Penguins playing waiting game

Youngstown State completed its season and now is awaiting a playoff bid.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Playing 11 straight weeks of football was easy for the Youngstown State team, now comes the hard part -- waiting and hoping until Sunday.
The Penguins completed their regular season schedule last Saturday with a 42-10 victory over Western Kentucky at Stambaugh Stadium.
The victory gave the Penguins an 8-3 overall record, with seven of those wins coming against Division I-AA competition.
The Penguins also finished 5-2 in the Gateway Football Conference and tied for the conference title with Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois.
Playoff teams picked Sunday
But now the Penguins must sit back and wait as the final weekend of I-AA football takes place and then on Sunday at 1 p.m. the NCAA will announce the 16-team field for the postseason playoffs.
YSU coach Jon Heacock feels strongly about the Penguins' chances of making the final 16 teams even though the Penguins have been omitted from the playoffs in 1996 and 2001 with 8-3 records.
"In both 1996 and 2001 we had two Div. II teams on our schedule, this year we played only one," Heacock said. "That and the strength of our conference makes me fell very positive we will get into the playoffs."
Getting a share of the Gateway title was a first for the Penguins, who have been in the conference since 1997. They had won a national championship (1997) and finished runner-up (1999) but hadn't won the conference crown until getting a share of it this season.
First in league history
The three-way tie for the title was a first for the Gateway in its 21-year history. Northern Iowa will get the conference's automatic bid into the playoffs since the Panthers defeated both YSU and Southern Illinois.
Heacock was excited about the Penguins' performance in Saturday's victory against Western Kentucky.
"Our guys prepared themselves to win and then they went out and played like crazy to grab a share of the title," Heacock said.
"That game was fun to watch," he added. "But from last Saturday to this past Saturday the things that went on with this football team you could write a book about it."
Zetts singled out
Heacock singled out the effort of sophomore quarterback Tom Zetts.
"He played at about 50 percent physically, he could barely run with the pulled hamstring, but you have to give him a lot of credit because he played very well."
He also made notice of the kickoff return by junior tailback Marcus Mason following Western Kentucky's lone touchdown of the game.
Mason returned the kick 44 yards and set up YSU's third score that led to a 28-10 halftime advantage.
"They had just gained the momentum, but it latest only about six seconds until his return. It was huge and it turned the game momentum back to us and we never gave it up," he said.
No practice until Thursday
Heacock gave the Penguins Tuesday and today off from practice and they will resume workouts Thursday and Friday.
On Sunday at 1 p.m. there will be a press conference to watch the I-AA playoff selection process in the DeBartolo Stadium Club at Stambaugh Stadium. The event is open to the public.
mollica@vindy.com