Posts Tagged ‘Adaris Bellamy’

Youngstown State University and Indiana State University entered Saturday’s game with no shot at a playoff berth or a conference championship.  This game was simply a way to play out the string and look to next year, a test of pride.  For the Senior Class, this was it, the last game and last chance to shine as a Penguin.  The young Penguins proved truth to the old adage that you cannot play to the level of your competition for 59 minutes every week.  In a game that YSU should have won on paper, playing to the level of their competition again hurt the home team, as the Penguins fell, 30-24.

The Penguins jumped out to the early 7-0 lead two-and-a-half minutes into the contest.  Adaris Bellamy capped off a six-play drive with a one-yard scamper.  The lead was short-lived as Indiana State responded.  Ronnie Fouch found Alex Jones for a 68-yard score, and just like that (two plays), the Sycamores had a chance to tie the game.  The Penguins were whistled for a penalty on the extra point enticing ISU to go for a two-point try.  The attempt was successful as Darrius Gates converted on the run to give the Sycamores an 8-7 lead.

Indiana State would extend their lead to 15-7 with 6:45 to go in the opening period as Fouch kept the hot hand and found Bryant Kent for a 50-yard hookup.  The Sycamore drive covered 66 yards in 3:25.  The Penguins would respond when Jamaine Cook found the end zone on a 5-yard rush.  The Stephen Blose extra point was good and the Penguins only trailed by one.

With 7:27 left in the half, YSU claimed the lead when Stephen Blose nailed a 19-yard field goal to cap off a 10 play 46 yard drive . Fouch and Bryant again connected, this time on a scoring strike covering 11 yards.  Indiana State showed some poise controlling the ball for 5:34 on a drive that took 11 plays and covered 67 yards.

Youngstown State got the ball back with a 1:45 left in the first half.  Kurt Hess tried hard to maneuver the Penguins into at least field goal range but was picked off by C.J. Cook (below).  The Penguins were able to keep the Sycamores off of the scoreboard and the half came to a close with the Sycamores ahead of the Penguins, 23-17.  Fouch had a great first half for Indiana State completing 11-15 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns.

On their first possession of the second half, the Sycamores pushed their lead to 30-17.  Jones was the recipient of an 8-yard pass from Fouch capping off a 4 four play, 52 yard drive.

The Penguins showed some resolve as they marched 81 yards in 13 plays to cut the lead to 30-24.  Bellamy jaunted in for his second 1-yard touchdown run of the day and Dominique Barnes had a few touches within the drive to keep things rolling.  Brandian Ross came up big with an interception to give YSU the ball back on their own 47-yard line.  The Penguins would not convert the turnover into any points.

The Penguins defense held tough and the offense got the ball back on their own 12 with 8:56 left in the game.  On the drive, Dominique Barnes threw a pass on a reverse finding Ely Ducatel for a sizable gain.  The Paneech.com player of the year was doing a little bit of everything in this one.  On a fourth-and-four, YSU went for it, but came up empty giving the Sycamores the ball back with 5:20 to go in the game.

YSU would get one last crack gaining possession at their own 21-yard line with 2:19 left in the game and no timeouts left.  Hess and Barnes hooked up for a couple of key completions covering about thirty yards.  From the Indiana State 31, and facing a fourth down and 14 to go, Hess scrambled for a first down.   With nine seconds left in the game, YSU had the ball down to the Indiana State 11-yard line. On the first shot, Hess looked for Barnes, but it was broken up in the end zone.  On the final play of the game, Hess, threw to the middle again, but overshot Barnes and Indiana State held on for a 30-24 win.

For YSU, Hess finished the game 12-27 for 191 yards and was picked off four times.  Dominique Barnes had 10 catches for 132 yards and one pass for 50 yards.  Bellamy and Cook combined for 39 carries for 155 yards.  For Indiana State, Fouch was 16-23 for 290 yards and four touchdowns.  Gates had 16 carries for 75 yards and a pair of scores for the Sycamores.

After the game, a dejected Eric Wolford addressed the media.  ”As bad as we played we had an opportunity, that part is exciting.  We have to find a way to make a play when your number is called.  Give respect to Indiana State, they have developed their players and a pretty good quarterback.  Those kids (seniors) are heartbroken.  They will be successful and able to handle adversity, I can guarantee you they learned those lessons this year.  We are in it together.  We have some work to do.  We just don’t match up well and have to get caught up with the rest of the league.”

Dominique Barnes talked about the end of his career.  ”I think the future is bright.  Youngstown will make noise next year in the conference.  I take my hat off to Wolford and his staff, they have things headed in the right direction.  I cannot be happy about the result of this game or this season, there is a lot of emotion going through me right now.”  Barnes and the other seniors deserve praise for smoothly escorting in the Wolford era and having to undergo so many changes.

