COLLEGE FOOTBALL YSU seeks third win at Liberty

Two years ago, lightning delayed their game in Liberty for 83 minutes.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The last time Youngstown State played Liberty at A.L. Williams Stadium, in 2003, lightning struck twice.
The first time it was the real thing. Just as the first quarter ended with the Penguins trailing 3-0, lightning hit the area, forcing an 83-minute delay.
When the game resumed, the second streak of lightning came in the form of the YSU offense that ran off 34 unanswered points.
The teams renew their series tonight at 7 when the Penguins try for their third straight win over the Flames.
The series began in 1988, when the Flames posted a 29-0 victory in Lynchburg. YSU is 2-1 in Lynchburg and 3-1 at Stambaugh Stadium. YSU won 42-0 in Youngstown in 1993 and the teams didn't meet again until 2003.
Last year, YSU won 27-17 at Stambaugh Stadium.
Rutigliano was coach
Former Cleveland Browns coach Sam Rutigliano coached the Flames from 1989-99, before current coach Ken Karcher took over.
Rutigliano was 67-53 with the Flames and his best season was 1997 when they posted a 9-2 record. Liberty has never played in the Division I-AA post season.
YSU comes into tonight's contest 2-0 with victories over Slippery Rock (44-14) and Northeastern (35-16), while Liberty is 1-1 with a 17-6 win over Concord and a 59-0 loss to Connecticut.
The Penguins can begin the season 3-0 for the first time since 2001, Jon Heacock's first season as coach.
The Penguins have had problems in their season road opener since 1999. YSU has lost five of its last six road openers, with setbacks to Western Michigan (1999), Northern Iowa (2001), Western Kentucky (2002), Kent State (2003) and McNeese State (2004). The lone win came in 2000 at Kent State.
Other games
The other three unbeaten teams in the Gateway Conference all face difficult Division I-A opponents.
Northern Iowa (2-0) travels to Iowa for a 3:30 p.m. game. Last year Iowa won, 66-0.
Southern Illinois (2-0) visits Western Michigan for those teams' first meeting in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Western Kentucky, the other unbeaten Gateway team, is idle this week, but will travel to Auburn Sept. 24.
In other Gateway games today Illinois State (1-1) is at Eastern Illinois at 7:05 p.m., while Missouri State (1-1) plays host to SE Missouri State at 7 p.m.
Western Illinois (1-1) is on the road at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas at 8 p.m., while Indiana State (0-2) visits Murray State at 7 p.m.
mollica@vindy.com