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    • The Penguins are going for their ninth straight opening day victory.
    • YSU is also going for its ninth straight home-opening game victory.
    • Youngstown State lost its final four games of the 2003 season and has not lost five consecutive contests since 1986.
    • There are plenty of new faces on or just off the two-deep depth chart to look out for against SRU: Quarterbacks Tom Zetts and Vince Gliatta, tailbacks Monquantae Gibson and Regis Edgerson, wide receiver Jameson Evans, offensive linemen Josh Tanner and Brad Samsa, secondary members Dorian Chenault and Anton Rush, linebackers Jeff Koval and James Terry and defensive end Jose Galloza.
    • YSU returns seven offensive starters (Ryan Jewell, John Bartos, Mike Roberts, Kyle Smith, Phil Larmon, Aaron Marshall and Josh Cayson) and six defensive starters (Mike Bracken, Mike Andrews, Matt Briggs, Nate Baston, Yancey Marcum and Brandon Brown).
    • The Penguins have 15 seniors on the 2004 roster, eight of which are entering their fifth year with the program.

The Rock Scouting Report
    Slippery Rock looked like it was in great shape to win its season and PSAC opener stopping Bloomsburg on a fourth-and-goal situation from the seven-yard line with 1:35 remaining. However on the play, a pass interference penalty was called to keep the Huskies’ drive alive. On the next play, Bloomsburg scored from two yards out to overcome a 17-12 deficit and grab a 20-17 victory last Friday night at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.
    The Rockets outgained Bloomsburg 338-191, but committed three turnovers to the Huskies’ one. SRU was led by Josh Kniess who rushed for 176 yards on 30 carries and had a touchdown run. Quarterback Nate Crookshank completed 11-of-19 passes for 151 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.
    SRU finished 4-7 overall last season and had a mark of 2-4 in the PSAC.

YSU Owns 8-0 Series Advantage
    The Penguins have never lost to the Rockets in eight previous meetings. YSU has scored more than 40 points on four occasions against SRU. YSU is averaging 36 points per game in the series while the Rockets have averaged 11.9.

Let’s Get It Started
    In the last 13 season openers, YSU has outscored its opposition by a margin of 432-125.
    What is impressive is the Penguins’ first-half performance in those game. YSU has outscored the 13 opponents 235-49 allowing just five touchdowns. The last time YSU trailed at halftime of a season opener was in 1987 at Eastern Michigan (14-3). YSU has been tied on three occasions at the half since that time.

Penguins Have Won 36 Openers
    The Penguins have had success all-time in season-opening games. While winning eight straight openers, YSU has also won 11 of its last 13 lidlifters. In school history, the Penguins own a 36-25-2 in season-opening games.

Last Meeting: YSU 45, SRU 12
    The Penguins overcame a 9-7 deficit by scoring 38 of the contests final 41 points to earn a 45-12 victory over the Rockets. YSU erupted for three second-quarter touchdowns and never looked back.
    Quarterback Aaron Marshall tossed three touchdown passes and Matt Rycraft threw for one and ran for another. Fullback Chris DiMauro added two touchdowns on a six-yard reception and a one-yard plunge.
    For the game, the YSU offense rolled up 497 yards of total offense, including 333 on the ground. Josh Cayson was the high ground gainer picking up 115 yards on 14 carries for YSU. Mike Burns contributed 79 yards in the victory.

Mike And Mike Earn Accolades
    Senior strong safety Mike Bracken (Labelle, Pa.) and senior tight end Mike Roberts (Plant City, Fla.) were named to the Gateway Football Conference’s preseason team. Bracken and Roberts were both second-team All-Gateway picks in 2003 following the season.
    Roberts tied for the team lead with 29 receptions while Bracken was second on the team with 86 total tackles.

Zetts Set as Starting Quarterback
    Redshirt freshman quarterback Tom Zetts (Boardman, Ohio) will be in charge of the Penguins offense against the Rockets. Zetts played in the opener last year against Edinboro, but was lost for the season because of a broken collarbone.
    Zetts earned the starting nod in the spring and has played well at times during fall camp.

Tanner Set to Appear as Starter
    YSU freshman offensive guard Josh Tanner (Orlando, Fla.) is bidding to become the first Penguin true freshman offensive lineman to start the opener since Dan Miklos.
    Miklos was on the starting unit as a guard on Sept. 8, 1973 for the Penguins at Dayton. That was the last time a true freshman started the season opener on the offensive line.

Bishop Joins 40 Average Club
    Sophomore punter Joe Bishop (Canton, Ohio) became just the second YSU punter since 1986 to average 40-or-more yards punting in a season. Bishop finished the 2003 season averaging exactly 40 yards per boot on 63 kicks. In 1999, Anthony Rozzo (40.5) also averaged above 40 yards per punt.
    In 1985, Nick Xides averaged a school best 41.8 yards per kick and since that time only Rozzo had finished with an average of more than 40 yards per kick during a season until Bishop accomplished the feat last season.

Terracina Had I-AA’s Longest FG
    Placekicker Nick Terracina (Lake Charles, La.) made the longest Division I-AA field goal last season when he connected from 56 yards out against Liberty on Sept. 27. His kick was the third longest by a Division I kicker trailing Joey Ashcroft of Air Force (59 yards vs. Army) and Philip Yost of Auburn (57 yards vs. Western Kentucky).

