Coaching Capsules
    YSU: Second-year Coach Jon Heacock (Muskingum, 1983) is 14-7 overall at Youngstown State. Heacock finished the 2001 season with an 8-3 record setting a school record for wins by a first-year mentor. He has spent eight of the past 11 years on the YSU coaching staff. He spent seven seasons in Youngstown from 1990 through 1996 before spending three years as the defensive coordinator at Indiana. He returned to YSU as the defensive coordinator in 2000 and took over as head coach in January 2001.
    Samford: Bill Gray (Mississippi College, 1983) is completing his first full season at Samford. In 15 games with the school, Gray is 8-7. He has been at Samford since 1994 and took over as the interim head coach midway through last season. He was named the coach on Nov. 21, 2001.

Samford Scouting Report
    Samford is playing its final game of the 2002 season and final game as a Division I-AA Independent before moving into the Ohio Valley Conference next year.
    The Bulldogs have had some success scoring points (25.6 per game), but are also allowing 34.8 points per contest, including at least 48 in the past three games. In four victories, SU has allowed 25 points or less, while in six defeats the Bulldogs have surrendered at least 37 in each contest.
    Samford features a two-quarterback system and some talented wide receivers led by Aryvia Holmes. Holmes has a school-record-tying 74 receptions and a single-season best 1,068 yards. He owns the school mark for career receptions and career yards. Holmes is averaging 118.7 yards this season.

Last Game Recap: Penguins 24, Redbirds 17
    The Penguins put together a solid all-around effort in winning 24-17 at Illinois State on Nov. 9. YSU’s offense performed well with 323 yards of total offense while the Penguins defense limited the Redbirds to 198 total yards. Youngstown trailed 10-0 in the second quarter before tying the game on a four-yard run by P.J. Mays and a 42-yard field goal by Jake Stewart. After falling behind 17-10 on the opening possession of the half, YSU scored two touchdowns in two minutes to take control of the game. A Matt Mechling interception set up a one-yard Mays run on fourth-and-goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Brandon Brown recovered a live ball off the foot of Jake Stewart. Again on fourth down, Aaron Marshall threw a 34-yard touchdown to Jerald Burley for the winning score. Mays finished with 146 yards rushing on a season-high 32 carries.

YSU Has Won Both Meetings Against Bulldogs
    Youngstown State has won the only two meetings between the two programs. YSU won 10-0 in 1991 in the Division I-AA semifinals to advance to the title game against Marshall in Statesboro, Ga. In 1993, the Penguins beat the Bulldogs during the regular season. The 1991 Samford squad was coached by Terry Bowden while the 1993 squad was coached by Chan Gailey.

Last Meeting: YSU 24, Samford 7
    Darnell Clark had 160 yards rushing and Tamron Smith added 109 and two touchdowns in a 24-7 YSU win over Samford on Oct. 23, 1993. Quarterback Mark Brungard was 15-of-21 for 205 yards and Jeff Wilkins added a field goal. YSU broke open a 7-7 game with 17 third-quarter points.

The 1991 Semifinal: YSU 10, SU 0
    Tamron Smith had a school-record 46 carries and ran for 246 yards in a 10-0 YSU victory. The only touchdown of the game came in the first quarter when Chris Vecchione returned a fumble six yards for a touchdown. A 28-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins was YSU’s only other score in the game. The Penguins caused eight Samford turnovers, including six interceptions, but lost four fumbles and had a 42:45 time of possession.

No Interceptions Thrown Lately
    The Penguins’ quarterbacks have not thrown an interception since the second quarter against SMS -- Aaron Marshall’s only interception of the season. That is a span of 26 quarters without throwing an interception. In that time, YSU has thrown 92 passes without throwing to an opposing player.

