Saturday’s loss tough to swallow

What is it about Northern Iowa’s football team that Youngstown State has so much trouble defeating them?

The Panthers, who were ranked No. 4 in the Football Championship Subdivision poll last week, have defeated the Penguins eight straight times.

The last two have been only by a point, including Saturday’s 21-20 defeat at Stambaugh Stadium.

Since the two teams first met in 1978, the Penguins have won only six times in 23 meetings and they are 2-10 against the Panthers since joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 1997.

YSU coach Jon Heacock is 0-8 against the Panthers. I would have thought that the 2004 loss, when the Penguins lost 22-20 on a field goal that came after time had expired, would have been the toughest loss Heacock had suffered to the Panthers.

But the coach said Saturday night this last one was the toughest to handle, probably because of everything that this year’s team has gone through since back in fall camp, and the way that they fought back from a 14-0 deficit.

Although the Penguins never led in the contest, they were still just an extra point from going into overtime.

YSU needed to play better early in the contest

Even though the game ended just one point apart, the Penguins needed to play much better, especially early in the contest.

After surprising the Panthers with a game-opening onside kick, YSU quickly went three-and-out and gave the ball right back.

The YSU offense struggled early. They didn’t get a first down until the 4:46 mark of the second quarter, and by then they were trailing 14-0.

The offense came to life and tied the score, but then the defense allowed a second long scoring drive by the Panthers as they regained the lead.

“We had our opportunities,” said Heacock. “But you have to make the most of them against a team like Northern Iowa. They are not ranked No. 4 in the country for nothing. They’re an excellent team and we gave them a real battle, but moral victories just don’t count.”

The loss assured the Penguins of a losing season. With a 2-7 record and three games remaining and — two of those are on the road including Saturday’s contest at Illinois State — the Penguins only have pride to play for the rest of the way.

It will be more than pride according to Heacock, who wants his seniors to at least go out winners the rest of the way.

Still it isn’t going to be an easy task.

Illinois State (2-5, 1-3) has struggled right along with the Penguins, but YSU has always had a difficult time winning in Normal, Ill.

The Penguins follow the Redbirds with a home game against winless Indiana State, and then following an open date, they finish the season on the road at Western Illinois.

Two players off injury list, but two others hurt

Saturday, the Penguins returned a couple players off the injury list in sophomore defensive tackle Torrance Nicholson and junior quarterback Brandon Summers.

Both played key roles Saturday, but at the same time the Penguins added senior wide receiver Ferlando Williams and senior tight end Derrick Bush to that already long injury list.

Nicholson was glad to be back, but it took him a while to get going.

“It was tough, especially in the first quarter, but as the game progressed I started feeling more comfortable,” Nicholson said.

And he’s looking forward to the final three games.

“I’m a competitor and I hate to lose and I know that there’s a lot of guys in that locker room that feel the same way,” he added. “We want to go out winners and we’ll do whatever it takes to get there.”

Nicholson said it was a little strange playing on the defensive line with a lot of young freshmen.

“But they’ve been out there five or six weeks now and they aren’t freshmen any longer,” he said. “It was fun being back out there.”

Summers said that he was a little rusty Saturday. But he had high praise for the Northern Iowa defense.

“That’s a good football team and they kept pressure on me most of the game.”

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