By Danielle Daniels

Ryan Day OSU head coach Week 2 Youngstown State Preview 9 7 2023.mp3

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 5 Ohio State kicks off its 102nd season of play in venerable and historic Ohio Stadium Saturday with a 12 noon kickoff against Youngstown State University. The Penguins are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

FIRST AND TEN

• Ohio State will welcome network partner the Big Ten Network on campus to broadcast the game. The announcers will be Cory Provus, Jake Butt and Brooke Fletcher.
• The game is one of 41 in Week 2 featuring an FBS school against a FCS school. Other notable FBS/FCS matchups: Clemson vs. Charleston Southern, Florida vs. McNeese State, LSU vs. Grambling, Michigan State vs. Richmond, Week 4 opponent Notre Dame vs. Eddie George’s Tennessee State Tigers, Penn State vs. Delaware and Tennessee vs. Austin Peay.
• FCS schools were 0-42 vs. FBS schools in Wk. 1.
• Ohio State and Youngstown State have played just twice on the gridiron, in back-to-back years: 2007 and 2008. The Buckeyes won both: 38-6 in 2007 and 43-0 in 2008.
• Ohio State is 8-3-1 all-time vs. schools currently playing FCS football.

COACH JIM TRESSEL

• National Football Foundation & CFB Hall of Fame coach Jim Tressel is a foundation of the Ohio State/Youngstown State relationship.
• He coached the Penguins to 153 victories and four I-AA national championships in 15 seasons, and then he coached Ohio State (2001-10) to 94 wins, six Big Ten titles and the 2002 national championship in 10 seasons.
• In February, 2023, he retired as President of Youngstown State University after nine years.

A LOOK AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE

• Youngstown State began its season on Thursday, Aug. 31 with a convincing 52-10 win at home over Valparasio.
• The Penguins scored 28 third-quarter points and finished with 302 rushing yards on the night.
• Freshman running back Tyshon King ran 11 times for 111 yards and two TDs to earn MVC Fresman of the Week honors.
• Doug Phillips, a Middletown, Ohio native, is in his fourth season as YSU’s head coach. He was previously on staff at Cincinnati as the Bearcats’ tight ends coach (2017) and running backs coach (2018-19).
• Phillips was a graduate assistant at Youngstown State in 1991 and 1992 under head coach Jim Tressel. The 1991 team won the I-AA national championship.

FROM YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, U.S.A.

• A few former Buckeyes and fine football players from Youngstown include: DE John Simon (2009-12), C Corey Linsley (2010-13), RB Maurice Clarett (2002) and SAF Bo Pelini (1987-90). Simon, Linsley and Pelini were all Ohio State captains.

SCARLET AND RED RELATIONSHIPS

• Just one current Ohio State player, freshman walk-on LB Alec DelSignore, is from Youngstown.
• Another Ohio State walk-on, OL Julian Goines-Jackson, red-shirted the 2022 season as a member of the YSU team.
• Sixth-year SAF Marcus Hooker started five games for the Penguins in 2022 after seeing action in 34 games for Ohio State from 2018-21.
• YSU WR Max Tomczak is the nephew of former OSU QB and 14-year NFL veteran Mike Tomczak, who is an advisor to YSU head coach Doug Phillips.
• Fourth-year YSU OC/QB Coach Troy Rothenbuhler was a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes in 1995-96.
• YSU physical therapist Amanda Bertovich is a 2018 graduate of Ohio State with her B.S. in athletic training.

MORE FROM THE FCS

• Youngstown State is one of just seven schools currently playing FCS football to have played Ohio State.
• The others: Colgate, Cornell, Drake, Florida A&M, Penn and Princeton.
• Ohio State’s last loss to an FCS school: 21-7 at Cornell in 1940

COURTESY OHIO STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS