YSUsports.com - Football: YSU Plays Three of Next Four at Stambaugh Starting with MSU Tilt

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Sept. 29, 2009

YSU Plays Three of Next Four at Stambaugh Starting with MSU Tilt

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Opening Kickoff

The Penguins look to start Missouri Valley Football Conference play 2-0 for the first time since 2006 when they host Missouri State on Saturday...kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium...it is just the Penguins’ second home game of the year...YSU has already won two games on the road this year after winning just once last season...the Penguins are going for their first four-game winning streak since 2007...the shutout at Indiana State was the first on the road since 2005 and just the fourth in conference play since joining the league in 1997...YSU has outscored its last three opponents 66-14 in the second half...Missouri State is 2-2 (0-1 in the MVFC) and is playing just its second road game of the season after having three straight at home...the Bears lost 35-7 at home to UNI last Saturday...YSU leads the all-time series by an 11-2 count, including a perfect 6-0 at Stambaugh Stadium...in the six home games, the Guins have scored under 31 points just once (17 in 1999)...Missouri State won last year’s meeting 42-28, scoring its most points ever against the Penguins...the Guins have scored 30-or-more points on 26 occasions - including twice this year - since 2005...YSU remains at home to take on Western Illinois on Oct. 10.

The Series vs. Missouri State
This is the 14th meeting between the two programs. The Penguins have never lost on their home turf, winning all six meetings. The average score of those games has been 36.2 to 14.2 (217-85 total).
Six of the first nine meetings were decided by a touchdown or less, but each of the last four contests have been decided by at least 14 points, including MSU’s 42-28 victory last year in Springfield.

Quick Notes From ISU
• YSU has won two straight conference road games after losing its previous four.
• The Penguins improved to 10-3 all-time in Missouri Valley Football Conference openers.
• YSU posted its first shutout on the road since blanking Indiana State 45-0 in 2005.
• The Guins are now a perfect 10-0 all-time in Terre Haute and are now 18-1 against the Sycamores.
• QB Brandon Summers has thrown a touchdown pass in three straight games after tossing two TD passes at ISU.
• Punter Ben Nowicki boomed a career-long 67-yarder in the contest. Nowicki’s previous best was 66 last year at Southern Utah.
• Safety Nick Gooden was in the starting lineup for the first time this season. Gooden started five games a year ago. OT Greg Sazdanoff also started for the first time.
• Na’eem Outler returned his second career interception 37 yards for a touchdown. It was the second straight game the defense returned an interception for a pick-six.
• YSU forced four turnovers for the second straight contest. Through four games, the Guins own a plus-six turnover margin.
• WR Jelani Berassa had his first career reception - a 16-yard grab in the third quarter.
• DT Rob Fernback and OT Kyle Brown both played on the defensive line for the first time in their careers against the Sycamores.
• WR Dominique Barnes has caught a pass in 16 straight games while WR Donald Jones has a reception in 14 consecutive contests. Barnes had seven catches and Jones had six at Indiana State.

Wide receiver Aaron Pitts had his second career touchdown reception last Saturday at Indiana State.

Last Meeting: MSU 42-28
    YSU rushed for 269 yards and Jabari Scott scored three touchdowns, but Missouri State broke open a 14-14 game with 28 second-half points to earn a 42-28 victory at Plaster Field last season on Oct. 11.
    Scott scored on two one-yard runs and caught an 11-yard pass for a score in the contest. He rushed for 97 yards on just five carries. Tailback Kamryn Keys rushed for 113 yards on 23 carries.
    YSU trailed 14-0 in the second quarter before Scott and quarterback Dailyn Campbell scored to tie the contest.
    MSU scored the first 14 points of the third quarter before the Guins pulled within 28-21 on Scott’s second one-yard run. But the Bears added two fourth-quarter touchdowns to put the game away.
    Campbell connected with Scott on an 11-yard pass in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
    Playing in his first career game, Campbell completed 17-of-22 passes for 122 yards while rushing for 35 on 10 carries.

Last Game: YSU 28, ISU 0
    The defense kept Indiana State in check before the offense finally put the game out of reach with two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Penguins won 28-0 at Memorial Stadium in their conference opener.
    YSU took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 36-yard scoring toss from Brandon Summers to Dominique Barnes. However, until the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter, that represented the only score by either team for three-plus quarters.
    The Penguins held the Sycamores to 148 total offensive yards and just 10 first downs. ISU also had nine three-and-out series.
    In the fourth quarter, tailback Kevin Smith found paydirt from 21 yards out with 10:03 remaining. Later, Summers connected with Aaron Pitts on a one-yard pass to boost the advantage to 21-0 with 4:39 remaining.
    Less than a minute later, linebacker Na’eem Outler returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown putting the exclamation point on the win. The defense forced four turnovers, including three picks.

