Oct. 24, 2007

Football: No. 20 Penguins Set to Take On Undefeated UNI

    The No. 20 Youngstown State football team heads to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on undefeated and top-ranked Northern Iowa on Saturday. Kickoff at the UNI Dome is set for 4:07 p.m. Eastern time and is the Gateway Conference’s Television Game of the Week. It is being televised in Youngstown on WFMJ TV 21.
    YSU (5-3 overall and 1-2 in the Gateway) is coming off a 27-22 Homecoming loss to Illinois State. The Penguins allowed 453 yards of total offense and squandered a 10-0 first-quarter lead. Kevin Smith ran for two touchdowns and Brian Palmer connected on three field goals, but YSU came up short with its final drive stalling at the Redbirds’ 30-yard line suffering its second straight Gateway defeat.
    Northern Iowa (7-0 and 3-0) remained one of five unbeaten FCS teams with an impressive 42-3 victory at Western Illinois. The Panthers amassed 448 yards of total offense against the Leathernecks, including 355 on the ground. UNI led 21-3 before scoring three fourth-quarter touchdowns to put the game out of reach.
    YSU will be looking to snap a six-game losing streak to the Panthers. The Guins’ last victory in the series was a 28-24 triumph in 2000. Youngstown State has dropped three consecutive decisions at the UNI Dome since winning 29-20 in 1999. The Panthers lead the all-time series by a 15-6 margin.

With a Victory YSU:
    • Improves to 6-3 on the season and 2-2 in the Gateway.
    • Avoids three straight Gateway losses for the first time since 2004.
    • Posts at least six wins for the 16th time in the past 19 seasons.
    • Earns its 411th win in school history and 213th since joining the FCS in 1981.
    • Earns its 25th victory in the past 34 games since the start of 2005 season.
    • Coach Jon Heacock wins his 49th game as the Penguins’ head coach.
    • Improves to 42-22 all-time in Gateway Conference play.
    • Snaps a six-game losing streak to Northern Iowa and a three-game skid at the UNI Dome.
    • Snaps a three-game road losing streak while picking up its first road win of the season.
    • Wins its fifth GFC road game in its past six contests.
    • Avoids back-to-back regular-season losses for the first time since 2005.
    • Ends UNI’s eight-game winning streak.

Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars...
    • YSU has lost six straight games against UNI. The Guins have dropped three consecutive tilts at the UNI Dome since winning in 1999.
    • The Penguins are playing the No. 1-ranked team in the regular season for the first time since 2004 -- Southern Illinois. All-time YSU is 3-3 against top-ranked teams, including a loss at Appalachian State in 2006.
    • The current combined record of the Penguins’ first three road opponents of 2007 is 22-1 - Ohio State (8-0), Southern Illinois (7-1) and UNI (7-0).
    • Quarterback Tom Zetts’ start this Saturday will be the 45th of his career, an on-going school record.
    • Junior placekicker Brian Palmer has made three field goals in each of the past two games. On the year he is 9-of-10. Palmer has made 12 of his last 13 field-goal attempts overall.
    • YSU is 4-0 when leading at halftime and 1-3 when tied or trailing.
    • Of the seven offensive linemen to start this year, five made their first career starts - Nhemie Theodore, Matt Kishman, Brian Mellott, Leon Edwards and Bobby Coates.
    • In three games against UNI, Zetts is 53-of-90 (58.9 percent) for 627 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.
    • YSU has allowed double figures in just four of 32 quarters. All came during losses - two by Ohio State (14 twice), one by Southern Illinois (10), one by Illinois State (13).
    • Junior wide receiver Ferlando Williams has scored a team-high 10 touchdowns. He has eight rushing and two receiving scores this year.
    • Junior tailback Kevin Smith had his second career multi-touchdown game. Smith scored twice against Illinois State. He had a career-high three touchdowns against Missouri State.
    • De’Angelo Wilson had 190 kick return yards against Illinois State. His 110 yards in punt returns ranked as the fourth most in school history.
    • In the first half of games this season, the defense has allowed 509 yards rushing on 140 carries (3.6 yards per rush).
 

UNI Breakdown
    UNI has scored at least 23 points in every game while allowing more than 17 points just once. The Panthers are third in the nation in scoring defense (13.0 points per game), sixth in the country in rushing defense (89.00 yards per game) and 15th in total defense (340.71 yards). Their offense ranks 12th in the country in total offensive yards at 435.29 a game.
    Quarterback Eric Sanders has completed 77.1 percent (128-of-166) of his passes this season. Tailback Corey Lewis has rushed for 821 yards in seven games.

