YSU FOOTBALL Penguins enter toughest stretch
The brutal schedule begins Saturday against Missouri State.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State linebacker Justin Scholes doesn't need to look far for motivation as the Penguins (6-1) approach the homestretch of the 2005 season.
To get fired up, all Scholes, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior from Mentor needs to do is look at the remaining Gateway Conference opponents on the schedule and remember how YSU fared against them in 2004.
Except for their 41-0 loss to the Division I-A Pitt Panthers, the first-place Penguins (3-0 Gateway, tied with Western Kentucky) have met every challenge they've faced.
Now comes the grand finale: Missouri State (3-3), Northern Iowa (4-2), Southern Illinois (4-2) and Western Kentucky (5-1).
Saturday, YSU will celebrate homecoming and Hall of Fame Day with a 4 p.m. game against Missouri State at Stambaugh Stadium.
Last year, the Penguins (4-7) went 0-for-4 against the Gateway's best teams. Missouri State finished 6-5.
Bad memories
"I kind of have a chip on my shoulder from last year," said Scholes, a graduate of Mentor Lake Catholic. "It's been rough the last couple of years.
"Now, we're in a position where we have a real good chance and it's exciting."
The Penguins control their own destiny in the Gateway standings and in the race for a Division I-AA playoff berth, something YSU hasn't achieved since 2000, Jim Tressel's last season as coach.
But to get in, the Penguins will have to fare a lot better than last year.
"We've got four games coming up that are going to be the toughest we've had so far," said Scholes, who has 10 solo tackles and 14 assists. "The good thing about that is that I love all these guys and I'm excited to take the challenge."
Ground game problematic
In the 2004 season finale at Springfield, Mo., YSU lost to then-Southwest Missouri State, 34-28, after rallying from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit. A major problem for the Penguins was the Bears' 283 rushing yards.
Stopping the run, Scholes says, is the YSU defense's main challenge.
"They are about 50-50 [running and passing]," Scholes said, "but I think the most important thing this week is they're going to try and run, shove it down our throat so we're going to have to work on that."
Scholes said that forcing the Bears to throw can generate more mistakes.
"They'll make it a point to be physical," Scholes said. "This is basically their season -- if they lose again, they probably have no chance to make the playoffs, which is like a lot of teams that we've played."
The Bears have a 1-2 record in the Gateway, but it's deceptive. They opened Gateway play against Southern Illinois, then ranked as the top I-AA team in the country, and lost 30-23 in overtime.
On Oct. 8, the Bears upset Northern Iowa, 24-21. Last week, Missouri State rallied for 21 fourth-quarter points but lost on the road to this week's I-AA poll leader, Western Kentucky, 37-28.
Scholes, whose Penguins are No. 14 in this week's Sports Network poll and 15 in the ESPN/USA Today poll, said none of those results "stick out more than any other because every game is going to be tough in the Gateway Conference.
"They're going to come out after us -- it's a big conference game. They've got some big guns up front and I'm excited to play against them, to be honest."
Scholes is referring to the Bears' huge offensive linemen: left tackle Groshawn Edwards (6-5, 330), left guard Seth Reichert (6-4, 311) and right guard Steve Kohenskey (6-2, 306).
Scholes agrees that YSU and Missouri State share a common trait -- neither were expected to contend in the Gateway before the season began.
"They obviously have motivation from last year to come out and prove themselves," Scholes said
"They've played good games, they've dropped a couple, but they have just as much to prove as we did."
No matter the outcome in the final month, Scholes appreciates how the Penguins have a chance to return to the postseason.
"It's a lot more fun when you are winning," Scholes said.
williams@vindy.com