No Fumbles Lost
The Penguins are one of seven teams on the FCS level who have not lost a fumble so far this season. The Guins are joined by Brown, Gardner-Webb, Lafayette, New Hampshire, Princeton and Tennessee Tech. YSU has been credited with five fumbles this year, but so far in 16 quarters has lost none.

Off to a Good Start
The Penguins have won at least three of their first four games to start a year 13 times since 1990. YSU last posted a 4-1 start at the outset of the 2007 season. In all 13 of those campaigns, the Penguins posted a winning record. The best starts under Coach Jon Heacock are 7-1 in 2005, 6-1 in 2001 and 2006. YSU was 4-1 in 2007.

Interception Numbers Up
Youngstown State is tied for eighth in the FCS with seven interceptions after four games. The Guins are averaging nearly two interceptions per game. It is a dramatic improvement from last year when they had 12 in 12 games.
Only three times since 2001 has YSU finished the year with more interceptions then games played. The Guins had 18 in 11 games in 2005, 13 in 12 games in 2003 and 14 in 11 games in 2001.

INT for TD in Two Straight Games
The Penguins have returned interceptions for touchdowns in two consecutive games -- Andre Elliott 30 yards at Northeastern and Na’eem Outler 37 yards at Indiana State. It is the first time since 2006 that the Guins returned interceptions for scores in consecutive games.
The school record for interceptions returned for touchdowns in a year is three set in 1991. The program has had two INT returns for scores in 2006, 1997, 1994 and 1977.

Forcing Four Turnovers
The Penguins have won 15 straight games when forcing at least four turnovers in a contest. The last loss was at UNI in 2001 when YSU had five giveaways to the Panthers’ four. The Guins are 17-1 when forcing at least four turnovers since Coach Heacock took over in 2001.
The Penguins have had four takeaways in each of their last two games. At Indiana State, YSU had three interceptions and a fumble recovery. At Northeastern, YSU had two interceptions, one fumble recovered and pounced on a muffed onside kick.

Defense Pitches Shutout
The Penguins posted their first shutout on the road last Saturday since the 2005 campaign. YSU also held Indiana State scoreless (45-0) in the 2005 season. That year, the Guins shut out ISU and Liberty on the road.
Last Saturday’s 28-0 win is the 61st shutout in school history and 18th since the Guins joined the FCS ranks in 1981. It was the fourth time the Penguins had shut out a MVFC team since joining the league in 1997.

Senior punter Ben Nowicki had a career-long 67-yard punt last Saturday at Indiana State.

Shutouts Builds Momentum
The Penguins have won 14 of their last 17 games following a shutout since 1989. Of those three losses, two came to FBS schools - Kent State and Pittsburgh -- while the other was to Delaware State in 1991.
Under Coach Jon Heacock, YSU is 3-1 in the game following a shutout. Last year, YSU followed a 38-0 win over Central State with a win over then-second-ranked North Dakota State. In 2005, the Guins were 1-1 following shutouts.

Second Half Team
    The Penguins scored their first first
quarter touchdown of the season last Saturday at Indiana State. In the three games against FCS opponents, YSU is showing that is a second-half team.
    In the first half of the past three games, YSU has outscored opponents 35-31. However, in the second half, the Penguins are outscoring the opposition 66-14. YSU has scored three touchdowns in second half in each of the last three contests while allowing a total of two.
    The most first half points scored is 14 (twice), while the Guins have had second halves of 21 at Indiana State, 24 at Northeastern and 21 against Austin Peay.
    In the four game-opening drives this year, YSU has just two first downs.

Outler Scores First TD
Junior LB Na’eem Outler returned his second career interception for his first career touchdown. Outler ran back a 37-yard score in the fourth quarter in the win over Indiana State.
It was the second straight week in which the Penguins returned an interception for a touchdown. FS Andre Elliott returned an interception 30 yards for a score at Northeastern.

Pitts Scores Second TD
Senior WR Aaron Pitts caught the second touchdown pass of his career last Saturday at Indiana State. Pitts hauled in a one-yard scoring grab in the fourth quarter of the victory.
In the contest, Pitts set a career high with five receptions. It was his first touchdown reception since the 2007 season when he caught a 19-yarder from Tom Zetts.

