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YSU sends a message
2010 YSU 31 - Southern Illinois 28
Gallery
Youngstown State scores 31 points and overcomes late scare to upset defending conference champion SIU
By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
Inside the bowels of Stambaugh Stadium, just past the large sign that reads “Football is a 60-minute game,” YSU offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery was hugging everyone in sight. After more embraces than an Italian wedding, redshirt freshman quarterback Kurt Hess came down the tunnel, spotted Montgomery and let out a grin that stretched from Rt. 422 to Federal Street.
“We got ’em,” Hess said following Saturday’s 31-28 victory over Southern Illinois. “We got ’em.”
Just then, another player walked past and yelled out, “We left about 40 [points] out there! We’re going to get it next time!”
The Penguins may have entered the game as big underdogs to the two-time defending conference champions, but inside the YSU locker room, there was no doubt which team should be favored.
“This football team expected to win,” said YSU coach Eric Wolford, whose Penguins ended a three-game losing streak to the Salukis. “It wasn’t no fake hope, none of this baloney of laying in bed [saying], ‘Oh, I hope we can win.’”
Added senior cornerback Brandian Ross, whose class had never beaten SIU, “Last year, it was, ‘Maybe, I don’t know, hopefully.’
“This year, we were confident. Every single person.”
Then they went out and played like it, overcoming an early deficit and surviving a nail-chewing final two minutes before emerging with the type of victory that convinced the remaining doubters in Youngstown and sent this message to the rest of the Missouri Valley Football Conference:
“We back,” said junior linebacker Deonta Tate. “The statement we made to other teams in the conference is, Youngstown, we coming and we nothing to be played with.”
The game couldn’t have started much worse for YSU (3-1, 1-0) as Southern Illinois turned a blocked punt and a Hess fumble into 14 quick points.
But YSU regrouped in the second quarter, getting three touchdown passes from Hess to take a 21-14 halftime lead.
The first two TD passes were to true freshman WR Kevin Watts, who twice got position and jumped over his defender in the back corner of the end zone. On all three, Hess bought time in the pocket and turned a seemingly doomed play into something special.
“The touchdown passes were decent passes at best,” said Hess. “The receivers really did a great job.
“I was able to buy a little bit of time, they made great plays and got touchdown for themselves.”
Running back Jamaine Cook, who ground out 111 yards on 26 carries, gave the Penguins a two-touchdown lead midway through the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run. That score was set up by a one-handed interception by Tate, the first of his career. It was one of four turnovers forced by the Penguin defense.
Minutes later, Josh Garner blocked an SIU punt to set up a 37-yard field goal by Stephen Blose that gave YSU a 31-14 lead and ended any remaining suspense.
Or so it seemed.
Pinned at its own 1 with less than five minutes remaining, SIU QB Chris Dieker led the Salukis (1-3, 0-1) on a 15-play, 99-yard drive that ended with his 4-yard TD run. Seconds later, SIU recovered an onside kick and drove 55 yards in 43 seconds, cutting the deficit to three on Dieker’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Joe Allaria.
“You kind of panic a little bit,” Cook admitted.
Fortunately for YSU, Salukis kicker Kyle Dougherty couldn’t keep the second onside kick inbounds and Hess took three knees to finish out the win.
“When we got the ball back, we didn’t want to celebrate before the game was over but it was kind of hard,” said Cook. “I was standing on the sideline trying not to smile.”
As he walked to the locker room, offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo shook his head and said, “Here’s my quote: It wasn’t pretty, but I’ll take it.”
And now a team that was picked to finish seventh in the preseason conference poll will go from the hunter to the hunted.
Just as planned.
“I think this win sent a message to everyone that Youngstown is not the old Youngstown,” said Cook. “It’s the new Youngstown and we’re back.”