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A-B-C: Always be closing
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
Photo
Northern Iowa’s James Conley, center, pops off Youngstown State’s Adaris Bellamy’s helmet in the first half of Saturday’s game. Penguins coach Eric Wolford wants to see his team run as well in the fourth quarter as it does in the other three.
YSU senior defensive end Obinna Ekweremuba said the Penguins approach every game like they’re facing the No. 1 team in the country.
That should be a little easier this week.
With their playoff hopes on life support — but still technically breathing — the Penguins will travel to top-ranked North Dakota State in search of the type of win that can put the program back in the national conversation.
“This is our championship game,” Ekweremuba said. “We have to win this game. We don’t have a choice.
“We win this game, we’re making a statement that Youngstown State football is coming back.”
YSU (5-4, 3-3 Missouri Valley Football Conference) had a chance to make that statement last weekend, pushing No. 5-ranked Northern Iowa to the brink before falling in the closing minutes.
“We had our opportunities in Northern Iowa to close out the game and quite frankly, we did not,” Wolford said. “It’s frustrating for everyone, myself included.
“In order for us to take the next step against these elite teams, we’ve got to show that we can close. And who’s to say this isn’t the week that we show we can close a game out?”
Four years ago, Wolford was the offensive line coach/run game coordinator at Illinois when quarterback Juice Williams led the Illini to a road upset of then-No. 1 Ohio State.
Leading 28-21, Williams ran for three first downs as Illinois burned up the final 8:09.
“You have got to be able to stay on the field for seven or eight minutes and close a game out,” he said. “We rode Juice Williams down the field, basically ran the ball on every play and found a way to close the game out.
“That’s the next step we’ve got to get ready to take.”
Earlier this year, in a 35-28 loss to South Dakota State, YSU took a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter, then failed to score on its last five possessions. Against UNI, YSU went three-and-out on its first two fourth quarter possessions before giving up the game-winning score with two minutes left.
And who can forget last year’s loss to North Dakota State?
Trailing 28-26, the Penguins drove to the Bison 25 with less than two minutes remaining but gained just five yards over the next three plays, kicking a 38-yard field goal with 51 seconds left. Instead, the Bison needed just 33 seconds to score the game-winning touchdown.
“I want us to get to the point where ... you’re so powerful and so strong and so confident up front and in the backfield, it doesn’t matter if a play’s only blocked one or two yards, I’m getting four,” he said. “It’s a mentality. That’s the next step we’ve got to take.
“Yes, we do have a good offense. Yes, we are on the right track. But I think there’s a whole ’nother level of offenses, when you’re talking about championship offenses, where you’re able to grind it out when it’s stacked against you.”