YSU poised for playoffs

YOUNGSTOWN - There was a point this season, after Youngstown State blew a fourth-quarter lead against South Dakota State and lost a game it should have won, that a playoff appearance seemed improbable.

Maybe even impossible.

That loss, on Oct. 8, dropped the Penguins to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. YSU led SDSU, 28-21, early in the fourth quarter, but the Jackrabbits tied the game at 28 with 12:36 to play and took the lead on a 73-yard touchdown pass with 5:55 remaining, just moments after the Penguins had missed a field goal.

"It was a very devastating loss," YSU quarterback Kurt Hess said. "It was emotional. There was definitely a question in our locker room. We each had to look at ourselves."

Penguins coach Eric Wolford reminded his players that all was not lost and encouraged some introspection as the season continued.

"Coach said to take some time to look at yourself as a player and as a person," Hess said. "He said, 'We're not out of it, but we really need to get things going.' It kind of was that trigger for us that we needed as a team. We've played well since then."

YSU has played so well - winning four of its next five games - that a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs is once again a possibility. The Penguins (6-4, 4-3 MVFC) kept those hopes alive with an eye-opening 27-24 road victory over previously unbeaten and top-ranked North Dakota State last Saturday.

The win, YSU's first over a No. 1-ranked team since 1997, didn't get the Penguins a lot of love in either FCS poll, but they did jump seven spots into a tie for 15th in the FCS Gridiron Power Index. The GPI is considered the chief indicator for at-large playoff selection. Twenty teams qualify for the FCS playoffs.

Wolford and his players believe YSU, with a victory Saturday against Missouri State (1-9, 1-6) in the regular-season finale at Stambaugh Stadium, is a playoff team.

"Yes, no question," Wolford said Tuesday. "I think we're playing as well as anybody. I think we've proved that week in and week out. We had a couple games that didn't go our way, but that was a long time ago. We're a good football team.

CashAdvance.com Launches the South Dakota Laws & Regulations ...

Los Angeles, CA -- ( SBWIRE ) -- 11/14/2011 -- CashAdvance.com, a leader in the payday loan industry since 1997, announces the launch of the South Dakota Laws and Regulations Resource. Now for the first time South Dakota consumers will have a comprehensive and up-to-date resource specific to payday loans in their state. This one-of-a-kind guide equips South Dakota borrowers with the vital information they need to make sound and confident financial decisions. “CashAdvance.com strives continually to ensure consumer protection by providing the knowledge necessary for consumers to make informed financial decisions,” says CashAdvance.com spokesperson Hanna Wellman. “The Consumer Resource pages are a wealth of information arming consumers with the resources with which they can actively preserve their rights, while providing recourse to regulatory agencies capable of remedying fraudulent lending practices.” South Dakota consumers can quickly find the information they need by visiting the South Dakota Consumer Resource page and clicking on the Laws and Regulations link. Once there, they can easily see the vital information they need before they apply for a South Dakota cash advance. Basic information such as the maximum loan amount, interest rates and fees, and timeframes for repayment are displayed in simple, easy-to-read language. They will also find critical information about cooling-off periods, availability of alternative repayment plans, and the number of concurrent payday loans allowed per borrower. By using the facts on the South Dakota Laws and Regulations page , consumers can learn the current rules governing payday loans prior to making an application. In addition they can arm themselves with consumer protections afforded to South Dakota residents and avoid falling victim to unscrupulous lenders. Even South Dakota residents, who have received payday loans in the past, benefit by accessing the Laws and Regulation page. Policies, regulations and laws change and CashAdvance.com updates the resource immediately. According to leading CashAdvance.com financial news expert Adam Hilliard, “Our South Dakota Laws and Regulations page will dispel any misconceptions or uncertainty surrounding the cash advance process in South Dakota, equip you with practical advice for averting financial crisis, answer your myriad loan questions, and ultimately guide you on the road to taking control of your financial future.

South, the story of Shackleton's last expedition, 1914-1917

Dakota, a spiritual geography

The South

South!, The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914 - 1917

The South, a tour of its battlefields and ruined cities, a journey through the desolated states, and talks with the people: being a decription of the present state of the country - its agriculture - railroads -business and finances...