Posts Tagged ‘Stephen Blose’

After being picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, Youngstown State University had to have September 25 circled on their calendars for a long time.  Not only would that date signify the beginning of conference play, but it would also mark a game with Southern Illinois, defending champs and reigning FCS powerhouse of the past few years.  Coach Eric Wolford and staff proved up to the biggest challenge of the season and rattled off 31 unanswered points to stomp the Salukis, 31-28.

Southern Illinois hit the scoreboard first with 2:16 left in the first quarter when Taylon Hunter returned a blocked punt 38 yards.  The blocked punt came after YSU had punted the play before and downed the ball on the 1-yard line but a penalty forced the Penguins to kick again.  The Salukis are not a team to give second chances to, and this particular instance proved that.

Southern Illinois scored again to push their first quarter lead to 14-0.  Chris Dieker found John Goode in the end zone for an eight yard touchdown strike with just four seconds left in the quarter.

The mark of a good team is how they play in the face of adversity.  Down 14-0, YSU could have packed it in and handled the beating. Coach Eric Wolford transcends a difference not seen here since Jim Tressel as his Penguins would rattle off 31 unanswered points over a quarter-and-a-half.  The Penguins took the ball on their own 19 and marched 81 yards to get on the board.  Kurt Hess put the exclamation point on the drive finding Kevin Watts in the right back side of the end zone.

When Southern Illinois got the ball back, YSU showed a flash of serious momentum on defense.  David Rach (pictured above) knocked the ball from Dieker and Luke Matelan landed on it to give the Penguins the ball on Southern Illinois 18-yard line.  Hess again found Watts from eight yards out to tie the game at 14.

Brandian Ross got into the act with a spectacular pick of Dieker setting the Penguins up on the Saluki 41-yard line.  Hess showed a lot of poise on the drive that would give YSU a 21-14 halftime lead.  Three times on the drive, Hess looked as though he would be sacked for a loss but each time managed to throw the ball for a completion.  Carson Sharbaugh hauled in  a 3-yard heave (below) from Hess to give the Penguins their first lead in the contest.

In the third quarter, YSU gave Southern Illinois a healthy dose of Jamaine Cook.  Cook had consecutive carries of 10,8, 3, and 1 yard with the one-yarder resulting in another YSU touchdown.  The plunge of a yard made the score 28-14 with 5:59 left in the third quarter and the lid came off of the place as all 17,660 red-wearing Penguin fans were cheering wildly.

Stephen Blose hit a 37-yard field goal to increase the Penguin margin to 31-14.  The Penguin defense was outstanding and set the offense up with great field position the entire game.

Southern Illinois scored a touchdown with 1:28 when Dieker ran one in from four yards out to make it 31-21.  Dieker then found Joe Alaria cut the lead to 31-28 with 44 seconds remaining.  Southern Illinois attempted another onside kick but the ball went out of bounds on the hop and YSU ran the clock out for the win.

After the game, Hess talked about the victory.  “Being down 14-0 is not what we expected or wanted, beating the defending champions was a big win for this program.  We worked hard all Summer for this, we are going to celebrate and then get ready for Missouri State next week”.  Hess finished the game 9-15 passing for 94 yards and three touchdowns.  He also had six carries for 24 yards but more importantly, he did a great job managing the clock and making some clutch plays under pressure.

Jamaine Cook was the leader on the ground for the Penguins (3-1, 1-0) with 26 carries for 115 yards.  Cook commented on the win.  “I think this win sent the message to everyone that this is not the old Youngstown, this is a new Youngstown, and we’re back.  The offensive line did a tremendous job and they are getting better every week.”

Coach Eric Wolford was in a great mood after the game and had praise for everyone involved with his program.  “It’s a big win, I tried to downplay the game.  We worked fundamentals hard this week.  We gave them the 14 points at the beginning.  They are a good football team but I didn’t sense any panic on the sidelines.  You really find out what kind of person you are when you face adversity in your life.  I have a lot of confidence in our football team and we all believe in each other, we have a really tight family.  I told the team that we have been one of the teams doing the hunting, now we have officially become the hunted.  We are ten scholarships under everyone else using 53, this win is a tribute to this coaching staff.”

Southern Illinois  (1-3, 0-1) was paced by Dieker’s 24-42 passing for 258 yards.  Dieker flipped a pair of touchdowns in the loss.

Youngstown State University opened the home portion of their 2010 football schedule Saturday.  The opponent for the home opener was the Butler Bulldogs, defending co-champs of the Pioneer Football Conference. Youngstown State rode a very consistent offensive effort to rack up 286 rushing yards on their way to a 31-7 victory over Butler giving Eric Wolford his very first head coaching victory.

The Penguins got on the scoreboard first with 3:35 left in the first quarter.  Jordan Thompson hit pay dirt from eight yards out. Thompson had the last three carries of the drive, covering 25 yards on runs of six and eleven yards before his scoring jaunt of eight yards.  Kurt Hess hooked up with Kevin Watts for 14 yards to start the scoring drive.  Stephen Blose knocked the extra point through to put YSU ahead, 7-0.

