Oct. 19, 2005
Football: Penguins Look to Remain in Hunt Against MSU
    The 14th/15th-ranked Youngstown State football team looks to remain unbeaten in the Gateway Football Conference when they play host to Missouri State on Saturday. Kickoff for the Homecoming contest is now set for 6 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
    The Penguins (6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Gateway) came from behind last Saturday to nip Western Illinois 23-21 at Stambaugh Stadium. Trailing 21-17 with just under five minutes left in the fourth, Codera Jackson’s fifth interception of the season set the Penguins up at the WIU 31. Three plays later Marcus Mason scored the game-winning touchdown from 28 yards out.
    The Bears (3-3 and 1-2) enter the game following a 37-28 loss at Western Kentucky. Through three quarters, WKU led 16-7 before both teams scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. MSU pulled within 23-21 on a Mike Radon 48-yard return of a fumble, but the two-point conversion attempt failed with 8:28 to go and the Bears could get no closer.
    Youngstown State is 3-0 in the Gateway for just the third time in school history. YSU was 3-0 in 2000 and went to 4-0 in 1999 before dropping its first league game.
    The Penguins have won eight of nine all-time meetings against MSU, however the Bears won 34-28 in Springfield in 2004.

Updated Saturday Gameday Schedule:

• Ticket Office hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.,
• Tailgating Lots Open: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Hall of Fame brunch: 10:30 a.m.
• Parade at 2 p.m.
• Gates open at 4:30 p.m.
• Women's Alumnae/YSU Alumni Tailgate at 4:30 p.m.

Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars...
    • A win gives the Penguins their first 4-0 start -- and second ever -- to a Gateway slate since the 2000 season (4-0).
    • Marcus Mason has rushed for 100 yards in three consecutive games. The last time a YSU tailback had three straight 100-yard games was P.J. Mays in the final three games of 2002. The last time a Penguin back had four consecutive 100-yard games was Tamron Smith in 1991.
    • In four home games this year, the Penguins have scored in 15 of 16 quarters.
    • YSU has won five straight home games.
    • The Penguin defense has posted two shutouts. That marks the first time since 1997 in which YSU has two shutouts in the same season. The last time the Penguins had three shutouts was 1975.
    • Coach Jon Heacock is 4-1 against Western Illinois while MSU Coach Randy Ball is 3-5 against the Penguins in his career.
    • Senior wide receiver Kyle Smith did not play against Western Illinois so his 27-game reception streak, one shy of the school mark, is still intact.
    • Codera Jackson has intercepted passes in three straight games, while the YSU defense has intercepted a pass in all seven games this season.
    • YSU picked up its sixth win of the year guaranteeing a winning season.

Missouri State Scouting Report
    Missouri State is averaging 31.3 points per game, however, the Bears are allowing 28.7 per contest. MSU has scored at least 23 points each of the past five games, but it has allowed 21 in five of six games this season.
    The Bears are coming off a wild 37-28 loss at Western Kentucky. Through three quarters, the teams combined for 23 points. But in the fourth, the two combined to score 42 -- three touchdowns each.
    MSU was within two at 23-21 and 30-28, but could get no closer against the Hilltoppers. WKU had 312 yards of total offense while limiting Missouri State to 214.
    Quarterback Scott Carroll is averaging 188.7 yards per game. His favorite target is Michael Sparks who has 37 receptions for 449 yards and three touchdowns.

Series Information
    Youngstown State has won eight of the nine all-time meetings against the Bears, but the series has not been easy. Of the nine contests, six have been decided by a touchdown or less, including Missouri State’s first win over the Penguins, 34-28, last season in Springfield. YSU has never lost to the Bears in four meetings at Stambaugh Stadium.

Homecoming Streak On The Line
    The Penguins hope to end a two-game Homecoming losing streak when they play host to Missouri State on Saturday. All-time YSU is 47-16-1 in its Homecoming contests. Youngstown State has never lost three consecutive Homecoming games, but has dropped two straight four times.

Last Time at Stambaugh
    The Penguins scored 20 points in the second half to break open a 14-7 halftime contest and pull out a 34-7 win on Oct. 4, 2003.
    Josh Cayson and Keland Logan scored to put YSU in front 14-0 before Cody Pratt’s score cut the deficit in half. In the third quarter, Nick Terracina kicked a 30-yard field goal and Mike Burns caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Marshall. In the fourth Terracina added a 31-yarder and Matt Rycraft scored on a one-yard run.
    Cayson had 118 yards to lead the Penguins on the ground. Marshall was 9-of-18 passing for 120 yards and had two touchdowns. YSU netted 321 total offense yards.