The Penguins finish the year at 3-8, and 1-7 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

The point was made earlier on this very website that YSU had lost their last nine games against Northern Iowa.  The argumentative point was also made that Coach Eric Wolford had never lost to the Panthers.  Something had to give and a streak would be broken. Unfortunately for YSU, Wolford did end up losing to Northern Iowa, 34-30, on Homecoming Saturday.

Youngstown State got on the board to take the lead with 11:18 to go in the opening period when Kurt Hess found seldom used Andre Barboza for a 33-yard touchdown.  The drive marked what had now become a Penguin stereotype of jumping out to early leads and yielding late touchdowns.

Northern Iowa scored on the last play of the first quarter.  Billy Hallgren kicked a 20-yard field goal.  The Panthers appeared to have scored a touchdown, but it was nullified by a penalty.  Hallgren’s kick made the score 7-3.

With 14:14 left in the first half, Dominique Barnes did his thing, making yet another big play for Youngstown State.  Hess hit Barnes with a nice pass and Barnes ran about 40 yards down the YSU sideline for a 71-yard TD to increase the Penguins lead to 14-3.

Schuylar Oordt shrunk the YSU lead to 14-10 when he caught a 39-yard touchdown pass for the Panthers.  Tirrell Rennie, known more for his running than passing at QB, threw a nice ball to Oordt who ran a post and didn’t have a Penguin very close to him.

The Penguins threatened again as time was running out in the first half.  Will Shaw picked off a Rennie pass two yards deep in his own end zone and took off the other way.  Shaw made it all the way to the Northern Iowa ten.  After a couple of plays, the Penguins lined up for a third down FG attempt.  Marc Kanetsky, the holder for Stephen Blose, picked the ball up and barely missed a tight end on the fake. With one second left in the half, Blose connected from 27 to give the Penguins a 17-10 lead.

The second half was a true battle of field position and long drives.  Northern Iowa tied the game with 5:32 left in the third quarter. Rennie showed why he is such a threat as a runner for most of the drive.  The score came on Rennie’s 29-yard run to tie the game at 17-17.

The Panthers nabbed the lead with 14:20 left in the game when Hallgren booted a 32-yard field goal.  Northern Iowa capped off a nine play, 53 yard drive with the field goal to hold their first lead of the afternoon.

Youngstown State would respond when they pieced together a nice drive.  With 8:39 left in the game, Adaris Bellamy scored a touchdown on a two-yard run.  The drive that gave the Penguins a 23-20 lead took 13 plays and covered 81 yards.  Stephen Blose missed the extra point to the right to keep the Panthers just a field goal behind.

The Panthers took the lead back when Jarred Herring scored on an 11-yard run.  The touchdown capped off a seven play, 58 yard drive and made the score 27-23 in favor of visiting Northern Iowa.

With 2:27 left in the game, Jamaine Cook broke off a 39-yard run for a touchdown.  With the run, Cook became the third person to gain 100 plus yards against a tough Panther defense.  The run also gave Cook 1,000 yards for his career so far as a Penguin.

Carlos Anderson took the kickoff 58 yards to the Penguin 19 yard line.  On the very next play, Rennie scored on a 19-yard run with 2:08 left to play and the trend of Youngstown State blowing late leads looked to be in the process of happening yet again.  The quick turn of events made the score 34-30 in favor of the Panthers.

Youngstown State (3-6, 1-5) had a chance, but they ran out of downs and the end result was a 34-30 win for Northern Iowa in another heartbreaking loss.  Kurt Hess, after the game, talked about the mindset of what happens to the Penguins through a game.  ”We were confident in our defense stopping them.  We also thought that if they scored that we could answer.  We will live with it for 24 hours, come Monday we need to prepare to play another game and put this behind us.”

Coach Wolford talked about the loss and maybe playing to the level of the competition being a good and a bad thing.  ”We have guys who continue to massage this thing.  We have to contain the football, it’s a concept of knowing where the help is.  Make sure the ball doesn’t get outside you.  I can handle getting beat, but cant handle giving games away.  I am confident that we are very close.  I’m not going to make excuses for where we are at, but I will tell you that we are close.”

Hess finished the game 14-22 for 218 yards.  Barnes caught 4 balls for 89 yards, and Cook had 26 rushes for 127 yards and a touchdown. Cook also caught three passes for 26 yards.

Northern Iowa (5-3, 4-1) was led by Rennie who was 8-16 for 152 yards and 28 carries for 194 yards on the ground.  He had two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown for the Panthers.

Youngstown State University (3-5, 1-4) is not going to throw away the rest of their season to focus on the future.  This team has been in transition since Eric Wolford was hired.  Guys have quit, transferred in, transferred out, redshirted, adapted, walked on, and have all played a part in the rebirth of football at Youngstown State.  The seniors who had to accept changes are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  This team is so much better than the record indicates.

Northern Iowa comes to town ranked 19th with only one loss in league play, and in sole possession of first place.  The Panthers are 4-3 overall and have remained a consistent winner for years.  In fact, Northern Iowa vs Youngstown State has had a consistent theme for the past nine seasons, a Panther win in every contest since 2000.  Throw in the fact that  YSU has lost four straight Homecoming games, and the writing should be on the wall.

