By PETE MOLLICA

By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- On the eve of his first collegiate head coaching experience, Jon Heacock is as nervous as he has ever been.
Heacock became the fifth head football coach in Youngstown State University history last January when Jim Tressel resigned after 15 seasons to become the new coach at The Ohio State University.
The Penguins open the season Thursday against Lock Haven University with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium.
Familiar with program: The 41-year-old former West Branch High and Muskingum College standout is no stranger to YSU football. He has been an assistant coach, under Tressel, for seven seasons, most of them serving as the team's defensive coordinator.
He was around during four national championship seasons and two more when the Penguins were runner-up.
"I'm really feeling okay right now," Heacock said. "I'm nervous and I'll probably be a lot more nervous Thursday night, but anyone who's been around long enough will tell you I'm always that way.
"I'm excited and I'm glad it's here," he added. "It's really hard to believe that it's here already. It just seems like we started two-a-days."
The nervousness Heacock feels has been part of his pre-game experience.
"I don't think I've ever gone into a game as a player or coach and not been nervous. It's just the way I am," he said.
Coach's support: Heacock is excited for his players entering the season opener.
"I think that we've worked very hard in camp," he said. "Now, we need to go see if we worked hard enough.
"It's time to see if we prepared them for that next step."
Heacock said that he isn't putting more pressure on his players going into the opener.
"I don't expect them to do any more now than we've asked them to do in practice," he said. "I'm not putting more pressure on them now going into the game. We tried to put a lot of pressure on them during practice.
"The coaching staff is only asking them to do the things they can do and to play just as hard as they have practiced."
Preseason adversity: The new head coach has been through a rough preseason camp, one that opened with several players being eliminated from playing this year because of academics and a rash of minor injuries that have hampered several starting players.
"We've lost some good ones and we've had some good ones hurt, but most of the injured should be ready to go Thursday," Heacock said. "Those that aren't, we'll have to have somebody step up and take over for them.
"At most positions our depth this year has been a plus for us," Heacock added. "We are a little short in the secondary and running back right now, but most other places we have some good depth."
Opening the season against two Division II teams in Lock Haven and Clarion hasn't bothered the new coach.
"I've said all along that it doesn't matter who we play but how we play, and we can't worry about who we are playing," he said. "Our main concern is ourselves. We haven't been preparing for Lock Haven in preseason camp. We've preparing ourselves to play at the highest level we can play, no matter who our opponent is going to be."