YSU FOOTBALL Illinois State ready with potent offense

The Redbirds have slipped on defense and have a 3-3 record.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- The first thoughts that come to mind when Illinois State football is the subject are defense and Boomer Grigsby.
The Redbirds are led by the 6-foot-1, 241-pound linebacker who has been named the defensive player of the year the last two seasons in the Gateway Conference.
But this season, the Redbirds are known more for their offense than their defense as they have struggled to a 3-3 record, including 1-2 in the Gateway.
Illinois State and fifth-year coach Denver Johnson come into Saturday's 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Ill., ranked as the ninth-best offense in I-AA.
The Redbirds are averaging 444 yards per game. They are 32nd in rushing (184.1) and 15th in passing (259.8).
Struggling defense
The reason for their .500 record is that the Redbirds defense is ranked 86th, allowing 392.5 yards per game. YSU, by comparison, is ranked 90th, allowing 394.4 yards per game.
Leading the Redbirds offense is senior quarterback Yance Vaughan (6-3, 210) who is 129-for-225 for 1,549 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he's been intercepted 10 times.
When Vaughan isn't throwing the football, senior running back Demetrus Johnson (5-9, 192) is running it. He has gained 636 yards on 99 carries and scored six touchdowns.
The Redbirds have three receivers with more than 20 catches, led by sophomore Laurent Robinson (6-2, 187) with 31 receptions for 364 yards and six touchdowns.
Junior Ramon Barber (6-1, 191) has 23 catches and Johnson has 20 receptions.
Freebies
Turnovers have been a problem for the Redbirds as they have committed 17, including seven lost fumbles.
Grigsby again is the defensive leader of the Redbirds as he leads the team in tackles with 80, including seven for losses, and he has three sacks. He also has recovered a pair of fumbles.
Grigsby is a two-time All-America selection. In addition to winning the Gateway defensive player of the year in 2002 and 2003, he also has been a Buck Buchanan Award finalist the past two years. He finished third in the voting in 2002 and second a year ago.
In three seasons, he has made 531 career tackles, 40 of them behind the line of scrimmage, and 13 sacks. Last year, he led the Gateway with 179 tackles, which was second-best in the nation.
The Redbirds have a pair of talented kickers, including junior punter Ryan Hoffman, who averages more than 42 yards per kick. Senior place kicker Stephen Carroll has made 5-of-8 field goals, with the longest being 48 yards this year.
This will be the 13th meeting between the two teams, with the series deadlocked at 6-6. Illinois State won last year's meeting, 35-25, at Stambaugh Stadium, but the Penguins have won the last two meetings in Normal, Ill.
mollica@vindy.com