Here are some things to consider before throwing this game into the loss column for the Penguins.  Eric Wolford has never lost to Northern Iowa or Mark Farley. Three of the nine consecutive losses have been by two points or less.  The last time they met in Youngstown, a blocked extra point late in the game preserved a 21-20 win.  Last season, the Panthers pretty much had their way and handed the Penguins a 28-7 setback.

Youngstown State’s Defense needs to put forth a great effort to have a shot at a win this week.  Losing Andre Elliott has really hurt a secondary not expected to have problems this season.  Brandian Ross has been bouncing everywhere but teams have learned over the past few weeks to keep it away from him and pick on the young guys.  Will Shaw, Randy Louis, and Donald D’Alesio are contributing but also getting picked on at crucial spots of games.  Louis is now out indefinitely with shoulder problems.

Secondary Coach Ron Stoops talked about the defensive lapses.  ”Andre Elliott is hurt and we went into the first game with Nick [Gooden] and Shaw rotating.  Really, its not been the personnel, there is a pass rush, linebackers, underneath coverage and all kind of factors to consider.  We are not getting beat deep, more underneath and not tackling well as a defense.  Bottom line is that we do have some youth in the secondary and inexperience can also be a part of it.”

Offensively, the Penguins are scoring.  Senior Dominique Barnes set a record for catching a pass in 31 consecutive games and has more personal awards within reach.  Barnes is a team guy and personal records remain secondary.  The young “quad of doom” (Kurt Hess, Adaris Bellamy, Jamaine Cook, and Jordan Thompson) have produced as a group all year.  Not at all what you would expect from a sophomore and three freshmen.  Eric Rodemoyer has also been a force on the line.

Northern Iowa could care less about it being the 70th year of YSU Football, the WATTS, or Homecoming. Their mission is to keep winning to make the postseason playoffs again.  The Panthers are led by QB Tirrell Rennie who likes to run.  Rennie had four rushing touchdowns last weekend against Illinois State and leads his team with 754 yards on 129 carries.  The Panthers also boast a very strong run defense that has only given up 100 yards twice this season.  They are a methodical and well-coached team.

Homecoming Festivities incude a pre-game parade to start jus before 11 a.m. and proceed to the stadium.  The court will be announced at halftime and a new king and queen will be crowned.  Kickoff for the game is 1 p.m. and the radio telecast can be heard on AM-570.  The game will also be shown on myTV at 10 p.m.

Youngstown State University currently stands at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  However, this predominantly young group of Penguins could well be 6-1 and undefeated in the conference.  There are about ten total minutes of game time (all in the second half) that have doomed YSU this season.  South Dakota State (2-4, 2-2) will host the Penguins for a 3 p.m. kickoff this Saturday. 

The two teams seem to be headed in different directions, find their strengths in different halves, and YSU Coach Eric Wolford calls the 2010 Jackrabbits, “the best team I have seen on film this season.”  SDSU had a rocky start to the season with four consecutive losses.  One of those losses was to Nebraska.  Since the 0-4 start the Jackrabbits have racked up victories against Southern Illinois (in Carbondale) by a score of 31-10, and the week before beat Western Illinois 33-29.

South Dakota State holds a 6-5 advantage in the head-to-head matchups against YSU.  Last season the teams did battle in Youngstown with the Jackrabbits pulling off the win, 17-3.  South Dakota State also lashed the Penguins 40-7 in 2008 at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium in Brookings, SD.  The Penguins are 0-3 on the road this season but have not had trouble scoring.  Last week in the loss at Western Illinois, Youngstown State tied the school record with 32 first downs and put up more than 500 yards of total offense for the second time this season.

In order for Youngstown State to have a shot at winning this road game, they must stop Kyle Minett (above).  Minett entered the 2010 season with 3,069 career rushing yards.  Last season he rushed for 1,304 yards and scored 16 TD’s.  Sophomore Thomas O’Brien has 12 starts under his belt.  South Dakota State is undefeated when O’Brien does not get picked off (5-0).  Tyrel Kool has been the favorite target of O’Brien through the air.  Expect Minett to get about 30 carries.  If Youngstown State’s run defense can shut him down, the Jackrabbits may be forced to pass. 

Defensively, Corey Jeske and Derek Domino are the two biggest impact players.  Domino is a 6-3, 225 lb. linebacker that gets downhill fast for someone his size.  Jeske is a 6-0 strong safety who finished the Western Illinois game with 17 tackles.

Offensively, Youngstown State needs to stick to their gameplan, it has been working all season.  In the conference games the Penguins have averaged over 30 points per game but have lost three of them.  The rotation of running backs that was three seems to be down to two.  Jamaine Cook leads the team in rushing with 781 yards on 133 carries.  Adaris Bellamy is coming off of a three touchdown performance.  Dominique Barnes needs one catch to become the Youngstown State all-time leader for consecutive games with a catch (31).  Teams know Barnes will get the ball sooner or later and when he does, anything can happen. 

