Gibson's big effort claims offensive honors in Game 2
He had a career-best 198 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Monquantae Gibson came to Youngstown State a year ago as a transfer from the University of Kentucky and one of the most highly touted high school running backs in the state of Kentucky.
Gibson immediately made an impact with the Penguins, working his way into the starting lineup as a sophomore and starting five of the seven games he participated in a year ago.
The 6-foot, 200-pounder from Louisville, Ky., led the Penguins in rushing last year, gaining 680 yards on 124 carries. Injuries kept him out of the other five games.
Of the five games he started, he rushed for over 100 yards in four of them; he was injured in the fifth game.
He came into this season expecting to be the Penguins' No. 1 tailback and has started both games. In the opener against Slippery Rock he was used sparingly and still finished with 73 yards rushing on 16 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Second straight win
Last week against Northeastern, Gibson carried 32 times and gained a career-high 198 yards and scored three touchdowns, one of them a 72-yard run on YSU's first series, as the Penguins rolled to their second straight victory, 35-16.
"We've [the offense] really come together as a team in the last 12 months and the more we get comfortable with each other the better we're going to get," Gibson said.
"Our offensive line has just been outstanding in the first two games and we don't even have everybody back yet, but the guys who have been filling in are doing a great job."
The Penguins rushed for 287 yards in the opener and 267 against Northeastern, and the offense is averaging close to 450 total yards per game.
Top offensive honors
Gibson, who was earlier this week named the Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Week, was today named the Hill, Barth and King offensive player of the game by the YSU coaching staff.
Defensive honors for Saturday's game went to junior cornerback Codera Jackson, a junior college transfer from Rochester, N.Y..
The 5-10, 173 standout had three tackles in the contest and also came up with his first interception as a Penguin, picking off Huskies' quarterback Anthony Orio in the third quarter.
Special teams honors went to junior punter Joe Bishop St. Thomas High.
The 5-10, 195 Bishop only had to punt once and that didn't come until the fourth quarter, but he also kicked off six times and just missed executing a perfect onside kick in the final quarter.
The Jim Zdelar offensive lineman of the game was junior tight end Max King. The 6-2, 225-pounder from Champion helped the offensive line open big holes for the YSU rushing attack. King also caught one pass for 11 yards.
Galloza gets Hopkins award
The Jermaine Hopkins defensive lineman award went to sophomore defensive end Jose Galloza. The 6-2, 267-pounder had three tackles and a pass breakup.
Senior wide receiver Jameson Evans of Shaker Heights had the WOW Derrick Pixley Hit of the Week and Gibson was also named the Haines Family Player of the Game.
The Penguins take to the road this week at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. at 7 p.m.
mollica@vindy.com