football
The Youngstown State football team finished 7-4 overall in the 2022 Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 5-3 record. First time since 2016.
YSU was selected as ninth in the previous year’s conference, but exceeded expectations and finished tied for third.
- senior running back Jalil McLaughlin had one of the most productive careers in NCAA college football history. During his impressive two-year career at Notre Dame (Ohio) and YSU, he finished 79 He rushed for an NCAA all-division record of 8,166 yards on 1,250 carries while scoring 12 touchdowns. In his three seasons as the Penguins, he ran for his 3,418 yards in his 535 attempts and scored 30 touchdowns.
- McLaughlin was named to the All-American First Team by HERO Sports, Stats Perform, Athlon Sports, Phil Steele and The Associated Press. He earned his second team mention by AFCA. He became the first Penguin to earn first-team All-America honors since 2009.
- McLaughlin was named Missouri Valley’s Offensive Player of the Year. He is the first Penguin to be named (Marcus Mason) MVFC’s top player since 2006, and just his third overall. YSU is the only program since 2000 to have his three running backs named MVFC Offensive Player of the Year.
- wide receiver Bryce Oliver Oliver caught 59 passes for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns. The ten touchdowns are the most by a Penguin since John Goode in 1983. Oliver has eight TD receptions in 2021.
- Oliver became the first YSU wide receiver to earn first-team All-MVFC honors since 2010. The only wide receiver in history to be certified to the All-MVFC First Team.
- place kicker Colt McFadden We had a memorable season. McFadden hit his goals career 52-yard field against South Dakota. It was the longest field goal by a YSU kicker since 2003. He hit the game-winning 42-yard field goal as time expired to lead YSU to victory in Western Illinois.
- QBs Mitch Davidson He threw 12 touchdown passes with only one interception during the season. He completed 119 of his 201 passes for his 1,613 yards. He started his final seven games of the year. He threw for over 200 yards in his five games, highlighted by his 288-yard effort against North Dakota. He scored three touchdowns against South Dakota.
- linebacker griffin hawk During his YSU career, he appeared in 40 games and finished with a total of 140 tackles, including 89 solo stops.
2022 team notes
- YSU has four wins in 2021-2022. It was his biggest regular season since 1995-his 1996 season.
- The Penguins won three games after drawing in the fourth quarter. On October 22, YSU defeated Western Illinois, 27-17, with a 28-17 victory. On November 5, the Gins trailed 17-13 in Illinois with a 19-17 win. On November 19, YSU defeated Southern Illinois, where he lost 21-7 and won 28-21.
- Gins threw just three interceptions. This is the fewest in a season in the history of the school.
- YSU has committed just nine turnovers in 2022. Gins made his 705 plays from scrimmage that year.
- YSU finished the year with 29 sacks.
- Here are the players who started all 11 games: Jalil McLaughlin, Greg Benton Jr., Chris Fitzgerald, james jackson, Mike McAllister, David Metzler, Bryce Oliver, Aidan Parker When Dylan Udok.
- YSU set a school record for 6 touchdown passes in a game against Dayton. Demetrix Crenshaw tied the school record with five TD passes against the Flyers.
- Numbers to watch: Six different players caught touchdown passes, 12 had receptions, and YSU dominated with 30:56 possession time. The Penguins have scored over 66 plays in six games. YSU forced turnovers in each of the final six contests, with MVFC in his red zone of the game, YSU scored in 24 of 27 chances.
- YSU has tallied 400+ yards on six combined offenses and rushed for 178+ yards in seven games.
- YSU has had six 200+ yard passing efforts this year while throwing touchdown passes in eight contests.
- YSU held six opponents rushing for 103 yards or less in the game throughout the year. In his four innings, YSU has held opponents to less than 150 yards during the game.
- The defense allowed just 120.2 yards rushing per game. He has the lowest totals per game since 2012 and the second lowest since 1998.
- In the fourth quarter, the Penguins outscored the opposition, 96-68.