Penguins hope to end skid

YSU is at home but has problems with injuries and quarterbacks.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock is glad to be back home, although that is not enough to bring an end to the Penguins’ problems.

Youngstown State (2-5, 1-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference) is coming off two straight road losses and three in a row overall. The Penguins play host to Southern Illinois on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.

YSU has been deluged with injuries, especially on defense where more than half of the starters when fall camp commenced have missed playing time. Three of them are out for the season.

The offense hasn’t been hit quite as hard, although starting quarterback Brandon Summers was injured two weeks ago at Southern Utah. He missed last week’s loss at Missouri State and probably won’t see play Saturday against the Salukis (3-2, 2-1).

Summers is part of a major quarterback problem that hit the Penguins. He is one of three quarterbacks who have started games.

The other two, junior Todd Rowan and redshirt freshman Paul Corsaro, quit the team after being benched.

All that has put Heacock in a position where he will probably start a true freshman, Dailyn Campbell, Saturday, with another true freshman, Marc Kanetsky, as the backup.

Still, the Penguins are happy to be back at the Ice Castle where they have posted both of their wins.

“It’s great to be back at home,” Heacock said. “This is also mid-term week and it is a busy week for all the players and it’s always nice to be at home on a Friday and allows them to do the things that they normally do and to sleep in their own beds.”

Heacock said that mental status of the team has remained pretty solid despite everything that has been going on the last seven weeks.

“We’re not ready to fold up the camp just yet,” he said. “Not with who we still have to play in the conference and the standings the way they are right now.”

Heacock said he has a lot of confidence in Campbell.

“He’s a competitor with lots of fire and desire,” Heacock said. “When you look at what this kid has gone through the last two weeks, first going home to spend time with his father and then the death of his father and to come back and prepare himself for last week.

“And then [he] went out and did a commendable job at Missouri State.”

In the 42-28 loss to Missouri State, Campbell came off the bench in the second quarter and guided the Penguins to two touchdown drives to deadlock the score at 14.

Campbell came back with two more scoring drives in the second half.

The Penguins also lost a defensive lineman, senior tackle Bobby Lykes-Knight who suffered a sprained ankle and is doubtful for Saturday’s contest. Lykes-Knight had started four of the last five games.

The Penguins have just one defensive player who has started all seven games this season, junior nose tackle Crispin Fernandez.

Heacock said Southern Illinois will provide another great challenge for his team.

“They’ve got a whole new coaching staff and they are doing a lot of different things than we’ve seen in the past,” he said.

“Their starting tailback [Larry Warner] is a little guy who just might be the quickest back that we’ll see this year,” Heacock said. “He also runs back punts and kickoffs and has returned a couple for touchdowns.

“We’ve still got a lot to play for, especially for our group of seniors that have committed themselves to this program for four and five years,” Heacock said. “That’s what my main concern is right now, to give that group a shot at the rest of this season.”

mollica@vindy.com