YSU FOOTBALL Effort gets results

The team's hard work resulted in a victory over Indiana State.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- For the last nine weeks Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock has told his team that if they continued to work hard good things would happen.
And for most of this season the Penguins haven't seen many positive results for all their hard work -- that is, until last Saturday afternoon.
YSU is coming off an impressive 45-20 defeat of Indiana State, a game in which the Penguins totaled 418 yards of offense and dominated the Sycamores.
The Penguins finally got to see what a pay-off for hard work.
"It's hard to believe in something that you can't see," said Heacock. "Now they can see it."
At Western Illinois
Heacock is hoping that performance will carry over into this weekend's contest against Gateway Conference opponent Western Illinois.
The Penguins (3-6, 1-4 Gateway) travel to Macomb, Ill., to meet the Leathernecks (4-5, 2-3) at 2:05 p.m. at Hanson Field.
Western Illinois holds a 10-9 edge in the overall series with the Penguins, but the Leathernecks have won the last four games played in Macomb and the Penguins are just 3-7 in the series at Hanson Field dating to 1969.
Two regulars out
The Penguins lost two regulars against Indiana State. Freshman offensive guard Josh Tanner and wide receiver Damian Wright both went down with injuries.
Tanner, who has started seven of the team's nine games, will definitely miss Saturday's contest and is doubtful for the season finale at Southwest Missouri State Nov. 13.
Wright, who sustained a concussion against Indiana State, will not play this week.
On the bright side, the Penguins will welcome back sophomore tailback Montquantae Gibson, who has played sparingly the last three weeks with injuries.
Gibson, who had three consecutive 100-plus yards rushing games this year, will still be behind junior starter Josh Cayson, who has had three straight outstanding games.
Zetts eyes record
Redshirt freshman quarterback Tom Zetts continues to improve each game and is in the running to set the school's single-season record for completion percentage.
The 6-0, 205 pound Zetts, from Boardman, has completed 60.9 percent of his passes (126-of-207) this season. The record is held by Demond Tidwell in 1997 at 60.7.
A couple of sophomores, linebackers Marty Hutchinson and Jeremiah Wright, are battling with senior defensive back Mike Bracken for the team lead in tackles this year.
Bracken leads the way with 67 tackles, while Hutchinson and Wright are tied for second with 63. The last time a sophomore led the team in tackles was 1997, when defensive back Dwight Smiley finished with 92 tackles.
Extends streak
Junior wide receiver Kyle Smith extended his streak of catching a pass in every game he's played since the 2002 season.
Smith had two receptions against Indiana State and has caught a pass in 20 straight games.
The Penguins left for Western Illinois this morning and will stay in Peoria, Ill., tonight before busing to Macomb for Saturday's contest.