Bracken, Marcum Named Captains
    Strong safety Mike Bracken (Labelle, Pa.) and linebacker Yancey Marcum (Nicholasville, Ky.) were selected as permanent team captains for the 2004 season. The remaining 13 seniors will be selected on a game-by-game basis to fill the remaining captain spots.

Four New Faces on Coaching Staff
    This season, the Youngstown State football program welcomes four coaches -- two on defense and two on offense. The Penguins will use co-defensive coordinators with the additions of Dana Chambers and Mike Kolakowski. Chambers will also work with the defensive line while Kolakowski will work with the secondary. Last season, Chambers was the defensive coordinator at Division II Upper Iowa while Kolakowski was the co-defensive coordinator at Cincinnati. Coaching the wide receivers this year will be Dave Elliott. Elliott joins the staff after spending three seasons at Central Connecticut State. Also assisting on offense is Ricky Perez who was added in July.

Six I-A Transfers Rank Second in GFC
    Thursday’s Youngstown State roster will feature six players who transferred from the Division I-A level in the offseason. Joining the squad were tailbacks Monquantae Gibson (Kentucky), Regis Edgerson (South Carolina), defensive tackle Jason Eisele (Purdue), quarterback Vince Gliatta (Penn State), wide receiver Jameson Evans (Purdue) and linebacker James Terry (Virginia).
    YSU ranks second in the Gateway with six I-A transfers over this past offseason. Indiana State, which opened play last Saturday, added 12 I-A transfers this year.

Tanner Dunlap In Elite Group
    Junior long snapper Tanner Dunlap (Zanesville, Ohio) is one of just five Division I-AA football players who along with their football duties, are a member of the school’s ROTC unit as well. Dunlap has been a two-year starter at long snapper hiking the ball to Joe Bishop and Kosta Karapetsas.
    Of the five I-AA ROTC individuals, Dunlap, Bucknell’s Ryan Berry and Wofford’s Ponnica McKenzie were with their teams during fall camp. Valentine and Wood did not participate in fall drills and joined the Wofford roster when classes started.

YSU Perfect Against Division II’s
    Youngstown State is 25-0 against Division II teams since joining the ranks of Division I-AA in 1981.
    The Penguins were part of the Division II ranks from 1973 through 1980. YSU played in the NCAA Division II Championship Game in 1979 losing to Delaware. Division I-AA football began in 1978 and three seasons later (1981) the Penguins jumped up a division. This is YSU’s 24th year of competing at the Division I-AA level.

YSU Played Toughest Schedule
    For the 2003 regular season, no Division I-AA team played a more difficult schedule than Youngstown State. The Penguins’ nine Division I-AA opponents finished their regular-season campaigns with a 63-39 combined record for a winning percentage of .618. YSU’s schedule included five I-AA playoff teams and a Division II playoff participant. Overall, eight of the 12 teams YSU played in 2003 finished with a .500-or-better record.

21 Points Is the Key
    The Penguins are 20-2 when they score 21 points or more under coach Jon Heacock. When Youngstown State fails to score 21-plus points in a game they have posted an 0-12 mark. In 2003, YSU was 5-1 when scoring more than 21 points -- the lone loss a 35-25 setback to Illinois State. In 2002, the Penguins were 7-0 when they scored 21 points or more, while in Heacock’s first season of 2001 they were 8-1 losing to nationally-ranked Marshall.

Floridians Key Part of Roster
    This season, YSU has 14 players from Florida on the roster. The "Sunshine Penguins" are Mike Andrews, Peter Berthold, Jose Galloza, Blake Halverson, Greg Jackson, Ron John-Finn, Norris Kennedy, Tyler Morton, T.J. Peterson, Justin Reams, Mike Roberts, Josh Tanner, Damian Wright and Jeremiah Wright.

Home Sweet Home
    The Penguins begin their 23rd season at Stambaugh Stadium on Thursday night against Slippery Rock. Through the first 22 years of play, the Penguins are 109-37-1. Since 1996, YSU is 41-13 and since 1989, the Penguins are 86-22-1.

New Stambaugh Stadium Scoreboard
    This fall a new scoreboard is being installed at the north end of Stambaugh Stadium. The installation will come in two phases during the month of September. Through a new multi-year pouring-rights contract with Coca-Cola, a Mitsubishi Diamond Vision video display board is replacing the old board.
    The first phase is underway with the removal of the old scoreboard complete and the new scoreboard is scheduled to be installed before the game against Slippery Rock. The second phase features the installation of a Mitsubishi Diamond Vision video replay board, which will come the week of the Penguins’ home contest against Liberty.

YSU Stronger, Faster, Heavier
    Youngstown State football players worked extraordinarily hard in the offseason and the numbers provided by Strength and Conditioning Coach Todd Burkey show just that.
    Senior tight end Mike Roberts (Plant City, Fla.) set two position records with a 470-pound bench press and a 405-pound incline press. Sophomore tailback Monquantae Gibson (Louisville, Ky.) set a school record in the vertical jump with a leap of 40.5 inches. Sophomore cornerback Jason Perry (Warrensville Heights, Ohio) improved on his defensive back position record in the vertical jump with a 40-inch leap.
    Overall, 29 players had a three-lift total - squat, clean and bench press - of more than 1,000 pounds.

Up Next: Florida International
    The Penguins will play Florida International for the first time on Sept. 11 at Stambaugh Stadium. YSU has never played the Golden Panthers, which are in their third season of competing at the Division I-AA level. FIU opens its season on Thursday night as well playing host to Jacksonville.