Last Meeting...UNI 31, YSU 23
    A 172-yard, three-touchdown effort by Marcus Mason couldn’t offset five turnovers and untimely penalties in a 31-23 defeat to Northern Iowa in 2006.
    The Penguins trailed 17-3 in the second quarter before Mason’s first score of the game closed the deficit to 17-10.
YSU took its initial drive of the second half in for a score tying the game at 17. But the Panthers struck right back when Eric Sanders threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Gray and never trailed again.
    The Guins pulled within 24-23 on Mason’s third score of the game, but a low snap resulted in a blocked extra-point attempt.
UNI increased its lead to 31-23 on a 16-yard run by Darian Williams with 4:08 left.
    YSU didn’t back down moving quickly to the Northern Iowa 23. Tom Zetts threw an apparent touchdown to Louis Irizarry, but the play was wiped out by a penalty. On the next play, Zetts threw his fourth interception of the game and UNI ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

Series Breakdown
    Youngstown State has won six of the 21 all-time meetings between the programs since the series began in 1978. The Penguins won the first two meetings but since that time, UNI has won 15 of the last 19 contests. The Panthers are 14-1 against YSU when they score at least 21 points.
    UNI has won six straight in the series, including the last three at the UNI Dome. The last YSU win in Cedar Falls was in 1999 and the last Penguin win came at Stambaugh Stadium in 2000.

Last Time Out: ISU 27, YSU 22
    Youngstown State jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead, but two big Illinois State scoring plays and a late Redbirds defensive stop was too much for the Penguins to overcome in a 27-22 Homecoming defeat.
    Kevin Smith put YSU ahead 7-0 on its first drive of the game and a 37-yard field goal by Brian Palmer extended the lead to 10. ISU answered with a 77-yard run by Geno Blow.
    Palmer’s 41-yard field goal put the Penguins ahead 13-7 but after two Brian Fetzer field goals, the Redbirds went ahead when Luke Drone connected with Jason Horton for a 69-yard touchdown pass just before halftime.
    Palmer’s 40-yard field goal cut the deficit to 20-16 before Drone connected with Kevett Mickle for a 14-yard score and 27-16 lead early in the fourth.
    A 76-yard punt return by De’Angelo Wilson set up a one-yard touchdown run by Smith. YSU’s last chance stalled on downs at the Illinois State 30-yard line.
 

Zetts Holds Five Career Marks
    Quarterback Tom Zetts is the school-record holder for completions (593), attempts (1,009), percentage (58.8) and yards (6,989). He ranks second in 200-yard passing games (one shy) and touchdown passes (two shy).
    His next 200-yard performance will tie a school record held by Ron Jaworski.
    Zetts will be making his 45th career start this Saturday, also a school record.
 

Palmer Making His Kicks
    Junior placekicker Brian Palmer is 9-of-10 on field-goal attempts and 26-of-27 on his extra-point tries this year. Palmer ranks third in school history by making 116 point-after kicks. In his career, he has attempted 123, also third most in school history.
    Palmer has made 28-of-37 field-goal attempts in his career and has made 15 of his last 17 kicks. His 28 career field goals rank fifth in school history while his 75.7 percent rate of success is first.

Williams Knows the End Zone
    Ferlando Williams leads the Penguins with 10 touchdowns this season. Williams leads the Guins in rushing yards with 380 and is second in receiving with 285 yards.
    He has rushed for eight scores while catching two passes for touchdowns. His 10 touchdowns are a team high.
    The last three games, Williams has rushed 35 times for 194 yards and four touchdowns. He had 56 yards on eight attempts against ISU.
    He also has 15 receptions the past three contests, including five for 71 yards versus Illinois State.
 

Tailbacks Spread the Wealth
    The Penguins have impressive depth at tailback and it has shown. The four tailbacks - Jabari Scott, Kevin Smith, Brandon Nicholson and Jordan Edwards - have rushed for a total of 944 yards and 12 touchdowns.
    Scott has rushed for 362 yards on 73 carries while Smith has 359 yards on 74 totes. Scott (four games) and Smith (four games) have split starting duties this season.

Berry Becomes Go-To Receiver
    Senior wide receiver Rory Berry has caught six passes in three different games this season. Berry is one of just four YSU players since 1996 to catch at least six passes on three different occasions during the same year. He has six catches against Missouri State, South Dakota State and Stony Brook. He had four catches for 41 yards against Illinois State.
 

Defense Keeping Numbers Down
    The Penguins defense has allowed the opposition to score double figures in just four of 32 quarters. Two of those came in the season opener at Ohio State (14, twice) while the other two were against Southern Illinois (10) and Illinois State (13).
    Ohio State scored two touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters, SIU had 10 points in the second and ISU had 13 in the second. In 27 of the other 28 periods, no one has scored more than seven (Southern Utah had eight in the third).
    Earlier this season, YSU did not allow a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 1996. YSU has allowed just 24 points in the first quarter all season.