YSU added to their lead with 11:22 left in the first half when Adaris Bellamy tallied from five yards out.  The Blose extra point made it 14-0 in favor of the Penguins.  Bellamy had only four carries in the first half, good for 28 yards.

Butler got on the board with a touchdown when Andrew Huck found Jeff Larsen on an out pattern.  The drive was set up on a gadget play when Butler covered 41 yards on a double pass.  Huck took the snap, threw a lateral to Matt Kobli, who found Huck 10 yards downfield, and by himself.  Huck ran the other 31 yards after the catch.

YSU marched almost the length of the field before halftime, but had to settle for a 29-yard Stephen Blose field goal to make the score 17-7 at intermission.

As the second half started, so did the rain. The elements were not enough to contain Mr. Electricity, Dominique Barnes.  Barnes fielded a punt and seemed contained but erupted through a small seam in the middle before getting downhill and racing past the Bulldog coverage for an 86-yard score.  The punt return was the second longest in school history.  Blose knocked the extra point through to put the Penguins comfortably in front, 24-7.

In the fourth quarter the Penguins tacked on 7 more points.  Bellamy, who averaged 10 yards per carry, capped off an 8 play 80 yard drive with a 25-yard run off of the left interior.  With Bellamy, Jamaine Cook, and Thompson, the Penguins showed a versatile selection of backfield weaponry.

The defense played strong too.  Andre Elliott and Brandian Ross were all over the field making tackles.  Butler went to a short passing game in the second half.  Once Huck found a receiver and threw the ball Ross was immediately in the face of the receiver. John Sasson had 10 tackles (six solo) and true freshman Donald D’Alesio had seven tackles with five solo.

For Eric Wolford, it was win #1 as a head coach.  Wolford commented on how he felt notching his first victory.  “It really is different as a head coach.  You win a game 31-7 but you want to win 50-0.  It is special, but as a head coach it is also more stressful.”

Dominique Barnes spoke about the big punt return that took the wind out of Butler’s sails.  “Coach told us we needed to make a big play and we got one.  I have to praise the punt return unit for the great blocking on the touchdown.”  Barnes also commented on the run heavy play calling.  “We showed we can pass last week, this week we showed we can run, it is the best of both worlds.”

Youngstown State (1-1) gained a balanced 286 rushing yards in the game.  Jamaine Cook had 98 yards on 18 carries, Jordan Thompson had ten carries for 65 yards.  Adaris Bellamy had six touches for 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Torrian Pace had 9 carries for 39 yards.  Wolford commented on the youth factor at the running back position.  “We have three freshmen and a sophomore that can all get the job done.  The person with the hot hand will get a majority of the touches.”

Butler (1-1) was paced by Matt Kobli who had 46 yards on the ground.  Andrew Huck finished the game 20-32 for 148 yards through the air.

Take a “Straight A” student who plays college football but doesn’t care much about the pros and you can only come out with one thing… a kicker.  Stephen Blose has already graduated with a 4.o GPA.  Blose is on The Watch List for the Fred Mitchell Award. The Mitchell Award is given to a kicker from a D-II or D-III school who show excellence both on the field and in the community. Last season Blose was a perfect 27-27 on PAT’s and 9-16 on FG attempts.  He was named to various Academic All-American Teams and is looking to be the edge the Penguins need to get over the hump in 2010.

Paneech: What do you do all day since you have already graduated?

Blose: I’m still a full-time student with twelve hours.  I am broadening my horizons with some classes.  I graduated with a 4.0, which was a personal goal, to strive for straight A’s.

Paneech: How did you feel about being picked to finish seventh in the conference?

Blose: It’s humbling.  You always want to be projected to finish higher, but that gives us, as a team, more incentive to come into practice and work harder knowing that we are not expected to win.  It makes us grind a little harder and come out with more attitude.

Paneech: What NFL Kicker do you pattern yourself after?

Blose: I never really set my goals as far as looking at professional athletes.  I look up to my brother and my dad for different reasons. As  far as those guys go, Sebastien Janikowski has a great leg, but I can’t really say who would be the ideal kicker.

Paneech: So how did you first get involved with kicking?

Blose: I played other positions in high school.  It really came down to my high school team needing a kicker.  Coming in as a freshman, I knew I could earn a spot at the kicking position so I picked that up and gradually worked my way in at other positions.  I started with kicking, and it kind of stuck with me.

Paneech: You played under Coach Heacock, and now Coach Wolford.  What is the contrast in styles?

Blose: There are a few differences.  You get used to Coach Wolford’s intensity.  He knows how to get players motivated and really has the intensity cranked up right now.  He [Wolford]  comes out and emphasizes hard work every day.  Coach Heacock had guys working hard to, but the intensity at practice has taken a big shift.

Paneech: What was it like to play at Happy Valley against Penn State?

Blose: It’s just another game in a bigger stadium, as a kicker you can’t really get too hyped up about it.  I was there my freshman year and feel like I am kind of familiar with the facilities.

One Word Answers

Favorite Cereal: Reese’s.

Favorite TV Show: Family Guy.

Biggest Phobia: Spiders.

Best Movie Ever: Dumb And Dumber.

Animal You Most Resemble: Monkey.

Best Class Offered At YSU: Chemistry.

