Summers’ end leads to Youngstown’s fall

By Pete Mollica

The Penguins didn’t score any touchdowns after the starting QB was hurt.

CEDAR CITY, Utah — Just when you think nothing else bad could happen to the Youngstown State football team, up pops something else.

Saturday, the Penguins lost starting quarterback Brandon Summers in the second quarter with a knee injury while leading Southern Utah 7-0.

The YSU offense struggled the rest of the way and the Thunderbirds rallied for two scores, one by their defense, to hand the Penguins a 14-7 defeat before an announced crowd of 1,714 at Eccles Coliseum.

Summers, who had sparked YSU’s offense since taking over the starting reins in the team’s third game, is believed to have a sprained knee, but it was enough to keep him out of action for nearly three quarters.

YSU (2-4) outgained the Thunderbirds 323-to-278, but three Penguins turnovers proved costly, including the last one, a fumble by redshirt freshman quarterback Paul Corsaro that Southern Utah returned 54 yards for the game-deciding touchdown in the third quarter.

“It’s really unbelievable what’s been happening to us this season,” YSU head coach Jon Heacock said. “Still, it doesn’t matter who is in the game, you just can’t turn over the football like we did today and expect to win.”

The Penguins led 7-0 after an opening 74-yard scoring drive when redshirt freshman Kamryn Keys broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown run.

They were going in for another score on their second drive when junior tailback Dana Brown fumbled on the wet field at the Thunderbirds’ 8, which was the beginning of the Penguins’ problems.

“We had the momentum and we were moving the football right down the field,” Heacock said. “Then Dana tries to make about 15 different cuts on the wet field and we give up the football.”

Still, the Penguins weren’t down and out, at least not yet.

Southern Utah (3-3) drove to the YSU 38 after the fumble. On second down, senior cornerback De’Angelo Wilson picked off a Cody Stone pass at the YSU 24 and returned it to the Thunderbirds’ 30 where a facemask penalty moved the ball to the 15.

Summers, who was 4-of-7 for 56 yards before he was hurt, threw an interception at the Thunderbirds’ 8, killing the drive.

On the next series, Summers was hurt and left the game with 12:41 remaining in the second quarter.

Southern Utah then marched 75 yards on 10 plays to tie the game. The big play was a 24-yard pass from Stone to Deckar Alexander, who caught the short pass and then broke several tackles to get to the 3-yard line. Alexander scored on a 1-yard run.

In the third quarter, the YSU defense came up with another big play as senior linebacker Mike Barlak intercepted a Stone pass at the YSU 45.

Corsaro managed to get a first down on two runs and a short pass. But on second down, he rolled out and was hit, fumbling the ball. Six-two, 285-pound defensive tackle Aaron Fernandez scooped it up and lumbered down the sidelines for 54 yards and a touchdown.

The final quarter was a defensive battle. Southern Utah had just one first down and punted three times while the Penguins had two first downs in its first two drives and came up short on a fourth down try with 4:32 remaining.

YSU was given once last chance after the defense shut down the Thunderbirds again on a three-and-out and took over at its own 15 yard line.

Corsaro had a good series. Twice on fourth down and once on third and long, he connected for big passes, including a 38-yarder to senior Ferlando Williams.

The Penguins got down to the Thunderbirds’ 18. On fourth down, Corsaro fired into the end zone for junior wide receiver Donald Jones, who went up to get the ball at about the same time he was sandwiched between two Southern Utah defenders. He didn’t hang on long enough according to the officials and the Penguins’ final chance was snuffed out.

“Paul did an outstanding job coming in under those circumstances,” Heacock said. “The entire team played their rear ends off out there today, but it just came down to turnovers and we made too many.”

mollica@vindy.com