Post-Game Notes: Youngstown State
9/13/2025 11:23:00 PM | Football
SCORING NOTES
• Michigan State beat Youngstown State, 41-24, Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium, and after last week's 42-40 2OT Victory for MSU over Boston College, scored 40+ points in back-to-back games since 2017, scoring 40 in a 40-7 win over Rutgers (11/25/17) and then 42 in the 42-17 triumph over Washington State (12/28/17) in the 2017 Holiday Bowl . . . it was the first time with 40+ points in back-to-back regular-season games for the first time since 2014, scoring 45 in a 45-31 win over Purdue (10/11/14) and 56 in a 56-14 rout of Indiana (10/18/14) . . . both 2014 and 2017's consecutive games with 40+ points came under head coach Mark Dantonio, who was among the 2025 MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class that was inducted Friday night and a special recognition at halftime of Saturday's game.
HALL OF FAME NOTES
• Dantonio was joined by five other individuals: Tony Keyes (men's soccer), Kori Moster (volleyball), Caroline Powers (women's golf), Nick Simmons (wrestling), and Sam Vincent (men's basketball).
• The Penguins were an apropos opposition for the Spartans for MSU's Hall of Fame game, as Coach Dantonio is not only a native of Zanesville, Ohio, but was defensive secondary coach and defensive coordinator at Youngstown State for five seasons under YSU head coach Jim Tressel (1986-90). Coach Dantonio helped the Penguins to three trips to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. While serving as defensive coordinator in 1990, Youngstown State posted a perfect 11-0 regular-season record and ranked second nationally.
• After a storied 13 seasons as head coach of the Michigan State football program, Dantonio retired as the winningest coach in Spartan history on Feb. 4, 2020. Dantonio finished his career with a record of 114-57 (.667) in East Lansing and 132-74 (.641) in 16 seasons overall (2004-19). During his time at the helm of the Spartan program from 2007-19, Dantonio compiled an impressive list of accomplishments, including three Big Ten Championships (2010, 2013, 2015), two victories in the Big Ten Championship Game (2013, 2015), victories in the 2014 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, and an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff.
COACH SMITH NOTES
• MSU improved to 3-0 for both seasons under Coach Smith, as he becomes the first-ever Michigan State football head coach to start 3-0 in the first two seasons at the helm of the Spartans.
• The Spartans are 3-0 for the third time in the last five seasons, going 3-0 in 2021 after wins over Northwestern (38-21 on 9/3/21); these same Youngstown State Penguins (42-14 on 9/11/21) and Miami (Fla.) (38-17 on 9/18/21) . . . 2006 and 2007 was the last time that MSU was 3-0 in back-to-back seasons.
• MSU finished non-conference action 3-0 for the first time since 2021, with the aforementioned wins over YSU and Miami, along with win over Western Kentucky (48-31 on 9/25/21).
SERIES NOTES
• Saturday was the fourth all-time meeting on the gridiron between Michigan State and Youngstown State, and the Spartans lead the all-time series, 4-0, with all four games in the series being played at Spartan Stadium . . . Saturday was the first meeting since 2021, when MSU beat YSU by a similar score at Saturday's match-up, 42-14 on Sept. 11, 2021 . . . the Spartans also beat the Penguins in 2011 (28-6) and 2013 (55-17).
• MSU improved to 10-0 all-time vs. teams from NCAA FCS, with the Spartans' last victory coming in 2024, a 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M . . . the Spartans have outscored their FCS opponents, 413-95, and nearly posted the average score Saturday night, now at 41.3-9.5.
OFFENSE NOTES
• MSU's 41 points was the second-most scored under Coach Smith just behind last week's 42 points, which were the most points posted since scoring 45 points in 2023, also in game two, vs. Richmond in a 45-14 rout of Richmond on Sept. 9, 2023, at Spartan Stadium.
• MSU only had 10 possessions, but scored on seven of them, with five touchdowns and two field goals, with the other drives ending on turnover on downs, one punt and one interception.