The achiles heel for YSU has been finishing.  It can’t all be put on the defense because the offense has ended the last couple of games failing conversions.  However, Rick Kravitz has had some really bad luck the last three weeks.  Blitzing and getting burned, sitting back a bit and getting run through, and failing to stop virtually anyone with less than two minutes to go in a game, the Penguins need to treat closing situations with kid gloves.  This defense is loaded with talent.  Brandian Ross is one of the best to ever play in the defensive backfield and Torrance Nicholson showed last week why he is a co-captain.  The rest of the defense has played, well, unpredictably.  Consistency will come sooner than later and I expect the defense to really finish strong this season.

Penguin Coach Eric Wolford has reason to remain optimistic.  “We had a good week of practice, we are enthusiastic and flying around, even having fun.  We sure don’t practice like a 3-4 team and these kids still believe.  I think football is fun, you should enjoy being around your kids and at the same time you must be able to push them, and that is what we emphasize.  We can still finish third, maybe even second in the conference and we won’t quit.”

Youngstown State University headed off for Macomb winless on the road (0-2) this season.  Western Illinois entered Saturday perfect at home and statistically smashing any team that came near Hanson Field. In the end, nothing changed. YSU still could not win on the road, Western Illinois still was undefeated at home, and YSU still couldn’t hold a lead with less than two minutes left, losing this one, 40-38.

Youngstown State got on the scoreboard first when Stephen Blose booted a 35-yard field goal.  The drive ate up 65 yards and took up 3:29.

Western Illinois roared back when Matt Barr orchestrated a perfect drive leading the Leathernecks down the field and hooking up with Terriun Crump for a 22-yard touchdown.  The Leathernecks only needed 1:23 to go 74 yards and to claim the lead at 7-3.

Not to be outdone, Kurt Hess moved the Penguins right back into the end zone to allow YSU to reclaim the lead at 14-10.  Hess and the offense enjoyed being in Leatherneck territory most of the first half.  The great field position on this particular drive can be credited to the Penguin defense.  After going for a touchdown inside Western Illinois’ 2-yard line unsuccessfully, the Penguin defense got stingy and forced WIU to punt after running three plays, setting up Hess and the offense in great shape.

Western again reclaimed the lead when Barr found one of his favorite targets, Lito Senatus, on a second-and-eight for a 21-yard touchdown.  The dual-threat capabilities of Barr shined through on the drive as he both passed and ran.  With 12:07 left in the first half, Western Illinois held a 14-10 lead.

Youngstown State would score the next 14 points on a pair of Adaris Bellamy runs (top photo, courtesy Ron Stevens and YSUSports.com).  With 7:24 left in the half, Bellamy plunged in from one yard out giving the Penguins a 17-14 lead.  Bellamy again scored with 2:16 remaining in the half, this time from three yards away to increase the YSU lead to 24-14.  YSU’s defense held off the Leathernecks and the time elapsed ending the first half with Youngstown State ahead, 24-14.

In the second half, Western Illinois put together their own 14 unanswered point run to reclaim the lead.  In the third quarter, Western Illinois exposed the YSU defense, much like the last two opponents.  With 11:23 left in the third quarter, Barr snuck in from three yards out to make it 24-21.  A few minutes later at the 3:30 mark, Barr again plunged in to give WIU their first lead of the second half, this time from five yards away.

YSU found a way, again to reclaim the lead.  Bellamy scored his third touchdown of the game, this one a two-yard squeaker.  Blose’s extra-point attempt was true and YSU had a 31-28 lead after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Caulton Ray gave the Leathernecks the lead back when he scooted into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown.  Charlie Jouett missed the extra point, so Western held a 34-31 lead.

YSU reclaimed the lead with a solid drive aided by a helmet-to-helmet hit on Kurt Hess to keep the drive going.  With 5:27 left in the game, Jamaine Cook sprinted into the end zone to put the Penguins ahead 38-34.

In the nailbiter, Western Illinois went 80 yards in no time at all to take the lead.  Jouett missed his second consecutive extra point to make it 40-38 in favor of the Leathernecks.  Barr found Senatus again, this time from 17 yards out to put YSU in another disastrous predicament of blowing a lead with less than two minutes to go in a game.

YSU got the ball back with a little less than a minute to go.  Hess got sacked and was lucky to get the ball back.  On 4th and 2 yards to go, the Penguins failed to convert an out pattern, Hess threw a great pass, but it was dropped.  WIU took over on downs and ran the clock out.  The Penguins lose their third in a row, third consecutive on the road, and are still trying to learn how to win.

Wolford commented on the loss and not being able to hold a lead.  “I don’t know what to say.  I really don’t know what to say.” The poor officiating continued this week.  On the last WIU scoring play, a flag was thrown but later picked up.  Wolford was asked about the conversation he had with the ref about the disregarded foul. “We got homered.”

