YSU travels to Fargo with a lot on its mind

YOUNGSTOWN - Youngstown State's football team makes a trip this weekend that it hasn't made since the days of Ron Jaworski.

Yes, the guy who helped announce Monday Night Football just yesterday and once played in the Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles was once a YSU quarterback. The Penguins travel to Fargo, N.D., to take on North Dakota State University (3-7, 2-5 Missouri Valley Conference) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in their season finale.

The rare road trip will be the last game played by 12 seniors, and it could be the last time Jon Heacock is the coach of the Penguins (5-5, 3-4 MVC). Heacock, who's contract expires in February, has not discussed his future with the media as rumors swirl about YSU possibly making a change following the season. Instead, he said his focus remains to be on winning the final game.

''I'm not dumb, I know everything that's floating around,'' Heacock said. ''I coach every game the same. ... This game is about the players. I just refuse to not give them every ounce of energy I've got to allow them to play the game to the best of their ability. That's all I know. A lot of that I was taught here. My whole emphasis is to coach this football team, study, do game plans. It doesn't change.''

The reason Heacock is under fire is due to the struggles of the past two seasons. The Penguins were decimated by injuries last year, players quit the team and had to endure the sudden death of video coordinator Shawn Coin. That trying season was followed by another one this year. The Penguins ended a three-game losing streak on Saturday with a 30-13 victory over Illinois State. Despite the win, YSU's playoff hopes were dashed during the the three-game slump, and the Penguins have now made the postseason just once in Heacock's nine years as coach.

Heacock said something he's learned during his time as coach, especially the last two years, is the depth and difficulty of the conference.

''You have to be good in every aspect, every play, every game - all the time,'' he said. ''You have to be really, really, really good - all the time. I think everybody knows that and understands that. I remember (former Western Illinois coach) Don Patterson, a couple of years ago at the press conference, said 'Hey, I really thought we had a good team going into the season. But a good team isn't enough in this conference. You have to have a great team.' And I thought that was interesting coming from a veteran coach. This conference doesn't allow you to have a bad day, a bad play or a bad game.''

The Penguins face a team that's had its share of bad games this year in the Bison. NDSU moved up from Division II to the Football Championship Subdivision last season and finished with a decent 6-5 record. It was somewhat of a down year for the Bison, who were ranked No. 2 in the nation before losing at Stambaugh Stadium to the Penguins. There's been another dropoff this season as NDSU dropped five straight before winning its last two.

The main reason for the Bison winning their last two has been the play of running back Pat Paschall, who leads the nation by rushing for an average of 139.7 yards per game.

''He's a very talented back,'' Heacock said. ''He's a thick back, but he can take it the distance. I would have to guess he's a pro prospect, no question.''

Paschall has run for 1,257 and 13 touchdowns on 180 carries for an impressive 7.0 yards per carry. The 6-foot, 200-pound senior has the power to run in between the tackles and the speed to break long runs. Slowing down one of the nation's best back will certainly the focus of YSU.

''They just line up and run it right at you,'' Heacock said of NDSU's style of play. ''They'll run the play-action pass off of that, and they have some good looking folks on the defensive line, and the linebackers are good. They just play sound football.''

jsimon@tribtoday.com