• The Spartans' 82-yard drive in 6:11 for its opening TD of the game not only marked the third time in as many games that MSU scored a TD on its opening possession but was the longest scoring drive of the season for both plays and times . . . the top marks only lasted a few minutes as that was topped on Michigan State's next possession, scoring on an 87-yard drive in 6:37 for the next TD.
• While also posting their longest scoring drive of the season in the first two possessions, the Spartans also had their shortest and fastest scoring drives in the third quarter, punching it in from 4-yards out in just 0:04
• Reigning Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, junior quarterback Aidan Chiles rushed for a career-high 76 yards on just eight carries (9.5 ypc) . . . the 76 yards rushing topped his previous career long of 57 yards last season vs. Boston College on 9/21/24 . . . the 9.5 ypc was also a career-high when having more than four carries, topping the previous top mark of 6.3 ypc (57 yards on nine carries in aforementioned game vs. Boston College), and only trailing overall collegiate career bests of 14.5 (29 yards on two carries vs. Colorado) and 10.5 ypc (42 yards on four carries vs. UC Davis) during his freshman season of 2023 at Oregon State.
• Chiles was also 22-of-29 passing, for a new single-game career-high .759 completion percentage, for 270 yards with one TD, marking his first back-to-back games with 200+ yards after 231 last week vs. Boston College.
• Chiles now has six TD passes this season through three games after not hitting the six-TD mark last season until game seven, and nearly half of last year's season-total of 13 TDs, while surpassing his 2023 season total at Oregon State with four; Chiles did throw his first interception of the season, snapping his streak of five straight games without a pick.
• The 270 yards passing moves Chiles to 3,071 yards passing as a Spartan, becoming the 18th QB in MSU history to throw for 3,000 yards in a Spartan jersey, and is now at No. 17 on MSU's career passing yards list.
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh had a season-high six catches for 94 yards, all in the first half.
• Senior tight end Jack Velling had a career-high tying six catches after no catches last week, including four in the second quarter alone, with two receptions coming on the same drive during one scoring drive early in the quarter, with the second catch setting up MSU at the YSU 3, as the Spartans punched it in two plays later . . . Velling's fourth catch of the second stanza got went down to the YSU 1, and the Spartans again struck the end zone two plays later.
• Velling's six catches Saturday matched his previous career-high of six catches last year vs. Boston College (9/21/24) . . . the 70 yards was his third outing of 70+ yards as a Spartan, behind two games of 77 yards, first vs. Boston College and the later vs. Rutgers in the season finale (11/30/24).
• It was Velling's sixth game of 70+ yards of his college career, with three outings during his time at Oregon State (74 vs. Arizona State in 2022; 83 vs. UCLA and 71 vs. Arizona in back-to-back games in 2023).
• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly had four catches for 49 yards, as he has four or more receptions in each of his three games as a Spartan after four last week vs. Boston College and seven vs. Western Michigan in the season-opener.
• After no TD catches in his first 14 games played as a Spartan, redshirt junior Michael Masunas now has a TD catch in back-to-back games following the first TD of his career last week vs. Boston College, adding a 28-yard catch from Chiles in the third quarter.
• Senior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver scored his first TD as a Spartan with a 22-yard scamper in the fourth quarter . . . it was Tau-Tolliver's 15th career-rushing TDs after 14 during his time at Sacramento State (2021-24), with seven in each of 2023 and 2024 season.
• Sophomore running back Brandon Tullis had seven rushes for 31 yards and a TD, coming on a 4-yard scamper in the second stanza . . . Tullis now has two rushing scores through three games this season, scoring the first of his career in the season-opener vs. Western Michigan.
• Graduate wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. scored the first career rushing TD with an 8-yard end around for MSU's opening score in the first quarter . . . Bullard now has 21 TDs in his collegiate career with 19 receiving TDs and one kick return for a TD during his three seasons at Valdosta State (2022-24).