Last Year: Missouri St. 34, YSU 28
    Missouri State held the ball for more than 40 minutes and the quick-strike YSU offense could not come up with a final score as the Bears beat the Penguins 34-28 in the 2004 season finale on Nov. 12.
    YSU led 7-0 and 14-7 before the Bears built a 24-14 advantage in the third quarter. Tom Zetts’ 69-yard touchdown strike to Shawn Carlson cut the deficit to 24-21 before MSU scored the next 10 points to go ahead 34-21. Matt Rycraft caught a seven-yard pass for a score and YSU’s last-ditch drive ended at the MSU 39 when Josh Cayson was tackled in bounds as time expired.

Last Time Out: YSU 23, W. Illinois 21
    The Penguins and Western Illinois staged a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final five minutes of the contest.
    Trailing 21-17, Codera Jackson’s interception with 4:48 remaining set up a 28-yard score by Marcus Mason at the 3:57 mark putting the Guins ahead 23-21.
Western Illinois was pinned at its own nine-yard line following the ensuing kickoff and moved the ball to the 48 before the drive fizzled thanks to a YSU sack and three Steve LaFalce interceptions.
    YSU had leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 17-14, but each time WIU answered and took its 21-17 lead on a 33-yard pass from LaFalce to Boomer Moore in third quarter. LaFalce had 363 yards passing, but the YSU defense registered seven sacks in the contest.

Rush For 100, Means A ‘W’
    Junior tailback Marcus Mason rushed for more than 100 yards for the third straight game and improved the Penguins’ record to 5-0 when a back gains more than 100 yards in a game this season. YSU almost had two backs go over 100 yards as tailback Monquantae Gibson had 99 yards against Indiana State. Mason had 125 yards against WIU on Saturday after a career-best 152 against Indiana State. He had a 126-yard effort against Illinois State on Oct. 1. Justin Reams rushed for 122 yards against Slippery Rock while Monquantae Gibson had a career-high 198 against Northeastern -- both wins.

Who’ll Stop the Run? We Will
    The YSU rushing defense has made a tremendous turnaround this season. Five times this season, the Penguins have not allowed an opponent to reach 100 yards rushing. In 2004, that happened just once (60 by Western Illinois) in 11 games. Only twice in the last 10 seasons have the Penguins held five opponents under 100 yards in the same year. In 11 games in 2002, YSU was able to hold five teams under 100 yards while in 1997, the Guins held six teams under in 15 games.

Mason’s Starts Are Impressive
    Junior tailback Marcus Mason has started all three of the Penguins’ Gateway games and has made his impact known to the league. In the three games, he has rushed for 403 yards on 66 carries and scored five touchdowns. He is averaging 134.3 yards per Gateway game and has posted a 6.1 yards-per-carry average.

YSU Looks to Stay in Title Hunt
    The Penguins are one of only two undefeated Gateway teams remaining after the first three weeks of conference play. YSU and Western Kentucky have perfect 3-0 league marks heading into action on Saturday.
YSU has been 3-0 in the Gateway on two previous occasions since joining the league in 1997. YSU was 4-0 in 1999 before losing to Illinois State and was 3-0 in 2000 before losing at Western Illinois.

Jackson Up to Five Picks
    Junior cornerback Codera Jackson leads the Gateway Conference and ranks sixth in the nation with 0.71 interceptions per game. Jackson has five interceptions this season through seven games. He also has an interception in three straight contests. The last YSU player to have interceptions in three consecutive games is LeVar Greene in 2001. The last player to have picks in four consecutive contests was Dave Roberts who had picks in five straight games in 1992.

Three Set to Join Hall of Fame
    The football program will add three names to the YSU Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday before the game when Mark Brungard, Leon Jones and Jermaine Hopkins will be added. All three individuals played for YSU from 1992 through 1995. Also being enshrined are Tilman Bevely (basketball), Greg Gulas (contributor), Julie Croft (softball), Kristi Echelberry (basketball) and Jill Raslevich (volleyball).

Terry a Wrecking Crew
    Sophomore linebacker James Terry is second on the team with 47 total tackles. In the three Gateway games so far this season he has a team-high 28 stops, including 18 solos. He leads the team with 29 solo tackles for the year.

Andrews Eclipses Career High
    After just seven games, senior linebacker Mike Andrews has already eclipsed his previous season high of 41 he set in 12 games back in 2003. Andrews leads the team with 48 total tackles after an eight-tackle performance against Western Illinois.

Takeaways Exceed 2004 Number
    Seven games into the 2005 season, YSU has forced a total of 17 turnovers, exceeding the number caused in the entire 2004 campaign. Last year, the Penguins had seven interceptions and recovered nine fumbles for a total of 16. This year, YSU has 12 interceptions and five fumble recoveries. The 12 picks are tied for the fourth most in Division I-AA behind Davidson (17), Wagner (16) and Colgate (13). Entering the contest against Missouri State, YSU owns a plus-nine turnover margin. That number leads the conference and also ranks 10th in Division I-AA.

