Author Topic: Saturday Scrimmage  (Read 14258 times)

Offline penguinpower

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Saturday Scrimmage
« on: March 31, 2012, 07:38:52 PM »
I moved to Savannah, Ga last year after spending most of 37 years in Y-Town.  I used to go to the Saturday Spring practices and report what I saw.  I could always tell when we were going to have a good team by watching the scrimmage.

Now that I live away, I am hoping that someone else can help to provide the scoop on what they see.  I will certainly be making it to some of the games, and saving vacation for the playoffs, but please someone tel me what you see.

Thanks,

Bill
« Last Edit: March 31, 2012, 07:48:43 PM by penguinpower »

Offline ysufan0505

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2012, 09:16:43 PM »
I went and saw a little bit of it today. Things that stood out to me: The defense is way more intese and physical at least from what i saw. The offense couldn't move the ball that well early on but once they did red zone situation, the offense was able to punch it in a lot. But the defense did hold it's own. Our own basketball star Ashen Ward had a nice catch and gain for at least 40 yards. Kid is a good athlete, Kintrell Disher really stood out to me at WR. Big 6-4 frame, good hands, pretty good speed. Overall, i was impressed with the defense, surpirsed me today. Both offense and defense looked evenly great at times. Should be a great season!

Offline ItalianPenguin

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2012, 11:10:42 PM »
Looked like RB Hymes was hurt toward end of practice. He was carried off field by teammates and sat on bench w/leg injury.

Offline ysufan0505

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2012, 12:08:27 AM »
Torrian Pace also tore it up today. Big strong RB, breaking a lot of tackles

Offline IAA Fan

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2012, 10:06:33 AM »
Lack of experience among defenders is a concern

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Trivia time.

Q. How many YSU defensive players are left from the Jon Heacock era?

A. Three. Defensive tackles D.J. Moss and Kyle Sirl and linebacker Dom Rich.

Q. How many of them are seniors?

A. None.

Q. OK, well, how many career starts do those three players have — combined?

A. Four. Rich started the last three in 2010, while Moss started one game in 2010.

Q. So you’re saying YSU’s defense doesn’t have a single defensive player who’s been here longer than two seasons, and the three defenders who have been here the longest didn’t start a single game last season?

A. Correct.

Q. Um, isn’t that a problem for a team with national championship aspirations, particularly one with a new defensive coordinator?

A. Well, maybe “concern” is a better word than “problem.”

Following YSU’s first spring scrimmage on Saturday, defensive coordinator Joe Tresey was asked if he’s ever coached a team with so few holdovers.

“Probably not,” he said. “But you know what? You don’t think about it. You’ve got who you’ve got and you’ve got to coach them up.

“We’ve got to get them better every day. When you think about things like that [the lack of experience], then your mind’s not in the right place.”

YSU’s offense dominated the first half of Saturday’s scrimmage, which wasn’t a surprise considering the Penguins are returning every starter — and every coach — from arguably the best offense in the FCS last season. But the Penguin defense played better in the second half of the scrimmage, which encouraged Tresey.

“Obviously, we’ve got a long way to go but we did some good things,” Tresey said. “We need to become more physical, need to learn to play with our bodies, do a better job of getting off blocks and, of course, our open-field tackling [was poor] at times.

“It’s a whole new defense, a whole new install. There’s going to be more thinking involved than you want. We’ll become more comfortable as we play with each other and learn the defense.”

YSU returns four regular starters from last year’s defense — senior DT Aronde Stanton, senior FS Jeremey Edwards and sophomore LBs Travis Williams and Teven Williams — and all but Edwards played with the first team on Saturday.

Junior college transfers Chris Charles (FS), Twin Fernandes (SS) and Julius Childs (CB) and sophomore CB Devont’a Davis (five starts last season) made up the first team defensive backfield Saturday. Rich took the third linebacker spot and senior DE Josh Fenderson, senior DT Nick DeKraker and redshirt freshman DE Trevor Strickland joining Stanton on the line.


Of those 11 starters, just three came to the program out of high school, which shows how much the roster has turned over in two years. But unlike the past two years, they won’t need to rely on August newcomers to fill key spots.

Still, if the Penguins are serious about making a run at the national championship, the defense will need to do more than just keep YSU in games. Saturday was the first step in a long process.

“They’re grasping it and they’re working hard,” YSU coach Eric Wolford said of his defensive players. “One thing with Coach Tresey, he’s going to hold them accountable to give an effort and work hard.

“We’re close.”

Offline IAA Fan

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2012, 10:09:04 AM »
Torrian Pace also tore it up today. Big strong RB, breaking a lot of tackles

I was there last week and coach M said that he really needs to get Pace into the mix. I think he saw a few things last year hat made him realize the need for a larger back.

Offline ysufan0505

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2012, 01:03:58 PM »
Agreed, especially with Bellamy out hurt

Offline penguinpower

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2012, 01:11:56 PM »
Thanks for the update.  I appreciate it.

Offline HLecter

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2012, 03:17:48 PM »
Anybody know who started on the OL?

I HATE MIAMI.  WATERBOARDING IS NOT TORTURE.  ABORTION IS.

I missed a four-footer for par the other day--THAT DAMN BUSH!

Offline IAA Fan

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2012, 05:03:13 PM »
Speaking of Pace. Did you guys see Torian Pace? He is much leaner, and quicker. I mean he is still a good 225-230. Man I am excited to see what he can do this year!

Offline TheBearMay

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2012, 06:46:56 PM »
Anybody know who started on the OL?
DJ - RT, Elkins - RG, Prat - C, Herdman - LG, Ferguson and Sinko rotated between the 1s and 2s at LT.  For the 2s Page - LG, Conlin - C, May RG mainly, but also took some snaps at RT.  Thought I saw Stambul warm up, but didn't see him during the  scrimmage (may have been in, and I just missed him).

Say what you mean, mean what you say, and let your actions speak for you.

Offline MentorViking

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2012, 09:09:39 PM »
This isnt going to be touched on? oh ok then....

Hess had 4-5 Ints according to WKBN when they recaped the scrimmage, thats not a concern to anybody for as bad as our DBs looked last year?

Offline ysufan0505

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2012, 11:42:59 PM »
This isnt going to be touched on? oh ok then....

Hess had 4-5 Ints according to WKBN when they recaped the scrimmage, thats not a concern to anybody for as bad as our DBs looked last year?


No lol, he's fine

Offline HLecter

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2012, 10:46:20 AM »
This isnt going to be touched on? oh ok then....

Hess had 4-5 Ints according to WKBN when they recaped the scrimmage, thats not a concern to anybody for as bad as our DBs looked last year?

Not a concern for me.  If it were September it would be a major concern.
I HATE MIAMI.  WATERBOARDING IS NOT TORTURE.  ABORTION IS.

I missed a four-footer for par the other day--THAT DAMN BUSH!

Offline Wick250

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Re: Saturday Scrimmage
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2012, 11:23:14 AM »
Hess' interceptions are not a concern since they did not happen.  He was 10 out of 15 with a td and no interceptions.  Angle was picked off twice, Nania once.  This comes from the official stats on the university website.

Last spring, it was hard to evaluate the defense since the offense had holes in the line and at wide receiver and their potency was unknown.  This spring, with virtually all the players back from the best offense in FCS (based on their performance against the NDSU defense that completely shut down supposedly unstoppable offenses from Sam Houston and Georgia Southern) we will be able to detect progress from the defense if they can just limit offensive productivity.  Actually, even if the defense can not stop this offense, they might still be improved enough.  Our offense is just that good.