DEFENSE NOTES
• After YSU quarterback Beau Brungard rushed for 264 yards on 10 carries (26.4 ypc) and four TDs last week in the Penguins' 56-17 win over Robert Morris, the Spartan defense stymied Brungard to just 17 yards on 14 attempts, sacking him twice, with a long of 7 yards, finishing with a 1.2 ypc average and zero TDs.
• Redshirt senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III led the way by matching his jersey number with 10 tackles . . . the 10 stops is the most during his two seasons with the Spartans . . . it was his ninth career game with double-digit tackles after eight in 2023 while at Old Dominion.
• Reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, MSU junior linebacker Jordan Hall added four tackles, including 1.0 sack, his second sack in three games after one in the season-opener . . . Hall now has 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks this season and 12.0 TFLs and 6.5 sacks for his career.
• Redshirt senior defensive back Armorion Smith snared his first interception as a Spartan and second of his career with the oskie in the second quarter; he also had a pick at Cincinnati in 2022.
• A total of 10 different Spartans had three or more stops, including eight with three apiece, part of 27 different MSU defenders with at least one tackle.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly's 83-yard punt return in the third quarter was the 10th-longest punt return in MSU history . . . it was the longest since Jayden Reed's 88-yard return for a TD vs. Western Kentucky in 2021 . . . Kelly's punt return for 83 yards is only the second one in the top 10 that was not returned for a TD, joining an 84-yarder from Sherman Lewis vs. Northwestern in 1963.
• Reigning Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week Ryan Eckley was only needed to punt once, going for 48 yards and it had a 0-yard return . . . it was the first game this season that Eckley's game average was under 50.0 yards.
• Redshirt freshman placekicker Martin Connington made two field goals for the second-straight game with a 24-yarder as time expired in the first half, adding a 27-yarder in the fourth quarter . . . Connington had a 50 and 39-yarder last week vs. Boston College and is now 4-of-4 on field goals . . . he is also 6-of-6 on PATs with five on Saturday after one last week vs. BC in overtime.
• Michigan State beat Youngstown State, 41-24, Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium, and after last week's 42-40 2OT Victory for MSU over Boston College, scored 40+ points in back-to-back games since 2017, scoring 40 in a 40-7 win over Rutgers (11/25/17) and then 42 in the 42-17 triumph over Washington State (12/28/17) in the 2017 Holiday Bowl . . . it was the first time with 40+ points in back-to-back regular-season games for the first time since 2014, scoring 45 in a 45-31 win over Purdue (10/11/14) and 56 in a 56-14 rout of Indiana (10/18/14) . . . both 2014 and 2017's consecutive games with 40+ points came under head coach Mark Dantonio, who was among the 2025 MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class that was inducted Friday night and a special recognition at halftime of Saturday's game.
HALL OF FAME NOTES
• Dantonio was joined by five other individuals: Tony Keyes (men's soccer), Kori Moster (volleyball), Caroline Powers (women's golf), Nick Simmons (wrestling), and Sam Vincent (men's basketball).
• The Penguins were an apropos opposition for the Spartans for MSU's Hall of Fame game, as Coach Dantonio is not only a native of Zanesville, Ohio, but was defensive secondary coach and defensive coordinator at Youngstown State for five seasons under YSU head coach Jim Tressel (1986-90). Coach Dantonio helped the Penguins to three trips to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. While serving as defensive coordinator in 1990, Youngstown State posted a perfect 11-0 regular-season record and ranked second nationally.
• After a storied 13 seasons as head coach of the Michigan State football program, Dantonio retired as the winningest coach in Spartan history on Feb. 4, 2020. Dantonio finished his career with a record of 114-57 (.667) in East Lansing and 132-74 (.641) in 16 seasons overall (2004-19). During his time at the helm of the Spartan program from 2007-19, Dantonio compiled an impressive list of accomplishments, including three Big Ten Championships (2010, 2013, 2015), two victories in the Big Ten Championship Game (2013, 2015), victories in the 2014 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, and an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff.
COACH SMITH NOTES
• MSU improved to 3-0 for both seasons under Coach Smith, as he becomes the first-ever Michigan State football head coach to start 3-0 in the first two seasons at the helm of the Spartans.