Worst Habit: Hitting The Goal Post.

Favorite Drink: Water.

2011 Super Bowl Prediction: Oakland Raiders will win.

Vegas Or Cancun: Cancun.

New YSU Coach Eric Wolford advised all to circle the annual Red-White Spring game on their calenders.  He promised at halftime of the home basketball game against Butler that there would be tailgating for the first time ever as a way to hype things up and a way for the community to enjoy fellowship and networking.  Wolford had to be happy with the upgrade from Spring games past as the Red got by the White, 48-20, in front of well over 2,000 fans.

The way the game was set up, the Red team were the “ones“, or first teamers.  The White team were the “twos“, or second teamers.  According to Wolford, no one was guaranteed anything, so with a strong showing against the Red team, any member of the White team could be promoted to starter status.

The two big questions coming into the game remained unanswered.  Marc Kanetsky and Kurt Hess (above) both had good showings at QB as they alternated series with both offenses.  Kanetsky finished the day 20-32 for 213 yards and a TD, he also ran one in from two yards out.  Hess was 26-33 for 350 yards and 3 TD.  Statistically, the edge goes to Hess, but Kanetsky did a better job leading drives that resulted in scores.  Hess was critical of himself afterwards.  “There were some reads that I made not as fast as I would have liked to, but getting the ball to the receivers we have so they can do the things they do worked out well for me today.”

The other unanswered question was will the special teams be a drawback as they were last year?  There were two field goals attempted, one by starter Stephen Blose, that were missed.  Blose also missed an extra point attempt while succeeding six times.  There were a couple of mishandled punts that rolled around on the turf.  The blocking on punts was not full contact, so that was an untested commodity.  Special Teams will win or lose a team games and Wolford knows how important they become when in a close one.

The factors that were expected to click did not disappoint.  Dominique Barnes caught 10 passes for 174 yards and two TDs.  Both of Barnes’ touchdowns (27 and 35 yards) came from Hess passes.  Jelani Berassa stepped it up catching 8 balls for 107 yards and a touchdown. 

In the rushing department, Torrian Pace (above, being served water by injured Torrance Nicholson) ran hard and got 13 carries for 109 yards and a pair of scores.  Jamaine Cook (pictured below) got 14 touches for 48 yards.  Dan Banna, the younger brother of Red team FB Kyle Banna, had 10 carries for 93 yards to lead the White team.  Dan Banna commented on what it was like to play against a team his brother was on fo the first time ever.  “We are always competing, but usually on the same side.  Today you got to see which Banna was better,” remarked the younger Dan as brother Kyle laughed.

Pace praised the offensive line and gave his thoughts on what will happen at quarterback.  “The O-line did a great job and it all works because of them.  Both of the quarterbacks played well and it is in the coaches hands.  I have faith in both of them and trust whoever I am lined up behind on the field.  I think they can both play”

After the game, Coach Wolford commented on the positives.  “I’m excited by the great turnout today.  I was happy with things I saw on both sides of the ball and you really have to credit the White for playing very competitively.  We are now entering the most important phase of the year, our Summer program.  As coaches, you cannot monitor the players but it is a time when you can make the biggest gains or losses and we need to make alot of gains.”

A man of his word, Wolford and members his staff went through the tailgate lot visiting the fans who came out in celebration of YSU Football.  “It was good to see.  This community is ready to change and we are all going to work together to do positive things.”

In a season where the expectations were high so high at the start, the ending somewhat lived up to its advertised billing.  Youngstown State rallied from an 11 point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat North Dakota State, 39-35, at the Fargodome.

Youngstown State scored first as Marc Kanetsky, who started the game at quarterback for Brandon Summers due to shoulder soreness, connected with Donald Jones from five yards away staking the Penguins to a 7-0 lead at the 10:59 mark of the opening quarter. 

Pat Paschall, the leading rusher in the Missouri Valley Football Conference coming into the game, tied things up when he went over from one yard out.  Paschall will be an NFL back next year and finished the day with 140 yards on 27 carries.  Hard to believe, but the 140 was below his season average of 150+ per game.  The touchdown came at the 12:33 mark of the second quarter and John Obarski’s extra-point attempt was good for the Bison, 7-7 at the dome.

On their next drive, Youngstown State reclaimed the lead when Summers found Dominique Barnes for a 6-yard touchdown.  Stephen Blose split the uprights for the extra-point with 7:14 left in the first half to give the Penguins a 14-7 lead.

Paschall scored from a yard out for the second time in the game with just under five minutes remaining in the opening half to again knot the contest at 14. 

Youngstown State finally got a big play on special teams as Lenny Wicks returned a blocked field goal attempt 79 yards for a touchdown with just over a minute left in the half.  The Penguins, however, would yield a game-tying touchdown when Bison QB Jose Mohler found Warren Holloway for a 21-yard scoring connection.  At the half, this one was all tied up at 21 apiece.

The Bison struck first in the second half at the 6:08 mark of the third quarter.  Matt Veldman hauled in a 27-yard toss from Mohler.  With the PAT successful, the Penguins were on the wrong end of a 28-21 score.

The Penguins managed to get three points in the opening minute of the fourth quarter as a red-hot Stephen Blose nailed a 28-yard field goal to cut the lead to 28-24.

