COLLEGE FOOTBALL YSU set to open its 64th season

The Penguins will play host to Slippery Rock tonight at Stambaugh Stadium.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State kicks off its 64th football season tonight when the Penguins play host to Slippery Rock at Stambaugh Stadium (7:30, WBBG-FM 106.1).
YSU will looking for its ninth straight season opening win against the Division II opponent. The Penguins haven't lost a season opener since a 17-14 defeat at Kent State in 1995.
A year ago, the Penguins posted a 45-12 victory against The Rock (0-1), which opened its 2004 season last Friday night with a 20-17 loss to Bloomsburg .
This will be the ninth meeting between the teams and YSU has won all eight previous meetings.
Jon Heacock begins his fourth season as YSU coach, sporting a 20-14 record, but he is coming off his first losing season (5-7) after going 8-3 and 7-4.
Eyes turnaround
The Penguins haven't been to the I-AA playoffs since 2000, and Heacock hopes to turn things around this year.
"We're excited about the upcoming season. We had a good spring and a great fall camp and as a whole this team is much better than it was a year ago," Heacock said.
Still the Penguins are untested, and they will find out a lot more about themselves tonight.
"You can't win championships in fall camp, but on the same token we haven't done anything to lose one this year," said Heacock. "We haven't played anybody so we really don't know how we'll react under fire, but we'll find out shortly."
Zetts at quarterback
One of the big question marks is at quarterback, where freshman red-shirt Tom Zetts will make his first start.
Zetts, a Boardman native, won the starting job in the spring and had a good fall camp.
"He's a leader on the field and he's very capable of making the big play," Heacock said.
But for Zetts, or returning tailback Josh Cayson, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound performer from Warren JFK, to be successful the Penguins will need improved play on the offensive line.
There aren't any seniors among the starters and only one, junior tackle John Bartos (6-3, 295), played in most of the games last season.
Tanner will start
The Penguins will start a true freshman -- Josh Tanner (6-2, 300) from Orlando, Fla. It's the first time a freshman will start on the line for the Penguins since 1973 when guard Dan Miklos did so.
Zetts will have some very good receivers to throw to, including senior wide receivers Matt Rycraft and Phil Larmon and junior Kyle Smith, the three starters. He also has senior tight end Mike Roberts and fullback Demetrius Ison, a sophomore.
The YSU defense, which didn't stop many teams a year ago, is vastly improved and is led by co-captains Yancey Marcum (6-1, 240), a linebacker, and strong safety Mike Bracken (6-0, 210). Marcum has been hurt and isn't expect to play much tonight.
The defensive line boasts four starters with experience, led by two-year starter Brandon Brown, a junior end, along with seniors Matt Briggs and Nate Baston at the tackles and junior Justin Scholes at the other end.
Junior Mike Andrews is a holdover at linebacker and will be joined by sophomore Jeremiah Wright and redshirt freshman Jeff Koval, while redshirt freshman transfer James Terry is also expected to play a key role.
Kicking game solid
The YSU kicking game is solid with senior placekicker Nick Terracina and sophomore punter Joe Bishop.
Heacock said the Penguins are healthy for the most part. Defensive end Blake Halverson and sophomore running back Monquantae Gibson are doubtful, though.
"We'll have a couple of others who are kind of wait-and-see about whether they'll play in the opener," he said.
mollica@vindy.com