Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars...
    • The Penguins play their final non-conference game of the 2004 season against the Flames on Saturday. This year, YSU is 1-2 against non-Gateway teams. Since joining the conference in 1997, the Penguins have never finished below .500 in the non-league portion of the schedule.
    • YSU has not lost consecutive non-conference home games since joining the Gateway Football Conference in 1997. Since that time, the Penguins are 19-4 at home in non-Gateway regular-season action.
    • The Penguins have not lost two regular-season non-conference games at home in the same year since joining the Gateway for the 1997 season. YSU has had single losses in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004, but has never lost twice.
    • Since joining the Gateway, the Penguins are 4-2 in their final regular-season non-conference contest. The two losses were to Division I-A foes, Marshall in 2000 and at Central Florida in 1998.
    • Following the game with the Flames, YSU plays three consecutive games against ranked opponents -- at Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa.

Liberty Scouting Report
    Liberty will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak when it visits Stambaugh Stadium on Saturday.
    After a season-opening victory over West Virginia Tech (51-10), the Flames have dropped decisions at Kent State (38-10) and at home against nationally-ranked Lehigh (34-16).
    The Flames are led on offense by tailback Eugene Goodman. Goodman is averaging 129.3 yards per contest and is coming off a 142-yard performance against Lehigh. Including last season, Goodman has rushed for more than 100 yards in six consecutive games. Liberty also returns running back Dre Barnes.
    On defense, free safety C.J. Moore has been impressive recording a team-high 35 tackles through three games, including 15 against the Mountain Hawks.

YSU Leads Series By 4-2 Margin
    The Penguins own a 4-2 series advantage over Liberty after six all-time meetings. In three games played at Stambaugh Stadium, YSU is 2-1. The last contest between the schools in Youngstown was a 42-0 YSU victory on Oct. 16, 1993. Last season, the Penguins won 34-3 in Lynchburg, Va.

Last Meeting: YSU 34, Liberty 3
    The Penguins overcame a slow first quarter and an 83-minute lightning delay to beat the Flames 34-3 on Sept. 27, 2003 at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Va.
    Trailing 3-0 in the second quarter, the YSU defense held the Flames on five plays from inside the four-yard line to turn the tide. The Penguins reeled off 17 points before halftime, including a Waymann Peters 27-yard interception return for a touchdown and a school-record 56-yard field goal by Nick Terracina. YSU added 17 points in the second half to cruise to the victory.
    Josh Cayson rushed for 69 yards on 10 carries to lead the Penguins. Aaron Marshall completed 8-of-17 passes for 100 and a touchdown.

Last Time Out: McNeese 24, YSU 20
    The Penguins almost overcame seven turnovers rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit to take a 20-17 lead, but McNeese State scored the game-winner with 5:28 remaining to pull out a 24-20 victory.
    YSU took a 3-0 lead on a 32-yard field goal by Nick Terracina before the Cowboys took advantage of YSU turnovers to build their 17-3 halftime lead. MSU’s Chris Thomas scored on a six-yard run and a seven-yard run to cap touchdown drives that combined for 13 yards and were set up by Penguin fumbles.
    In the third quarter, quarterback Aaron Marshall came off the bench to spark the comeback bid. On his first possession, Monquantae Gibson raced 67 yards for a touchdown cutting the deficit to 17-10.
    On the next possession, Marshall threw a seven-yard scoring pass to Kyle Smith to tie the contest with 6:32 left in the third.
    YSU eventually took a 20-17 lead on a 41-yard field goal by Terracina with 12:52 remaining.
    Leading by three and controlling the ball, YSU’s Josh Cayson fumbled at the 33 after picking up a first down and McNeese recovered with 8:29 left.
    After converting a huge fourth-and-nine play, Scott Pendarvis hit Chris Thomas for a game-deciding 18-yard score.

Penguins Thrive in Third Quarter
    In three third quarters this season, the Penguins have had a great deal of success. Not only has YSU outscored the opposition 35-3, the Penguins have outgained their three foes 327-173. On the ground, Youngstown State has outrushed teams 177-62 in the third stanza.

Wacky Second Half At McNeese
    In the third quarter against McNeese, YSU outgained the Cowboys 161-19, including a 112-4 margin on the ground. YSU ran 24 plays to the McNeese’s 11, had a possession time advantage of 9:45 to 5:15 and picked up eight first downs to one.
    In the fourth, McNeese had 72 yards to YSU’s 24, a 6-1 advantage on first downs and a 10:56 to 4:04 advantage in time of possession.

