What’s the matter with the Penguins?

Photo

YSU head coach Jon Heacock

Youngstown State’s problems run deeper than just one factor.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — For eight weeks, Youngstown State head football coach Jon Heacock has been asked time after time what is the matter with his football team.

The Penguins (4-4, 2-3 Missouri Valley Football Conference) have struggled this season, even in their victories. Heacock, like everyone else, can’t put a finger on the problem.

“Everybody thinks there is one problem that needs fixed, but with 11 guys on the field it is never just one problem,” Heacock said. “You get a breakdown here, a missed assignment here, a dropped ball, a turnover and it’s usually never the same thing.

“I’ve been in this business a long time and believe me there is never just one problem.”

Saturday Heacock will take his Penguins on the road with a MVFC contest at Northern Iowa (5-3, 3-2) Kickoff is 5:05 in Cedar Falls.

The Penguins are now out of the conference race and have no hope of making the postseason but they still have three games remaining on the schedule.

“We aren’t going to get to the playoffs,” he said. “That’s usually the first test and we didn’t pass it, but we still have three games left and the season is not over.”

“I think our kids are still hungry, especially this week for Northern Iowa, who we’ve played tough the last two years losing by a single point both games,” he said. “Our guys have some confidence in this game and they believe that they can play with them,” Heacock added.

Northern Iowa was off last week.

“They are a veteran group with seniors at most every position,” Heacock said. “They are also just a play or two in each of their last two games from being unbeaten in the league.”

“Our kids are obviously down after the last two games, but we’re not throwing in the towel by any means. I think we’ll bounce back because I believe in the character of our players.”

The Penguins have struggled offensively the past two games. They’ve been able to move the football but have produced one touchdown in the two games. Last week they were held to a field goal in a 17-3 loss to South Dakota State.

Senior quarterback Brandon Summers has struggled this year. In eight games he has been intercepted 13 times, including twice last week.

“You can’t have turnovers against teams like we are playing now,” Heacock said. “They aren’t going to make mistakes and you can’t give them more opportunities than they would normally get.”

YSU’s running game has been non-existent the past two weeks, but in both games the Penguins have been battling from behind and were forced to throw the football more. Summers has thrown 29 times in each of the past two games.

YSU’s defense has been holding its own for the most part, but hasn’t produced a turnover the past two weeks.

“We have to defend against the run and keep the deep balls to a minimum,” said Heacock. “We’ve got to make them earn every yard they get.”

“It’s going to be one of those conference games where you have to score when you get to the red zone and you can’t make mistakes,” he said. “The team that makes the fewest mistakes is going to win.”

Heacock said a lot of the Penguins’ problems are the result of young mistakes.

“We’ve got a lot of young players in this lineup and how fast or how long it takes them to come around is the difference. We’ve got a lot of young people up front who are learning on the run,” he said.

The Penguins have been banged up this week at practice with several starters, including Summers, nursing minor injuries.

“We’ve got about five or six kids who are pretty banged up,” said Heacock. “Hopefully they will be ready for Saturday.

Others who are questionable are junior safety Brandian Ross, sophomore linebacker John Sasson, senior tailback Kevin Smith and sophomore linebacker Deonte Tate.

mollica@vindy.com

The Lineups

Youngstown State | University of Northern Iowa

OFFENSE

RT — (76) BOBBY COATES (6-4, 300, Jr.); (68) Bill Dugan (6-5, 290, RFr.)

RG — (51) BRIAN MELLOTT (6-3, 280, Sr.); (74) Greg Sazdanoff (6-3, 275, Soph.)

C — (69) ANDY KOWICKI (6-5, 280, RFr.); (62) Tyler Figueroa (6-4, 285, Jr.)

LG — (64) ERIC RODEMOYER (6-2, 280, Jr.); (73) Justin Rechichar (6-4, 290, Jr.)

LT — (70) ANDREW RADAKOVICH (6-5, 300, RFR.); (77) D.J. Main (6-6, 285, RFr.)

TE — (89) ANDY COLEGROVE (6-4, 260, Soph); (80) David Rogers (6-3, 250, Soph.)

WR — (29) DOMINIQUE BARNES (5-11, 180, Jr.); (84) Jelani Berassa (6-3, 180, Fr.)

WR — (81) DONALD JONES (6-2, 210, Sr.); (83) Aaron Pitts, 6-3, 195, Sr.)

QB — (6) BRANDON SUMMERS (6-2, 200, Sr.); (19) Marc Kanetsky (6-0, 195, Soph.)

TB — (21) DANA BROWN (5-10, 210, Sr.); (1) Kevin Smith (5-10, 195, Sr.)

FB — (46) KYLE BANNA (6-2, 240, Jr.); (21) Dana Brown (5-10, 210, Sr)

DEFENSE

RE — (55) STEPHEN MEADOWS (6-2, 245, Soph.); (43) Joel Yonkins (6-2, 235, Soph.)

DE — (96) MYCHAL SAVAGE (6-2, 310, Sr.); (57) Jaimie Frasure (6-0, 235, Jr.)

NT — (99) LUKE MATELAN (6-4, 255, Jr.); (93) Joe Marshall (6-2, 300, Soph.)

