1997 Youngstown State Penguins football team

1997 Youngstown State Penguins football
NCAA Division I-AA champion
ConferenceGateway Football Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 4
Record13–2 (4–2 Gateway)
Head coach
Home stadiumStambaugh Stadium
1997 Gateway Football Conference standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Western Illinois $^   6 – 0     11 – 2  
Northern Iowa   5 – 1     7 – 4  
No. 4 Youngstown State ^   4 – 2     13 – 2  
Southwest Missouri State   3 – 3     5 – 6  
Indiana State   2 – 4     3 – 8  
Southern Illinois   1 – 5     3 – 8  
Illinois State   0 – 6     2 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Youngstown State Penguins football team was an American football team represented Youngstown State University in the Gateway Football Conference during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their 12th season under head coach Jim Tressel, the team compiled a 13–2 record (4–2 against conference opponents) and defeated McNeese State in the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.[1] It was Youngstown State's fourth national championship in seven years.[2]

Quarterback Demond Tidwell received the team's most valuable player award.[3] The team's statistical leaders included Tidwell with 1,961 passing yards, Jake Andreadis with 1,057 rushing yards and 1,688 all-purpose yards, and Adrian Brown with 122 points.[4]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
August 287:00 p.m.Slippery Rock*No. 11
W 33–914,107[5]
September 67:00 p.m.Kent State*No. 9
  • Stambaugh Stadium
  • Youngstown, OH
W 44–2317,974[6]
September 201:00 p.m.at Boston University*No. 6
W 28–72,035[7]
September 277:00 p.m.Hofstra*No. 2
  • Stambaugh Stadium
  • Youngstown, OH
W 27–2216,071[8]
October 42:00 p.m.at Indiana StateNo. 2
W 31–05,335[9]
October 111:00 p.m.Buffalo*No. 1
  • Stambaugh Stadium
  • Youngstown, OH
W 52–1720,519[10]
October 181:30 p.m.at No. 24 Northern IowaNo. 1
L 32–3512,218[11]
November 11:00 p.m.Illinois StateNo. 4
  • Stambaugh Stadium
  • Youngstown, OH
W 13–013,363[12]
November 812:30 p.m.at Southern IllinoisNo. 4
W 34–102,000[13]
November 151:00 p.m.Southwest Missouri StateNo. 4
  • Stambaugh Stadium
  • Youngstown, OH
W 45–1311,167[14]
November 221:00 p.m. No. 2 Western IllinoisNo. 4
  • Stambaugh Stadium
  • Youngstown, OH
L 21–2412,134[15]
November 291:00 p.m. No. 9 Hampton*No. 4
W 28–1312,431[16]
December 612:00 p.m.at No. 1 Villanova*No. 4
W 37–347,591[17]
December 1312:30 p.m.at No. 6 Eastern Washington*No. 4
W 25–148,529[18]
December 202:00 p.m.vs. No. 7 McNeese State*No. 4
W 10–914,771[2]

References

  1. ^ "2018 YSU Football Media Guide" (PDF). Youngstown State University. p. 43. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Penguins win 4th national title: Tidwell's TD pass lifts Youngstown State". The Times Recorder. Associated Press. December 21, 1997. p. 2B – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ 2018 Media Guide, p. 45.
  4. ^ 2018 Media Guide, pp. 31-32.
  5. ^ "YSU blasts Slippery Rock, 33–9". Ellwood City Ledger. August 29, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "YSU runs through Kent State". The Plain Dealer. September 7, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Terriers fall flat in 2d half". The Boston Globe. September 21, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Tough loss for Flying Dutchmen". Newsday. September 28, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Youngstown State trashes Indiana State's homecoming". The Indianapolis Star. October 5, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Youngstown 52, Buffalo 17". Democrat and Chronicle. October 12, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "UNI streak at 25". The Globe-Gazette. October 19, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Penguins escape Illinois St". The Southern Illinoisan. November 2, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Hardwig, Greg (November 9, 1997). "Penguins ice SIU". The Southern Illinoisan. p. 1C. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Youngstown St. rolls over SW Missouri". The Plain Dealer. November 16, 1997. Retrieved June 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Leathernecks capture Gateway championship". The Southern Illinoisan. Associated Press. November 23, 1997. p. 3C. Retrieved November 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Penguins down Hampton". The Newark Advocate. November 30, 1997. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Youngstown State rally stuns No. 1 Villanova". The Akron Beacon Journal. December 7, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Eastern's last stand". The Spokesman-Review. December 14, 1997. pp. C1, C8 – via Newspapers.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.