Half Stats Crazy Too
    At halftime of the game against the Cowboys, McNeese had a 205-80 advantage in total yardage and led 17-3 on the scoreboard. In the second half, YSU outscored the Cowboys 17-7 and had a yardage bulge of 185-91.

Linemen Go The Distance
    The Penguins played just six offensive linemen against McNeese State. The starting five of Pat Walker, Josh Tanner, Ryan Jewell, Tony Limongi and John Bartos were joined by Joe DeBee on the field during the Cowboys. The group performed well with four individuals earning winning grades from the coaching staff.

Gibson Keeps Impressing
    Sophomore tailback Monquantae Gibson (Louisville, Ky.) had his second consecutive 100-plus yard rushing game finishing with 168 yards on the ground against McNeese State. Gibson, who had 122 yards in his YSU debut against Florida International, scored his first career touchdown on a 67-yard run in the third quarter at McNeese. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry at MSU.
    On the year, he has rushed for 290 yards in two games, averaging a Gateway Conference best 145 yards per game.

Run Longest Since Cayson’s in 2003
    Monquantae Gibson’s 67-yard touchdown run was the longest by a Penguin since Josh Cayson went 73 yards for a touchdown against Edinboro in 2003. Gibson’s 168 yards on the night were the most since P.J. Mays had 210 against Southern Illinois on Nov. 2, 2002.

Hutchinson Has Career-Best Night
    Sophomore linebacker Marty Hutchinson (Newton Falls, Ohio) recorded a career-best 11 tackles against McNeese State. Hutchinson also recorded two tackles for losses, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble while making his first start of the season and third of his career.

Scholes Battles to the End
    Junior defensive end Justin Scholes had the best game of his career finishing with eight tackles. Scholes’ numbers have improved each game this season. He recorded four tackles against Slippery Rock and then had six against Florida International.

Penguins Play Giveaway
    The Penguins turned the ball over seven times against McNeese State fumbling the ball away on four occasions and throwing three interceptions. The last time the Penguins turned the ball over that many times in a contest was when they had eight giveaways against Western Illinois on Sept. 22, 1984.

Marshall Ignites Comeback
    Junior quarterback Aaron Marshall (Chicago, Ill.) came off the bench in the third quarter and led the Penguins on their final three touchdown drives of the game, including the first two when he entered the contest.

Terracina Has Happy Homecoming
    Except for the outcome, senior placekicker Nick Terracina (Lake Charles, La.) had a return home to remember. Terracina made field goals of 41 and 32 yards and executed a perfect surprise onside kick in the third quarter that led to the game-tying touchdown for the Penguins.

Terracina Streaking
    Entering the contest against Liberty, Nick Terracina has made five consecutive field goals and 26 straight extra-point conversion kicks. After missing a field goal in the season opener against Slippery Rock, Terracina made a career-best three field goals against Florida International and then made two at McNeese State.
    The last time he missed an extra point was at Kent State in 2003. This year, he is 8-of-8 on PAT kicks.

Bishop Ties Career-Best Kick
    Sophomore punter Joe Bishop (Canton, Ohio) tied his career high with a 60-yard punt at McNeese State on Saturday. Last year, Bishop had a 60-yarder at Liberty. In the game, he averaged 40.8 yards per punt and placed two kicks inside the McNeese 20-yard line.
    Through three games he is averaging 40.8 yards per kick on 21 attempts.

21 Points Is the Key
    The Penguins are 21-2 when they score 21 points or more under Coach Jon Heacock. When Youngstown State fails to score 21-plus points in a game they have posted an 0-14 mark. In 2003, YSU was 5-1 when scoring more than 21 points -- the lone loss a 35-25 setback to Illinois State. In 2002, the Penguins were 7-0 , while in 2001 they were 8-1 losing at nationally-ranked I-A Marshall.

Up Next: At Western Kentucky
    The Penguins open Gateway Football Conference play next Saturday at Western Kentucky. YSU is 6-1 all-time in Gateway openers with the lone loss coming at WKU in 2002. The Hilltoppers, who are 3-0 against YSU since joining the Gateway, play at Florida International this Saturday.