YSU FOOTBALL Youthful opponent is growing quickly

Even with 15 underclassmen starting, Western Illinois leads the Gateway.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Western Illinois is sitting atop the Gateway Football Conference and the Leathernecks are right where they want to be this week -- at home.
Western Illinois (6-1, 3-1 Gateway) plays host to Youngstown State (4-3, 2-2) Saturday at Hanson Field, where the Leathernecks are 4-0 this season.
"We always feel more comfortable at home," said Western Illinois coach Don Patterson, in his fourth season. "But when you are playing Youngstown State, it doesn't matter where you play them; it's going to be a real battle."
Inexperienced
The Leathernecks start seven underclassmen on offense and eight on defense.
"We've got a lot of young players and you go into a season like this not knowing what to expect," Patterson said.
"We felt that we had some good people coming back on defense and we felt that we had some good leadership on both sides of the ball."
Junior quarterback Russ Michna (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) and freshman tailback Travis Glasford have been the spark plugs.
Michna has completed 105-of-185 passes for 1,760 yards and 15 touchdowns and has been intercepted only three times.
Glasford, a freshman from Miami, has carried the ball 124 times for 502 yards and four touchdowns.
Targets
Western Illinois also has one of the finest wide receivers in the conference, senior Stacy Coleman (5-11, 180), who has a team-high 43 catches for 643 yards and six touchdowns. Senior tight end R.J. Luke (6-3, 245), a transfer from Penn State, is the second-leading receiver, with 18 catches for 352 yards and four TDs.
The offensive line features seniors Doran Yilla (6-4, 305), a guard, and tackle James Rennick (6-4, 290).
Patterson said Michna reminds him of former YSU quarterback Jeff Ryan.
"They are both great leaders and can take control of the game out there on the field," Patterson said.
Linebacker Lee Russell (6-0, 230), a junior All-American candidate, leads the WIU defense. Russell has 71 tackles, nine of them for losses, four sacks and he's also intercepted three passes, recovered a fumble and accounted for two safeties.
Special teams
Western Illinois' other big weapon is senior punter Mike Scifres, who is ranked first in the Gateway and No. 3 in the nation with a 46.4 average. The returning all-conference punter, Scifres has a long punt of 73 yards, with nine inside the 20. He holds the Gateway record with an 89-yard punt two years ago.
Sophomore placekicker Justin Langan has made 11 of 14 field goal attempts, with a long of 47 yards.
Patterson said the key for the Leathernecks will be to stop YSU's running attack.
"P.J. [Mays] is one of the finest runners we'll see all season long and it will be a test for our defense to control him," Patterson said.
mollica@vindy.com