Friday, October 26, 2007
The Penguins, with three losses so far, can’t afford another setback.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State coach Jon Heacock knows that it is down to crunch time for his team, especially his seniors.
The Penguins (5-3, 1-2 Gateway Conference, are coming off a disappointing 27-22 loss to Illinois State last Saturday and the loss put the Penguins into a desperate situation as far as the postseason is concerned.
With three games remaining the Penguins have no room for error; they must win all three just for a shot at an at-large berth into the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Penguins must play two of their last three games on the road beginning with Saturday’s contest at Northern Iowa, which just happens to be unbeaten (7-0) and the No. 1 ranked team in all of the FCS. The Panthers are also 3-0 in the Gateway and a victory Saturday would just about sew up their 11th conference championship in the 22 year history of the league.
“It’s all about us from here on in,” said Heacock. The opportunity is still ahead of us and how we stick together will be important down the road.”
“We’re going to do everything we can over the next three weeks for our senior class and then we’ll see what happens,” he added.
Heacock said that the Penguins can’t use injuries as an excuse for last week’s defeat.
“Injuries are not an excuse,” he said. “Are they an impact? Absolutely. It definitely makes preparation that much more important.”
Heacock said that he should have three starters, who have been recuperating from injuries, back to nearly full go this week.
“Louis [Irizarry] practiced, Blake [Halverson] practiced and Torrance [Nicholson] practiced and we expect them all to be ready to go on Saturday,” Heacock added.
Just how good in Northern Iowa?
“They’re pretty darn good,” said Heacock. “They are calling this team possibly the best ever there and that’s saying something. They have lots of depth and lots of guys back and they ran up and down the field against Western Illinois last week.”
“[Eric] Sanders is an excellent quarterback and their backs are some of the best in the school’s history,” he said. “One of their questions was in the kicking game, but they seemed to have handled that pretty well also.”
The contest will be played indoors at the Panthers’ UNIDome, but Heacock doesn’t feel the noise level inside will be a problem.
“Our guys have played before over 100,000 fans at both Penn State and Ohio State so I think that they will have a handle on the noise level,” he added.
At Tuesday’s weekly press conference, Heacock was asked if he rather be playing a lesser opponent than the No. 1 ranked team in this division.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “I think as a coach you are just looking for another opportunity to play, not who you are playing.
He was also asked what he thought the Penguins chances are against the Panthers, who have won six straight in the series and hold a 15-6 edge in the overall series.
“I think that’s why you play the game,” Heacock added. “If you believe in your team, like I do, then there’s no reason to doubt that they’ll come away winners on Saturday.”