Paschall would give the Bison a seemingly comfortable cushion as he scored his third touchdown on the afternoon, this one a three yarder.  With just under eight minutes, Youngstown State began their unforgettable march to vicory.

The three amigos, Aaron Pitts (#83, left), Dominique Barnes (#29, middle), and Donald Jones (#81, right) have been awesome all year.  Summers has found these three receivers and the offense seemed to be at its best when the ball was headed their way. 

On this particular Saturday, the trio would show their value as they (along with Summers) spearheaded an amazing comeback.  With 5:13 left in the game, Pitts would be the first to step up as he caught a fourth down, four-yard touchdown pass from Summers.  The touchdown made the score 35-30 in favor of North Dakota State.  YSU lined up for the two-point conversion, which was a success when Summers hit another essential cog in the machine, Kevin Smith, for a two-point completion making the score 35-32.

The YSU defense was on fire as they forced the Bison to run three plays and punt.  YSU then started a fantastic drive to really exclamate what could have been.  Summers had several tosses to Jones to move the ball at a rapid rate on both of the last two scoring drives.  Barnes then got to relish in the glory when Summers found him for the go-ahead points with just 22 seconds left in a wild finish.  Blose kicked the extra point to give YSU a four point lead.

North Dakota State had a shot at the end zone on the last play of the game , but YSU’s Scott Sentner picked off the Bison scoring effort to end the game.

Youngstown State was paced by Kevin Smith who had 101 yards on the ground.  Summers finished the game with 259 yards and three touchdowns.  Jones caught 10 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.

North Dakota State got 238 passing yards out of Mohler along with a couple of touchdowns, as well as a pair of interceptions.  Paschall finished with 140 rushing yards and a 5.2 average on 27 carries.  Holloway caught three Mohler passes for 88 yards and a TD.

Youngstown State (6-5, 4-4) completed the season in unbelievable fashion.  North Dakota State (3-8, 2-6) Coach Craig Bohl will surely want to put this season behind him.  It must be noted that Youngstown State took several more chances and opened up the playbook in the last couple of weeks.  The result of those two games were 63 offensive points (the six by Lenny Wicks on the blocked FG don’t count).  

Congratulations Senior Penguins!  I salute you for not throwing in the towel and exhibiting class under the worst of times.  No fingerpointing, no excuses, and no bickering really made this bunch special to cover all season.  The positions you are leaving will be tough to fill in the future.  All twelve of you are competitive winners, you had the respect of the players under you, the coaching staff, and at least one sports journalist.  Good luck with your futures and thanks for the good memories this season!

On Senior Day, the weather and general atmosphere on the sidelines was warm. It was nice to see the Senior Penguins with their parents before kickoff as they were recognized for their outstanding efforts as Youngstown State athletes.  Coach Heacock stressed all week that it was about this Senior class to succeed in this game, to find ways to involve them into the gameplan in a positive fashion.  They all seemed to contribute.  Pictured are two of the Seniors, Aaron Pitts (left) and Mychal Savage (right).

In what looked to be an even match on paper, Youngstown State and Illinois State were not playing for a championship or a postseason berth, but rather for pride.  The Penguins dug into the cupboard of forgotten plays and tried some new wrinkles on offense. Some of the results were good, others needed to stay in the cupboard. The result was a 30-18 Youngstown State victory.

Youngstown State took their opening possession on their own 14-yard line. The Penguins marched 45 yards in 12 plays to allow Stephen Blose a 45-yard FG attempt. Blose was successful on the attempt, and at the 4:37 mark, YSU held a 3-0 lead.

Coach Heacock rolled the dice and tried an onside kick that the Penguins recovered and the Penguin offense went back to work. Brandon Summers hooked up with Donald Jones for a 30-yard completion, but the Penguin drive stalled and Senior Ben Nowicki buried the Redbirds on their own 5.

The first quarter would come to an end with Youngstown State ahead 3-0 and driving. The Penguins stalled around the Illinois State 19 and were forced to take another Blose field goal to increase their lead to 6-0.

YSU tried a second consecutive onside kick that the Redbirds recovered. The Illinois State offense cashed in on the good field position as Zach Kutch connected from 41 yards out to cut the Penguin lead to 6-3 with 11:11 remaining in the first half.

A scenario the Penguins have become accustomed to this year came back to haunt them. The Redbirds Bert Whigham came up the middle almost untouched and blocked Nowicki’s punt. The ball rolled right into the end zone but the converging Redbirds were unable to come up with the recovery for a touchdown and YSU was lucky to give up a two-point safety. Weird score as YSU still lead 6-5.

The free kick following the safety further exposed the kryptonic special teams play of Youngstown State as Illinois State’s Ben Erickson returned the kick all the way to the YSU 40. Four plays later, with 8:03 left in the half, Cliffton Gordon scampered four yards to paydirt and just like that YSU was behind 12-6.

Southern Illinois caught the onside kick fever and tried their own, unsuccessfully. When the YSU drive appeared to stall and Blose kicked a field goal of 22 yards, a penalty of roughing the snapper set the Penguins up on the three. On the next play Kevin Smith got into the end zone for a 3-yard score and Blose knocked in the extra point to give YSU the lead back at 13-12.

