Penguins host top Gateway contest today at Stambaugh

No. 2 ranked Western Illinois will battle YSU in a 4 p.m. kickoff.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;By PETE MOLLICA & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- It's difficult to call the second conference game of the season "make-or-break," but today's Gateway Conference showdown against Western Illinois just may be for Youngstown State.
With a 4-2 record that includes two wins over Division II opponents, the Penguins will probably have to win the conference to make the playoffs. And, in order to win the conference, YSU needs a win over the Leathernecks, the defending conference champions and preseason pick to repeat.
Because of the Gateway's overall strength, there are five or six teams capable of winning the championship. Western Illinois is going to be in the final hunt and a win would give the Penguins the tie-breaker.
Today's game, which is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., is the marquee matchup in the Gateway this week.
Series is all even
This will be the 19th meeting with each team winning nine games. YSU has done well against the Leathernecks in Youngstown, posting a 6-2 record. The Penguins have won the last two meetings at Stambaugh Stadium, including 41-7 in 2001.
Youngstown State hasn't lost to WIU at home since 1997 (24-21), the season in which the Penguins finished second in the Gateway and won their fourth national championship.
Last year the Leathernecks handed YSU its first shutout loss since 1998, 19-0 in Macomb, Ill. Interestingly, the Penguins' last shutout loss was also to WIU, 14-0, in Macomb.
Elsewhere around the Gateway, Southern Illinois (5-0, 1-0) the only remaining unbeaten team in the conference, will play host to Illinois State (3-3, 0-1) at 2:30 p.m. at Carbondale, Ill. Illinois State has won four of the last five meetings in the series, including a 35-14 win last year. The Salukis hold a 32-30-3 edge in the series.
Panthers eyes fifth straight
Northern Iowa (4-1, 1-0) will try for its fifth straight victory when it plays host to Indiana State (3-3, 0-1) at 5:05 p.m. in the UNIDome.
The Panthers scored 16 unanswered points in the final quarter last week to beat Illinois State 16-7. UNI had its 11-game winning streak against the Sycamores snapped last year 21-19, but still leads the series 15-4. Indiana State has only won once in the UNIDome, 24-6 in 1998.
Western Kentucky (3-2, 0-1) has lost two consecutive games after a 12-game winning streak that dated to last year.
Today the Hilltoppers are home to Southwest Missouri State (3-2, 0-1) at 8 p.m. in Bowling Green, Ky.
Western Kentucky leads the series 4-2 and has won four straight from the Bears, including last year's 31-7 victory.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;mollica@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;