Barnes Becomes Playmaker
    Junior WR Dominique Barnes has caught touchdown passes in each of the past three games.
    At Indiana State he hauled in a 36-yard toss, at Northeastern he had a 32-yard scoring reception, and, against Austin Peay, he had 16-yarder.
    Barnes has caught a pass in 16 straight games and has 15 career multi-catch games, including his last 13 contests.
    So far this season he has 19 catches after finishing with seven for 86 yards at Indiana State. It was the second straight game he has had seven catches.
    In just four games, he is already half way to his total of 38, which he had in 12 games last year.

Smith Making Solid Return

Senior TB Kevin Smith has rushed for 266 yards the past three weeks on 58 carries. Against Indiana State, he had 78 yards on 16 rushes and scored a touchdown on a tough 21-yard run in the fourth quarter.
At Northeastern, Smith tied his career high with 22 carries while going for 72 yards. The week prior versus Austin Peay, he rushed for a season-best 116 yards on 20 carries and a score. It was the third time in his career he rushed for more than 100 yards. Smith sat out the entire 2008 campaign with an injury and has started the first four games this year.

Nowicki Has Best Punt
Senior punter Ben Nowicki had a career-long 67-yard punt at Indiana State. Nowicki’s previous best was a 66-yard kick last year at Southern Utah.
It was the longest boot by a YSU punter since Joe Bishop’s 67-yard kick at Pitt in 2005. Nowicki ranks third in school history, averaging 39.3 yards per kick.

Defense Shows Improvement
    Through four games this year, the YSU defense has allowed 1,106 yards of total offense (a 276.5 average). That’s a far cry from last year when the Guins had allowed 1,673 yards after just two contests (a 418.3 average).
    In three games this season, the most total offensive yards the Penguins have allowed was 390 to Pitt. Last season, YSU surrendered more than 400 yards on six occasions, including three of the first four games.
    YSU has held two teams under 70 yards rushing so far this year. The last time the Guins held at least two teams under 70 yards rushing in the same year was 2005 - four times.
    The Penguins have not allowed more than 187 yards rushing so far this year. Seven times last year the Guins allowed 187-or-more rushing yards.

Mr. Jones and Me
    Senior wide receiver Donald Jones is off to a strong start with 19 receptions in the first four games. He tied his season high with six catches at Indiana State last Saturday.
    Last season, Jones did not tally his 19th catch of the year until the 10th game. He has now caught a pass in 14 consecutive games and has had multiple receptions in the past 12.
    Jones had six catches versus Austin Peay, four at Pittsburgh and three at Northeastern. He had a season-high 82 yards against the Governors.

New Faces on O-Line
    In four games, the offensive line has started four different units.
    Only two players have started all four games this year in center Tyler Figueroa and right guard Brian Mellott.
    After not starting the opener, Andrew Radakovich has started at both tackle positions while Eric Rodemoyer has started at left guard.
    Other players to start this year are Andy Kowicki (Pitt), Bill Dugan (Pitt and Austin Peay), Chris Gammon (Pitt) and Greg Sazdanoff (Indiana State). Dugan, Figueroa, Kowicki and Radakovich have all started for the first time in their careers.

The Rodegrader
In the past three games, junior offensive guard Eric Rodemoyer has been tabbed the Penguins’ Offensive Lineman of the Game.
For the season, Rodemoyer leads the line with an 82-percent grade from the coaching staff. At Indiana State he was at 79 percent in 71 plays, at Northeastern he was 86 percent in 69 snaps and against Austin Peay he was 83 percent in 68 snaps.

Junior wide receiver Dominique Barnes has caught a touchdown pass in three consecutive games.

Connection is Made
    Both Brandon Summers and Dominique Barnes played quarterback at Southfield High School before moving on to the college ranks. Summers was the Bluejays’ QB from 2003-04 while Barnes followed from 2005-06.
    So far this season, the two have hooked up on three touchdown passes - 36 yards at Indiana State, 32 at Northeastern and 16 against Austin Peay.
    Last year, the two connected on touchdown passes three times.
    Barnes returned the favor in the final game of the year, connecting on a 35-yard pass with Summers at Western Illinois.

