NOTEBOOK

NOTEBOOK
YSU vs. Illinois State
Missing in action: Six regular players for the Penguins did not make the trip to Illinois State. They were sophomore tailback Monquantae Gibson, redshirt freshman safety Dorian Chenault, both starters, along with reserves sophomore wide receiver Tyler Morton, freshman defensive end Jose Galloza, freshman cornerback Jermaine Cox and redshirt freshman fullback Seth Job.
First road trip: While six didn't make it, three Penguins were making their first road trip of the season. They included sophomore tight end Max King, redshirt freshman safety Tony Lawrence and redshirt freshman defensive end Blake Halverson.
Problems again: For the second straight road game, the Penguins had problems getting from the airport to their hotel, but this time it was unavoidable. The Penguins flew into Chicago's Midway Airport on Friday afternoon and were to bus to Normal, Ill. Traffic in Chicago was so heavy that the Penguins were unable to get to Normal in time for a 7 p.m. practice at Hancock Field. Coach Jon Heacock decided to cancel the session since the team didn't arrive at the hotel until after 8 p.m. local time.
Punting spurt: For the first 25 minutes of the opening half Saturday neither the Penguins or the Redbirds had to punt, but over the final five minutes there were four punts, a fumble and a fumbled snap on a punt attempt. One of ISU punter Ryan Hoffman's kicks was a 70-yarder that was downed at the YSU 1-yard line during that span. YSU punter Joe Bishop kicked three times in that span, one of them only 12 yards into the wind, but the Penguin defense bailed him out on that one and the end result was a YSU touchdown just before the half.
Bishop struggles: It was not a good day for Bishop. Not only did he have punts of 12 and 23 yards, but he was the last remaining Penguin between the Redbirds' returners and touchdowns on both the kickoff return and punt return and failed to make the stop on both occasions.
Up Next: The Penguins will return home next Saturday for their final home game of the season when they play host to Indiana State at 4 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium. The Penguins will honor the 13 seniors on this year's squad in a pre-game ceremony beginning at 3:30 p.m. YSU's final two games will be at Western Illinois on Nov. 6 and at Southwest Missouri State on Nov. 13.
Pete Mollica