its next six games.

Then last season, the Penguins suffered a narrow loss to Northern Iowa before returning home the following week to dispatch a top-ranked Southern Illinois squad. YSU finished 7-4 in the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons.

“It’s a roller coaster ride in this league,” Phillips said. “We were on the road to UNI last year and it was a blast that you lose by three points and everyone thinks your head is between your legs and you’re down. Then we beat a Southern Illinois team at home that was floundering. So it’s really a week-long season where you have to focus on the mission you’re trying to accomplish.”

This week’s showdown at Missouri State on Saturday at 3 p.m. (ESPN+/570 WKBN) will be YSU’s final meeting as an MVFC opponent. Missouri State moves to the FBS level in 2025 to join Conference USA.

YSU’s work-in-progress defense will continue to be tested this week as it faces the Bears’ offense.

The Penguins and Missouri State are each averaging 388.8 yards per game this season, ranking 30th in the FCS. However, the Bears’ offense is much more pass-heavy, while YSU’s is more run-heavy.

Missouri State is averaging 301.2 passing yards per game, ranking fourth in the FCS, and it all starts with senior quarterback Jacob Clark.

“Here’s a guy — he can make any throw,” Phillips said. “(Clark is) 6-foot-5 and weighs 220 pounds. He can run if he wants to run, but he likes to throw the football.”

Clark started the first four games for the Bears last season before suffering a season-ending injury that kept him out of YSU’s 44-28 win over Missouri State last October.

Top rusher Jacardia Wright is also back for the Bears and leads the team’s ground attack with 287 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Hunter Wood and Jmariyae Robinson are Clark’s favorite targets as they each have over 240 receiving yards this season. But tight end Lance Mason is the big threat for Missouri State, averaging 23.7 yards per reception, which ranks eighth in the FCS.

“They will challenge you at every stage with their offense against your defense,” Phillips said. “If you don’t come prepared — we told our kids (Tuesday) — you can trust the how and understand the why. But for me it’s not about what we know, it’s about what you know and how fast you know how fast you can play. And I still haven’t seen our team playing at full speed, and we’ll have to see that on Saturday.”

Do you have an interesting story? Contact Neel Madhavan via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NeelMadhavan.