Freshmen see Action
    Two true freshmen are seeing action this year for the Penguins. TB Jamaine Cook and WR Jelani Berassa have seen action in the first two games. As of now, all the other true freshmen on the roster are planned redshirts.
    At Indiana State, Berassa hauled in his first career catch while Cook had two rushes for eight yards.
    Last season, six true freshmen played for YSU - four on defense and two on offense.

First Time Starters
    Eleven Penguins have made their first career starts in a Red, White and Black uniform this season.
    Against Austin Peay, four players made their first career starts. Three of those players were on offense as tackle Andrew Radakovich, fullback Dana Brown and tight end Andy Colegrove started. On defense redshirt freshman Bryan Gaiters started at corner. Colegrove, a sophomore, caught his first career pass, a four-yard touchdown reception while Gaiters picked up his first career interceptions.
    Seven players made their first career starts at Pitt, including five on offense. Those individuals were LB Taylor Hill, SS Sir Demarco Bledsoe, OT Bill Dugan, C Andy Kowicki, OG Tyler Figueroa, TE Aaron Rogers and WR Aaron Pitts.

First Time Penguins
A total of 17 players have made their Youngstown State debuts so far this season.
Playing in their first career games have been CB A.J. Walker, CB Bryan Gaiters, CB Jerome Swinton, LB Noah Taylor, LS Bryan Whitaker, LB Michael Kreatsoulas, WR Ely Ducatel, C Andy Kowicki, TB Jamaine Cook, CB Vinnie Patella, LB Taylor Hill, SS Sir Demarco Bledsoe, OT D.J. Main, FB James Cravens, OT Andrew Radakovich, WR Jelani Berassa and FS David Fleming.

Few Seniors At Spots
YSU has one senior in the secondary (Lenny Wicks), one senior on the offensive line (Brian Mellott) and one senior linebacker (Draye Ersery). YSU has three senior running backs and three senior wide receivers, meaning 50 percent of the group is from those two positions. The Guins have two on the defensive line and have one each at quarterback and punter. All have made major contributions so far this season.

How Seniors Came Together
The Penguins senior class may be small, but they are unified, and most have come to YSU in different ways. Of the 12, five joined the team during the 2008 calendar year. The size of this senior class is the smallest since 2000 (a playoff season) when the program had 12 as well.

O-Line Junior Dominated
The 2009 squad has just one senior (Brian Mellott) to go along with seven juniors. The line has four redshirt freshmen, one sophomore and one true freshman. Against Pitt, Mellott, junior Chris Gammon and three redshirt freshmen were in the starting lineup.
Of the current members of the line, junior Bobby Coates has the most starts of the group at 13 while Eric Rodemoyer has started 11 times. Mellott started nine games along the line in 2007 and had two starts as a tight end last year. Junior Justin Rechichar started at left guard, right guard and center a year ago.

Summers Scores 3 Times
QB Brandon Summers became the first YSU quarterback since Ray Isaac in 1990 to have three rushing scores in the same game. At Northeastern, Summers had two one-yard scoring runs and a career-long 73 yard jaunt in the fourth quarter.
Isaac had three rushing scores on Nov. 17, 1990, against Maine. He had scoring runs of seven, nine and 11 yards versus the Blackbears. Isaac also passed for a touchdown like Summers did versus the Huskies.

Summers’ Run Second Longest
QB Brandon Summers’ 73-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter at Northeastern was the second-longest scoring run by a quarterback in school history. Only Cliff Stoudt’s 77-yard score versus South Dakota State on Nov. 15, 1975 was longer.
Summers’ run was the longest by a Penguin since tailback Marcus Mason scored on a school-record 95-yard run at Western Illinois in 2006. It was the 11th-longest run in school history as well.

Summers 4 TDs (Again)
    Senior QB Brandon Summers is just the second player in school history to throw four touchdown passes in a game twice in a career. Summers threw four touchdown passes against Austin Peay and had done it previously last season at Illinois State.
    He joins Keith Snoddy, who did it three times during his career, as the only signal callers with multiple four-TD games.
    For his career, Summers has thrown 25 touchdown passes in just 14 games played, including 12 starts. His 25 passes rank him ninth in school history for career TD tosses.

