Northern Iowa vs Youngstown State

Northern Iowa Panthers vs Youngstown State Penguins prediction and FCS spring football game preview.

Northern Iowa vs Youngstown State Broadcast

Date: Saturday, February 27
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Stambaugh Stadium, Youngstown, OH
Network: ESPN+

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Northern Iowa (0-1) vs Youngstown State (0-1) Game Preview

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Why Northern Iowa Will Win

The Panthers played well against South Dakota State, owned the game after a big second quarter, and then collapsed late giving up a touchdown with 19 seconds to play and doing nothing on a last gasp drive.

On the plus side, the team was able to get into a position to win even though the offense struggled, there weren’t a slew of mistakes, and QB Will McElvain wasn’t awful as he spread the ball around a bit.

Yeah, Youngstown State had to play North Dakota State in the opener, but the offense struggled with just 171 yards and no running game to count on, but …

Why Youngstown State Will Win

The Penguin defense did a decent job agains the defending national champs.

New head coach Doug Phillips had his D working, giving up yards in a bend-not-break sort of way. The secondary allowed just 74 passing yards, but that’s because the defensive front was hit hard by the Bison rushing attack.

On the other side, the UNI offense struggled. There wasn’t much for the running game with just 28 yards and no big dashes, and it was a struggle to keep things moving.

What’s Going To Happen

Which team will overcome the disappointing start? Youngstown State wasn’t all that bad considering who it was playing, while Northern Iowa needs this win to avoid a disastrous start.

Which offense will work? Neither one – at least not all that well – but after the late collapse, the UNI defense will make amends and hold up to stuff the YSU ground attack.