Published: Monday, October 16, 2006
Secondary needs to improve
Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock always has said that any win on the road in the Gateway Football Conference is a good win.
Thus, Saturday's 35-28 victory over Western Illinois was a good win for the Penguins.
The victory kept YSU unbeaten in the Gateway (3-0) and improved to 6-1 overall.
Still, the Penguins held a 35-14 lead with 6:55 remaining in the contest, and the Leathernecks passed for 158 yards and two touchdowns during those final minutes. The most disturbing thing is that the Penguins knew Western Illinois had to pass but still were unable to stop them.
Western's quarterback Steve LaFalce is a good one, probably one of the best in the conference, and he's passed for good yardage against just about everybody.
But, the Penguins are going to have to face several more outstanding quarterbacks in their final four games this season, beginning Saturday when Northern Iowa comes to Stambaugh Stadium for the homecoming contest at 4:07 p.m. in the Gateway TV game of the week.
Penguins' secondary
has been too porous
The YSU secondary was expected to be one of the strong points on this year's defensive unit, but the Penguins are allowing almost 200 yards a game through the air.
It's true that the YSU offense is carrying more than its share of the load and has been able to outscore the opposition thus far, but with the Panthers and Illinois State being the next two opponents on the schedule, the Penguins are going to meet much more formidable defenses, and scoring may be somewhat harder to do.
The YSU secondary boasts a lot of veteran players, led by seniors Jason Perry and Codera Jackson at the cornerback spots.
Perry has been playing banged-up throughout much of this season, but it would take a crane to get him off the field because of the competitor he is.
It's hard to tell if the problem lies in the secondary or in the Penguins' defensive line, which has failed to put pressure on the quarterback. The Penguins had two sacks against the Leathernecks, but neither were from the defensive line.
Savage is standout
on defensive side
Sophomore tackle Mychal Savage is having a terrific season, finishing with 10 tackles against Western. The Penguins have done a fine job against the run this year, holding the Leathernecks to just 145 yards on the ground.
One thing that is important to remember is that in the Gateway Conference offenses have been dominating all year long.
Heacock said back in August that the team that came up with the best defense was going to win the conference.
YSU has a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball, even after losing senior starter Jeremiah Wright for the year before the Gateway season got underway.
It just might be that the problem is not with the defense, but with the opposition's offense which has been exceptionally good this year.
Must shore up defense;
tough games ahead
Whatever the reason, the Penguins need to find a way to shore up the defense, and quickly, because their toughest games are still ahead of them.
Saturday's opponent, Northern Iowa, will bring a 2-0 conference record and 4-2 overall mark into the game. The Penguins have dropped five straight games to the Panthers.
YSU, though, has a 10-game winning streak at Stambaugh Stadium.
It was still a good win Saturday against the Leathernecks, and if the Penguins can find a way to pull off four more then they would be Gateway champions and get the automatic berth into the playoffs.
That would mean a 10-1 record and undoubtedly home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
At this point in the season any win is a good win, home or away.
Pete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.
More Stories from Thu, Oct 19, 2006
from vindyJOBS.com