Staying in the Rankings
    The Penguins moved up to 15th in The Sports Network poll this week following Saturday’s come-from-behind win against Western Illinois. YSU entered both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and The Sports Network Top 25 on Oct. 3 at the No. 22 sport. It marked the first time since Oct. 21, 2002, that the Penguins had cracked the top 25.

6-1 Start Best Since 2001 Season
    YSU is off to a 6-1 overall start, its best beginning to a campaign since the 2001 season when it was also 6-1. That season the Penguins won their first three games before losing its fourth and then rebounding to win the next three -- exactly like this campaign. YSU split its final four contests of the year to finish 8-3. Of those final four games, two were non-conference tilts (Elon and Marshall), while all four remaining games this season are Gateway games.

The Wright Stuff
    Senior wide receiver Damian Wright stepped up against Western Illinois tying his career high with four receptions and setting a new career standard with 84 yards. He had a 39-yard catch in the first quarter for a touchdown. Wright’s 14 catches so far equal his season-best total of 14 in 2003.

Defense Gets Sack Happy
    The Penguin defense had a total of seven sacks for 46 yards in losses against the Leathernecks. Of those seven sacks, nine players were credited with a least a half-a-sack.

Perry On the Case
    Junior cornerback Jason Perry has been impressive in his role as the Penguins’ punt returner recently. Perry had returns of 30 and 36 yards against Western Illinois after a 28-yarder against Indiana State. In six punt returns this season, Perry is averaging 19.7 yards. His 36-yard return was the longest for the Penguins since Jake Godec’s 66-yard return against Clarion in 2002.

Smith Reception Streak on Hold
    Senior wide receiver Kyle Smith did not play for the second time in four games because of an arm injury. Smith, who is the team leader in receptions (23) and yards (258), has caught a pass in the last 27 games in which he has played. He caught a pass in every game in 2004 and had a reception in the first 11 contests of the 2003 campaign before missing the season finale. The school mark is held by Jeff Patterson who had at least one reception for 28 straight games from 1980 through 1982. He is questionable against MSU.

I-A Transfers Big Part Of Program
    The Penguins have nine former Division I-A players who have seen action this year. Those are tailback Monquantae Gibson (Kentucky), fullback Regis Edgerson (South Carolina), cornerback Tyler Griffin (Eastern Michigan), wide receiver Jameson Evans (Purdue), quarterback Vince Gliatta (Penn State), nose tackle Greg Jacobs (Vanderbilt), cornerback Antuan Rose (West Virginia), tailback Marcus Mason (Illinois) and linebacker Maurice Smith-Davis (Michigan State).

Touchdown Tommy Zetts
    Sophomore Tom Zetts has thrown a touchdown pass in 10 of his last 12 games. On Sept. 17 against Liberty, he became the seventh quarterback in YSU history to throw four touchdown passes in a single game when he completed the feat at Liberty. It also was just the ninth time in the program’s history a quarterback threw for four scores in a game.

Team Captains Well Known
    Seniors Kyle Smith, Aaron Marshall, Justin Scholes and Brandon Brown are captains for the season. Smith and Brown are true four-year seniors while Marshall and Scholes are fifth-year seniors having redshirted their freshman seasons.

Football Alumni to Hand Out Award
    The Football Alumni Club will hand out an award to the player that “Makes the Difference” in the outcome of the game. The plan for the organization is to present the award at subsequent Homecoming contests throughout the upcoming years.

Numbers of Note
   • Turnover Margin: Since 1996, the Penguins are 68-11 when they win or tie in the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 11-26.
Since 1990 YSU is:
   • 111-14-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
   • 84-6 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
   • 94-10 when scoring 28-or-more points.
   • 55-5-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
   • 119-7 when leading in the fourth quarter.

Point-Scoring Streaks
    • YSU has won its last 31 games when scoring more than 30 points. The last loss came at Central Florida (44-32 in 1998).
    • YSU has won its last 29 games when scoring more than 40 points. The last loss came to James Madison (52-49 in 1992).
    • When scoring 21-plus points under Coach Jon Heacock YSU is 29-4. The Penguins are 1-18 when they fail to score 21 points.

Next Week...at UNI
    The Penguins play the first of two Gateway road games next week when they travel to UNI. The game is the Gateway’s TV Game of the Week and will be aired live in Youngstown on WBCB. YSU is at Southern Illinois on Nov. 5.
    UNI travels to Illinois State on Saturday and is currently 4-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The Panthers have won the past four meetings against Youngstown State.