Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard returns this season for the Penguins after winning the 2025 Walter Payton Award as the best offensive player in FCS. (Photo by YSUSports.com)
By Barry Bottino
The return of quarterback Beau Brungard makes Youngstown State a big threat in the Missouri Valley Football Conference race this fall.
The reigning Walter Payton Award winning also puts his team’s defense at ease.
“We have an offense that can score 40 points against anybody,” senior linebacker Mike Wells said Tuesday during MVFC media day in Sioux Falls, S.D. “We know we don’t need to be superheroes on defense. If we just hold offenses to 24 points, our offense wins us the game by a lot. It takes some weight off our shoulders.”
Brungard shouldered a heavy load last season as a dual-threat player, leading FCS in total offensive yards (4,702) while passing for 26 touchdowns and rushing for 27.
With pro football possibilities ahead, Brungard said he is focused both on that future and also how to advance his game and team this fall.
“This off-season has been about watching tape and figuring where I can improve to help this offense and this team reach the next level,” he said. “It’d be foolish not to think ahead and have some sort of plan for the future, but right now my mind is on having a successful year here at YSU.”
What still stings for the Penguins, who were picked to finish third in the MVFC preseason poll, is a 43-42 first-round playoff loss to Yale, which rallied for the win thanks to 36 second-half points.
“That was a tough lesson, for sure,” head coach Doug Phillips said. “We’ve got to learn from what happened. We feel like we’ve address it, we’ve owned it and now we’re excited for the season.”
Prairie State Pigskin’s Dan Verdun covered the Illinois State and Southern Illinois press conferences Tuesday. Here are some notes from around the rest of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Jackrabbits back in attack mode
A devastating mid-season injury to quarterback Chase Mason derailed South Dakota State’s season a year ago. What started as a 7-0 team ended at 9-5 with a second-round playoff loss.
This fall, Mason is back and healthy for a team predicted to win the MVFC (via the league’s preseason poll). But the Jackrabbits want much more.
“What did we learn from it? That we have a really close locker room,” head coach Dan Jackson said. “(They are) on a mission with a chip on their shoulder to get the job done and find ways to improve. I came back to be the head coach here to win national championships.”
Mason, a bruising runner who also threw for 2,005 yards and 15 touchdowns while completing nearly 70% of his passes, is ready to put last season behind.
“I feel as healthy as I’ve ever been, as big as I’ve ever been and as fast as I’ve ever been,” said the 6-4, 240-pound QB, who started his collegiate career as a member of the University of Nebraska baseball team. “I don’t feel any lingering effects from past injuries.”
Back for more with UND
Despite working with a new offensive coordinator this season, returning starting QB Jerry Kaminski is part of the high hopes for a big season.
“For a guy like Jerry coming back for his second year starting, it’s huge,” head coach Eric Schmidt said. “You can feel the confidence and the belief the team has in him.”
Kaminski threw for 26 touchdowns and nearly 2,600 yards last season while rushing for eight TDs and 607 yards. This off-season, he’s getting more familiar daily with new OC Danny Freund.
“It’s been awesome,” Kaminski said. “He’s a high-energy, passionate guy – someone you just want to be around. I feel like I can always go into his office and talk to him about anything. It’s been fun watching last year’s games with him and seeing what he’d have done differently, or what he likes in certain situations. I’ve learned a ton.”
More change at South Dakota
Former offensive coordinator Matt Vitzthum took over in February as the new head coach, continuing a trend of change at USD. He will be the team’s third head coach in three seasons.
“The unfortunate part is that the conversation around our program has been about the losses and the coaching changes,” he said. “The most consistent part has been the people – the players. These guys have done an unbelievable job.”
Vitzthum pointed to redshirt senior wide receiver Tysen Boze as an example.
“He’s had four of five position coaches and three head coaches, multiple strength coaches, and he just keeps putting his head down,” Vitzthum said.
Junior defensive lineman Nathan Laperi, who played in all 15 game last season and had 4.5 sacks, is encouraged by how good the Coyotes defense can be this fall.
“What separates us is our depth at all three levels,” he said. “I really think we could roll our entire first and second units out there and be just fine either way.”
Patience at Northern Iowa
Like many coaches at this time of year, second-year UNI boss Todd Stepsis is optimistic. He’s also realistic.
“It’s hard not to be excited about what’s to come,” he said. “We have something special brewing. At the same time, it’s a work in progress. You can’t just flip a switch and have everything miraculously better. Every single day we have to be consistent. We can’t let our foot off the gas.”
September could prove to be a challenge for the Panthers, who are coming off a 3-9 season. UNI opens the season at Eastern Washington before rivalry games again Drake (at home) and Iowa (on the road). Then comes the start of conference play Sept. 26 against Illinois State at the UNI-Dome.
Senior linebacker John Powers, who had 20 tackles last season, is prepared for the challenge ahead, which includes him stepping into a bigger role.
“I’ve felt like a dog on a leash, ready to get out there,” he said. “Now I’m excited to take full advantage of the opportunity.”
Sycamores find their stride
Last season’s lone league win for Indiana State was a November upset at South Dakota State, a place the Sycamores hadn’t won in nearly 15 years.
Head coach Curt Mallory would like to have more Saturdays with meaning this fall.
“We talked about not wanting to have our celebration after one game,” he said. “We want one great season, and that’s really what we’re aiming for.”
Junior quarterback Elijah Owens, who suffered an injured shoulder in the second game last season and missed the remainder of the fall, is the frontrunner to take back the starting job.
He will have plenty of help, according to Mallory, from depth on both the offensive and defensive lines.
“Going into last year, we returned two starters on offense and zero on defense,” he said. “It starts up front. This year is a lot different. The offensive line is a very close-knit group. The continuity they have is the best I’ve seen since I’ve been here.”
The Sycamores travel to Eastern Illinois for a Sept. 12 game and will play at Illinois State Oct. 24 and at home against Southern Illinois Nov. 7.
Murray looking ‘better’
Picked to finished last in the conference, Murray State has one thing in its favor heading into the 2026 season.
“I think we’re going to look a little better in the uniform,” head coach Jody Wright said. “Maybe not me – I’ve probably gained 20 pounds – but the players, definitely.”
A 1-11 season a year ago was highlighted by a season-ending 31-17 win at Indiana State, which provided momentum going into the off-season.
“It was huge getting that last win,” sophomore offensive lineman A.J. Shadid said. “I do feel like our guys are a lot more confident. Even when we didn’t get the win on the scoreboard, we were able to move the ball against some of the best teams in the country. You’re building good habits and hopefully the ball starts bouncing our way and we get more competitive.”
The Racers open the season Aug. 27 – a Thursday night – at home against former Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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