Mays' Touchdown Total at 43
    Senior tailback P.J. Mays has scored 43 total touchdowns in his three-year Youngstown State career. His 43 is tied for the second most in Gateway Football Conference history, one shy of the mark of 44 set by Northern Iowa’s Jeff Stovall (1993-96). Mays is just the third player in Gateway Football Conference history to score at least 40 touchdowns in a career. He joins two former Northern Iowa players -- Jeff Stovall (44) and Dedric Ward (43) -- as the only individuals in conference history with 40-or-more touchdowns.

Tekac Cracks Tackle Top 20
    Senior linebacker Jon Tekac has posted a career-high 100 total tackles this season. Tekac’s previous best was last year when he recorded 69 stops. For his career, the senior from Pulaski Township, Pa., has recorded 259 total tackles, which ranks him 20th in school history.

Looking to Win Turnover Margin
    With a game remaining in the 2002 campaign, the Penguins are trying to finish 7-4 and are trying to win the turnover-margin battle. Through 10 games, YSU is at a plus two after forcing two turnovers at Illinois State on Nov. 9. In 16 of the last 17 years (all but 1989), Youngstown State has had an advantage (or a plus) in the turnover-margin department.
    In six victories, the Penguins own a plus-eight turnover advantage (17-9). In four defeats, Youngstown State is at a minus-six disadvantage (9-3).

Penguins On November 23
    This will be the fourth contest in YSU history on a Nov. 23. YSU has an all-time record on Nov. 23 of 1-2: 1957 at Eastern Kentucky (L, 0-13); 1963 at Eastern Kentucky (L, 14-34); 1991 at Towson State (W, 27-17).

YSU Guaranteed Winning Season
    By beating Illinois State, the Penguins are guaranteed of finishing with a winning record. With that, YSU will tie the school record for consecutive winnings seasons at seven. YSU had six straight winning seasons -- 8-3 in 1996, 13-2 in 1997, 6-5 in 1998, 12-3 in 1999, 9-3 in 2000 and 8-3 in 2001 -- entering the year and with six wins will make it seven in a row. YSU had seven straight winning seasons from 1940 through 1949, a streak that was interrupted for three years by World War II. YSU had a streak of six straight winning years from 1989-1994.

Opponents Can’t Miss on FGs
    Entering the game against Samford, opposing field goal kickers have made 12 straight attempts against YSU. Placekickers have not missed a field-goal attempt since the Indiana State game. Of those 12, three have been from 50 yards or more, including a Hancock Stadium record 56-yarder by Illinois State’s Stephen Carroll. Samford has seen its opponents make six straight field goals. On the year, opponents are 16-of-20 while YSU is 4-of-7. The four made are the fewest in a year since 1995 (4). Only four times since 1975 have the Penguins made five or fewer field goals in a year.

Penguins Enjoy November Success
    Under Coach Jon Heacock the Penguins are 4-1 in November the last two seasons and have played some of their best football. In 2001, the Penguins defeated Southern Illinois and Elon and took Division I-A Marshall to the wire in a loss posting a 2-1 mark. This season, YSU is 2-0 with wins over Southern Illinois and at Illinois State.

YSU Continues Gateway Streak
    Since joining the Gateway Football Conference in 1997, the Penguins have never finished below .500 in league play. This year, YSU finished 4-3 after beating Illinois State to finish third in the conference and extend its streak to six years. Western Kentucky and Western Illinois have been .500 or above for two straight years and Indiana State and Illinois State will post winning records this season. Northern Iowa had a 17-year streak of .500-or-better league finishes snapped this season.

Penguins Convert on Fourth Down
    The Penguins have had a high percentage of success on fourth-down plays this season. YSU has gone-for-it on fourth down 15 times and has been successful on 11 attempts, including scoring six touchdowns on fourth down. The 73.3 percent conversion rate ties for the best in school history -- also 11-of-15 in 1999.

15 Receivers Close To Record
    This season, the Penguins have had 15 different players catch a pass. That is the most in a season since 1999 and one shy of the school record of 16 set in 1995. YSU also had 15 players with a reception in 1994.

