Playing better deemed crucial

Coach Jon Heacock was not happy with how the Penguins opened.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock knows that his team has to get better and quickly.
The Penguins won their Sept. 2 season opener, 35-13 over Slippery Rock, but had a horrible first half.
Heacock said the gameplan was to not put much pressure on freshman redshirt quarterback Tom Zetts and an inexperienced offensive line.
Saturday, the Penguins play host to Florida International at 5 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
"We have to get better all the way across the board," Heacock said. "Slippery Rock's running back [Josh Knies] is a good back, but we probably made him look a lot better with our poor tackling, especially in the first half.
"But I don't think there was one time that one of our defenders didn't at least have a hand on him," Heacock said.
"We blocked better and we tackled better in the second half. We didn't play well fundamentally, but we learned a lot about ourselves."
Unknown opponent
This will be the first meeting between YSU and Florida International.
"They haven't played a game yet and they have almost all their starters returning," Heacock said. "We haven't seen film on them on how good they can be. I know they were interrupted by the hurricane, but I'm sure that team will be ready to play Saturday.
"We know they are going to throw the ball all over the place and they have an excellent quarterback, but we've still got to be able to stop the run," Heacock said.
The Penguins have lost senior linebacker and co-captain Yancey Marcum for the season.
Marcum, who had been trying to play with a torn pectoral muscle, made the decision. The team will file for a medical redshirt and possibly get a sixth season for the two-year starter.
Marcum, whose playing time was limited in the opener, will be replaced in the lineup by sophomore Jeremiah Wright.
Baston returns
The defense will have senior tackle Nate Baston back in the lineup. He missed the opener because of a violation of team rules.
Sophomore Monquantae Gibson will back up Josh Cayson at tailback. Gibson missed the opener with a shoulder injury.
Zetts, who made his first start against Slippery Rock, completed 14-of-16 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown and also ran for another score.
"It was a great learning experience for Tom," Heacock said.
Redshirt freshman linebacker James Terry, a transfer from Virginia who led the Penguins with eight tackles in the opener, has been hobbling around in practice this week.
Terry injured his hip Monday and is questionable for Saturday's contest.
Junior college transfer Ricky Valenzuela has officially been added to the Penguins' roster and he practiced this week, but his playing status is still questionable.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Peter Berthold, who was injured last week, will probably miss Saturday's game.
He was scheduled to have an MRI on his knee this week.
mollica@vindy.com