YSUsports.com - No. 2/3 Penguins Face Big Test at No. 7/6 Western Illinois

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No. 2/3 Penguins Face Big Test at No. 7/6 Western Illinois
     The No. 2/3 (Coaches/SportsNetwork) Youngstown State Penguins face another challenge this Saturday traveling to No. 7/6 Western Illinois in a matchup of conference leaders and top 10 teams. Kickoff for the contest is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. (EST). Both teams have won six straight games entering the contest and are 3-0 in the Gateway.
     Youngstown State, one of just 10 undefeated teams in I-AA, is coming off another hard fought victory coming from behind to beat Northern Iowa 28-24 before a Stambaugh Stadium record crowd of 21,119. Quarterback Jeff Ryan connected on a 26-yard touchdown pass to a diving Dennis Dlugosz with 1:17 remaining to lift YSU to its sixth straight home victory. Following the touchdown, the Penguin defense sacked UNI quarterback Ryan Helming twice to end any Northern Iowa comeback bid.
     Western Illinois (6-1 and 3-0) came from behind to win at Southwest Missouri State 14-10 on Saturday. The Leathernecks trailed 10-0 in the fourth quarter but got touchdowns from Jason Isom and Bobby Starks to rally for the win. WIU quarterback Sam Clemons threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Starks with 1:05 remaining. The Leathernecks have won six straight games since losing their season opener at Missouri.
     The Penguins are 6-0 to start the season, the fifth time in its 60-year school history a YSU team has opened the year by winning six games. In the two years where Coach Jim Tressel squads started 6-0 they finished with 11 and 13 wins and one national title.
     YSU has been road warriors as of late winning eight consecutive true road games away from Stambaugh Stadium. The Penguins have won six straight Gateway games on the road with their last loss coming at Illinois State on Nov. 14, 1998. However, YSU has lost in its last two trips to Macomb and has not won at Western Illinois since 1982. Since YSU joined the conference in 1997, the Penguins are 15-6 in league play.

Last Time Out: Youngstown State 28, Northern Iowa 24
    • The Penguins improved to 6-0 with a 28-24 come-from-behind win over Northern Iowa. The game was played before a Stambaugh Stadium-record crowd of 21,119 on a beautiful day in the Mahoning Valley. With the win, YSU has now started a season 6-0 for the third time under Coach Jim Tressel and fifth time in school history. For the third consecutive game, YSU had to rally and then hold on for the victory. UNI opened the game with a 7-0 lead after Ryan Helming connected on a 68-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Berlin. YSU tied the game at seven when Josiah Doby scored on a two-yard run. After a Mackenzie Hoambrecker 50-yard field goal, Andre Coleman’s first rush of the season produced a 20-yard touchdown score and 14-10 lead. UNI took the lead at halftime 17-14 on a 26-yard score by Richard Carter. In the fourth, YSU regained the lead on a 22-yard pass from Ryan to Brandon Pedraza. But UNI answered back to go ahead 24-21 on a seven-yard run by Michael Gerrell. The Penguins didn’t wilt battling back to take a 28-24 lead when Ryan hit a diving Dennis Dlugosz in the end zone with 1:17 remaining.
     • For the fourth consecutive game, the Penguins were outgained but still picked up the victory. It is only the second time in school history where YSU has been outgained and won in four consecutive contests. The other time came at the end of the 1997 season. Hampton, Villanova, Eastern Washington and McNeese State all outgained YSU, but lost.
     • The attendance of 21,119 at Saturday’s game set a Stambaugh and Gateway Conference record for attendance. The previous best set by YSU for a home game was 20,519 against Buffalo on Oct. 11, 1997.
     • Team captains for the game were senior linebacker Tim Johnson, senior tailback Eric Lockhart and senior linebacker Luke Schumacher.
     • Troy LeFever set a school record with an 85-yard punt in the third quarter. With the Penguins facing a fourth down at their four, LeFever’s kick bounded to the UNI 11. The kick broke the previous record of 76 yards set by Don Calloway against Northern Michigan in 1973.

Breakdown of the Western Illinois Leathernecks
    The Leathernecks bring an impressive offense and tough defense into the game against the Penguins. On offense, WIU is averaging 32 points and 385.9 yards per game. While the defense has put the clamps on opponent offenses, allowing 14.4 points and 246.3 yards per game while forcing 24 turnovers (plus-12 turnover margin).
     Leading the Panthers offense is running back Charles Tharp. Tharp is averaging 132.7 yards per game and has 929 yards rushing this season with nine touchdowns. Tharp is second in the conference in rushing and 15th nationally. At quarterback, Frisman Jackson and Sam Clemons lead the offense. Jackson is averaging 114.9 yards per game and has thrown eight touchdown passes. Clemons threw the game-winning touchdown pass at Southwest Missouri State last Saturday.
     On defense, Edgerton Hartwell has made 111 tackles this season to lead the Gateway Conference. He has made an impressive 40 tackles in the last two games.
     WIU is coached by Don Patterson (14-5) who is in his second season with the Leathernecks.

All-Time Series Against Western Illinois
    The Penguins lead the series against the Leathernecks 8-7. Since the series resumed in 1997, WIU has won three of the last four meetings. The Penguins have not won in Macomb since 1983.
     In 1997, WIU stunned YSU at Stambaugh Stadium winning 24-21. In 1998, the Leathernecks shut out the Penguins 14-0. In that contest, YSU entered the game ranked No. 1, but after the defeat lost four of its last seven games. Last year, YSU held the Leathernecks on a fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line with 44 seconds left for a 28-24 triumph.
     Last Meeting: The Penguins stopped Mark Zanders twice from the one-yard line in the final minute to hold on for a 28-24 win in the Gateway Conference opener for both teams. Jeff Ryan threw for 227 yards and tied his career high with three touchdown passes. But it was Ryan’s legs that proved the difference. With 7:24 left in the game, he rallied the Penguins and scored on a seven-yard run for the go-ahead score. Western Illinois jumped out to a 21-0 lead before the Penguins cut the deficit to 21-7 just before halftime.

Penguins Set Stambaugh Stadium Attendance Record
     Against Northern Iowa on Saturday, Youngstown State set a Stambaugh Stadium and Gateway Football Conference record with a crowd of 21,119 fans.
     All tickets for the contest were sold by Friday night, making the game one of the few advanced sellouts in school history. It was the first sellout since the East side stands were constructed in 1997.
    Stambaugh Stadium, the home of the Penguins since 1982, is one of the finest I-AA football facilities in the Midwest.
    YSU has been almost unbeatable since moving into Stambaugh, posting an incredible mark of 94-29-1 (.764), including a remarkable 10-1 record in its last 11 home games. Head Coach Jim Tressel owns an impressive 79-21-1 mark in the Ice Castle.