Zach Kutch connected on a career-long 49-yard field goal to give the Redbirds a 15-13 lead with just over a minute left in the first half.

Blose tried to give YSU the lead back on a 42-yard attempt to end the opening half. The kick was blocked and the special teams hamster race continued. Halftime at the Ice Castle, Redbirds 15, Penguins 13.

Youngstown State finally got a big play. Dominique Barnes hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Summers. Youngstown State held a 20-15 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Redbirds effective kicker, Zach Kutch was again clutch, this time from 42 yards. The field goal shaved the Youngstown State lead to two points as they clung to a 20-18 lead.

Not to be outdone, Stephen Blose connected from 37 yards away to vault YSU to a 23-18 lead. For Blose, his third field goal capped his most productive day on the season.

At the 9:32 mark of the fourth quarter, Donald Jones caught a Brandon Summers pass from 8 yards away. YSU moved the ball 56 yards in 2:35 in increasing their lead to 30-18. Summers was 2-2 on the drive for 25 yards and a 3-yard run.

The Redbirds had a little left in the tank, but YSU was able to keep them out of scoring range and kept the score where it was to seal the victory.  Final score, YSU 30, Illinois State 18.  With the win, the Penguins improved to 5-5 and 3-4 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  Illinois State fell to 5-5 and 4-3 in the conference.

YSU was paced by Brandon Summers who finished the game one yard short of a career-high with 346 passing yards on 25-38 passing.  Kevin Smith (pictured) had his third one hundred yard game of the season and finished with 136 all-purpose yards.  The deadly duo on the sides clicked again as Donald Jones caught 7 balls for 105 yards and Dominique Barnes hauled in 8 for 122 with each scoring a touchdown.  Aaron Pitts chipped in with 68 receiving yards on three catches.

The Redbirds Freshman Quarterback, Matt Brown, finished the game 32-49 for 328 yards.  Cliffton Gordon carried 18 times for 58 yards, and TE Cody White had a career-high day with 6 receptions and 76 yards.

After the game, Coach Heacock again praised this Senior class.  “It was a special day for them.  We had a nice breakfast with the parents and loved ones this morning.  They came out and played hard and it was great to see so many of them play their hearts out.  Of all the Senior plays today, none was bigger then Ben Nowicki preventing Illinois State from scoring a touchdown on the blocked punt.”

Youngstown State University will not be participating in the 2009 Postseason Playoffs.  That is the unfortunate reality following a 17-3 setback to #9 South Dakota State at Stambaugh Stadium.  The Jackrabbits were consistent and opportunistic in defeating a very tough YSU team in a physical game.  Defense and turnovers were the keys to victory for the Jackrabbits (7-1, 6-0) who got the big breaks at just the right times in turning back the Penguins (4-4, 2-3).

South Dakota State took the opening drive and marched all the way to the YSU 2-yard line before a penalty backed them up to the 7. After a couple of plays, the normally reliable Jackrabbit Kicker, Peter Reifenrath, hooked a 25-yard attempt and no scoring was recorded.

YSU took over on their own 20 and got to the South Dakota State 27 before having to settle on a 48-yard FG from Stephen Blose to take a 3-0 lead with 2:43 left in the first period. On the drive, Brandon Summers looked sharp and YSU featured a one-back offensive look with FB Dana Brown exclusively on the field for the entire drive. The first quarter would end with the 3-0 YSU lead.

Senior QB Ryan Crawford  marched the Jackrabbits deep into YSU territory. Good coverage prevented a couple of shots to the end zone and SDSU would have to settle for a Reifenrath field goal of 25-yards to tie the game at 3-3 with 4:33 left in the first half.

After an exchange of possessions, the half ended deadlocked with a 3-3 defensive battle taking place at The Ice Castle on Halloween.

A 5-yard Kyle Minett run put the Jackrabbits in front, 10-3, to capitalize on a Brandon Summers interception on the Penguins first play of the second half.  The turnover gave South Dakota State a ton of momentum coming out of the intermission.

Dailyn Campbell (6-1, Soph.) opened the next drive for YSU at quarterback. Summers had been hampered by an injury he suffered in last week’s loss at Southern Illinois.  Campbell used his speed and elusiveness to create positive rushing yards on a nice drive but the Penguins came up empty on a missed field goal leaving the score at 10-3. The next few drives saw Campbell and Summers being used at different times. After three quarters, the Jackrabbits clung to their 10-3 lead.

It was Minett again scoring at the 4:51 mark of the fourth quarter to extend the Jackrabbit lead to 17-3. The South Dakota State drive took almost five minutes off of the clock as they marched 66 yards in 9 plays.  The pattern that was becoming more obvious during this drive was that the Jackrabbits were not a big-play team, but rather a methodical and well-oiled machine able to get at least four yards per touch with anything extra being a bonus.  The SDSU tight ends and receivers seemed to shift and / or motion on every single offensive play.

The Penguins were able to move the ball 60 yards in less than a minute-and-a-half, but again came away empty turning the ball over on downs as Summers was sacked helped in part by a low snap.

