On Saturday, YSU will be appearing in the FCS Championship Game for the seventh time in school history and a championship game for the eighth time (also 1979 Division II title game). YSU won championships in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997 and lost the finale in 1992 and 1999.

The Penguins celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 1991 championship in October at Stambaugh Stadium.

The Penguins are appearing in the FCS playoffs for the 12th time in school history. One of the most successful FCS postseason programs, YSU is 29-7 all-time. The Penguins have an .805 winning percentage, which is second all-time among FCS schools. YSU also ranks third in championships won (four) and championship-game appearances (six).

1991: Won, 25-17, over Marshall

at Statesboro, Ga.

≤ Youngstown State battled back from a 17-6 deficit with 19 fourth-quarter points and held off a late charge to beat Marshall and claim its first-ever national title. The first half featured a defensive struggle with YSU scoring the lone points on a 23-yard Jeff Wilkins field goal. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Penguins trailed 17-6 after Marshall scored all of its points in the third. Wide receiver Herb Williams caught a 33-yard pass from Ray Isaac, and Ryan Wood scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to put YSU ahead 18-17 after two failed two-point conversions. Tailback Tamron Smith increased the lead to 25-17 with a five-yard run with 5:42 remaining.

1992: Lost, 31-28, to Marshall

at Huntington W.Va.

≤ Marshall placekicker Will Merrick booted a 22-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining to lift Marshall. The Penguins battled back from a 28-0 third-quarter deficit to knot the game at 28-28. Trailing 28-0 in the third, Nick Cochran completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to get Youngstown State on the scoreboard. Tailback Tamron Smith scored on runs of 4, 1 and 10 yards to tie the game at 28 with 3:28 remaining. Smith ended up with 82 yards rushing on 20 carries during the game. The Herd responded following Smith’s touchdown with a 14-play, 76-yard drive that resulted in Merrick’s short game-winning field goal. On the drive, MU converted two third-down attempts.

1993: Won, 17-5, over Marshall

at Huntington, W.Va.

≤ YSU scored 17 first-quarter points and held on for the win, avenging the title game loss from the year before. Tailback Darnell Clark got the Penguins on the board first with a 50-yard touchdown run, and Tamron Smith followed with a 5-yard run. Also in the first, placekicker Jeff Wilkins booted a 19-yard field goal to close out the scoring for YSU. The Thundering Herd picked up its first points of the game in the third quarter on a 27-yard field goal by Will Merrick. Then the defense used a memorable goalline stand in the fourth quarter. MU had a first-and-goal at the three, but the defense stopped four rushing plays, with the last a stop of Chris Parker from the 1-yard line.

1994: Won, 28-14, over Boise State

at Huntington, W.Va.

≤ Quarterback Mark Brungard ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as Youngstown State earned its third national title. Trailing 7-0, Brungard broke the game open in the second and third quarters as he ran for two touchdowns (2 and 38 yards) and threw a 5-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Don Zwisler that put YSU in front 21-7. Tailback Shawn Patton scampered 55 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Penguins their final points and a 28-7 lead. Patton finished the game with 140 yards rushing on 27 carries.

1997: Won, 10-9, over McNeese State

at Chattanooga, Tenn.

≤ Quarterback Demond Tidwell tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Renauld Ray with 8:08 remaining as the Penguins held on. YSU picked up the game’s only turnover as Jeff Fackrell intercepted a Blake Prejean pass at the YSU 35-yard line with 12:02 remaining. The Penguins marched 66 yards in nine plays to score the game’s lone touchdown. After the score, YSU’s defense stopped the Cowboys on two consecutive drives. The Penguins forced a three-and-out on the ensuing series after MSU had picked up nine yards on first down. YSU milked 5:07 off the clock with a nine-play drive that went for just 13 yards, then gave the ball back to the Cowboys with just 1:16 left in the game. On the final drive, defensive tackle Harry Deligianis sacked Prejean on consecutive snaps, and the final play was an incomplete pass.

1999: Lost, 59-24, to Georgia Southern

at Chattanooga, Tenn.

≤ Georgia Southern used a 28-point second quarter to earn the win. The Penguins jumped out to a 14-10 second-quarter lead after a 3-yard scoring run by quarterback Jeff Ryan. Tailback Adrian Brown had given the Penguins a 7-3 lead in the first on a 2-yard scoring rush. After Ryan’s score, YSU watched the Eagles score 28 unanswered points, including a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown that put GSU up 38-14 at halftime. The Eagles racked up 639 yards rushing and 656 yards of total offense. The Penguins cut the deficit to 21 points on a 30-yard field goal by Mark Griffith late in the third quarter before GSU scored the next 21 points. Brown capped the scoring for the Penguins with a 1-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter.

Source: YSU Athletics