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Penguins doomed at the UNI Dome: Northern Iowa turns back YSU, 28-7
TweetThe Penguins must win two straight to finish with a winning record.
By PETE MOLLICA
Vindicator Sports staff
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The Youngstown State football team played one of its better games of the season Saturday, but the Northern Iowa jinx continued to haunt the Penguins.
The Penguins suffered their ninth consecutive loss to the Panthers, 28-7, before just over 11,000 fans at the UNI-Dome.
YSU (4-5, 2-4 Missouri Valley Football Conference) was trying to end a streak that dates back to the 2000 season, but the Panthers (6-3, 4-2), after a week off, snapped a two-game losing streak of their own. The loss was the third straight for the Penguins, who now need to win each of their remaining to games to finish with a winning record.
“We played hard and we played well at times, but unfortunately there were a couple of plays that just didn’t go our way today,” said YSU coach Jon Heacock.
“Northern Iowa is a very good football team and that offensive line is better than anything we’ve seen this year.”
The Penguins allowed 230 rushing yards on 48 carries, while YSU gained just 74 yards on 27 carries.
The Panthers kept alive their hopes for a postseason berth. To get in, the NCAA would have to take three teams from the MVFC, since Southern Illinois and South Dakota State both are assured of getting in and both defeated the Panthers.
The Penguins played nearly errorless football for more than 58 minutes until senior QB Brandon Summers threw his 14th interception in the final minute. The Penguins also didn’t play extremely well on special teams, especially the kickoff team.
Twice the Panthers, with redshirt freshman Carlos Anderson carrying the ball, almost broke a kick return. Anderson’s first one of 48 yards came right after the Penguins had narrowed the Panthers’ lead to 14-7 and he raced the ball out to the YSU 33. The Panthers scored just before halftime to build a 21-7 lead.
Anderson also returned the second half kickoff 43 yards to midfield but the Panthers failed to score.
Northern Iowa scored the first time it touched the ball with an 80-yard drive in 12 plays.
Led by senior quarterback Pat Grace, the Panthers marched right up the field with both running and passing plays until Anderson scampered the final 12 yards untouched right up the middle.
The Panthers had another 80-yard drive to open the second quarter. This one came with the help of an Anderson run and a 15-yard facemask penalty that turned the opening play of the drive into a 30-yard gain.
Grace connected on one big pass play and then carried the ball over from the 2-yard line for his seventh rushing touchdown of the season.
The Penguins got a break late in the second quarter when junior Nick Gooden got a hand on a punt by UNI’s Kyle Bernard that traveled just 24 yards to the UNI 47.
From there the Penguins finally moved into the red zone and got on the scoreboard when Summers fired over the middle from 10 yards out and junior wide receiver Dominique Barnes went high in the air to pull it down at the back of the end zone for the score.
But then came the first Anderson kick return with 1:47 left in the half and Grace took it from there, completing four straight passes and then running the final three yards on a quarterback draw to build the lead back to 14 points.
The Penguins held the Panthers scoreless in the third quarter, although they did try a 51-yard field goal by Billy Hallgren, which was wide right. The Penguins stopped another rally when sophomore linebacker David Rach intercepted a Grace pass at the YSU 40 yard line.
The Panthers put the game away early in the final quarter with a 74-yard drive on 15 plays and used up more than eight minutes on the clock. Reserve tailback Matt Strathman carried the ball five straight times before diving over from the 1-yard line.
Summers then took the Penguins down to the UNI 13 yard line on their final drive before being picked off by James Ruffin at the 3-yard line with 1:02 remaining.
