COLLEGE FOOTBALL Any YSU hopes dashed

The Penguins' 19-0 loss to Western Illinois hurt any lingering conference and playoff hopes.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
MACOMB, Ill. -- Youngstown State has three games remaining on its schedule, but for all intents and purposes, the season ended Saturday.
The Penguins' offensive struggles continued at Hanson Field, as they suffered a 19-0 loss to Gateway Conference leader Western Illinois.
"I thought our kids came here and played very hard against a very, very good football team today," said YSU coach Jon Heacock. "We just couldn't come up with anything on offense and we have find some way to get those things going."
YSU's (4-4, 2-3 Gateway) loss dashes any hopes for a conference championship or a I-AA playoff berth. The Penguins will also likely drop out of the top 25 rankings for the first time in 52 weeks.
Western Illinois is 7-1, 4-1.
Langan kicks 4 FGs
Western sophomore Justin Langan kicked four field goals, including three in the first half, as the Leathernecks led 16-0. His kicks measured 53, 50 and 33 yards.
All the while, the Penguins struggled on offense. Senior P.J. Mays played only sparingly at tailback, as YSU managed just 10 rushing yards on 34 carries. It's probably the lowest total since a 1987 game against Eastern Michigan, when the Penguins had minus-19 yards on the ground.
The Penguins did manage 219 yards passing, as freshman redshirt Aaron Marshall had 121 (on 9-of-15) and junior Luis Gonzalez added 64 (7-of-14).
Leathernecks balanced
The Leathernecks put together a well-balanced attack with 129 yards rushing and 207 passing for 336 total. For the second week in a row the Penguins allowed an opponent to run more than 70 offensive plays.
Langan's 31-yard field goal in the third quarter was the only scoring of the second half.
Mays, who has been hampered by a sprained knee, carried just two times for minus-4 yards. Junior Mike Burns led the Penguins with 42 yards on 15 carries.
YSU came out on its first play with a little razzle-dazzle. Marshall pitched back to wide receiver Matt Rycraft and the sophomore and former quarterback fired a 34-yard pass to senior tight end John Schumacher, but that was the extent of the Penguins' offense in the half.
The Penguins never crossed the midfield stripe again in the half and also lost a fumble which set up Western Illinois' only touchdown.
Fumble
Marshall, on second down from the YSU 30, dropped back to pass and was blind-sided by Matt McAdams of the Leathernecks and lost the football. Lee Russell recovered for Western at the Penguins' 30.
It took the Leathernecks seven plays to score, including an 18-yard pass from Russ Michna to Stacy Coleman, which gave Western first-and-goal at the 1. From there Lamar Parrish dove over the top of the line for the touchdown.
YSU ran only six offensive plays in the second quarter and never got a first down, while the Leathernecks drove for field goals on each of their three possessions.
The Penguins had just 74 total yards in the half, including 14 yards rushing on 17 carries. Marshall was 3-for-8 for 29 yards and Rycraft had the other 34. The Leathernecks finished the half with 191 total yards -- 141 passing and 50 rushing.
It was only the first time since 1998 that the Penguins have been shut out, and that was also at Hanson Field, a 14-0 victory by Western Illinois.
mollica@vindy.com