COLLEGE FOOTBALL YSU, McNeese both 1-1, but one is 17th

The Penguins visit the Cowboys, who are 17th-ranked in Division I-AA.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
The Youngstown State University football team plays its first road game of the season tonight when the Penguins take on 17th-ranked McNeese State at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, La.
The Penguins (1-1) are coming off a 22-16 overtime loss to Florida International at Stambaugh Stadium last Saturday.
McNeese State (1-1) was routed 51-17 by Southeastern Louisiana, the worst home defeat to a I-AA opponent in school history.
Against FIU, tailback Monquantae Gibson rushed for 122 yards in his first game for the Penguins. A transfer from Kentucky, Gibson averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah Wright led the defensive charge for Youngstown State, as the sophomore linebacker finished with a career-high 12 tackles. He also recorded a fumble recovery and broke up a pass.
The Cowboys are led offensively by senior quarterback Scott Pendarvis, a three-year starter. Last week, Pendarvis completed 19 of 36 passes for 213 yards, but was intercepted three times.
Defense porous
Running back Chris Thomas rushed for 82 yards, but the McNeese State defense allowed 595 total yards, including 439 yards and five touchdowns passing.
The game will mark a homecoming for YSU placekicker Nick Terracina, who is a graduate of Barbe High School in Lake Charles.
Elsewhere around the Gateway Football Conference, Western Kentucky visits Eastern Kentucky for the 81st meeting between the schools.
Western leads the series, 44-33-3, which includes a 36-3 win last year. Eastern, though, holds a 20-12-2 advantage in games in Richmond, Ky.
Illinois State plays Eastern Illinois for the 92nd time, making it the 13th oldest rivalry in the nation.
Also, Western Illinois visits Hampton, while Indiana State plays host to Murray State, Northern Iowa plays host to Stephen F. Austin, SMS plays host to Union College, Southern Illinois plays host to William Penn and Illinois State plays host to Eastern Illinois, a former Gateway member.
Four Gateway teams are ranked for the second straight week. Southern Illinois, which achieved its first No. 1 ranking as a Gateway member last week, fell one spot to No. 2 after falling 23-22 to Northern Illinois.
Ranked or votes
All eight Gateway teams are either ranked or receiving votes, as Illinois State and Southwest Missouri State are among those receiving votes in The Sports Network poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls.
Indiana State received votes in the ESPN/USA Today coaches while Youngstown State received mention in the Sports Network poll.
With near misses against Minnesota (Illinois State lost 37-21) and Northern Illinois, the Gateway is 0-6 against I-A teams this season.
The Gateway has 24 I-A wins since 1985, which includes at least one I-A win every year since 1995. On Sept. 25, SMS plays at Tulsa in the Gateway's final chance at a I-A win this season.
Two Gateway schools recorded shutouts last week as Western Kentucky blanked Concord, 58-0, and UNI shut out Minnesota State, 40-0.