To reflect back to the Jim Tressel glory days at YSU, the Penguins were not blowing anyone out, they were winning games in the last couple of minutes.  That is what made those teams so special, they could make the plays to win.  This team is soooo  special, the record would not do the talent any justice.  Big tip of the cap to Torrance Nicholson who played like a man possessed tonight.  Nicholson was everywhere, all game long.

     

Youngstown State University (3-3, 1-2 MVFC) takes to the road in hopes of breaking a two-game losing streak.  The Penguins have lost back-to-back nailbiters to Missouri State and North Dakota State.  They are also winless on the road (0-2) in their 2010 campaign.  The #23rd-ranked Western Illinois  Leathernecks are currently sitting on a 4-2 record and are 2-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and suffered their first league defeat last week to South Dakota State. 

Youngstown State holds a 15-10 edge in the series against Western Illinois with the Penguins winning the last six consecutive games.  Last year at Stambaugh Stadium, the Penguins raced out to a 31-0 lead at the half and Western Illinois rallied in the second half, but ultimately fell, 31-21.  The last time these two teams faced off in Macomb, Illinois, the Penguins squeaked out a 31-28 nailbiter in the last game of the season.  WhenYoungstown State scores 22 or more points, they have won 14 in a row against the Leathernecks.

Last week, Youngstown State had problems with kickoffs.  After the game, Penguins Coach Eric Wolford made no bones about the problem.  “We have a kickoff specialist who has one job, to kick the ball into the end zone, that’s all he has to do.  He failed to do that today and you can expect changes.”  However, when asked directly about the kicking situation for this weekend, Wolford replied, “We made some changes on his fundamentals.  Jake [Smith] has worked hard and ironed it all out.  He just needed to get his fundamentals squared away, he’s gonna be ok.”

For the Penguins to be successful on Saturday night, Adaris Bellamy will have to step up and run hard like he did in the loss to North Dakota State.  On the season, Bellamy has 324 yards on 57 attempts.  Jamaine Cook’s status remains a mystery.  Cook took part in full workouts Tuesday and Wednesday, but did get banged up last week.  Cook leads the Penguins youthful rushing movement with 620 yards on 103 carries.  Jordan Thompson will be back in uniform this week as well to join Torrian Pace and Allen Jones. 

Dominique Barnes had another big week.  Barnes caught 10 passes for a career-high 151 yards last week.  If Barnes catches a pass this week, he will have a reception in 30 consecutive games which would tie him with Kyle Smith for the school record.  With one receiving yard Barnes will also tie Smith on the all-time Penguins yardage total for wideouts with 1,534, and if Barnes can muster 66 receiving yards he will move past Lorenzo Davis and into the Top-10.  With one catch, Barnes will catch Bob Ferranti for fifth all-time in receptions.  Jimmy “Flea” Ferranti still leads the way with 186 receptions, Barnes currently has 129.  Barnes may draw extra coverage allowing Kurt Hess to use other targets such as Ely Ducatel and Kevin Watts.

For Youngstown State, a challenge of holding a lead would be a good goal.  The Penguins have squandered 10 and 17 point leads the last two weeks.  Wolford remarked on that trend.  “We have addressed it, and after looking at it, it is more of a case of shooting yourself in the foot.  We have got to adjust to the adjustments and stop getting penalties and making huge mistakes.”

Western Illinois will need to keep doing whatever it is that is working at home.  The Fighting Leathernecks did not win a home game last season and have not lost one at Hanson Field yet this season.  Offensively, WIU is averaging about 47 points per game at home.  At home, the offense has scored in every quarter (12 total),  rushed for at least 300 yards per game, and the defense has recorded nine takeaways in those three home games.  The offense is led by Lito Senatus at WR and QB Matt Barr who can run the ball as well as heave it.  barr had 125 yards rushing in a game earlier this season.  Defensively, LB Kyle Glazier is a beast.  Glazier had 21 tackles against South Dakota State and obviously has a nose for the ball.

Brandian Ross had 13 tackles the last time these two teams played in Macomb.  He will need another big effort to keep the Penguins going as Andre Elliott will again not dress with shoulder problems.  Luke Matelan has really stepped it up and been the biggest playmaker for the experienced Penguin Defensive Line. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. with Bob Hannon and Ed Muransky calling the action on AM-570.

Youngstown State University has been exceptional at jumping out to a lead all year.  Saturday, the Penguins scored first for the fifth time this season.  Unfortunately, they rarely score last and that formula held true again as North Dakota State (4-2, 1-2) rallied to take a lead with under a minute left in the game, giving up a 45-yard touchdown to fall 34-29.

The Penguins took the opening drive deep into North Dakota State territory but had to settle on a 43-yard Stephen Blose field goal.  The field goal came at the 10:45 mark of the first quarter.

With 6:49 left in the first quarter, YSU found the end zone. Kurt Hess plopped in on a quarterback keeper from two yards away to increase the Penguin lead to 10-0.  The drive was set up when David Rach recovered a fumble from Bison QB Brock Jensen at the NDSU 37-yard line.  The Penguins covered the 37 yards in 5 plays over a 2:28 stretch.

