The 2016 Youngstown State Penguins football team represented

Youngstown State University Youngstown State University (YSU or Youngstown State) is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio. The university is composed of six undergraduate colleges an ...

in the

2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season The 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The NCAA Division ...

. They were led by second-year head coach

Bo Pelini Mark Anthony "Bo" Pelini (born December 13, 1967) is a former American football coach and former player. He was most recently the defensive coordinator for the Louisiana State University Tigers football team. He is the younger brother of forme ...

and played their home games at

Stambaugh Stadium Stambaugh Stadium, officially Arnold D. Stambaugh Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Youngstown State University. The stadium was built in 1982, and is primarily used for American football. It ...

. They were a member of the

Missouri Valley Football Conference The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), formerly the Gateway Football Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivis ...

. Youngstown State finished the season 12–4 overall with a 6–2 mark in MVFC play to finish in third place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs, where they defeated Samford, Jacksonville State, Wofford, and

Eastern Washington Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanfor ...

to advance to the National Championship Game, where they lost to

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

Schedule

*Source
Schedule
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Roster

Game summaries

Duquesne

at West Virginia

Robert Morris

South Dakota

at Illinois State

Northern Iowa

at South Dakota State

Indiana State

at North Dakota State

Southern Illinois

at Missouri State

FCS Playoffs

First Round–Samford

Second Round–Jacksonville State

Quarterfinals–Wofford

Semifinals–Eastern Washington

Championship–James Madison

Ranking movements

References

{{2016 Division I FCS playoff navbox

Youngstown State Youngstown State University (YSU or Youngstown State) is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio. The university is composed of six undergraduate colleges an ...

Youngstown State Penguins football seasons

Youngstown State Penguins football The Youngstown State Penguins football team represents Youngstown State University in college football. Youngstown State currently plays as a member of the NCAA at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Divisio ...