YSU lets top team slip away

The Penguins squandered a 13-0 lead in the
fourth quarter to lose to Northern Iowa, 14-13.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The Youngstown State football team knew it needed a near-perfect game here Saturday to defeat No. 1 ranked Northern Iowa.

For three quarters ,the Penguins played it.

YSU (5-4, 1-3 Gateway) was leading 13-0 after three quarters against the unbeaten Panthers (8-0, 4-0), but couldn’t hold on in the final quarter.

The Penguins dropped a 14-13 decision before a sell-out crowd of 16,528 at the UNI-Dome and were eliminated from any postseason playoff consideration.

“It was just an unbelievable effort,” YSU head coach Jon Heacock said. “These kids played a great football game, but it just wasn’t enough.

“We gave up the long touchdown pass,” Heacock said, “and there were a couple of third down conversions that we needed and didn’t convert that you can’t afford to make in a game like this.

“But I’m so very proud of our kids and their effort that they showed today,” Heacock said.

Sparked by senior quarterback Tom Zetts, who completed 25-of-35 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown, the Penguins jumped out to a 13-0 first half lead. They hung on through a scoreless third quarter, but couldn’t hold off the Panthers in the final 15 minutes.

Zetts, who had his best game of the season, was 14-of-16 in the first half and 20-of-26 after three quarters.

His only interception came on the Penguins final drive with time running out. Zetts was trying desperately to get his team into field goal range.

While Zetts dominated the first three quarters, his counterpart Eric Sanders for the Panthers took over the final quarter.

The senior had just 67 yards passing after three quarters with an interception, but completed six of six passes in the final quarter. One was a 29-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Gray.

A 34-yard pass to Schuyar Oordt set up Gray’s game-winning 18-yard touchdown run on an end around. The winning score came with 4:54 on the clock.

The Penguins had two more chances, but the first ended in three-and-out. With 1:36 remaining, they started from their own 13.

Zetts got banged up on first down. Sophomore Todd Rowen came in for a down and threw an incompete pass. Zetts came back to hit Ferlando Williams for a first down, but on the next play Brannon Carter picked him off at the 40 and the game was over.

YSU’s defense shut down the Panthers, holding them to 68 yards rushing and 67 passing through three quarters. But the Penguins couldn’t stop them in the final quarter.

The Penguins held the edge in total offense 330 to 272. Junior kicker Brian Palmer added two more field goals with first half kicks of 18 and 37 yards.

“It’s a shame that somebody had to lose this football games,” UNI head coach Mark Farley said. “Youngstown just completely shut us down for three quarters, but our kids never quit and they were able to pull it out at the end.”

Youngstown State lost the coin toss to begin the contest, but little else during the first 30 minutes of the contest.

The Penguins took the game’s opening kickoff and marched 75 yards. Zetts was on target, connecting on his first four passes. The final two included one for 20 yards to Williams and a perfectly thrown shot over the middle to junior tight end Derrick Bush for 28 yards and the touchdown.

After shutting the Panthers down on three straight downs, the Penguins marched again. Again, Zetts hit four passes in the drive, but they could only get to the Panthers 1-yard line where Palmer came in and connected for three points.

The Panthers appeared to be stopped again as they were forced to punt. YSU’s Bobby Perez raced in and partially blocked Matt Asman’s punt at the 30.

But when the Penguins’ De’Angelo Wilson tried to field the short kick he fumbled and Josh Mahoney recovered for the Panthers.

Again, the Penguins held and when Asman kicked them deep onto a hole at the 7-yard line, YSU began the long trek up field. Zetts completed six passes in the drive and the Penguins got to the Panthers 20 where Palmer again was perfect, this time from 37 yards out.

mollica@vindy.com