YSU FOOTBALL Tressel, Penguins renew their friendship during Friday visit

Youngstown State plays at Indiana State this afternoon.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
TERRA HAUTE, Ind. -- It was like old times Friday afternoon as the Youngstown State University football team gathered around to listen to coach Jim Tressel talk.
Only, Tressel is now the head coach at The Ohio State University and he was just visiting with the Penguins, who stopped at the Columbus campus to hold a light workout on their way to meet Indiana State University today at 2:30 p.m. in Memorial Stadium.
Tressel spoke briefly to the Penguins, a team that he coached for 15 seasons and led to four national championships.
"I miss you guys and I think about you all the time," Tressel told the group. "You have a job to do tomorrow, just like we have here, and I hope we both come out successful."
League opener: The Penguins (3-1, 1-1 Gateway Conference) take on the Sycamores, who are 1-3 and making their first appearance in Gateway play this season.
YSU worked out for about an hour in Columbus, got back on the bus for Indiana State and held a brief walk-through workout at Memorial Stadium.
Tressel talked briefly with the media Friday about seeing his former team.
"It's neat," said Tressel. "This was always our stopping-off point when we traveled to Indiana State in the past. They've got a task at hand and I don't want to be out there disrupting anything. They've got work to do and we've got work to do."
Tressel said that he follows the Penguins regularly throughout the season.
"We find out the score usually as quickly as we can," he added. "Today, with the use of cell phones, we always find somebody who can fill us in. In fact, one game we got somebody who was right at the game and we were talking with them just as P.J. broke off a long touchdown run and we were all screaming in excitement."
Catching up: Tressel talked a little about his Buckeyes and where they stand at present.
"We're doing okay; we've only played one Big Ten game and we don't know that much about the league, but we feel that we've got some good personnel and hopefully we can hold our own," he said.
Illinois State will be the final other Gateway Conference team to make its league debut today.
The Redbirds, who have lost four straight non-conference games, will play at Southern Illinois today at 2:30 p.m.
It will be homecoming for the Salukis, who are also winless in three games, including 0-1 in the conference.
Northern Iowa, which last week knocked off YSU 30-11 in its first Gateway contest, will play at Southwest Missouri State in another key league battle.
The Panthers and the Bears will square off at 3:30 p.m. in Springfield, Mo. Southwest Missouri carries a 2-2 record and is 0-1 in the conference. Northern Iowa is 3-1 this season.
Non-league: Western Illinois and Western Kentucky will host non-conference games today.
The Leathernecks, who are 2-1 in three conference games, will play host to Southern Utah at 2:05 p.m. in Macomb, Ill. This is the third meeting between the two teams and Western has won the previous two, including a 31-3 win a year ago.
The Hilltoppers are 2-2 this season after losing last week to Big Ten's Wisconsin 24-6. They are 0-1 in the Gateway. Today, they host Elon in a 6 p.m. kickoff in Bowling Green, Ky.
mollica@vindy.com