# 2018 Youngstown State Penguins football team

The 2018 Youngstown State Penguins football team represented Youngstown State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Bo Pelini and played their home games at Stambaugh Stadium. They were a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They finished the season 4–7, 3–5 in MVFC play to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Walter Payton Award | Tevin McCaster | RB | SR |

### Preseason MVFC poll

The MVFC released their preseason poll on July 29, 2018, with the Penguins predicted to finish in fourth place.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | North Dakota State | 390 (39) |
| 2 | South Dakota State | 270 |
| 3 | Northern Iowa | 258 |
| 4 | Youngstown State | 248 |
| 5 | Illinois State | 248 |
| 6 | South Dakota | 206 |
| 7 | Western Illinois | 163 |
| 8 | Southern Illinois | 139 |
| 9 | Missouri State | 90 |
| 10 | Indiana State | 41 |

### Preseason All-MVFC Teams

The Penguins placed six players on the preseason all-MVFC teams.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 2:00 p.m. | Butler* | No. 25 | Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, OH | ESPN+ | L 21–23 | 11,219 |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 14 (FBS) West Virginia* | | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV | AT&TSN Pitt | L 17–52 | 58,446 |
| September 15 | 2:00 p.m. | Valparaiso* | | Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 42–7 | 14,913 |
| September 29 | 4:00 p.m. | at Western Illinois | | Hanson FieldMacomb, IL | ESPN3 | L 38–45 | 4,352 |
| October 6 | 6:00 p.m. | Southern Illinois | | Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 17–14 | 14,581 |
| October 13 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 2 South Dakota State | | Dana J. Dykhouse StadiumBrookings, SD | ESPN+ | L 7–36 | 14,357 |
| October 20 | 6:00 p.m. | South Dakota | | Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 29–17 | 11,112 |
| October 27 | 2:00 p.m. | Indiana State | | Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, OH | ESPN+ | L 17–43 | 9,090 |
| November 3 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 1 North Dakota State | | FargodomeFargo, ND | ESPN+ | L 7–17 | 18,028 |
| November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 22 Northern Iowa | | Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 31–10 | 8,407 |
| November 17 | 1:00 p.m. | at Illinois State | | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL | ESPN+ | L 28–35 | 5,583 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Butler

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
| No. 25 Penguins | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 21 |

### At West Virginia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penguins | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| No. 14 (FBS) Mountaineers | 7 | 14 | 21 | 10 | 52 |

### Valparaiso

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Penguins | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |

### At Western Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penguins | 7 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 38 |
| Leathernecks | 6 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 45 |

### Southern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Salukis | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Penguins | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 17 |

### At South Dakota State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penguins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 2 Jackrabbits | 9 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 36 |

### South Dakota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Coyotes | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Penguins | 19 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 29 |

### Indiana State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Sycamores | 3 | 13 | 7 | 20 | 43 |
| Penguins | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |

### At North Dakota State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penguins | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 1 Bison | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |

### Northern Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Panthers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Penguins | 7 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 31 |

### At Illinois State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penguins | 3 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 28 |
| Redbirds | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 25 | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Coaches | 24 | RV | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |