YSU NOTEBOOK Penguins vs. Bears

200th game: Youngstown State’s Dr. Daryl Mincey, professor of Analytical Chemistry/Environmental Science, witnessed his 200th consecutive Penguins football game Saturday at Missouri State. Dr. Mincey, who has been YSU’s unofficial still photographer over the years, began his streak in 1992, right after he missed an away game at Northeastern University. After Saturday’s contest, Dr. Mincey flew from Springfield, Mo., to Germany, where he will speak at a chemistry seminar. But he said he’d be back home for next week’s home game and No. 201.

Trip from hell: It took the Penguins nearly 13 hours on Friday to get from Youngstown to their hotel in Springfield, Mo. The commercial flight from Cleveland was about a half hour late. When the plane stopped at Chicago’s Midway airport, there was another hour delay as the plane was too heavy and 10 passengers needed to get off for another flight (with some pretty good incentives from Southwest Airlines). The plane landed in St. Louis about two and half hours late. The team then bussed to Springfield. What normally is a three-hour ride took more than six thanks to a two-hour delay on the freeway as a trailer truck carrying cars caught fire and closed down the road. The team stopped to eat dinner before going to the hotel and arrived after 10 p.m. after leaving at 7:30 a.m.

Third starter: For the first time that anyone can remember, the Penguins used a different starting quarterback for the third time in the same season when freshman redshirt Paul Corsaro of Indianapolis made his first start against the Bears. Half of the YSU backfield were freshman, including redshirt freshman Kamryn Keys as starting tailback for the second straight week. Corsaro’s backup at QB was true freshman Dailyn Campbell of Kenton, who made his first road trip of the season and with his effort might just become the fourth starter before the season ends. There also were three starting freshmen on defense, including true freshman defensive end Stephen Meadows along with redshirt freshmen Joel Younkins at the other end and linebacker Deonta Tate.

New faces: YSU head coach Jon Heacock said that there were 14 regulars who made the team’s first road trip to South Dakota State who didn’t make this weekend’s trip to Springfield. That group includes five original starters on defense and three original starters on offense. Up next: The Penguins will return home for two straight games beginning Saturday when they entertain Southern Illinois in a 4 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium. The Salukis (3-2, 2-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) defeated Indiana State on Saturday.

Pete Mollica