Wilson’s Impressive Returns
    Punt/kick returner De’Angelo Wilson had 190 yards on punt and kick returns against Illinois State. Highlighting Wilson’s night was an impressive 76-yard return in the fourth quarter. His return was the fourth longest in school history. His 110 yards on five punt returns also ranks fourth.

Longest Punt Returns
1. Ray Rohan vs. Central Michigan, 1965 -- 92*
2. Robert Thompson vs. UNI, 1982 -- 81*
3. Jerald Burley vs. Illinois State, 2001 -- 77*
4. De’Angelo Wilson vs. Illinois State, 2007 -- 76
5. Dick Adipotti vs. Eastern Kentucky, 1967 -- 74*
*indicates touchdown

Offensive Line Holding Together
    Despite having five first-time starters this season, the Penguins offensive line has surrendered just seven sacks. YSU leads the Gateway and ranks 14th in the country.
    The only two players to start every game at the same position are Nhemie Theodore and Josh Tanner. Brad Samsa started the first three games at guard before moving to left tackle. Brian Mellott started the first seven games at center, but after an ankle injury against Southern Utah, Bobby Coates got the start versus Illinois State.
    Not only did Theodore, Mellott and Coates make their first starts this year, they played their first game on the offensive line. YSU has lost tackles Tyler Booth, Matt Kishman and Stiles O’Brien to injuries.

He’s Got the Wright Stuff
    Senior linebacker Jeremiah Wright leads the defense in tackles. Wright has been credited with 67 total stops, including 37 solos. He has been the team’s leading tackler five times. He has been credited with seven-or-more tackles in all but one game. For his career he has 299 total stops.

Defense Posting Solid Numbers
    The defensive unit ranks in the top 25 in the country in two categories. YSU is 23rd in scoring defense (19.75 points) and 24th in total defense (316.00 yards)

Rush For 100, Can Mean A ‘W’
    The Penguins have won 18 of the last 20 games when a back rushes for more than 100 yards. The Guins are 1-0 in 2007 with a win over Missouri State. YSU won nine of 11 games last year when someone rushed for over 100 yards - losses to UNI and at Appalachian State. YSU was 6-0 in 2005 and won its last two in 2004.

FBS Transfers Part Of YSU
    The Penguins have six former FBS players on the roster.
Those are safety Vince Gliatta (Penn State), tight end Louis Irizarry (Ohio State), center Brian Mellott (Ohio), defensive end Maurice Smith (Michigan State), offensive tackle Nhemie Theodore (Minnesota) and cornerback De’Angelo Wilson (Nevada).

Newcomers, First Timers in 2007
    The Penguins have had plenty of new contributors in 2007. So far true freshmen Na’eem Outler, Nick Gooden, Dominique Barnes, Erik Johnson, Stiles O’Brien and Brandian Ross have seen action.
    Freshmen who redshirted last year but have played significantly in 2007 are Stephen Blose, Bobby Coates, Jordan Edwards, Chris Gammon, Luke Matelan, Nick Mernedakis, Torrance Nicholson, Justin Rechichar and Deon’te Williams.
    Other newcomers who have been major contributors are sophomore punter Ben Nowicki, Nevada transfer De’Angelo Wilson, junior college transfer Kevin Smith, junior redshirt Ferlando Williams and sophomore redshirt Jabari Scott.

Guins Work Overtime
    Members of the team spent a tremendous amount of time since the end of last season saying thanks to Mahoning Valley for outstanding support during 2006. The Penguins’ annual community-service program, which is called “Overtime”, was in full force. YSU spent more than 1,000 hours giving back to the community.

Numbers of Note
    • Turnover Margin: Since 1996, the Penguins are 83-14 when they win or tie in the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 13-31.
Since 1990 YSU is:
    • 122-14-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
    • 94-6 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
    • 108-10 when scoring 28-or-more points.
    • 60-5-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
    • 135-7 when leading entering the fourth.
    • 64-3-2 when holding opponents to 10 points-or-less in a game.

Point-Scoring Streaks
    • YSU has won its last 44 games when scoring more than 30 points. The last loss came at Central Florida (44-32 in 1998).
    • YSU has won its last 35 games when scoring more than 40 points. The last loss came to James Madison (52-49 in 1992).
    • When scoring at least 50 points, the Penguins are a perfect 20-0. YSU is 18-2 in games following a 50-point contest.
    • When scoring 21-plus points under Coach Jon Heacock YSU is 46-7.
    • When scoring under 21 points under Coach Heacock YSU is 2-23.

Next Week...at Indiana State
    The Penguins play their final road game of the regular season when they visit Indiana State. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Ind., is set for Noon.
    The Sycamores (0-8) enter action this week still looking for their first win of the season. ISU plays at Missouri State this Saturday.
    The Penguins have won 15 of the 16 all-time meetings, the last 10 contests overal and are a perfect 8-0 in Terre Haute, Ind.