NCAAF · YOUNG at S.DAK
Picks close 15 minutes before game time (ET)Your Picks on Youngstown St. vs South Dakota St.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Both teams enter 2-1 after big wins, but those performances offer limited guidance on Saturday’s margin or scoring total.
Youngstown State visits South Dakota State at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings on September 19, 2026, in a top-10 college football matchup. Both teams are 2-1, with the Penguins coming off a 70-13 victory over Duquesne and the Jackrabbits following a loss at Northwestern with a 57-14 win over New Haven.
According to Youngstown State’s game notes, Beau Brungard completed 20 of 23 passes for 290 yards and six touchdowns against Duquesne, adding 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Penguins scored touchdowns on their first eight possessions. That demonstrates their scoring potential, but their 45-13 loss at Kentucky cautions against projecting the Duquesne output directly onto this game.
Lynn Wyche-El has 18 receptions for 229 yards and four touchdowns through three games. Protection remains a question: left tackle Desmeal Leigh missed the Duquesne game because of an injury after starting 40 straight games. The team notes do not confirm his availability for Saturday.
South Dakota State’s game notes list Chase Mason at 40 completions in 76 attempts for 697 yards, four touchdowns and one interception this season. He finished the New Haven game with eight consecutive completions, including three touchdowns.
The Jackrabbits have won seven straight meetings, but their 35-30 victory in 2025 required a comeback from a 17-7 halftime deficit. That history supplies context without establishing an expected margin for this year.
SportsJaw lists South Dakota State at -410 moneyline and -10.5 (-113) spread, with Youngstown State at +290 moneyline and +10.5 (-113) spread. The winning streak alone does not justify the favorite’s price, while last year’s five-point margin is insufficient reason to back the underdog.
The total is 58.5, with over and under each priced at -113. Both offenses surpassed that number individually last week, but those results against different opponents do not establish how efficiently either will score Saturday. They also provide no independent case for the under.
Pass. The recent offensive production merits attention, but it does not establish a sufficient advantage at the listed side or total prices. No winner or score projection is warranted.