The Penguins defense forced a quick three-and-out while burning their timeouts to get the ball back with just under two minutes left in the game. A sideline interference penalty turned a second-and-one to go into a second-and-seventeen to go, that is just the kind of day it ended up being for Youngstown State. South Dakota State would intercept Summers on fourth-and-twenty to seal the victory in a hard-fought 17-3 win.

For the victorious Jackrabbits, Ryan Crawford was 19 of 28 for 178 yards and 4 rushes for 22 more yards.  Kyle Minett had 22 carries for 87 yards and 2 catches for 32 yards.  Colin Cochart hauled in 6 Crawford passes for 51 yards.  Statistically, the Jackrabbits dominated the contest.  They had more first downs (17-14), more rushing yards (131-73), won the time of possession battle (32:36-27:24), and controlled the turnover battle (2-0).  When you are defeated in those four categories it is tough to win a game.

Youngstown State was paced by Dailyn Campbell (who only played sparingly in the second half) with 32 rushing yards on 7 attempts.  Brandon Summers finished the game going 19-29 for 181 yards and two interceptions.  Donald Jones and Dominique Barnes both caught six balls each to pace the Penguins receiving corps.

After the game, a very exhausted and frustrated Jon Heacock addressed the obvious problems that resulted in a loss.  “The playoffs are shot.  We will continue to practice and prepare like champions.”

Heacock also explained why Dailyn Campbell replaced Summers in the third quarter.  “It’s a tough decision for me to take a Senior out of a game.  In that situation, I was more inclined to give Brandon [Summers] a rest out of concern for an injury he has been battling from last week’s game.  I owe it to these Seniors who have stuck it out this long to always see that they get their chances.” 

Junior Andre Elliott said the Jackrabbits didn’t do anything surprising to win.  “They did everything we expected them to do.  Their offense doesn’t get big plays, they just move the ball.  We will continue to play hard because we want to send our Seniors out on a winning note.” 

The Penguins go back on the road next week traveling to Northern Iowa, their third ranked opponent in a row, for a 5:30 kickoff.

Special teams errors and a Freshman QB proved to be the difference in Southern Illinois 27-8 victory over Youngstown State University (4-3, 2-2).  The Penguins outworked the Salukis (6-1, 5-0)  in the first half yet found themselves in a 14-point hole at the break.  A couple of bad snaps on special teams and one bad play on defense worked into a 17-point swing in favor of Southern and YSU could never get back into the game. 

Youngstown State came out fired up and stuffed the Salukis high-powered offense in three plays.  The Penguins then took possession on their own 20 following a punt and moved the ball all the way to the Southern Illinois 25-yard line before failing to convert on third and fourth down and less than a yard to go.

Southern Illinois took over at their own 25 and drove to the YSU 33.  Chris Dieker was sacked by Andre Elliott setting up a 3rd-and-11 and the Salukis got called for a penalty on the next play.  The third down play was unsuccessful and YSU forced a punt which Saluki Punter Scott Ravanesi rolled to the 6-yard line.  After picking up a first down on a Brandon Summers to Donald Jones passing play, the Penguins had the ball out past the 20-yard line where the first quarter would come to a close locked in a scoreless tie.

Southern Illinois blocked a YSU punt after a high snap and pounced on the loose ball at the YSU 2.  On a second-and-goal from inside the one, Saluki FB Jon Goode powered his way into the end zone to put Southern Illinois in front 7-0.  Starting QB Chris Dieker did not come out for the drive as Southern Illinois sent true freshman Paul McIntosh out.  It was later learned that Dieker had a broken collarbone and is out indefinitely.

After a Penguin punt and a penalty, Southern Illinois took the ball on their own 10-yard line.  On a third-and-six yards to go from their own 14, the Salukis struck big.  McIntosh found Joe Allaria for an 86-yard touchdown, and just when it seemed the momentum was swinging the Penguins way, they found themselves down 14-0.  McIntosh filled in brilliantly for the injured Dieker and finished the game with 133 passing yards and 12 rushes for 81 yards.

The Penguins then got a good kickoff return from Dominique Barnes out to their own 44, but a penalty brought the ball back to the 11-yard line.  Behind six Summers completions and the emergence of Freshman Jermaine Cook’s running, the Penguins moved the ball all the way to the Southern Illinois 12-yard line.  The offense went numb in the red zone again.  Stephen Blose came out to attempt a 25-yard field goal, but the snap was poor and the kick never had a chance.  At the half, it was all YSU (at least it seemed that way), yet they trailed 14-0.

Southern Illinois scored again in the third quarter on a 3-yard run by Deji Karim.  The Salukis started the drive at the YSU 45 after a poor punt by Ben Nowicki.  The TD by Karim, the weapon Coach Heacock said the Penguins needed to neutralize most, was one of his few shining moments in the game as the YSU defense did well containing him all day.

Southern kicker Kyle Dougherty added a pair of field goals  of 44 and 45 yards to complete the Southern Illinois scoring.

YSU got on the board when Summers found Senior Aaron Pitts for a 56-yard hookup.  Pitts had a tremendous game for the Penguins finishing with 7 catches for 102 yards.  The TD made the score 24-8 with a successful two-point conversion.  Donald Jones again tied the school record with 11 catches in a game, the second time he has done so this season.  Jones finished the contest with 11 grabs for 96 yards.

