Penguins hope season does not repeat 2010’s collapse

By Joe Scalzo | September 19, 2011 at 12:10a.m.

Youngstown State vs. Illinois State

YOUNGSTOWN

After being surprisingly competitive against its Big Ten foe in the opener, the Youngstown State football team followed up its blowout of an FCS team with an encouraging home conference victory.

That sentence applies to this year’s team.

Last year’s, too.

“Here we are again,” Penguins coach Eric Wolford said. “Our job is to go out and show this year is different.”

YSU began last season 3-1 with a loss to Penn State, followed by wins over Butler and Central Connecticut State and Missouri Valley foe Southern Illinois.

That win ended the Salukis’ 14-game winning streak and led to a belief that the Penguins’ program was back.

It wasn’t. The Penguins lost their last seven games.

“We all have it in the back of our heads what happened last year,” said quarterback Kurt Hess, who threw for four touchdowns and ran for another Saturday in helping YSU defeat Illinois State 34-27. “We had one conference win last year and it was our first game.

“We have a 24-hour rule. We celebrate [Saturday] and [Sunday], it’s all about Indiana State.”

In years past, playing Indiana State was as close to a bye week as there was in the Missouri Valley Conference. But the Sycamores beat YSU for the first time since 1995 in last year’s season finale, ending a 36-game road losing streak in the process.

Indiana State (2-1) is coming off a 44-16 win over FBS member Western Kentucky on Saturday and has scored more than 40 in two straight games. The Sycamores beat Butler 48-34 in Week Two after struggling in a 41-7 loss to Penn State.

YSU, meanwhile, played well in a 28-6 opening loss to Michigan State before blowing out FCS non-scholarship member Valparaiso 77-13.

The Penguins weren’t flawless against the Redbirds but they edged Illinois State in just about every statistical category and made plays when it mattered most.

“We’re a work in progress, as you guys know” Wolford said. “We just need to go 1-0 every week and good things will happen.”

YSU went 0-5 on the road last season, including an 0-4 mark in conference games. Overall, Missouri Valley teams went 41-10 in home games last season.

“In the Missouri Valley, it’s very difficult to win games on the road,” said Wolford. “Every time we travel, it’s six or seven hours. That’s how far away we travel.

“If we’re going to win the conference, we better learn how to win road games.”