Heacock Sets Wins Record
    Head Coach Jon Heacock set a school record for victories by a coach in their first two seasons. Heacock has won 14 games since taking over prior to the 2001 season. Rey Dempsey won 12 games, Jim Tressel won 10, Bill Narduzzi won nine and Dwight Beede won eight in their first seasons. Heacock also set a record with eight victories in his first campaign last year.

Six Penguins Have Thrown a Pass
    This season, six Penguins have thrown a pass at some point -- quarterbacks Aaron Marshall, Colby Street, Luis Gonzalez and Justin Green along with tailback P.J. Mays and wide receiver Matt Rycraft. The last time six different players threw a pass in a season was in 1999. In 1983, a school record seven players attempted a pass. Against McNeese State earlier in the year, Street, Gonzalez and Green all threw passes along with Mays. It marked the first time since Nov. 21, 1992 against Georgia Southern when four Penguins attempted -- and completed -- a pass in the same contest.

YSU Defense Playing Well
    The Youngstown State defensive unit ranks second in the Gateway Football Conference in scoring defense, pass defense, rushing defense, total defense and pass efficiency defense. The Penguins rank 12th in the nation in pass defense and 17th in total defense. YSU has allowed more than 20 points in a game only twice this season. Samford will present a challenge for the Penguins averaging 25 points per game and 216.7 yards passing per contest.

Mays Has Shot at Rushing Mark
    Senior tailback P.J. Mays has a shot to set the school record for career rushing yards with a 167-yard performance against Samford on Saturday. Mays enters the game against Samford with 3,339 yards during the regular season, trailing on Tamron Smith’s school mark of 3,505. Mays has a shot to become just the fifth player in Gateway history to rush for more than 3,500 yards with a strong effort. Overall, he is only the fifth player in school history over the 3,000-yard mark (he has 3,374 yards including playoff games). Mays joins Tamron Smith, Paris Wicks, Robby Robson and Adrian Brown as the only Guins over the mark.

Mays Ranks Highly in School, Conference Records
    Entering his final game, senior tailback P.J. Mays ranks fourth in career rushing touchdowns (41), is also fourth in touchdowns scored (43) and fourth in rushing at 3,228 yards at Youngstown State. In the Gateway Conference, Mays is tied for second in league history just one touchdown behind Northern Iowa’s Jeff Stovall (44 from 1993-96) and is second in rushing touchdowns trailing Stovall’s mark (43) by two.

Mays Over 1,000 Yards Again
    P.J. Mays has 1,147 yards rushing on the season marking the second consecutive season he has rushed for more than 1,000 yards. He is the first YSU back to have more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Tamron Smith in 1992 and 1993. Only two other players, besides Smith and Mays have had consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at YSU -- Frank Horvath (1960 and 1961) and Paris Wicks (1981 and 1982). Mays’ 1,147 yards rank as the 12th-best single-season total in school history.

Marshall Owns 5-2 Mark As QB
    Redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Marshall has provided steady play at quarterback since taking over the starter role prior to the game against SMS. Marshall won his first three games and as YSU’s quarterback owns a 5-2 mark, although he started as a wide receiver vs. Illinois State.

2002 Senior Notes
    • Quarterback Justin Green appeared in two games this year and started against Western Kentucky.
    • Defensive tackle Tim Frost suffered an injury in the third game and was lost for the year.
    • Punter Kosta Karapetsas has 110 punts in his career for an average of 36.5 per kick.
    • Linebacker Colby Street started the first two games at quarterback before moving to linebacker.
    • Defensive tackle Matt Mechling has played in 45 games, starting 41 contests the most on the team.
    • Free Safety Anthony Barone has played in 46 contests, starting the last 33 of his career. He has recorded 206 career tackles.
    • Wide receiver Jerald Burley has caught 42 passes for 631 yards and six touchdowns.
    • Linebacker Brandon Byers has started every game this season.
    • Offensive tackle Andy DeNiro has been part of offensive lines that have blocked for a total of 9,975 yards rushing.
    • Tight End Dennis Dlugosz has caught 28 passes for 409 yards in his career.
    • Tight End John Schumacher has caught 45 passes for 673 yards and seven TDs.
    • Linebacker Justin Dellarose has recorded 166 total tackles in his career.
    • Defensive tackle Guy Mazard has 79 tackles and 20 tackles for losses in his career.
    • Linebacker Russell Stuvaints has 181 tackles and seven forced fumbles in his career.
    • Defensive End Martin Stachowicz has started all but one game the last two years.
    • Linebacker Jon Tekac has started every game the past three seasons.
    • Defensive Tackle Wendell Parrish has recovered two fumbles at YSU.

