MUST-WIN MODE

YSU needs to play its best, keep mistakes to a minimum starting Saturday for any chance of a playoff berth

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock knows the Penguins have their backs to the wall entering the final four games of the 2009 season.

How does the nine-year veteran coach feel about his team’s chances?

“We’re going to find out real quick on Saturday,” he said.

Heacock’s Penguins, coming off a 27-8 loss to Southern Illinois last Saturday, are 4-3 on the season and 2-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Saturday they will play host to South Dakota State (6-1, 5-0), a team ranked No. 9 in the FCS polls and tied with Southern Illinois for the top spot in the conference.

Saturday’s contest will be televised live as the Missouri Valley Football Conference game of the week and locally fans can view the game over MyYTV, which will pick up the network feed.

Although disappointed with last Saturday’s performance, Heacock tried to put the game into perspective.

“We played them very tough for over a quarter and then we had a blocked punt that resulted in one score,” said Heacock, “and then they threw a 2-yard pass that ended up in an 86-yard touchdown run and we went from a dog fight to 14 points down real quickly.”

Heacock was very disappointed in the blocked punt.

“There wasn’t a play that we practiced more last week than the punt, yet we had our first one blocked,” he said. “I’ve always felt that the punt is one of the most important plays in the game.

“One or two mistakes can change the whole aspect of a game,” he continued. “I don’t think that we’ve played our best football yet.”

And Heacock knows the Penguins will have to be at their best to win the remaining four games.

“We have to play our best football,” he said. “We had to last week, but we made a couple of mistakes. The teams we are playing now aren’t going to make mistakes.”

Does Heacock think his Penguins are frustrated?

“Absolutely,” he said. “But nobody is more frustrated than I am. I’m putting in 18 hours a day here every day trying to make things work, make things better, but I really don’t know what more we can do, but work harder.

“Can we practice better? Absolutely, but I do feel that we work pretty hard each and every week,” he added.

The Penguins have to find a way to get their offense moving, both on the ground and through the air.

Last week the Penguins threw 45 times with senior quarterback Brandon Summers connecting on 30 of them for 296 yards.

The Penguins had more passing yards, more total yards, fewer penalties and more time of possession than the Salukis and still lost by 19 points.

And things don’t get any easier this week.

South Dakota State is the top defensive team in the conference allowing just 12 points a game and only 92 yards rushing through its first seven games.

“They are a big, strong veteran team,” said Heacock. “They lost their starting quarterback in the fourth game of the season, but their backup has come on to do a really good job these last three weeks.

“Their defensive front is excellent and they are probably the best defense we’ve faced this season,” he added.

Last week the Penguins rushed for just 50 yards on 24 attempts and Heacock knows they have to do a better job this week.

“We continue to believe in one another and we’re the only ones who can fix the problems we’ve been having thus far,” he said.

“Saturday it will be about Youngstown State playing the best football it can play,” he added. “It’s homecoming and hall of fame day, but it won’t make a difference if we don’t play our best.”

mollica@vindy.com