All week they’ve been saying the right things, and doing the right things to make today seem like another game. But SIU needs to walk the talk against Youngstown State today.
Prove that today is just another game, and it will become just another victory.
“The big thing is you just get back to your routine,” SIU coach Dale Lennon said. “Last week we emphasized the point that that was Game 6 on our schedule, and now this is Game 7. Hopefully, the routine will kick in, and it’s all about getting better every week.”
The No. 3 Salukis (5-1, 4-0) need to somehow show some improvement today to stay on course. The light at the end of the tunnel is a conference championship, and, after that, maybe another championship. Yes, SIU is in great position to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference title. However, like Lennon said, the Salukis could still have a losing season.
Youngstown State (4-2, 2-1) comes off its bye week, where it has won its last six games. The Penguins are long gone from last year’s train wreck of a season, and are in good position to make some noise in the conference if they’re able to win today. Quarterback Brandon Summers is a pretty good athlete, maybe the most athletic quarterback in the league, but he’s a little erractic. Summers became the first Penguins quarterback in 19 years to run for three touchdowns in a single game. He’s also thrown for four touchdowns in two different games, but has nine interceptions to his 10 touchdowns.
He has great wide receivers in Dominique Barnes and Donald Jones, and a decent tailback duo in Kevin Smith and Jabari Scott, but YSU has been in the middle of an offensive line shuffle. Today will be the Penguins’ seventh different offensive line in seven games. That can’t be an easy adjustment for anyone, nonetheless a quarterback.
Look for SIU to keep Summers in between the tackles and force a few interceptions. Offensively, the Salukis should be able to run the ball, although YSU has a good defensive front with tackles Crispin Fernandez and Mychal Savage. No one has been able to shut down the Salukis for an entire game except Marshall, and Chris Dieker has become a fifth running back recently, so look for SIU to show off some offensive diversity.
What are your expectations for today?