FCS Week 3 Game of the Week – Youngstown State Penguins @ South Dakota State Jackrabbits: How to Watch, Preview, Predictions
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Date: Saturday September 19, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM (ET)
TV: ESPN+
The Quick Hits
It’s time for some big boy football in the Missouri Valley and it may not get bigger than the showdown that’s going to happen in Brookings on Saturday evening. #2 South Dakota State (2-1) opens its doors to the high-flying Youngstown State Penguins (2-1) for a conference opener that may well decide a conference champion when all is said and done. SDSU rides in after blowing out New Haven while YSU does so after dropping 70… yes 70… points on Duquesne. With two of the nation’s best quarterbacks going toe to toe, it seems like it could be a track meet at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium come this weekend and, as is always the case in the MVFC, there is a whole awful lot riding on what happens in this one.
The big question this season in the FCS is who, if anyone, can challenge consensus #1 Montana State and these Jackrabbits top that very short list. Checking in at #2 in the national polls, South Dakota State’s only loss has come to FBS Northwestern in a game they feel like they had a chance in. The Jacks will get tested again here in a big way from a Youngstown State unit that score seemingly at will. The Penguins are as hungry as any team to show they aren’t just a playoff contender but a real deal threat to make a run at Nashville. Whoever comes out on top in this one will make one big statement in proving their legitimacy on the national level. Buckle up and don’t blink.
The Coaches
Dan Jackson is in year two of heading up South Dakota State and he has his sights set on much more in his second go around. Under Jackson in his debut season last fall, SDSU won nine games and got bounced in the second round of the playoffs. A lot of that was not Jackson’s fault, though, as injuries ravaged the Jacks for most of the year. Now that they’re much healthier, Jackson’s team looks more like fans expect a Jackrabbits unit to look; they’re tough, physical and precise in most everything they do. Jackson holds an overall conference record just 4-4 but he did beat Youngstown State in their meeting last year.
For YSU it’s seventh-year man Doug Phillips calling the shots. Phillips, who is 31-35 overall since taking over in 2020, has taken the Penguins to the postseason twice and has posted three winning seasons. Last year was certainly his best but he took a lot of heat for Youngstown State’s big collapse in their first-round playoff game that ended in a loss against Yale. Phillips, like his counterpart Jackson, is looking to find footing in an extremely tough Missouri Valley. He is 21-26 in league games.
South Dakota State Offense vs. Youngstown State Defense
Chase Mason is an NFL hopeful at quarterback for South Dakota State and hasn’t quite looked like many expected he would. He is coming off an ankle injury that sidelined him for a good portion of last year but has been slow out of the gates this fall. Mason is completing his throws at a 52.6% clip right now (40-of-76) and has accounted for five touchdowns. When he’s on, though, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the FCS and that’s something that should have YSU’s defense on its heels.
Mason has some really talented receivers at his disposal including Graham Goering and Lofton O’Groske. Goering has been SDSU’s top pass catcher so far this year with 13 grabs for 254 yards. O’Groske, like his quarterback, is coming off of an injury from last season and has had a slower start with just 60 yards on four catches. Both of those guys along with Jack Smith and tight end Greyton Gannon make for a formidable passing attack nonetheless.
Youngstown State’s secondary will be tested greatly. Defensive backs Roderick Owens Jr. and Jussiah Williams-West have been solid on the back end but will need to be more than that in this one. The duo has a combined 28 stops, three PBUs and one interception but Mason is not prone to mistakes through the air very often. The secondary was one place where YSU struggled greatly in 2025 and they can’t afford to slip into those old habits again against an offense like South Dakota State’s
Penguins linebacker Michael Wells might be the best player on that side of the ball, though. Wells was a first-team All-MVFC selection last year and was named to various All-American teams as well. He moves to the ball with the best of them, specifically the QB, posting 15 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in 2025. So far this season Wells has been responsible for three stops behind the line with 0.5 sacks.
SDSU will look to run the ball as much as they throw and, like their passing game, they have a lot of guys who can get the job done. Running backs James Basinger and Josiah Johnson highlight the group but Corey Blair Jr. and Ramon McKinney Jr. are viable options as well. Those four backs all have at least 100 yards this year as well as multiple touchdowns. Wells and the front of the Youngstown State defense will have their collective hands full against the flurry of backs South Dakota State will throw their way.
Youngstown State Offense vs. South Dakota State Defense
The Jackrabbits defense has one job if it wants to win on Saturday night and, unfortunately for them, it may be the toughest one they’re tasked with all season: stop Beau Brungard. Last year’s Walter Payton Award winner looks to be well on his way to getting another one for the mantle in 2026. Brungard has been playing out of his mind through the first three games. He’s already accounted for 14 total touchdowns and has over 1,000 all-purpose yards with only one turnover. It doesn’t matter if it’s running or passing, Brungard can do it all and then some.
Simply put, South Dakota State will need to be at its very best defensively and keeping #12 contained is the main mission. Jackrabbits linebackers Chase Van Tol, Bryce Johnson and Cullen McShane will have to keep the middle of the field locked up and at least one (probably more) of them will need to spy Brungard on pretty much every snap. Van Tol leads that group with 12 tackles this season while McShane and Johnson have teamed up for 17 more.
The burden does not fall on just the middle of the defense, though. The Jacks’ line will need to be up to snuff as well. Brungard has only been sacked three times this year but YSU may also be without star offensive lineman Desmeal Lehigh who missed some practice time this week with a minor injury. If the all-American tackle can’t go, that will be SDSU’s chance to really pin it’s ears and go after Brungard. Carter Sitzman and Liam Shaw will lead the pass rushers. Both have recorded sacks this year.
Youngstown State’s offense is lethal not just because of Brungard but also it’s talented receivers. Lynn Wyche-El, Bryan Hunt and Jeremiah Sanders have all eclipsed 100 yards through their first three games and are showing no signs of slowing down. Wyche-El, in particular, has been popping off for 12.7 yards per catch and has four touchdowns. 16 different players for the Penguins have caught passes this year, though, so those three will not be the only targets by a long shot.
When it isn’t Brungard calling his own number on the ground, it will likely be running back Jaden Gilbert. Gilbert has 17 carries this year for 129 yards and two scores. He and Antuan Gardner have seem some work in the run game but both will not see nearly as much as Brungard.
Prediction
The scoreboard operator will need his coffee because there are going to be points and a whole lot of them. Both defenses are going to be put into tough situations throughout the course of this game meaning that whichever one makes one fewer mistake will probably be the one that comes out on top. It has the makings of an old fashioned quarterback duel. Mason and Brungard are two of the best in the business, each with their own style and that’s what will make this game fun. Besides the tremendous amount of meaning it will have for the early-season Missouri Valley standings, it also feels like it’s going to be a track meet of a game. The trust falls just a tad more to the South Dakota State defense right now. They have more proven players and, while they’ll certainly give up their own points and yards, they’ll give up just a few less. In the end the Jacks win a wild one to start 1-0 in conference play.
Score Prediction: South Dakota State: 44 – Youngstown State: 40
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