Saturday, October 24, 2015
By Steve Wilaj
YOUNGSTOWN
It’s what not scoring a touchdown for four quarters will do to a team. Even more, it’s the effect that two straight losses and dwindling playoff hopes can have.
“We’re hungry,” Penguins defensive tackle said Emmanuel Kromah said on Tuesday. “We’re hungry. After these two losses, we’re hungry and realizing that our back is against the wall.”
There’s a couple more words to describe Youngstown State (3-3, 1-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference) heading into a pivotal matchup at Southern Illinois (2-4, 1-2) tonight at 7 p.m. They stem from a disappointing showing in last week’s 38-8 home loss to South Dakota State, which appeared to be a major step back for a team that entered 2015 with high expectations.
“I think [our players] are mad more than anything else,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “Maybe a little embarrassed because of how we played. And rightfully so — players and coaches alike.”
Starting with the Salukis, the Penguins — for the sake of their playoff chances — are practically in a must-win scenario over their final five games. Coming off consecutive losses at Stambaugh Stadium, Pelini’s main message to the team has been: “You can’t panic.”
The other is “start fast” — which the Penguins haven’t done since winning, 31-3, at South Dakota on Oct. 3.
While YSU came back to take a brief fourth-quarter lead two weeks ago against Illinois State, the Penguins fell behind early, 7-0 and 14-6. Last week against SDSU, they trailed 7-0 less than two minutes into the contest.
“You look back at the South Dakota game, we started a lot better,” Pelini said. “We were a lot more efficient.
“We didn’t respond very well — I guess against Illinois State, not too bad — but this last game we got behind. We didn’t start very well and it was like we couldn’t make a play to get it turned around. We just gotta start faster.”
Whether or not YSU starts quick, “fast” is a key word for tonight’s game nonetheless.
SIU’s top-ranked MVFC offense (41.7 points per game on 543.7 yards per game) works at a rapid pace. Led by dual-threat quarterback Mark Ianotti — the conference’s top passer at 299.8 yards per game and fifth-best rusher at 69.7 yards per game — the Saluki offense has scored at least 34 points in each of the past four games.
But while SIU’s offense is high-powered, its defense is surrendering 31.7 PPG.
“They play really fast, so their defense plays a lot of snaps,” Pelini said. “It’s up to us to make them pay for playing like that. First, it’s up to us to get off the field on defense. And number two, when we get our opportunities offensively, make them stay on the field.”
While YSU is starved for a win, the Salukis are likely a hungry team too, as all four of their losses came by three-or-less points (eight points combined). Still, expect the hungry/mad/embarrassed Penguins to play with more fire than in weeks past.
“We really don’t have a choice,” said Kromah, who helped lead a players-only meeting earlier in the week. “Either we stay down or we fight.”