Brandon Summers (pictured) finished the game with 45 passing attempts, a career-high.  He completed 30 of those attempts for 296 yards.  He also finished the game with a touchdown and two fourth-quarter interceptions.  Unfortunately, Summers was also sacked 4 times and finished the game with -41 yards rushing.

The Penguins need to win their final four games to have any shot at all at the postseason.  The task will not be easy as they host South Dakota State (6-1, 5-0), a 24-14 winner at Northern Iowa,  next weekend.  The Penguins then head to the evil dome that is home to Northern Iowa to face another great team.  I’m sure that Coach Heacock will tune up the special teams problems that hurt YSU in the loss to Southern Illinois knowing that you cannot give good teams like this extra reasons to win football games.

On a perfect Fall evening, a football game involving two teams in a must-win situation took place in Youngstown.  Youngstown State scored 31 first half points and Western Illinois didn’t score any.  However, Western Illinois scored 21 second half points, and YSU failed to score a point.  Combine the two very different halves and the result is a 31-21 YSU victory. 

Youngstown State wasted little time getting on the scoreboard.  Western Illinois booted the opening kickoff out-of-bounds giving YSU the ball on their own 40.  Brandon Summers and the offense efficiently marched 60 yards in 10 plays.  Kevin Smith capped the opening scoring drive with a 1-yard TD to give YSU a 7-0 lead.  This marked the first time all year that YSU scored on their opening possession. 

After stuffing the Leathernecks, the Penguins took over on their own 30 and marched 70 yards in 10 plays and Summers found Donald Jones for a 4-yard touchdown to increase the Penguin lead to 14-0 with 1:03 left in the first quarter.  Kevin Smith had a key 26-yard run on the drive.

Western Illinois went 3-and-out.  On the last play of the first quarter, Lenny Wicks returned a Leatherneck punt 25 yards to the WIU 38.  At the end of one, it was all YSU, 14-0.

YSU covered 38 yards in 5 plays to increase the lead to 21-0.  It was the Dana Brown show on this particular drive as Brown carried the ball on every  play with the last being a one yard rushing touchdown at 12:33 of the second quarter.

In a continual display of dominance, YSU’s Na’eem Outler sacked WIU quarterback Wil Lunt and Sir Demarco Bledsoe pounced on the ball.  On the very first offensive play, Summers went to the end zone for Donald Jones who made a remarkable effort but was interfered with giving YSU first-and-goal on the Leatherneck 8-yard line.  Two plays later, Summers hooked up with Dominique Barnes for the eight yard score pushing the margin to 28-0 with 10:30 left in the first half.

Stephen Blose connected on a 27-yard field goal with 1:52 left in the half.  The Penguin drive was 54 yards in 9 plays.  It almost seemed as though the Penguins were concentrating more on chewing clock and getting Jabari Scott some carries.  To this point, everything had clicked on offense, all three running backs had some yards, and Summers was 9 for 9 passing.

On the ensuing kickoff, YSU’s Brandian Ross recovered a fumble to give the Penguins the ball on WIU’s 37-yard line.  The Penguins were unable to convert the turnover into any points however, about the only bad series they ran in the first half.  Western Illinois seemed content to just run the clock out and try to get to the locker for a halftime regrouping session.  At the half, this one was all YSU as the Penguins dominated the Leathernecks in every possible statistic for a 31-0 lead at the break.

Western Illionois came out a better team in the second half.  The Leathernecks scored on a 30-yard strike from Lunt to Justin Rideau.  The scoring drive was 9 plays for 77 yards and cut the YSU lead to 31-7 with 10:23 left in the third quarter.

Brandon Summers was intercepted by Stephen Moore and a personal foul gave the ball to WIU at the YSU 38.  On a third-and-22, YSU got flagged for a roughing the passer penalty giving Western Illinois the ball on the YSU 12.  On the very next play, Dre Gibbs coughed up the ball by the YSU goal line and Lenny Wicks recovered for the Penguins to help swing the momentum back to the side it was on the entire first half.

At the end of the third quarter, YSU maintained their 31-7 lead with a strong running attack that chewed the last six minutes of the quarter up.  With the start of the fourth quarter, YSU had the ball on their own 48.  The first play of the fourth quarter, however, proved costly as Summers was chased down from behind and the ball came loose.  Brandon Kreczmer recovered the ball for the Leathernecks at YSU’s 34.

With 12:25 left in the game, Western Illinois got an 11-yard scamper from Gibbs to successfully convert the turnover into points and further cut into the dwindling YSU lead, now 31-14.

The Leathernecks continued marching back as Lito Senatus caught a bullet from Lunt for 12 yards and a touchdown with 7:54 remaining in the game.  The lead was down to 31-21 and Western Illinois was playing as good as YSU did in the first half.  Conversely, YSU was playing as poorly as Western did in the first half. 

After another three-and-out, YSU punted the ball away.  Western Illinois started their next drive on their own 29.  Andre Elliott blitzed and absolutely smashed Lunt as he was releasing a pass which wobbled about half of its intended ditance where David Rach was waiting to intercept the ball back for the Penguins. 

