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After a commanding 43-10 win in which the defense held Mercyhurst to 241 total yards, YSU came out flat-footed against Kentucky. Last week, the Penguins did a nice job of winning first and second down, which put the Lakers in third-and-long situations.
Against the Wildcats, it was a completely different story. During a 45-13 defeat, YSU struggled to generate penetration, which put the defense in bad situations. Kentucky scored touchdowns on the first three drives of the game, jumping out to a 21-0 lead with 11:30 left in the second quarter.
On those three drives, the Wildcats faced third down just once, which allowed them to move the chains with ease. Kentucky finished the game with 34 carries for 205 yards and two touchdowns, averaging six yards per rush.
YSU had zero sacks, two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hurry, highlighting UK’s dominance in the trenches. For a Penguin team with high expectations, correcting run defense issues is critical to success.
In the MVFC, there are a lot of teams with physical offensive lines, so YSU needs to get comfortable playing against bigger opponents. The secondary struggled to limit explosive plays, allowing 301 passing yards, four touchdowns, and 11.1 yards per pass.
The Penguins have another week to figure out their new 3-4 defense before a massive conference showdown with South Dakota State. Making a scheme switch isn’t something that happens overnight, but the question is how long will it take for this unit to gel.
For the second consecutive week, special teams made a major mistake. After forcing Kentucky’s first punt of the game, Payton Bjork fumbled the punt return and gave the Wildcats the ball at YSU’s 28-yard line.
Kentucky capitalized on that mistake, conducting a 5-play, 28-yard touchdown drive that extended its lead to 28. In the second half, Andrew Lastovka missed a PAT after Jaden Gilbert had a nine-yard rushing score.
YSU rotated between two punters, with Lachlan Amore and Evan Anderson each getting their share of reps. Anderson had a pair of nice punts late in the game, hitting a 53-yarder and 51-yarder.
Regardless of the punter situation, the Penguins have major issues to clean up on special teams.
The offense had the best game of the three units, totaling 305 yards and two scores. Beau Brungard and Lynn Wyche-El played at a high level. Wyche-El recorded seven catches for 111 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for 16 yards.
A versatile slot receiver, he has emerged as Brungard’s go-to target through two weeks. Brungard went 23-of-35 (65.7%) for 243 yards and one touchdown.
YSU drove down the field, but couldn’t put points on the board consistently. On the second drive of the game, the Penguins turned it over on downs after crossing midfield. Late in the game, YSU drove to the Kentucky 24-yard line but failed to convert on 4th-and-6.
Field position is important and the Penguins put themselves in bad positions throughout the whole game. If YSU wants to compete at the top of the FCS, playing complementary football is a necessity.