Four-Touchdown Games
Brandon Summers vs. Austin Peay • 9/12/2009
Brandon Summers at Illinois State • 11/1/2008
Tom Zetts at Liberty • 9/17/2005
Jeff Ryan vs. Hofstra • 11/4/2000
Mark Brungard vs. Slippery Rock • 9/24/1994
Keith Snoddy vs. Alabama A&M • 12/1/1979
Keith Snoddy at Illinois State • 9/8/1979
Keith Snoddy at Central State • 10/14/1978
Ron Jaworski vs. Northern Michigan • 10/7/1972
Denny Klembara vs. Pensacola Navy • 10/12/1968

Yes Sir 15 times
Sophomore SS Sir Demarco Bledsoe finished with 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops, against Austin Peay. It was the most tackles by a Guin since Jeremiah Wright had 18 at Missouri State in the 2004 season finale. It was the most solo stops in a contest since Marty Hutchinson was credited with 10 at McNeese State in 2004. Bledsoe’s 15 stops were the most by a member of the secondary since Mike Bracken’s 15 vs. UNI in 2002.

Senior QB’s Have Success
Quarterback Brandon Summers hopes to continue a string of recent success by YSU senior quarterbacks.
In 2007, senior Tom Zetts led the Penguins to a 7-4 mark. In 2001, senior Jeff Ryan led the program to an 8-3 record. In 1997, senior Demond Tidwell led the Guins to a National Championship.

Jones, Savage are Captains
    Senior wide receiver Donald Jones and senior defensive tackle Mychal Savage have been named the Guins’ captains for the 2009 season.
    Savage is a repeat selection from last year. However, his captaincy was cut short after suffering a season-ending injury at Ohio State.
    Jones is the first wide receiver since Herb Williams in 1992 to be tabbed as a team captain. He is also the first junior college transfer to be named a captain since YSU defensive backs coach Sherod Holmes in 2003.

More Road Than Home
In 2009, the Penguins play just five regular-season home games for the first time since 1987. YSU plays three of its first four games on the road - the last time that happened was to start the 1993 campaign. The last time the program played three road games in September was 1987.

Two DL’s Preseason all-MVFC
Senior defensive linemen Crispin Fernandez and Mychal Savage were named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Preseason Team, the conference announced in late July.
As a team, YSU was picked to finish sixth in the nine-team league. The last time the Guins were tabbed sixth, they tied for the conference championship in 2005.

Single-Digits in Fumbles
YSU lost just nine fumbles in 12 games last season. It marked the fifth consecutive year that the Penguins kept under double digits in fumbles lost for a year.
YSU had nine fumbles lost in 2007, five in 2006, eight in 2005 and eight in 2004. Prior to the four-year streak, the Guins had committed single digits in fumbles lost in consecutive years just twice (1986-87 and 1958-59). The Guins put the ball on the ground 16 times, but lost just nine of those last year. So far in 2009, YSU has not lost a fumble.

Nine Can Be Fine
The Guins are hoping to repeat some history in seasons that end in the number nine. In 1999, YSU reached the NCAA Championship Game, in 1989, the Guins reached the FCS quarterfinals, in 1979, Youngstown State played for the Division II National Championship.
The Penguins have a combined record of 32-9 in those years ending in nine.

Savage on Buck Buchanan Watch list
Senior defensive end Mychal Savage is one of 20 FCS players on the watch list for the 2009 Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the top defensive player.
Savage has established himself as one of the top defensive tackles in FCS during an outstanding career. In 2007, the All-American and first-team All-Missouri Valley selection racked up 43 tackles, five for loss, five sacks and three QB hurries. He played in one game last year before suffering a season-ending injury.

FBS Transfers Come Late
YSU added three FBS transfers at the start of camp this fall. Those three players are Sir Demarco Bledsoe (TCU), Andrew Radakovich (Penn State) and James Cravens (Ball State). All three have played and started at least once.
They join a group of five FBS transfers who are on the team: Dana Brown (Iowa), offensive guard Brian Mellott (Ohio), safety Gary Pezzuolo (Akron) offensive guard Eric Rodemoyer (West Virginia) and quarterback Brandon Summers (Toledo).

Numbers of Note
• Turnover Margin: Since 1996, the Penguins are 91-18 when they win or tie in the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 13-37.

Since 1990 YSU is:
• 126-16-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
• 98-7 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
• 116-13 when scoring 28-or-more points.
• 62-5-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
• 143-8 when leading entering the fourth.
• 67-3-2 when holding opponents to 10 points-or-less in a game.

Up Next: Western Illinois
Youngstown State plays its second straight home Missouri Valley Football Conference game when Western Illinois visits on Oct. 10. Kickoff for the contest is set for 6 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
It will be the 25th meeting between the schools with YSU holding a 14-10 advantage. The Guins have had success lately against the Leathernecks winning five straight and four of the past five meetings at Stambaugh Stadium.