The Penguins will now return home next week to play Illinois State on Senior Day in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh and will finish the season Nov. 21 at North Dakota State.
mollica@vindy.com
Comments
Let me splain this to you Lucy! It is apparent to any idiot that Ron Strollo's job is wrongly secure. He is in fact the main problem at YSU sports. He is the evaluator of coaches. He is doing this: Heacock will keep his job if he wins 2 out of 3. Now after this debacle it's 2 of 2. And Pete, if YSU played one of it's better games is you're best criticism you should go too! But I digress. Anyway, this means that they are not looking for a new coach yet, and that the seniors are still going to play, leaving any future benched hopeful scratching their butts. They (YSU) are not looking forward giving anyone a chance to prepare for next year. Not the new AD for sure (Strollo is safe). Not the new coaching staff for sure. Not the new recruiters, for sure. (Which means all new recruits may be Heacock's) And not the benched future players, who really are going to be sacrificial lambs next year! Think about this if you're say a benched QB! Take my advice, run now run fast to a DIV 2 or 3 school if you think you love football and ever want a chance to play. Cause next year it will be another Brandon Summers coming from another D1 school who will get the job you've been waiting for! They are too busy to care about you and recruiting and coaching is going to suffer big time if Heacock survives by beating 2 really shi!!y teams. And if he goes you get zero experience the rest of the season while they waste time in a conspiracy to save him. And if it's a new coaching staff it starts way to late to make you guys "QB's" ready for the big game to start the season. QB's on the bench run now run fast, you will never be the guy! Boycott Nov 14th Illinois State if you love Pete the Penguin! Pete Mollica, will you ever man up and ask for the resignation of Strollo and Heacock and company, or are the perks of your job coming from being an insider? When the stands are empty and the Vindicator Sports page goes unread (I may be the only 1 reading you on Vindy.com, I'm surely the only 1 who cares to comment) what will the blind loyalty to failure get you then? Pete?
And Please read all my comments. And if anyone can find me wrong about anything I've said, please comment. And Pete Mollica, a girl wearing the Pete the Penguin outfit has more brass then you and the rest of the sports commentators combined who are party to the broken system at YSU sports. Fans will go, but if they make measured and drastic changes we will stay! Boycott Nov 14 Illinois State!
Don't see how anyone could think that the Guins are playing well--and haven't for several years. They only seem to win against the 'weak sisters' and lose to the strong teams and good programs. It's sad the Northern Iowa has had our number for a LONG time. I miss the years we were at least IN the playoffs and the 6 national championship games we attended with coach Tress. It is obvious that Heacock is not in his league and, sadly, we will get worse because what quality athlete can be recruited to a school that's lucky to even have a winning record and no playoffs? And who is going to notice the occasional star that appears on this team? It's overdue for a change..it's what, 9 years now?!
I assume that Heacock will be fired this season. It will take years to rebuild the program. Nearly a decade stolen from YSU football fans.
I think the University administration should investigate how this was allowed to happen, including how a failing football coach's contract was renewed in 2005. Maybe Strollo needs a pink slip as well.
I would fire Heacock (and possibly Strollo) now and get a start on the rebuilding process. Or just keep doing what you're doing...gladly accepting defeat while your fans drift away.
BTW, how was the Homecoming attendence?
Kinda reminds me of the Browns. We keep accepting mediocrity because we love the team, but no one is ever held accountable--except the sacrificial lambs that is. Change is long overdue. Tressel is a tough act to follow, but until the staff starts recruiting the way he did and until they find a coach at least close to him (in spite of the predictable offense that we complained about), they will not be considered successful. Yes, it is about education first, but it is also about money--and that means winning!
Take a look at the teams we used to compete against in the playoffs, i.e. Marshall and particularly Boise. We beat Boise for a national championship (1997 I think). Look at them now.Div 1 and nationally ranked AGAIN. What more do those in charge need to know? Maybe a blue field will do the trick? Change isn't always good-it would be this time!
FLReader,
Tressel's strength was in recruiting and handling the media. Play calling...not so much.
I agree with you about how the teams we used to thump are now BCS ranked and we are now getting pushed around in the MVFC. I went to that Boise game and we cleaned their clock. I thought we should've tried for membership in Conference USA (where Marshall is now), rather than the lowly MAC. I've followed the Penguins since I was a boy sitting in Fitch's stadium, and they've never been this bad, this long. At least the basketball team looks promising!