Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes. YSU receiver (1) Kylon Wilson hauls in a pass while being tackled by defensive back Jordan Rudolph (10) on Saturday during the Red-White Spring Game at Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State has worked this spring to install a new playbook under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, while also trying to foster improvement and build growth on a defense that ranked near the bottom of the FCS in multiple statistical categories last season.

On Saturday, the Penguins concluded spring practice with the annual Red-White Game. Seeing the fruits of that work, the Red team (offense) defeated the White team (defense) 34-18.

The win in the spring game helped the offense tie the defense 5-5 for the spring overall. But the defense won the punt-receiving tiebreaker to help it edge out the offense to become spring champion.

“The spring is a fun time — we wanted to go out and entertain. We’re in entertainment, so we wanted to make plays today, but we’ve worked hard to really work on that discipline and consistency, and we’ve gotta continue to do that, because in our league, that’s what wins and loses games,” head coach Doug Phillips said. “I saw our kids grow throughout spring, I saw them get better and I saw them get stronger, but we’re not done yet. We gotta continue to work in May, June and July.”

Splash plays highlighted the afternoon on both sides of the ball, as the defense picked off three passes, while the offense completed a handful of long touchdown passes amongst the four quarterbacks.

The defense made the first splash play of the afternoon, as sophomore defensive back Makai Shahid intercepted returning starting quarterback Beau Brungard in the end zone on the opening drive.

Then the White team continued its early surge by forcing the offense into a turnover on downs, followed by a stalled drive that ended in a missed field goal on the next possession.

Forcing turnovers and getting stops was something the defense struggled with last year, so Phillips was pleased to see how the unit has grown in that regard.

“We work on ball destruction, and I thought this spring, even with running backs, our guys were punching balls out,” Phillips said. “We’ve gotten more interceptions, and that’s what you’ve gotta do. You’ve gotta create that and we weren’t able to last year, so that’s been a focal point. You saw it today. You get what your work deserves — to see the ball get intercepted.”

After the defense’s hot start, the offense got on board for the first time on its fourth possession with a 2-yard touchdown run by redshirt freshman Antuan Gardner.

Then came the defense’s second interception of the afternoon, as freshman Jussiah Williams-West picked off freshman quarterback Malachi Lewis. But Lewis bounced back from the turnover on the next possession by leading a touchdown drive that ended with a 5-yard connection to senior receiver Larenz Lacking.

“Jussiah should still be in high school, he’s one of our mid-year guys that graduated high school in December and got a lot of reps,” Phillips said of Williams-West. “He’s a talent. High school recruiting now has changed. That was a young man that had 20 offers in his junior year and ended up being a Penguin and signing in December.”

The offense’s biggest play of the day came at the end of the first quarter when Brungard hit Kylon Wilson, a Slippery Rock transfer receiver and Farrell native, for an 89-yard touchdown strike on a deep post over the top of the middle of the field.

The addition of Wilson, plus the future return of Joey Farthing from injury, could help provide the Penguins with the deep threat that the passing game was desperately lacking last season.

“He had a great season at the Rock, plus Farrell, a local kid,” Phillips said of Wilson. “We’re working on that receiver corp. because our quarterback needs to be able to throw the ball and have those guys that can create that separation.”

To begin the second quarter, Brungard led a 14-play, 8:31 touchdown drive that ended in a 1-yard touchdown run by Division II East Stroudsburg transfer Tahir Mills.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Colin Seibert then got in on the scoring action by completing a 41-yard touchdown pass to fellow redshirt freshman Anthony Fuline.

At the two-minute timeout, Brungard and the offense had the ball at midfield, and Brungard completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Luke Hensley 33 seconds later.

After a brief halftime, the second half was played with a 20-minute running clock, which began with the defense’s third and final interception of the day, as senior Jeremiah Robinson picked off Seibert.

The third and fourth units were primarily on the field during the second half, as Lewis completed his second and third touchdown passes of the day to Jackson Wiley and Benjamin Tolble, and Mekhi Bethel broke a handful of tackles on a 29-yard touchdown run.

BACK UNDER CENTER

Brungard is back to lead the Penguins’ offense after his first season as starting quarterback last year.

He and the rest of the offense have worked to install and rep Yurcich’s offensive system and playbook.

“I’m really happy with our offense and how far we’ve come, starting from the ground up with all new terminology and all new plays,” Brungard said. “We’re not there yet by any means, but I’m happy with how far we’ve come.”

Of the quarterbacks, Brungard completed 10-of-17 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns, Seibert was 11-for-15 for 153 yards and a score, while Lewis was 7-for-10 for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Each quarterback threw one interception.

“He studies and he’s working on his footwork, his delivery and his deep balls,” Phillips said of Brungard. “We’ve been throwing deep balls all spring. The chemistry that he has with Max Tomczak, Kylon and Luke is going to continue to build this summer.”

Brady Shannon played sparingly, having to make his way over to Eastwood Field midway through the game for the baseball team’s matchup against Northern Kentucky later in the afternoon.

PORTAL MAYHEM

With the end of spring comes the reemergence of the transfer portal, which is set to open for the second time this offseason on Tuesday.

As a result, the focus for Phillips and the rest of the coaching staff is making sure they keep their current players on campus.

But Phillips mentioned that the Penguins will also be looking to add some depth pieces from this portal window, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines.

“We still gotta really develop our defensive line. That’s always going to be a concern,” Phillips said. “We have an official visit this weekend, and even our kids know, we got some young guys and we gotta get them ready to play. We’re also going to search for some experienced guys, and that’s what we’ve probably gotta do in the next month.”

FAMILIAR FACES

A handful of former players made their way back to campus to take in Saturday’s spring game, including Jaleel McLaughlin, Bryce Oliver, Mitch Davidson, Dra Rushton, Tyshon King and Jaison Williams.

“That really is an awesome thing, and one of the biggest things that they’ll tell you, if you ask them, is the brotherhood,” Brungard said. “That’s what brings them back. It’s the love for this team, for this city. I saw them out there, they’re all together chatting it up and talking. It really is a family — YSU football is a family. No matter how many years out you are, it’s a family. Just the love for this team, you’re always going to have that.”

McLaughlin spent the past two seasons on the Denver Broncos’ active roster, while Oliver was called up from the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad midway through last season and spent the rest of the year on the team’s 53-man roster.

Meanwhile, King and Williams are going through preparations for the 2025 NFL Draft, which is just under two weeks away.

“You know what’s funny about Jaleel? He got in about 2 a.m. and guess who was in the WATTS at 6 a.m. this morning working out? Jaleel McLaughlin,” Phillips said. “For those guys to come back and be around the players, be in the team room — Jaleel said some words to our guys — but for them to say ‘hey, we were successful, we got to the NFL by being Penguins,’ that’s a strong statement, especially with the opening of the portal on Tuesday.”