COLLEGE FOOTBALL YSU set for test against Kent St.

The Penguins try for their third straight win Saturday.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock said his team is better than it was two weeks ago, and the third-year coach hopes the Penguins can step it up again.
YSU plays its first road game of the season Saturday, when it visits Kent State at 6 p.m. at Dix Stadium.
The Penguins rolled over their first two opponents, Edinboro and Slippery Rock, both Div. II teams. YSU beat Edinboro 35-11 and Slippery Rock 45-12. Now they must face I-A Kent State, which brings a 1-1 record into the game.
YSU performed well offensively in both games and is averaging 441 yards a contest, including over 300 yards rushing. Saturday's key will be if the defense can shut down a potent Kent State offense led by junior quarterback Joshua Cribbs, who has accounted for 263 yards of Kent State's 331-yard offensive average in the first two games.
"Cribbs is a talented athlete," said Heacock. "He reminds me some of a Dante Culpepper when he played against us at Central Florida. We must tackle very well on Saturday."
Penguins healthy
The Penguins are as close to full strength, health-wise, as they have been all year. Senior tailback Josiah Doby, who has been slowed with a toe injury, is probably the only regular who will still be out of action.
Heacock was bothered by the Penguins' turnovers and penalties against Slippery Rock.
"We can't turn over the football even once against Kent," he said.
Sophomore quarterback Aaron Marshall, who threw three touchdown passes against Slippery Rock, also had two interceptions and lost a fumble.
Junior Matt Rycraft got his first significant work at quarterback and was impressive, passing for one touchdown and running for another.
"You have to have two quarterbacks ready to play and with Matt we incorporate into the offense the things that he does best," Heacock said.
Marshall has competed 11-of-21 passes for 169 yards in two games, while Rycraft is 6-for-6 for 77 yards and one TD.
Sophomore Kyle Smith leads the YSU receivers with six catches for 133 yards and one score. Sophomore tight end Shawn Carlson has just three catches, but two of them are for touchdowns.
Cayson leads rushers
On the ground the Penguins have been led by sophomore tailback Josh Cayson, who is fourth in the Gateway Conference with 251 yards on 24 carries and one TD. Senior tailback Mike Burns is second on the team with 163 yards on 28 carries and two scores.
Defensively, junior linebacker Yancey Marcum leads YSU with 22 tackles, while junior defensive back Mike Bracken has 15, including 10 solos. Sophomore linebacker Joe Juby is next with 13 tackles.
A couple of true freshmen, linebacker Jeramiah Wright and defensive back Durell Preston, have both been impressive. Wright had three tackles for losses against Slippery Rock, while Preston has a fumble recovery. Both have 11 total tackles.
Junior placekicker Nick Terracina was nursing a sore leg last week and didn't kick-off. Redshirt freshman punter Joe Bishop took over.
Kick coverage questioned
The Penguins' problems wasn't the kicking, but more the coverage of the kicks last week, which Heacock and special teams coordinator Ken Conatser hope to have improved this week.
"We still have some work to do on special teams," Heacock said. "Definitely our coverage needs to get better."
Terracina added his first collegiate field goal last week, a 40-yarder. He had a 50-yard field goal wiped out in the opener when YSU accepted an Edinboro penalty.
mollica@vindy.com