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Wolford’s statement? It’s just one game
YSU vs Penn St.
Gallery
By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
One by one, offense and defense, upperclassmen and underclassmen, the YSU football players stepped to the podium and declared the importance of the Southern Illinois game.
“I definitely believe it’s a statement game,” said junior wide receiver Ely Ducatel on Tuesday.
“This is a statement game for this team,” said senior safety Andre Elliott.
“It’s been circled [on our calendars],” said quarterback Kurt Hess.
Through three weeks, the Penguins (2-1) have done exactly what’s expected of them. Now that they’re playing the defending conference champs, everyone inside and outside the team will be able to get a handle on whether this year’s team is any different than the last few.
“I’ve been looking forward to this game since the end of last season,” said Elliott, who has started 24 straight games. “Last season didn’t go the way we wanted it to. The first conference game is always a big one and beating Southern Ill, we haven’t beat them in the four years I’ve been here.
“It’s a very big game for us.”
But it’s not a must-win game, said YSU coach Eric Wolford.
“I don’t think one game can define a football team, whether it’s Penn State, Butler, Central Connecticut or Southern Illinois,” he said. “One game doesn’t define a football season. I think maybe it would for the fans but not us. We just line up and play the next game.
“We’ll worry about those accolades and who we beat and who we didn’t at the end of the year.”
Wolford isn’t naturally cautious — he openly admits he wants to compete for national championships, sooner rather than later — but he knows his team is at a talent disadvantage right now against the Salukis. Although the series is tied 10-10-1, Southern Illinois has won six of the last seven meetings, including 27-8 last year.
“I think when you look at the conference, they’re definitely one of the elite teams and I kind of use them as a comparison as far as where they are and where we are in a lot of aspects,” said Wolford. “From what they do in recruiting, who they recruit, what areas they recruit. Looking at what they’re doing schematically, how many players they sign with the NFL, all those kind of things.
“Schools like them and Northern Iowa, what we have to constantly evaluate is, where’s Youngstown State at, and where are they?”
The No. 13-ranked Salukis (1-2) have won the last two conference championships (sharing the title in 2008) and have been to the playoffs every year since 2003. But the preseason conference favorites enter Saturday’s game having lost two straight, including a 24-21 stunner last weekend against Southeast Missouri State.
The Salukis blew a 21-3 lead in the final 16 minutes of that game and they know a loss on Saturday would give them zero margin for error the rest of the year, both in the conference and the playoff race.
“I think that just kind of stirs up the hornet’s nest a little bit for them boys this week,” said Wolford. “I’m sure their coaches are yelling at them and getting after them and those kinds of things.”
Elliott said he’s not paying attention to SIU’s record — “They’re still ranked 13th in the country,” he said — and knows firsthand how good their program is, having been on the other end of the 33-0 defeat two years ago at Stambaugh Stadium.
But he also enters the game with a lot of confidence.
“We need to show everyone that we’re the Youngstown team we used to be in the past,” he said. “[A win] would say we’re back in business.”