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Salukis look to avoid being Penguin bit

Saluki coaches were less than pleased with SIU's turnovers during the homecoming win over Northern Iowa, but it could be much worse.

They could be coaching for Youngstown State.

The Penguins blew a golden opportunity last week at No. 6 Western Kentucky, turning the ball over at several crucial times and turning a close game into a blowout. And unfortunately for them, this has become a theme of the season and will be critical as the Penguins attempt to upset the No.1-ranked Salukis in Youngstown, Ohio, Saturday.

Youngstown State has managed to keep the ball somewhat secure through the air despite starting a redshirt freshman at quarterback - the Penguins have thrown six interceptions - but the Penguins have fumbled the ball 18 times through five games.

"We've been bitten by that bug, and hopefully we get out of this," said Youngstown State head coach Jon Heacock.

Luckily for the Penguins, only seven of those fumbles have been recovered, but it's still way too many to keep a team like the Penguins in a game. Youngstown State, as usual, plays old school, physical, ball control football and is heavily reliant on not turning the ball over.

Even in a 44-19 loss last week, Youngstown State held the ball for about 14 more minutes than Western Kentucky. It says a lot about the team's ability to control the clock, but it's disheartening at the same time.

"It is frustrating, and yet I was pleased we were able to move the ball at times against, I think, an excellent defense," Heacock said.

The silver lining for the Penguins is a seemingly lost cause of turnovers. They will be at home, where they have committed less than half of the turnovers that have plagued them on the road.

Youngstown State is thrilled to be home at Stambaugh Stadium, but oddly enough, so is SIU.

The Salukis love playing at Youngstown because of its professional-looking atmosphere, it's 20,000-plus seating capacity and, most importantly, it's turf.

Youngstown State uses the same turf as SIU, making for a familiar, yet hostile, atmosphere.

"It's a pretty cool atmosphere," said SIU quarterback Joel Sambursky. "The fans there are pretty crazy."

Youngstown fans may have to do without Kentucky transfer and standout running back Monquantae Gibson. Gibson was injured in the second half of last week's game and is questionable for this week. He had gained at least 100 yards in three consecutive games before the injury.

Based on last week's performance, the Saluki defense may be able to coax a few interceptions as well. After picking off three against standout Northern Iowa quarterback Tom Petrie last weekend, redshirt freshman Tom Zetts could be an inviting prey to the SIU secondary.

Some defenders lick their chops at the thought of going after a quarterback, and SIU safety Alexis Moreland used to be one of them, but he said he learned his lesson and is going to be ready for anything.

"I used to," Moreland said about wanting to face rookie quarterbacks. "Until I met Joel Sambursky."

Zetts has played competently and continues to improve. He threw for 286 yards on 28-of-40 passing with two interceptions last week, carrying the bulk of the offense after Youngstown State fell behind.

"There's evidence he can throw the ball, so we'll just have to prepare like we prepare for anyone else," Moreland said.

Especially if Gibson doesn't play, the Penguins may have to try to win through the air.

Heacock said his team is not a passing team, but based on SIU's history of stopping the run, he may have to let a few fly.

The Salukis have given up only 89.4 yards per game on the ground this year, and Heacock stopped just short of saying his team needs a miracle on Saturday.

"We're going to have to play the best football we've played just to have a chance against a team like Southern Illinois," Heacock said.