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| 1997 Youngstown State Penguins football | |
|---|---|
NCAA Division I-AA champion | |
NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game, W 10–9 vs. McNeese State | |
| Conference | Gateway Football Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Sports Network | No. 4 |
| Record | 13–2 (4–2 Gateway) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Stambaugh Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Western Illinois $^ | 6 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Iowa | 5 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Youngstown State ^ | 4 | – | 2 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southwest Missouri State | 3 | – | 3 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana State | 2 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Illinois | 1 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois State | 0 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1997 Youngstown State Penguins football team was an American football team represented Youngstown State University in the Gateway Football Conference during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their 12th season under head coach Jim Tressel, the team compiled a 13–2 record (4–2 against conference opponents) and defeated McNeese State in the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.[1] It was Youngstown State's fourth national championship in seven years.[2]
Quarterback Demond Tidwell received the team's most valuable player award.[3] The team's statistical leaders included Tidwell with 1,961 passing yards, Jack Andreadis with 1,057 rushing yards and 1,688 all-purpose yards, and Adrian Brown with 122 points.[4]
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 28 | 7:00 p.m. | Slippery Rock* | No. 11 | W 33–9 | 14,107 | ||||
| September 6 | 7:00 p.m. | Kent State* | No. 9 |
| W 44–23 | 17,974 | |||
| September 20 | 1:00 p.m. | at Boston University* | No. 6 | W 28–7 | 2,035 | ||||
| September 27 | 7:00 p.m. | Hofstra* | No. 2 |
| W 27–22 | 16,071 | |||
| October 4 | 2:00 p.m. | at Indiana State | No. 2 | W 31–0 | 5,335 | ||||
| October 11 | 1:00 p.m. | Buffalo | No. 1 |
| W 52–17 | 20,519 | |||
| October 18 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 24 Northern Iowa | No. 1 | L 32–35 | 12,218 | ||||
| November 1 | 1:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 4 |
| W 13–0 | 13,363 | |||
| November 8 | 12:30 p.m. | at Southern Illinois | No. 4 | W 34–10 | 2,000 | [5] | |||
| November 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Southwest Missouri State | No. 4 |
| W 45–13 | 11,167 | [6] | ||
| November 22 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 2 Western Illinois | No. 4 |
| L 21–24 | 12,134 | [7] | ||
| November 29 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 9 Hampton* | No. 4 |
| W 28–13 | 12,431 | [8] | ||
| December 6 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 1 Villanova* | No. 4 |
| W 37–34 | 7,591 | |||
| December 13 | 12:30 p.m. | at No. 6 Eastern Washington* | No. 4 |
| W 25–14 | 8,529 | [9] | ||
| December 20 | 2:00 p.m. | vs. No. 7 McNeese State* | No. 4 | W 10–9 | 14,771 | [2] | |||
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