YSU faced tough trials in return to playoffs

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State football has a storied history and tradition of success, but in recent years that same level of accomplishment has been hard to come by.

During the 1990s, the Penguins won four national championships (1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997) and had two national runner-up finishes (1992 and 1999).

“I remember back in the early 90s — the last time I’ve been a part of the playoffs and what it did for the community,” said head coach Doug Phillips, who was a graduate assistant for YSU from 1991-1992. “At that time, that was before we were winning championships, but what that excitement created, we want to recreate that.”

Since then though, YSU had only made three appearances in the FCS playoffs — 2000, 2006 and 2016, when an unheralded Penguins team defied the odds to win four straight games, knocking out two seeded teams in the process, before falling in the national title game to James Madison.

On Sunday, Phillips’ goal to get the YSU back to the FCS playoffs was finally realized, as the Penguins were selected for the bracket for the first time in seven years. YSU will play Duquesne at 5 p.m. Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium in the first round.

“This has always been the goal to get this program back into the playoffs,” Phillips said. “I’m just proud of our kids and their effort. … A program like Youngstown State needs to be a playoff team year-in and year-out. Seven years, that’s too long for this program.”

Getting back to the playoffs for YSU hasn’t been an overnight process, as building the foundation and culture required to get back to that level has taken time.

Phillips arrived from Cincinnati and first took over the program in February 2020 with the goal of returning to the playoffs in mind, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. A month after Phillips arrived in Youngstown, the COVID-19 pandemic began, and FCS conferences moved their 2020 regular seasons and postseason to spring of 2021. YSU stumbled to a 1-6 record during the shortened season that spring.

“It started with COVID and guys believing — those kids that are playing on their last year of eligibility or seniors that have graduated and been here when we had to miss that season because of COVID and play that spring season — having the belief that we could do it,” Phillips said.

There was then steady improvement in fall of 2021, as the Penguins went 3-7 against a grueling schedule.

But then last season, YSU started to show the signs of what Phillips has been wanting to build in Youngstown. Despite starting last year 2-3, the Penguins bounced back to win four straight games and five of their last six to end the season.

Still, even though it finished 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the rugged MVFC, YSU was on the bubble to close out the year and narrowly missed out on a postseason bid.

With that rejection in the back of their minds, the Penguins went into the offseason with a renewed sense of purpose. YSU came into the 2023 season a different team — a better team. “We’ve just been working. It’s been a lot of dark times and a lot of hard work,” defensive lineman Chris Fitzgerald said. “We did the best we could and I feel like this opportunity has presented itself and we’ve got a chance to go and make the best of it.”

The Penguins rode a balanced, multidimensional offense and a stingy defense this year and again finished 7-4 and 5-3 against a strong schedule to earn their playoff bid.

“It’s not been perfect,” Phillips said. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but we stayed in the fight and I’m a firm believer that you always get what your work deserves. … It didn’t just start the past 11 games. It started three years ago getting in the weight room, getting bigger, getting stronger, getting the belief and that brotherhood in the locker room — that’s where the work started.”

It’s been a journey, but now on Saturday against the Dukes, the Penguins will finally get their chance and the opportunity that’s eluded the program for so long.

“Like I said, with how proud I am of our kids, and our football staff and our coaching staff and for the support we have, and I’m proud that we get to perform for our community,” Phillips said. “I think our kids are always excited when they can get into the playoffs to represent Youngstown and have a home game.”