North Dakota State got on the scoreboard on the first play of the second quarter when DJ McNorton caught a 4-yard pass from Jose Mohler.  Mohler replaced Jensen who left the game with a collarbone injury.  The Bison drove 50 yards in seven plays to make it 10-7.

The Penguins responded when Mr. Excitement, Dominique Barnes, caught a Hess long ball that covered 50 yards.  The duo (pictured) would hook up seven times for 117 yards in the first half.  With the touchdown the Penguins took back a ten-point advantage.

The advantage would not last very long.  North Dakota State scored on their next possession to make it a 17-14 Penguin lead.  Derrick Lang punched it in from a yard away capping off an 80-yard drive.  North Dakota State then claimed the lead with their next possession to take a 21-17 lead with 4:55 remaining in the first half.  Mike Sigers broke a big run (below) for a 56-yard touchdown to give the Bison their first lead of the game.

Blose got the Penguins to a one-point deficit with a 24-yard field goal.  At the half, the Penguins trailed the Bison 21-20.

On their first drive of the second half, the Bison went 62 yards in six plays to extend their lead to 28-20.  The drive was capped off when Mohler found Matt Veldman for a five yard touchdown with 11:47 left in the third quarter.

YSU squandered chances on their next couple of drives.  Kevin Watts found some space on a reverse that went left but was stripped on the Penguin 49.  On their next drive, the Penguins faced a third down and twenty situation.  Hess hit Barnes on the right sideline and YSU picked up a personal foul to put YSU on the Bison six.  Adaris Bellamy ran hard through a hole but fumbled just before he crossed the plane.  The ball squirted out of the end zone and North Dakota State took over on their own twenty in an unpopular ruling with the crowd.

The Penguin defense rose to the challenge and Stephen Meadows sacked Mohler forcing a punt.  Bellamy came back out like a man possessed and carried the Penguins the majority of the way to score on a two-yard jaunt.  Bellamy did a great job of setting up blocks with steps and cuts of precision.  His balance and vision looked good and he topped the 100-yard plateau on the drive.  The Penguins, trailing 28-26, opted for a two-point conversion attempt.  On the chance, Hess through the ball to the back of the end zone where the ball was caught by Juilian Harrell, but Harrell could not get a foot down.  As a result, the Bison held a 28-26 fourth quarter lead.

North Dakota State drove all the way to YSU’s six-yard line, but again the Penguin defense was up to the challenge.  The Bison had to settle for a Ryan Jastram 25-yard field goal attempt that missed the mark to the right.  The Penguins took over and rode the hot hand of Bellamy.  On a crucial third-and-six, Hess threw for Barnes who tipped the ball to himself and managed to catch it on a spectacular grab to keep the drive alive at the Bison 26 with 1:08 left to go in a 28-26 game.

Stephen Blose had the stage set for a 38-yard field goal attempt to give the Penguins a 29-28 lead with :51 seconds left in the game.  The Penguins ate 4:34 up on the drive.  North Dakota State got a big return to their own 41.  A defensive holding penalty gave the Bison the ball on the Penguin 45 with :42 left on the clock.

Dustin Howard hauled in a backbreaker from Mohler covering 45 yards putting North Dakota State ahead 34-29.  NDSU went for a two-point conversion unsuccessfully setting the stage for Hail Mary central, but Kurt Hess fumbled and never really had a chance.  NDSU took over and ran the remaining time off of the clock to preserve their win.

The Penguins were led by Adaris Bellamy on the ground with 158 yards on 21 carries.  Kurt Hess was 22-31 for 252 yards and Dominique Barnes caught 10 balls for 151 yards.

The Bison got good efforts from Jose Mohler who ended up 11-14 for 192 yards.  DJ McNorton gained 90 yards on 17 carries and also caught 6 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

After the game, Barnes dejectedly addressed the media.  ”They played a good game and fought back.  We watched the film and used what we saw.  Any loss is a tough loss, this one is really hard.  You have to win the turnover margin, and we did not do that today. We have to come back Monday and get ready for next week.”

Adaris Bellamy shared the frustration.  ”I think I was in or down, but it’s on the referee.  It was real fulfilling to take the lead.  Coaches tell us to leave everything on the field.  This game I truly believe I left everything on the field. We lost it for ourselves, they had one more big play than we did in the end and that was the difference in the game.”

Coach Eric Wolford also assessed what he saw.  ”When you kick the ball off, it should be in the end zone, not the thirty yard line.  Last week we gave a game away, this week we gave a game away.  Give them credit, they found a way.  We continue to give football games away with useless penalties and until we make a decision to rid that, we can’t win.  It is a problem when the kickoffs fall short of the 20. It is the kicker’s only job to kick the ball in the end zone, we couldn’t do that today, expect changes.“

The Penguins dropped to 3-3 and 1-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  The Penguins head to Western Illinois in Macomb, Illinois to take a shot at rebounding from the last two devastating losses.