YSU successfully chewed up the rest of the fourth quarter on the shoulders of Senior TB Kevin Smith (pictured) and held off a fierce Leatherneck comeback to preserve what seemed like a blowout but ended up somewhat of a nailbiter.

For YSU, Kevin Smith finished with 113 yards on 28 carries and a TD.  Donald Jones caught 8 passes for 94 yards and one TD.  Brandon Summers finished 12-18 for 134 yards, an interception, and two TD’s.  Stephen Blose had a good day as he kicked four extra points and was 1/1 on field goals.

Western Illinois was headed by Dre Gibbs who finished the game with 162 all-purpose yards (155 rushing, 7 receiving).  QB Wil Lunt was 9-19 for 109 yards, one interception, and two TD’s.  Justin Rideau caught 5 Lunt passes for 79 yards and 2 TD’s.  The statistic that buried the Leathernecks was penalty yards.  WIU accumulated 11 penalties for 108 yards compared to YSU having only five penalties.

After the game, Coach Jon Heacock praised the effort of his opponent.  “I don’t care what the records are.  You better show up and play every minute of every game on Saturday.  Give them [Western Illinois] credit for fighting until the end and playing hard.  We have some time [with the bye week] to pick out the things we can’t do and the things that we can do and become more consistent.”

Senior TB Kevin Smith, who has a couple of fumbles this season commented on grinding out the last four minutes of the game.  “It felt good.  I had a couple of drops and it felt good that the coaches had the confidence in me to give me the ball and run down the clock.”

Lenny Wicks talked about whether or not he was ready for the bye week.  “Yes, we have some time to rest and get alot of practice in to get ready for Southern Illinois because that’s a big game.”

YSU travels to Southern Illinois for an October 24th game.  With the extra week of preparation, Coach Heacock will have the team ready for that big game. 

Youngstown State (3-2, 1-1) hosts Western Illinois (1-3, 0-1) in an almost must-win game for both teams this Saturday.  The Missouri Valley Football Conference seems balanced with an exception at the bottom (Indiana State), and a couple of great teams so far (S. Illinois, N. Iowa) at the top.  All of the teams in the middle of the MVC could end up beating each other up all year.  With one loss each, either team could still win the conference championship if they run the table. 

Youngstown State lost to Missouri State, 17-7, in a game that was decided by big plays and bigger miscues.  To drive for 16 plays and 90 yards and come away with no points can be disheartening to a team like Youngstown State.  The game could have easily been won by ten points minus three mistakes.  Those three mistakes were a high snap on a field goal attempt that prevented YSU kicker Stephen Blose to have a clean attempt, converting on fourth-and-inches on Missouri State’s five yard line, and controlling turnovers.  There are not many teams who can overcome four turnovers, a blocked field goal, and getting stuffed deep in the opponents red zone who would only lose by ten points.  I guess that is the best way to take a positive out of last week’s game.

Western Illinois lost to Southern Illinois, 30-10, last week.  When WIU scored a TD in the second quarter, they cut the SIU lead to 14-10, but would get no closer as the Salukis rattled off three field goals and a touchdown to seal a victory.  The Leathernecks have a legitimate deep-threat wide receiver in Lito Senatus.  Senatus caught six passes for 45 yards against Southern, but more impressively, has 30 catches for 435 yards in four games.  Western Illinois will try to run the ball with traditional power formations, a trademark of their teams for years.  However, they will throw a three receiver set in from time-to-time, something new and not seen frequently in the past.

Youngstown State has won the last 5 games against Western Illinois, with four of those contests being decided by seven points or less.  This weeks game marks the 25th meeting between the two schools with YSU victorious 14 times and WIU the winner 10 times.  Last year, YSU won a hard fought 31-28 game in Macomb to end the season.

Coach Jon Heacock looks for his team to roar back coming off of last weeks loss.  “We played outstanding at times.  We had a goal-line stand.  We drive it sixteen plays, and it ends with a turnover.  We went into the game leading the conference in turnover margin.  We turned the ball over 4 times and no longer lead the conference but have slipped down to fourth or fifth.”

Senior WR Aaron Pitts commented on the loss.  “We are definitely upset and embarrassed with our performance Saturday.  We really want to come back strong and get the next one.” 

Senior DL Crispin Fernandez alerted the media that the team is not looking back, but rather ahead.  “We seemed ready.  We did the same things we usually do to get ready.  We were not able to get pressure on the QB because they were picking up our twists and stunts.  We can get to the quarterback this week if we prepare right.”

Penguin Notes

• Senior WR Donald Jones played well in the loss as he tied a school record by having 11 catches in a game.  I sat next to a Philadelphia Eagles scout who was impressed with the effort Jones provided.
• YSU has lost seven consecutive games in October dating back to the 2007 season.
• Youngstown State has 8 interceptions in five games.  Last season they only had 12 in 12 games.
• Eric Rodemoyer has received the Penguins’ Offensive Lineman of The Game award in all four of his starts.  Rodemoyer is a transfer from West Virginia.
• Dominique Barnes is averaging 12.4 yards per catch, best on the team with 5 or more catches.