Niles native West looking for first collegiate win

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The Indiana State Sycamores are in the midst of a 22-game losing streak.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Lou West is coming home on Saturday.

The second-year head coach at Division I-AA Indiana State University is a Niles native, but the former Red Dragon and Cincinnati Bearcats graduate is still looking for his first victory as a collegiate head coach.

The Sycamores went 0-11 during West's first season and have started this year by losing five straight, but West has definitely made the Sycamores better.

They are just not winning.

The enemy

Last week, Indiana State had its worst outing of the year losing to unbeaten and No. 9-ranked Southern Illinois 55-3 in Carbondale, Ill.

"We continue to beat our ourselves out on the field," West said. "We make critical mistakes at times that we can't afford to make them. Southern Illinois is a tremendous team and right now they don't make those mistakes.

"We are going to continue to work as hard as we can to get this thing turned around."

Things don't get any easier for the Sycamores this week as they travel to Youngstown to meet the No. 8-ranked Penguins (4-1, 1-0 Gateway) in a 4 p.m. kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium.

"Youngstown is as good a football team as we play this year and we definitely can't afford to make the mistakes we did last week or the score could be even worse," West said.

"It's always nice to come back to your home area to play or to coach, and I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of family and friends," West said. "I just wish we had a couple of wins to bring back with us."

The Sycamores are in the midst of a 22-game losing streak dating to the 2004 season.

It is the longest losing streak in Division I football. Their last victory came against Illinois State 41-38 in two overtimes.

Problem area

Offense has not been a problem for the Sycamores this season. Neither has scoring, but stopping the opposition has been a big problem.

ISU ranks third in the Gateway Conference in total offense with 381 yards per game, but the Sycamores are giving up more than 500 yards a game and more than 50 points a game.

The Sycamores are also minus-8 in the turnover ratio, compared to YSU which is plus-7 after getting three turnovers last week.

ISU has 13 turnovers, six interceptions and seven lost fumbles. Most have been at costly times in games.

The Sycamores offense has been led by junior tailback Tony West [coach's son] and junior quarterback Reilly Murphy.

West, who sat out last season because of the transfer rule, played one year at Western Kentucky and one year at Findlay College, before joining his father's team.

In five games, the 5-foot-9, 175 pounder, has rushed for 593 yards on 109 carries and scored five touchdowns.

Murphy (6-2, 215) has completed 88 of 165 passes for 1,067 yards and three touchdowns, but he's been intercepted six times.

Top receiver

Murphy's top receiver is senior wide receiver Carl Berman (5-10, 165) who has caught 31 passes for 395 yards and one touchdown.

Senior wide receiver Sam Logan, a three-year letterwinner, is second on the team with 17 catches for 223 yards, but has been injured and is not expected to play Saturday.

The offensive line is big, averaging more than 300 pounds, and has helped the team move the football.

But defense has been the problem and the Sycamores are led by linebacker Scooter Archie (5-10, 195, junior) who has 45 tackles, two for losses.

Free safety Rafael Price has 39 tackles and one interception, but the Sycamores have had only five sacks in five games.

The kicking game has been sound with punter Chris Johansen averaging 38.7 yards per kick, while senior Kyle Hooper has kicked three of five field goals including a long of 47 yards.

mollica@vindy.com

Thursday, October 5, 2006