Youngstown State University (3-2, 1-1) will play host to North Dakota State (3-2, 1-1) this Saturday at 4 p.m. in Youngstown.  For the Penguins, undefeated at home, it is a chance to redeem themselves after falling 35-25 at Missouri State last week.  For the Bison, winners of three out of their last four road games, a win is a must to stay ranked.  North Dakota State is ranked at #17 this week.

Last season, YSU won a 39-35 shootout at the famed Fargodome.  Youngstown State leads the all-time series 3-1 and has never lost to the Bison at The Ice Castle (2-0).  However, the largest margin of victory in those three wins has been eight points.

If the Penguins can shut down the tandem of WR Warren Holloway and redshirt freshman QB Brock Jensen, they greatly improve their chances of winning this game.  Last week in a 28-16 loss to Western Illinois, the pair hooked up seven times for 184 yards.  With Andre Elliott’s status unknown, the Penguins have to dig in and take the big plays out of the Bison offense.  YSU will also have to play much closer to the first quarter of the last game rather than the last three quarters because North Dakota State boasts a big-play defense that already has ten takeaways this season.  On the ground, DJ McNorton is the Bison workhorse.  McNorton had 105 yards on the ground last week and over two hundred rushing yards the week before.

This will be a good test for first-year Penguins Coach Eric Wolford.  In the past few weeks, Wolford has been adamant about the importance of these Missouri Valley Conference games.  He has also stressed that this 2010 Penguins team is still getting better.  Expect changes on this weeks depth chart on the defensive side of the ball.  A no-nonsense coach with respect for the game, Wolford claimed he would be sick watching last weeks game film.  Believe me, 106 penalty yards are keeping this man awake at night.

Jamaine Cook and Adaris Bellamy need to keep grinding it out to open the passing game up for Kurt Hess.  Once the Penguins got to the second quarter, they really struggled running the football.  Two touchdowns within 90 seconds forced the Penguins to revert to the pass which was ineffective due to the lack of a ground game to keep the opposing defense honest.  Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery is a great thinker, expect a couple of new wrinkles.

Defensively, YSU played pretty decent last week.  One blown coverage and a couple of drives in the second quarter hurt, but the two offensive turnovers resulting in touchdowns were the difference.  Look for Brandian Ross and Torrance Nicholson (defensive co-capains) to have big games for YSU’s defense.  Also, Luke Matelan, David Rach, and John Sasson have to keep playing big for the Penguins to have a chance.  Donald D’Alesio has stepped up as a true freshman recording 11 tackles in last week’s loss.

The 4 p.m. start will also mark Alumni Day.  Be sure to hit the tailgate lots before the game and make a day of it.  This group of guys are busting their butts to be better.  The new coaching staff is spending countless hours preparing each week, and the enthusiasm is back, it’s in the players eyes this season.

   

Youngstown State University (3-1, 1-0)  takes to the road this weekend to face Missouri State (1-2, 0-1).  Both teams opened Missouri Valley Conference play last weekend.  Youngstown State cleared the big hurdle called Southern Illinois in convincing fashion scoring 31 unanswered points against the defending champs.  With the big win, the Penguins find themselves ranked 20th in the latest FCS polls.  Missouri State lost a nailbiter to Illinois State in two overtimes, 44-41.  The two teams will play for a fifteenth time Saturday with YSU holding an 11-3 series lead.  However, Missouri State has won the last two meetings.

The Bears won 17-7 at Stambaugh Stadium last season and posted a 42-28 victory the last time these two teams played at Plaster Field in Springfield, Missouri.  The teams have split with three wins each over the past six years with Youngstown State winning seven consecutive times before that.  For Youngstown State, the bullseye has been officially placed after being forecast as a seventh place team.  No more hiding in the weeds, everyone knows there is talent on this team.  The next hurdle for first-year coach, Eric Wolford, is to win one on the road.  The Penguins are a perfect 3-0 at home and 0-1 on the road with a loss to Penn State. 

For Missouri State, a better defensive effort is needed across the board.  Wolford and his crafty Offensive Coordinator, Shane Montgomery, have used a variety of weapons all season.  Nobody has truly emerged as the #1 running back.  Jamaine Cook has gotten the most carries but Adaris Bellamy and Jordan Thompson have been very effective and Torrian Pace has shown he can handle the load when called upon.  Kurt Hess has been outstanding for a Freshman.  Hess does not make mental errors and does a great job controlling the football.  Ely Ducatel and Kevin Watts have proven that if Dominique Barnes is taken out of the game and double teamed that they can step up and make plays.  The Bears can score, but are giving up 462 yards per game and 34 points per game. 

