Season 2, Game 11: at Youngstown State

Youngstown State Penguins (0-0, --) @ Milwaukee College Penguins (4-6, #105)

Battle of the Penguins. The Milwaukee College Penguins (2004 edition) have a short history. We've only been around for two seasons. Prior to us, Youngstown State University used to be the only Division I University in the country with a Penguin for a mascot. (Yes, I know that ours is a dog dressed up as a penguin.) They've been around as the Penguins since as far back as 1933.

And since 1982 they've played in the Arnold D. Stambaugh Stadium, otherwise known as the "Ice Castle." It's called the "Ice Castle" not so much because they house the Penguins, but because the stadium has not been a welcome place for opponents. They've won well over 75% of their home games in the last twenty or so seasons.

Meanwhile, my Penguins have only one once at home in my two year tenure. So I guess it is a good thing this was a road game. We enter the Ice Castle with a 4-1 away record.

And I enter the Ice Castle with a bit of a cold.

Players persist on the field, injuries and all. Coaches do the same thing. I had met up with a bunch of recruits earlier in the week and one of them, a swimmer - I could still smell the faint chemical scent of chlorine on her - was sniffling throughout the whole meeting. I bet I got some kind of bug from her.

So with me hacking up gobs of mucus and unable to properly yell, the rallying cry was the typical and hated: "Win one for the gipper." But in the first half, it was as if every member of the Milwaukee College Penguins was also sick and tired. That's the only reason we went into the half tied at 28 a piece. This was supposed to be a "gimme game." The Youngstown Penguins play in the freakin' Gateway Football Conference. In the locker room, I gave them as much as my poor throat could handle. I threatened to move Straka (CB #1) to the top of the depth chart, because Bennett (CB #10) was getting consistently burned.

It was a good thing I didn't make that move because the Youngstown Penguins started throwing in Straka's direction. The young freshman had a monster third quarter - hell, a monster five minutes! In that span, he had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. He also recovered a fumble and returned THAT for a touchdown. The close game at the half turned into a rout a bare five minutes after the half.

I got out my folding chair and coached by hand signals. I took it easy. When we were over 60 points I put in the B squad and fired up the vegan grill. I have the best vegans on my team (Germain (DT #91), McClone (CB #46), and Straka (CB #10)) and they are all starters. Vegan pesto anybody?

STATS: MKE @ YSU

score: 77-42
first downs: 32-17
total offense: 610-647
rushes - yards: 50-345 --- 16-110
comp-att-TD: 16-32-2 --- 21-38-5
passing yards: 265-537
sacked: 0 - 2
turnovers: 1 - 6
fumbles - lost: 1 - 0 --- 2 - 2
intercepted: 1 - 4
top: 19:40 - 12:20

KEY PLAYERS (Offense)

Koch (QB #22) 151.7 rating, 14-26 for 248 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 14-103 rush (7.3 avg), 2 TD
Wetzel (HB #47) 26-160 rush (6.1 avg), 2 TD
Barber (HB #11) 5-53 (10.5 avg), 1 TD
Montgomery (WR #15) 6-106 rec (17.6 avg), 1 TD
Finner (WR #83) 4-76 avg (19.0 avg)

KEY PLAYERS (Defense)

Straka (CB #1) 2 tackles, 3 INT, 1 pass deflect, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 defensive TD
Geigel (FS #23) 4 tackles
Ziegeweid (FS #34) 4 tackles, 2 pass deflect
Cruz (LE #98) 3 tackles, 1 for loss
Bennett (CB #10) 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass deflect, 1 forced fumble

NOTES: We literally ran over the opposition. Foldy (FB #29) and Ciraldo (FB #25) both scored rushing TDs. Koch has really kept the mistakes to a minimum. He's really learned how to hold onto the ball and for that I publicly applaud him. I want my pocket quarterbacks to run and cause havoc. There's nothing like sending five receivers down the field, taking the defense with them, and then having your front line pancake the pass rush and then seeing Koch run for the first down.