COLLEGE FOOTBALL Not-much-at stake game is Gateway finale for YSU

The playoffs and a conference championship are out of the picture Saturday at Illinois State.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Just a week ago Illinois State was still very much in the picture for the Gateway Football Conference championship.
What a difference a week makes.
Last Saturday, the Redbirds, ranked No. 25 in Sports Network I-AA poll, were shut out by Western Kentucky, and with that loss went just about any hopes they had of playing in the postseason.
Saturday ISU (5-4, 3-2 Gateway) returns home to Hancock Stadium to take on Youngstown State at 2:30 p.m. Unless a lot of upsets occur over the next three weeks, the game is meaningless to both teams.
YSU's (5-4, 3-3) postseason chances came to an end following back-to-back conference losses to Northern Iowa and Western Illinois. YSU defeated Southern Illinois 21-9 last week at home. Saturday is YSU's final Gateway contest of the season.
Westerns do damage
The Redbirds started the season 2-2, then began conference play by beating Southwest Missouri State 30-20, before losing a tough game to Western Illinois 22-17.
The Redbirds bounced back into championship contention with back-to-back wins over Southern Illinois 35-14 and Northern Iowa 31-20, but the loss to Western Kentucky burst their title hopes.
The series is tied at 5-5, with Illinois State having won three of the five games at Hancock Stadium, but YSU won the last meeting there, 14-12 in 2000.
The Redbirds' offense, which averages just under 400 yards per game, is led by senior running back Quincy Washington (6-foot, 209 pounds), who has rushed for 1,011 yards on 199 carries and scored seven touchdowns.
Directing the attack is junior quarterback Mike Souza (6-0, 187), who has started eight games and passed for 1,236 yards and nine touchdowns. He's also the second-leading rusher with 237 yards and five touchdowns.
The Redbirds have two outstanding receivers, All-Gateway standout Vito Golson (6-3, 197), a senior, and Dwayne Smith (6-3, 205), a junior, who together have 67 receptions for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.
Tackle talk
Sophomore linebacker Boomer Grigsby leads the Redbirds' defense with 136 tackles, including 14 for losses. Senior defensive end Jonathan Friend has 20 tackles for losses and leads the team with seven quarterback sacks. "Both of them are good ones," added Johnson. "Friend is not that big [6-2, 225] for a defensive end, but he is very quick and has been playing extremely well."
Illinois State Coach Denver Johnson is impressed with the Penguins.
"This is certainly going to be another challenge for us and we will have to execute perfectly to have a chance," he said.
mollica@vindy.com