Momentum major factor in thwarting Jackrabbits

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Momentum played a major factor in Saturday’s Youngstown State-South Dakota State football game.

Fortunately for the Penguins, they had it on their side at the end when it counted.

YSU evened its season record to 1-1 after battling the Jackrabbits right to the wire before coming away with a 23-17 victory before 16,118 fans at Stambaugh Stadium.

“Our guys just kept playing and playing hard right to the end,” YSU head coach Jon Heacock said.

Rally

South Dakota State, which fell behind 17-0 in the first half and then rallied to tie the game in the final period, will become a full-fledged member of the Gateway Football Conference next season and will be a good one.

“I knew that before the game, all they did tonight was clarify that point,” Heacock said.

After South Dakota State tied the contest on a 32-yard field goal by Douglass Parker with 9:30 remaining in the contest, it was the YSU defense and special teams that swung the final momentum toward the Penguins.

The Jackrabbits stopped the Penguins on the next series, but the YSU defense came on and quickly shut the door on the Jackrabbits, forcing a punt which De’Angelo Wilson returned 16 yards to the SDSU 33 yard line.

Senior quarterback Tom Zetts came up with the big play in the final drive hitting wide receiver Ferlando Williams with a 20-yard pass to the Jackrabbits 2 yard line.

On the next play, junior tailback Brandon Nicholson dove over for the game-winning touchdown with 2:46 remaining.

Pressure from YSU

On the next series, the YSU defense came up big again as the Jackrabbits, running out of time, and quarterback Ryan Berry getting pressure from the YSU front, threw errantly. Senior safety Vince Gliatta made a diving interception that sewed up the victory.

Gliatta, who transferred here four years ago from Penn State, had a big night.

In the first quarter with the Jackrabbits punting from their own 10, senior Dorian Chenault raced in and blocked Dean Priddy’s punt and Gliatta was right there to scoop it up and race into the end zone.

“It was a good night and I was in the right place at the right time,” Gliatta said. “We had been working on that block all week in practice and we just went after it and Dorian got a hand on it and it fell right in front of me.

“The interception was an overthrow by the quarterback and I had to stop and dive to get it,” he said. “It would have been just another pick if it wasn’t in that situation that sewed up the game.”

Penguin problems

The Penguins had their problems with the Jackrabbits after the first quarter and a half, especially stopping their short passing game.

Berry making only his second start was 28-for-40 for 208 yards, one TD and the one interception.

“It really wasn’t what we were expecting from them and it caught us off guard,” Heacock said.

Zetts finished with 18 completions in 23 attempts for 167 yards and one interception which came in the second quarter and turned the momentum to the Jackrabbits.

YSU had taken their first possession and drove 88 yards in 14 plays to score on Jabari Scott’s three-yard run. Then after Gliatta’s punt block return the Penguins added a 38-yard field goal by junior Brian Palmer for a 17-0 lead with 7:47 remaining in the half.

The Penguins kept things going after Wilson returned a punt 30 yards to the SDSU 34 yard line, but Zetts tried to force a pass to Derrick Bush and was picked off by Andrew Hoogeveen who returned it to the 41.

Interception negated

From there, the Jackrabbits drove down for their first touchdown, with the help of a defensive holding call that nullified an interception by Bob Perez, and scored on a two yard pass from Berry to Cory Koenig with 18 seconds left in the half.

YSU came right back out on the first possession of the second half and drove down to the South Dakota State 1 yard line, but Zetts was stopped on a quarterback sneak. The Jackrabbits turned that around and drove 99 yards to score on a Koenig two yard run to cut the lead to 17-14.

The Penguins struggled on the next series and Jordan Edwards fumbled at the Jackrabbits 29 and that led to Douglass’ tying field goal.

mollica@vindy.com