Youngstown State’s five-game winning streak has put the Penguins in a strong position heading into Saturday’s matchup with Murray State, but the message from inside the program is that the job is not finished yet. With two regular-season games left, the challenge now is turning good form into a complete 60-minute performance.
The Penguins host Murray State at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and the timing matters. Youngstown State has not put together a run like this since 2016, when it won six straight on the way to an FCS title game appearance. This current streak is also the first time the program has won five consecutive Missouri Valley Football Conference games since 2013.
Why Youngstown State are refusing to relax
Cornerback Dev Holman said the group has not lost sight of how quickly a season can change. “Our coaches tell us our greatest strength is each other,” he said, adding that the record may not tell the full story about Murray State’s level on film.
That is the right attitude for a team trying to stay sharp late in the regular season. Murray State sits last in the MVFC standings with a 1-8 overall record and a 0-5 conference mark, but Youngstown State have made it clear they are not treating the Racers lightly.
Holman’s point is important because the numbers around both teams suggest a game that still needs to be handled properly. Youngstown State entered the week ranked seventh in the FCS in total offense at 468.3 yards per game and 48th in total defense at 359.7 yards allowed per game. They are scoring 38.2 points per game while allowing 23.7.
Phillips wants four quarters, not flashes
The biggest issue for the Penguins is not whether they have produced quality football. It is whether they can do it for the full 60 minutes. Phillips said the team is still trying to piece together “complementary football” throughout a complete game.
He pointed to stretches against Southern Illinois, North Dakota and Northern Iowa as examples of what has worked in bursts. “I think the challenge for every coach is how do you get that going for 60 minutes? When you get into November, that’s what separates the good from the great teams,” Phillips said. “The great ones figure it out, and that’s what we’re trying to do now.”
That is the real edge in this matchup. Youngstown State have momentum, confidence and the kind of statistical profile that suggests they can control a game. But this stage of the season is about sustaining that level, not just reaching it.
A chance to keep the momentum moving
Antuan Gardner summed up the mood around the program by reflecting on how far the team has come. “Coming in my freshman year, we weren’t as good as we are now,” he said. He also noted that even last year’s team was strong, but that a streak like this means a lot to the players and the community.
That is why Saturday matters even with Murray State’s record. Youngstown State are not only playing to extend a five-game run. They are playing to prove they can carry this form into the final stretch and keep building toward the kind of consistency that separates promising teams from truly dangerous ones.