• The Spartans are 3-0 for the third time in the last five seasons, going 3-0 in 2021 after wins over Northwestern (38-21 on 9/3/21); these same Youngstown State Penguins (42-14 on 9/11/21) and Miami (Fla.) (38-17 on 9/18/21) . . . 2006 and 2007 was the last time that MSU was 3-0 in back-to-back seasons.
• MSU finished non-conference action 3-0 for the first time since 2021, with the aforementioned wins over YSU and Miami, along with win over Western Kentucky (48-31 on 9/25/21).
SERIES NOTES
• Saturday was the fourth all-time meeting on the gridiron between Michigan State and Youngstown State, and the Spartans lead the all-time series, 4-0, with all four games in the series being played at Spartan Stadium . . . Saturday was the first meeting since 2021, when MSU beat YSU by a similar score at Saturday's match-up, 42-14 on Sept. 11, 2021 . . . the Spartans also beat the Penguins in 2011 (28-6) and 2013 (55-17).
• MSU improved to 10-0 all-time vs. teams from NCAA FCS, with the Spartans' last victory coming in 2024, a 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M . . . the Spartans have outscored their FCS opponents, 413-95, and nearly posted the average score Saturday night, now at 41.3-9.5.
OFFENSE NOTES
• MSU's 41 points was the second-most scored under Coach Smith just behind last week's 42 points, which were the most points posted since scoring 45 points in 2023, also in game two, vs. Richmond in a 45-14 rout of Richmond on Sept. 9, 2023, at Spartan Stadium.
• MSU only had 10 possessions, but scored on seven of them, with five touchdowns and two field goals, with the other drives ending on turnover on downs, one punt and one interception.
• The Spartans' 82-yard drive in 6:11 for its opening TD of the game not only marked the third time in as many games that MSU scored a TD on its opening possession but was the longest scoring drive of the season for both plays and times . . . the top marks only lasted a few minutes as that was topped on Michigan State's next possession, scoring on an 87-yard drive in 6:37 for the next TD.
• While also posting their longest scoring drive of the season in the first two possessions, the Spartans also had their shortest and fastest scoring drives in the third quarter, punching it in from 4-yards out in just 0:04
• Reigning Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, junior quarterback Aidan Chiles rushed for a career-high 76 yards on just eight carries (9.5 ypc) . . . the 76 yards rushing topped his previous career long of 57 yards last season vs. Boston College on 9/21/24 . . . the 9.5 ypc was also a career-high when having more than four carries, topping the previous top mark of 6.3 ypc (57 yards on nine carries in aforementioned game vs. Boston College), and only trailing overall collegiate career bests of 14.5 (29 yards on two carries vs. Colorado) and 10.5 ypc (42 yards on four carries vs. UC Davis) during his freshman season of 2023 at Oregon State.
• Chiles was also 22-of-29 passing, for a new single-game career-high .759 completion percentage, for 270 yards with one TD, marking his first back-to-back games with 200+ yards after 231 last week vs. Boston College.
• Chiles now has six TD passes this season through three games after not hitting the six-TD mark last season until game seven, and nearly half of last year's season-total of 13 TDs, while surpassing his 2023 season total at Oregon State with four; Chiles did throw his first interception of the season, snapping his streak of five straight games without a pick.
• The 270 yards passing moves Chiles to 3,071 yards passing as a Spartan, becoming the 18th QB in MSU history to throw for 3,000 yards in a Spartan jersey, and is now at No. 17 on MSU's career passing yards list.
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh had a season-high six catches for 94 yards, all in the first half.
• Senior tight end Jack Velling had a career-high tying six catches after no catches last week, including four in the second quarter alone, with two receptions coming on the same drive during one scoring drive early in the quarter, with the second catch setting up MSU at the YSU 3, as the Spartans punched it in two plays later . . . Velling's fourth catch of the second stanza got went down to the YSU 1, and the Spartans again struck the end zone two plays later.
