Jonathan Smith and Joe Rossi were probably looking forward to a Week 3 matchup with FCS foe Youngstown State on Saturday, but that "cakewalk" might not be what we thought.
While Youngstown State is still an FCS program and it shouldn't even sniff the same talent level as an FBS program like Michigan State, it does have one weapon at the quarterback position that could give Rossi and that Spartan defense problems on Saturday afternoon.
Youngstown State is 2-0 on the season with a 56-17 win over Robert Morris in the opener nd a 24-15 follow-up victory over Mercyhurst in Week 2.
In both games, starting quarterback Beau Brungard had himself elite performances on the ground.
Youngstown State has an ELITE FCS QB
— Michigan State Country (@CountryMichSt) September 8, 2025
In his last two games:
- 114 Passing Yards, 145 Rushing Yards, 2 TDs
- 122 Passing Yards, 264 Rushing Yards (!!), 5 TDs
Averaging 204.5 rushing yards a game as a QB😭 pic.twitter.com/yYI4JFYBDX
Brungard is out-rushing Michigan State so far this season, by himself. He's averaging over 200 yards per game rushing at the quarterback position which is unheard of. He had 10 rushes for 264 yards and four touchdowns against Robert Morris -- that's 26.4 yards per attempt -- and 28 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns against Mercyhurst.
Through two games, this man has rushed for over 400 yards and six touchdowns.
Although he's known for his legs, his arm isn't horrible. He has 236 yards and a touchdown while completing 70 percent of his passes through the air. However, he showed a year ago that he has a turnover problem, throwing 11 picks to 12 touchdowns in 2024.
Michigan State hasn't had a problem stopping the run this year, so this strength plays right into the Spartans' favor, but that doesn't mean he'll be easy to stop.
Contain Brungard, and Michigan State wins by 40.