Playoffs no longer possible

There will be no postseason this year for the Youngstown State football team as Saturday’s heartbreaking 14-13 defeat to unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Northern Iowa ended any hopes that the Penguins might have had.

YSU now has four losses and the only way a team with that many defeats can get into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs is to win its conference championship.

With the Penguins now sitting at 1-3 in the Gateway Conference that’s not going to happen.

Still, the Penguins’ failure to return to the postseason really takes nothing away from Saturday’s outstanding performance against Northern Iowa, which might have trouble holding onto its No. 1 ranking.

The Panthers have been in a close battle with North Dakota State the last couple of weeks. Since North Dakota State will become a member of the Gateway next season, that speaks pretty highly for the conference with the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country.

Zetts, offense
have best game

Penguins senior quarterback Tom Zetts played his best game of the season and offensive coordinator Brian Wright called a great game using his plays well and keeping the Panthers off-balance with short passes all over the field and mixing in running plays.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Mills and his group did an outstanding job against the Panthers, holding them under 300 total yards and keeping them out of the end zone for more than three quarters.

The Penguins still have two games remaining on the schedule, and neither one will be very meaningful except for the pride of the Penguins, especially the seniors.

YSU travels to winless Indiana State Saturday then completes the season with the home finale against Western Illinois.

One thing the Penguins might just want to do is to take a look at some of the players who will be making up the team next season, especially at quarterback.

Zetts has had a great career at YSU and he definitely deserves to start and play in his final two games, but at some time the Penguins have to give some playing time to sophomore Todd Rowan, who is the heir apparent.

Outside of the one play that he came in for Saturday when Zetts was shaken up, the former LaBrae High standout has never been at quarterback for any meaningful series in a college football game and this is his third season with the team.

Kopp begins new
duties with team

Youngstown native Dan Kopp began his duties as the Penguins director of football operations last week.

Kopp comes from a football family. His father, John, has been a coach for many years in the area, including a long tenure as head coach at Wilson High, while his brother Neal was the head coach at Austintown Fitch High for several seasons.

Kopp spent last season working in the front office for the Mahoning Valley Thunder of the arena2 league.

“I’m really looking forward to getting into this new position,” Kopp said, who made his first road trip with the Penguins to Northern Iowa.

Kopp’s job will get him involved with many aspects of the football program, although the bulk of his position will have him working with the team’s academic advisors and keeping a tight reign on the Penguins’ status in the classroom.

“It’s a great opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to being part of the YSU football family,” Kopp said.

YSU athletic director Ron Strollo said Kopp is a great fit.

“He’s a YSU alumnus, he was one of our equipment managers, he’s a local product and he comes from a football family,” Strollo said.

“After last season with the playoff run the demands on our coaching staff was really difficult and took so much time away from the student-athletes,” Strollo said.

“Now Dan will be able to take some of that load off the coaches, especially with recruiting mailings and finding summer jobs for the players. We’re excited to have him.”

XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.