YSU playoff hopes blocked

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Special teams miscues costly

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Youngstown State football team’s hopes of playing into the postseason suffered a severe jolt Saturday when the Penguins suffered a 27-8 loss to Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent Southern Illinois before about 10,000 fans at McAndrew Stadium.

The Penguins (4-3, 2-2) didn’t play all that poorly, but had two big mistakes on special teams that proved costly against the No. 3 ranked Salukis (6-1, 5-0).

“We said going into the game that we couldn’t afford to give a good football team like this any help and we did,” YSU head coach Jon Heacock said. “You just can’t do that against good football teams.

“We still have four games remaining, now we really have to button down and get after them,” he added.

In the second period, the Penguins had their second blocked punt of the season that led to the Salukis’ first touchdown and had a botched field goal attempt that cost the Penguins a chance to get on the scoreboard.

Southern Illinois, which remains tied for the conference lead with South Dakota State (a 24-14 winner over Northern Iowa), recovered Ben Nowicki’s blocked punt at the YSU 2 yard line and scored two plays later.

The Salukis also scored on an 86-yard pass play from backup quarterback Paul McIntosh to wide receiver Joe Allaria in the second quarter for a 14-0 halftime lead.

McIntosh went into the game in the second quarter when starting quarterback Chris Dieker went down with a dislocated shoulder.

Southern Illinois didn’t feel the loss as McIntosh passed for 133 yards and a touchdown and also led the Salukis in rushing with 81 yards on 12 carries.

Offensively, the Penguins moved the football, but because they fell behind early were forced to throw the ball way more than they intended.

Senior quarterback Brandon Summers finished with a career-high 45 passing attempts. He completed 30 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice, both coming late in the final quarter.

The Penguins rushed the football 24 times for 50 yards and finished with more total yards than the Salukis 346-to-315.

Summers, who was also sacked four times, finished with a minus-41 yards on the ground on six carries.

With three losses, the Penguins will have to win out in their remaining four games if they expect to have any chance at a postseason berth.

They will play host to a red-hot South Dakota State (6-1, 5-0) on Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium in the Penguins’ homecoming contest.

Defense prevailed in the game’s opening quarter, although both teams were able to move the football.

The Penguins reached the Southern Illinois 25 yard line, but failed to pick up one yard on two tries and turned the ball over.

Southern Illinois drove to the YSU 27, but the Penguins dug in and held them on downs, forcing a punt which Scott Ravanesi dropped on the YSU 6 yard line.

The Penguins could get only to their own 23. Nowicki, standing at his own 5 yard, line saw Fred Wright come right up the middle and block the kick which was recovered at the YSU 2 yard line. Two plays later, John Goode scored on a 1 yard run.

The Salukis made it 14-0 on their next series as McIntoshtossed a little flare pass out to Allaria at the 14 yard line. He broke one tackle, tightroped the sidelines for a few yards and then outraced everybody 86 yards for the score.

The Penguins got a good kickoff return by Dominique Barnes out to their own 44, but a penalty put them back at their own 11.

Summers hit six passes in the drive, the longest for eight yards. Freshman tailback Jermaine Cook rushed 22 yards on another play as the Penguins reached the Southern Illinois 12.

But three plays netted just four yards and junior kicker Stephen Blose attempted a 25-yard field goal. The snap from center was bad and Blose never got the kick airborne.

The Salukis scored their final touchdown following a short punt by Nowicki. They began at the YSU 45 and in 11 plays scored on a 3-yard run by Deji Karim.

SIU kicker Kyle Dougherty added two field goals of 44 and 45 yards in between the Penguins’ touchdown.

It came on an 80-yard drive all through the air. The scoring play was a soft lob pass from Summers to a wide open senior wide receiver Aaron Pitts who was going down the sideline and raced 56 yards for the touchdown.

mollica@vindy.com