DT — (90) CRISPIN FERNANDEZ (5-10, 270, Sr.); (94) Torrance Nicholson (6-3, 305, Jr.)

LB — (11) NA’EEM OUTLER (6-2, 240, Jr.); (26) David Rach (6-4, 215, Soph.)

LB — (53) JOHN SASSON (6-2, 245, Soph.); (56) Deonte Tate (6-1, 225, Soph.)

LB — (15) TAYLOR HILL (6-2, 210, Fr.); (28) Jordan Edwards (6-0, 220, Jr.)

CB — (27) BRANDIAN ROSS (6-0, 190, Jr.); (5) Randy Lewis (5-10, 175, Soph.)

FS — (2) ANDRE ELLIOTT (6-2, 190, Jr.); (24) Scott Sentner (6-2, 200, Soph.)

SS — (23) NICK GOODEN (5-11, 190, RFr.); (31) David Fleming (5-11, 190, RFr.)

CB — (32) LENNY WICKS (5-10, 190, Sr.); (3) A.J. Walker (5-10, 190, Fr.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK — (13) STEPHEN BLOSE (5-10, 190, Jr.); (82) Jarrod Satmare (6-0, 220, Jr.)

H — (19) MARC KANETSKY; (37) Erik Johnson (6-1, 210, Jr.)

LS — (85) NATE SCHKURKO (6-2, 190, Soph.); (46) Kyle Banna

P — (36) BEN NOWICKI (6-0, 170, Sr.); (37) Erik Johnson.

PR — (32) LENNY WICKS; (81) Donald Jones.

KR — (29) DOMINIQUE BARNES; (35) Jamaine Cook (5-9, 190., Fr.)

KO — (13) STEPHEN BLOSE; (82) Jarrod Satmare.

OFFENSE

WR — (2) D.P. EYMAN (6-1, 187, Sr.); (22) B.J. Ray (6-3, 205, Fr.)

TE — (48) RYAN MAHAFFEY (6-4, 258, Jr.); (87) Schuylar Oordt (6-7, 246, Jr.)

LT — (75) AUSTIN HOWARD (6-7, 319, Sr.); (59) Austin Zish (6-5, 301, Jr.)

LG — (66) NATE HERRIG (6-3, 297, Sr.); (76) Mike Thornton (6-5, 300, Jr.)

C — (74) AUSTIN STEICHEN (6-3, 305, Sr.); (68) Trent Flander (6-4, 277, Sr.)

RG — (79) JASON FIACCO (6-2, 310, Sr.); (78) Tim Sauer (6-8, 280, RFr.)

RT — (72) JAY TEPLY (6-7, 328, Soph.); (78) Tim Sauer

WR — (5) D.J. HORD (6-1, 198, Sr.); (11) Terrell Sinkfield (6-1, 198, Fr.)

WR — (83) JARRED HERRING (5-9, 170, Soph.); (88) Maurice Turner (6-3, 205, Jr.)

QB — (13) PAT GRACE (6-2, 240, Sr.); (17) Zach Davis (6-2, 215, Soph.)

RB — (31) DERRICK LAW (6-1, 223, Sr.); (1) Carlos Anderson (5-8, 172, RFr.)

DEFENSE

DE — (43) BEN BOOTHBY (6-0, 253, Soph.); (96) Henry6 Obi (6-4, 148, Jr.

DT — (98) CHUCK KINNEY (6-3, 290, Sr.); (92) Kaleb Admire (6-3, 290, Soph.)

DT — (93) WES LANE (6-4, 290, Sr.); (56) August Hadenfeldt (6-3, 257, Soph.)

DE — (44) JAMES RUFFIN (6-4, 263, Sr.); (90) Darren Branch (6-2, 250, Soph.)

LB — (24) L.J. FORT (6-2, 228, Soph.); (32) James Conley (6-1, 196, Soph.)

LB — (52) ELIJAH HODGE (6-1, 227, Sr.); (49) Shawn Gerard (6-3, 236, Soph.)

LB — (47) JOSH MAHONEY (6-1, 228, Sr.); (46) Jordan Smith (6-2, 234, Soph.)

CB — (27) TERRELL MCBRIDE (5-9, 175, RFr.); (4) Varmah Sonie (5-9, 160, Fr.)

SS — (45) JAMAR THOMPSON (6-4, 215, Jr.); (15) Garrett Scott (6-0, 201, RFr.)

FS — (18) QUENTIN SCOTT (6-5, 224, Sr.); (10) Tre-Darrius Canady (5-11, 187, Soph.)

CB — (8) ANDRE MARTIN (6-1, 203, RFr.); (28) J.J. Swain (6-0, 180, Fr.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK — (36) BILLY HALLGREN (5-11, 194, Jr.); (26) Max Martin (5-11, 195, RFr.)

P — (95) KYLE BERNARD (6-1, 190, Fr.)

H — (95) KYLE BERNARD

LS — (68) TRENT FLANDER; (53) Stacy Chinander (5-11, 225, Sr.)

PR — (83) JARRED HERRING; (4) Varmah Sonie

KR — (83) JARRED HERRING; (1) Carlos Anderson