Turnover Free Games
    Twice this season the Penguins have posted turnover-free games and in both contests YSU has come out a winner. Against Illinois State and Indiana State, Youngstown State did not commit any miscues en route to victories.

Penguins Elect Captains
    Prior to YSU’s game against Southern Illinois, the Penguins voted on the captains to represent the team for the 2002 season. Senior tailback P.J. Mays, senior tight end John Schumacher and senior linebacker Jon Tekac were named this year’s captains by the Penguins. With 18 seniors on the 2002 squad, Coach Jon Heacock appointed captains for each of the first eight games of the season -- two each game and three against Western Illinois.

Interception First Timers
    Against Illinois State, one Penguin defender intercepted the first pass of his career while the other had the first pick of his season. Defensive tackle Matt Mechling had the first interception of his career in the third quarter that helped set up the tying touchdown. Mechling intercepted the ball with a broken bone in his right hand. Free safety Anthony Barone had the first interception of his season -- fourth of his career -- also in the third quarter on a botched field-goal attempt by Illinois State.

Three QBs Have Started Before
    Earlier this season, the Penguins started different quarterbacks in three consecutive games. That marked the first time since 1983 that three different quarterbacks have started in consecutive games in the same year. Starting in 1983 were Mike Sloe, Jamie DeVore and Ken Kuhn. Starting in 2002 were senior Colby Street, senior Justin Green and redshirt freshman Aaron Marshall.
    The Penguins added another starter to the list of quarterbacks this season when Matt Rycraft was in on the first snap of the game against Illinois State. With his start, YSU set a school record for quarterbacks starting in a single season at four.

200, 100 For the First Time Ever
    For the first time in school history, the Penguins had a player amass more than 200 yards rushing and another amass 100 yards rushing in the same game. Against Southern Illinois, tailback P.J. Mays had 210 yards while Mike Burns added 123 yards. It marked the second time this season -- Mays and Josiah Doby in the opener against Clarion -- that YSU had multi-100-yard runners in a game. Also, it is the 19th time since 1974 that the Penguins have had two 100-yard rushers in the same game.

YSU All About Power Football
    Since the 1990 season, the Penguins have been known as a smashmouth football team and the yearly averages back that up. Beginning with the 1990 season, the Penguins have rushed more than passed (percentage wise) in 10 of the last 11 years. The 1995 season is the only time YSU passed more than ran the football. Currently, the Penguins are following that trend rushing for 63.2 percent of their total yardage.

Home Sweet Home
    The Penguins have had tremendous success at Stambaugh Stadium since the building opened for the 1982 season. All-time at Stambaugh, the Penguins are 105-33-1. In 2001, YSU won its 100th game at the Stadium. Since 1996, YSU is 37-9 and since 1989, the Penguins are 82-18-1. McNeese State became the first non-conference team to win at Stambaugh since Delaware in 1998.

Fourth Quarter Leads Hold Up
    Since the 1990 season, the Penguins are 109-5 when leading entering the fourth quarter. The times when YSU blew a fourth-quarter advantage were in 1991, 1996, 1997 and twice in 2000. That gives the Penguins a 95.6 percent chance of winning entering the final 15 minutes with an advantage. This year YSU is 6-0 leading into the fourth.