• Velling's six catches Saturday matched his previous career-high of six catches last year vs. Boston College (9/21/24) . . . the 70 yards was his third outing of 70+ yards as a Spartan, behind two games of 77 yards, first vs. Boston College and the later vs. Rutgers in the season finale (11/30/24).
• It was Velling's sixth game of 70+ yards of his college career, with three outings during his time at Oregon State (74 vs. Arizona State in 2022; 83 vs. UCLA and 71 vs. Arizona in back-to-back games in 2023).
• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly had four catches for 49 yards, as he has four or more receptions in each of his three games as a Spartan after four last week vs. Boston College and seven vs. Western Michigan in the season-opener.
• After no TD catches in his first 14 games played as a Spartan, redshirt junior Michael Masunas now has a TD catch in back-to-back games following the first TD of his career last week vs. Boston College, adding a 28-yard catch from Chiles in the third quarter.
• Senior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver scored his first TD as a Spartan with a 22-yard scamper in the fourth quarter . . . it was Tau-Tolliver's 15th career-rushing TDs after 14 during his time at Sacramento State (2021-24), with seven in each of 2023 and 2024 season.
• Sophomore running back Brandon Tullis had seven rushes for 31 yards and a TD, coming on a 4-yard scamper in the second stanza . . . Tullis now has two rushing scores through three games this season, scoring the first of his career in the season-opener vs. Western Michigan.
• Graduate wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. scored the first career rushing TD with an 8-yard end around for MSU's opening score in the first quarter . . . Bullard now has 21 TDs in his collegiate career with 19 receiving TDs and one kick return for a TD during his three seasons at Valdosta State (2022-24).
DEFENSE NOTES
• After YSU quarterback Beau Brungard rushed for 264 yards on 10 carries (26.4 ypc) and four TDs last week in the Penguins' 56-17 win over Robert Morris, the Spartan defense stymied Brungard to just 17 yards on 14 attempts, sacking him twice, with a long of 7 yards, finishing with a 1.2 ypc average and zero TDs.
• Redshirt senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III led the way by matching his jersey number with 10 tackles . . . the 10 stops is the most during his two seasons with the Spartans . . . it was his ninth career game with double-digit tackles after eight in 2023 while at Old Dominion.
• Reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, MSU junior linebacker Jordan Hall added four tackles, including 1.0 sack, his second sack in three games after one in the season-opener . . . Hall now has 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks this season and 12.0 TFLs and 6.5 sacks for his career.
• Redshirt senior defensive back Armorion Smith snared his first interception as a Spartan and second of his career with the oskie in the second quarter; he also had a pick at Cincinnati in 2022.
• A total of 10 different Spartans had three or more stops, including eight with three apiece, part of 27 different MSU defenders with at least one tackle.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly's 83-yard punt return in the third quarter was the 10th-longest punt return in MSU history . . . it was the longest since Jayden Reed's 88-yard return for a TD vs. Western Kentucky in 2021 . . . Kelly's punt return for 83 yards is only the second one in the top 10 that was not returned for a TD, joining an 84-yarder from Sherman Lewis vs. Northwestern in 1963.
• Reigning Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week Ryan Eckley was only needed to punt once, going for 48 yards and it had a 0-yard return . . . it was the first game this season that Eckley's game average was under 50.0 yards.
• Redshirt freshman placekicker Martin Connington made two field goals for the second-straight game with a 24-yarder as time expired in the first half, adding a 27-yarder in the fourth quarter . . . Connington had a 50 and 39-yarder last week vs. Boston College and is now 4-of-4 on field goals . . . he is also 6-of-6 on PATs with five on Saturday after one last week vs. BC in overtime.
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
K
/ Football
P
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
TE
/ FootballA New Era | Pat Fitzgerald's First Day in East Lansing
Wednesday, December 03
Pat Fitzgerald | Football Press Conference | Dec. 2nd, 2025
Tuesday, December 02
Jonathan Smith Postgame Comments | Maryland
Saturday, November 29
Jonathan Smith | Football Press Conference | Nov. 24 2025
Monday, November 24