Youngstown State needs to realize that Missouri State rises to the challenge of big games.  The Bears have a very capable offense with senior quarterback Cody Kirby at the controls.  Missouri State averages 222 passing yards per game and just under 200 rushing yards per game, that is a pretty healthy balance.  Kirby poses adual threat of being a good runner as well as a great passer.  If the Penguins can bring the heat and contain Kirby at the same time, they should be successful stifling the Bears offense.  Coach Wolford has praised the Missouri State offensive line all week and called the Bears, “a dang good football team.” 

The Penguins will be playing without Andre Elliott, who is sidelined with a neck / shoulder problem.  Nick Gooden will step in and see some quality minutes in place of Elliott.  Brandian Ross (last week’s Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of The Week), Randy Louis, and Donald D’Alesio will have to work hard not only to contain Kirby, but also concentrate on shutting down Bears RB Chris Douglas (76 YPG) on the perimeter and WR Jermaine Saffold (16 catches, 263 yards) to keep the Bears on the ropes.

When asked if being ranked meant anything at this point, Coach Wolford responded.  “It’s obviously good for the fans and the media and the alumni.  It is what it is and we try not to let it be a distraction.  The only rankings that matter here are the ones at the end of the year.”  The last time the Penguins were ranked was in 2008 and this years 3-1 start equals last seasons record after four games.

You can catch all of the action on AM-570 with the pregame show starting at 1:30 p.m. and kickoff slated for 2 p.m.  Bob Hannon will have the call with Ed Muransky offering his analysis and Dave Sess chiming in from the sidelines.

Youngstown State University (2-1) welcomes Southern Illinois (1-2) to town for the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.  Southern Illinois has enjoyed recent success against YSU winning the last three meetings.  Things have changed at both schools in the past year.  Eric Wolford has taken over YSU’s program and has the team really playing with a beam of confidence.  Southern Illinois seems to be missing their patented running game.  Overall, the series is tied at 10-10-1.

Last season, the Salukis defeated the Penguins, 27-8.  The last meeting at Stambaugh Stadium was forgettable for the Youngstown sports faithful as Southern Illinois won in a blowout, 33-0.  There are several streaks heading into Saturday’s game to make note of. Southern Illinois has won a conference record 14 straight Missouri Valley match-ups.  However, the Salukis are currently on a two-game losing streak falling to SE Missouri State last week and being handled easily by Illinois.  Their lone win came in the opening week of the season, a 70-7 (not a typo) win against Quincy.

Youngstown State opened with a loss at Penn State and the Penguins have posted back-to-back wins over Butler and Central Connecticut to boost their win total, but more importantly, their confidence level.  One notable streak to watch will be based on the performance of Dominique Barnes.  Ironically, Barnes originally signed a letter of intent to attend Southern Illinois but later changed his mind and came to Youngstown State.  With one catch, Barnes will extend his consecutive games with a catch streak to 27 straight games. With two catches he will tie Renauld Ray for sixth place on the all-time Penguins reception list.  With six catches, Barnes can tie Lorenzo Davis for fifth on the all-time Penguin reception list.  If Barnes goes completely ballistic and catches 14 balls, he will tie Bob Ferranti for fourth.

The thing Southern Illinois has to be most concerned with is the arsenal of players Wolford has used this season.  Last week against Central Connecticut, the Penguins used four different running backs who all had at least nine carries each.  Adaris Bellamy, Torrian Pace, Jamaine Cook and Jordan Thompson have all had quality touches the first three weeks of the season.  Wolford has proven in the last two games that this year’s Penguins team is multi-faceted.  Take the run away and Kurt Hess can throw to Barnes, a healthy Ely Ducatel, and Kevin Watts.  It has been set up rather cleverly as a “pick your poison” type of offense.

The key to Youngstown State coming out of this with a win is to minimize penalties and mistakes.  The perfect game is what YSU needed to play to beat Penn State.  Sloppy play will not cut it this week.  The Penguins do a good job taking care of the ball and Southern Illinois is not the type of team you can make too many mistakes against .  YSU Receivers Coach, Phil Longo, coached at Southern Illinois as the Salukis Offensive Coordinator over the past two seasons.  He will surely provide some insight as to schemes, personnel, and even tendencies — more stuff than the Penguins could ever see on game films.

Coach Wolford said that this game has to be played as a normal conference game, nothing more.  ”Every conference game is a big game for us.  However we don’t make this particular game out to be the Super Bowl or anything.  If we approached it like that and made it too big, I think maybe guys would get too tight.  There is a certain degree of looseness you want and a right time to tighten down the screws and go. With young people, you have got to squeeze ‘em.  When we squeeze them, we are pushing them to get better. At the same time, you better hug them and love them, squeeze them that way too.  These kids know that we love them even though we coach them hard.”

Wolford has done something really impressive.  Before each home game, the coaches and players, in suits and ties, walk through the main tailgate lot to share in the joy of a Saturday in Youngstown with the great Penguins fans.  Wolford has seem to have done everything right so far.  Attendance is up, there is no media scrutiny, his relationships with executives at YSU remain increasingly positive, and he has really liked coming home.

Beware this week, Southern Illinois, these are not the same Penguins you have beaten up on since 2007.