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No comeback for Penguins
Gallery
Missouri State defeated, YSU 17-7, in the Missouri Valley Football Conference contest at Stambaugh.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN — For the past three weeks, the Youngstown State football team produced second-half rallies to post three straight victories. The Penguins couldn’t make it four in a row.
At Stambaugh Stadium, YSU suffered a disappointing Missouri Valley Football Conference loss Saturday night as the Penguins (3-2, 1-1 MVFC) dropped a 17-7 decision to Missouri State before an announced crowd of 16,727 fans at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Penguins couldn’t overcome four turnovers by the offense and an outstanding passing game by Bears’ quarterback Cody Kirby.
Kirby passed for 252 yards and a touchdown while running back Jonathan Davies ran for another score.
YSU senior quarterback Brandon Summers matched Kirby by throwing for 251 yards and one touchdown, but the veteran signal caller threw three costly interceptions including a crucial one at the Missouri State 4 yard line that killed the Penguins’ hopes for another comeback win.
“You just can’t turn the football over four times in this league and expect to win,” YSU head coach Jon Heacock said. “Turnovers were the difference, no question.”
In addition to Summers’ three interceptions, the Penguins also lost a big fumble by senior tailback Kevin Smith on the Penguins’ opening drive of the third quarter. The fumble was at the YSU 36 yard line which led to the Bears’ final touchdown.
YSU also had a 37-yard field goal attempt by junior kicker Stephen Blose blocked in the third quarter after a bad snap from center. Nothing went well for the Penguins most of the night.
“Give Missouri State credit — they came in here with their backs to the wall and played very well and made the plays that they needed to make,” Heacock said.
“I thought our kids competed well for the most part and even with all our mistakes we were still in the game with a chance to pull it out.”
Once again, the Penguins got off to a slow start, falling behind 10-0 in the opening period as the Bears scored on their first two possessions using long passes to do the damage.
“We’re not trying to have a slow start,” Heacock said. “Everybody keeps asking me that question, but I know that we came from behind to win our last three games. And if we didn’t turn the ball over four times and have a field goal blocked we might have done it again.”
The Penguins appeared to have the Bears in check on their opening drive, but on third and nine, Kirby fired deep for his All-American tight end Clay Harbor.
When YSU defender Sir Demarco Bledsoe went for the ball and missed, Harbor hauled it in and rambled the rest of the way to complete a 52-yard scoring play for a 7-0 lead.
After the Penguins quickly went three and out, the Bears again used the long bomb. This time, Kirby connected with Davis for a 57-yard pass play.
With first and goal at the 4, the Penguins dug in and forced the Bears to settle for a 20-yard field goal from Matt Hottelman.
The Penguins finally got rolling midway in the second quarter when they drove 76 yards in 11 plays to get on the scoreboard.
They stayed on the ground with senior Dana Brown until they reached the Bears’ 32-yard line. Then Summers fired a beautiful pass to senior wide receiver Donald Jones who managed to stay in bounds in the end zone for the score.
But when the Penguins got the ball to open the second half, it took just two plays before Smith fumbled at his own 30. Michael Keck recovered at the YSU 36.
Seven plays later, Davis slanted over from 4 yards out and a 17-7 Missouri State lead.
The Penguins then had the field goal blocked and Summers threw his second interceptions a series later at the Missouri State 26.
YSU got the ball at its own 6-yard line with 14:45 left in the contest and Summers completed six passes in the drive which reached the Bears’ four-yard line.
Summers rolled out on third down and appeared to be throwing the ball away, but it went right to defensive tackle Waylon Richardet, who also blocked the field goal, The Bears had the ball back with fewer than seven minutes to play.
Missouri State went to the ground game, which the Penguins had shut down most of the night, and made two big first downs before punting and the Penguins didn’t get the ball back until 2:24 remained.
Summers moved the team downfield on three big passes, but then the drive stalled and his fourth down pass fell incomplete ending what little hope they had.
The Penguins have to regroup next week when they play again at home against Western Illinois is another 6 p.m. contest at the Ice Castle.
mollica@vindy.com
YSU NOTEBOOK
Ties record: YSU senior wide receiver Donald Jones tied a school record for pass receptions in a game. Jones hauled in 11 receptions for 130 yards and became the third Penguin to pull off that feat. The other two were T.J. Peterson in 2006 against James Madison in the postseason playoffs and Dave DelSignore in 1968 against Southern Illinois. “Records don’t mean much when you don’t win the game,” said Jones following the contest.
No record: Penguins quarterback Brandon Summers threw 39 passes, completing 23 of them for 251 yards and a touchdown. It was the most passes he has attempted in a game since becoming a Penguin. But Summers also threw three interceptions. In the first half, he completed all 12 of his passes, 11 of them to his own receivers and the other to the Bears. The YSU record for most passes in a game is 54 set by Denny Klembara against Akron back in 1968.
Punting improves: Senior punter Ben Nowicki only kicked twice against Missouri State, but averaged 54.0 yards a kick on the two including a long of 62 yards which rolled into the end zone
Defensive leaders: Sophomore linebacker John Sasson led the Penguins with eight total tackles, one for a loss. Senior defensive back Lenny Wicks finished with seven and sophomore Sir Demarco Bledsoe and freshman Taylor Hill each had six tackles. Wicks came up with his second career interceptions at the end of the first half that killed a Missouri State drive.
Offensively: The Penguins had more total yards than Missouri State, 398 to 352, but the four-to-one margin in turnovers made up for the difference. The Penguins outrushed the Bears 147 to 100 and 40 of Missouri State’s rushing yards came on its final possession that ate up valuable time on the clock. The Penguins were also 0-for-2 in scoring when reaching the red zone, while the Bears were 2-for-2.
Next up: The Penguins will remain at home next week when they take on Western Illinois in a 6 p.m. contest at Stambaugh Stadium. The Leathernecks (1-3, 0-1 MVFC) lost at home to Southern Illinois on Saturday night. The Penguins have won the last four meetings against the Leathernecks. YSU will then have an open date on Oct. 17 and then return to take on Southern Illinois in a road game Oct. 24 in Carbondale, Ill.
Pete Mollica
Missouri St.10070—17
YSU0700—7
First Quarter
MoSt—Harbor 52 pass from Kirby (Hottelman kick), 13:34.
MoSt—FG Hottelman 20, 6:57.
Second Quarter
YSU—Jones 32 pass from Summers (Blose kick), 3:34.
Third Quarter
MoSt—Davis 4 run (Hottelman kick), 11:19.
A—16,727.
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MoStYSU
First downs1622
Rushes-yards35-10035-147
Passing252251
Comp-Att-Int19-28-123-39-3
Return Yards1845
Punts-Avg.6-39.82-54.0
Fumbles-Lost0-01-1
Penalties-Yards5-304-28
Time of Possession30:0829:52
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Missouri St., Davis 15-55, Warren 9-36, Douglas 5-9, Kirby 4-3, Team 2-(minus 3). Youngstown St., Smith 16-80, D.Brown 15-72, Summers 4-(minus 5).
PASSING—Missouri St., Kirby 19-28-1-252. Youngstown St., Summers 23-39-3-251.
RECEIVING—Missouri St., Harbor 6-101, C.Dotson 4-22, Douglas 3-38, Davis 2-63, Saffold 2-18, A.Williams 1-9, Warren 1-1. Youngstown St., Jones 11-130, D.Barnes 9-113, Smith 1-8, Pitts 1-1, Rogers 1-(minus 1).