Author Topic: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc  (Read 21159 times)

Offline penguinpower

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #15 on: August 29, 2012, 12:23:33 AM »
LIKE^^^^^^^

DefendYoungstown

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #16 on: August 29, 2012, 09:47:57 AM »
And conversely, I hope Coach Wolford is feeding the team this Pitt blogosphere fodder. There's nothing like watching the reaction of a Youngstown-anything that has a chip on its shoulder. I hope this team walks into Heinz Field with the intent of fearlessly punching Pitt right in the mouth (in the football-sense) from the first snap. They need to take it right to them. No gimmicks. Hope to see a lot of Cook, Pace, Shaw and Bryan in the first series. We can play with these guys. Play loose and confident. Put the 3-and-outs and/or the turnover(s) behind you fast and play for the next possession. Defend Youngstown.

Ok...

So here's today's media:

Video: Head Coach Eric Wolford Previews Pitt vs YSU:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df31qPcWoVc&feature=youtube_gdata

YSU Penguin Playbook (28 AUG 2012):
http://www.570wkbn.com/cc-common/podcast/single_page.html?podcast=ysu_coach_show

Pitt RB Graham A Game-Time Decision Vs. Penguins:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/college-football-rapidreports/19939592/pitt-rb-graham-a-gametime-decision-vs-penguins


Offline Penguin Nick

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #17 on: August 29, 2012, 10:04:01 AM »
Thanks Defend for the Penguin Playbook link!

Offline ysuindy

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #18 on: August 29, 2012, 10:51:05 AM »
Tribune Review with a nice story today:



By Bob Cohn

Published: Tuesday, August 28, 2012, 11:12 p.m.
Updated 12 hours ago

Of course you can go home again. Getting there is easy. More difficult is what happens next, but Youngstown State coach Eric Wolford seems to have a grip on that part of the deal.

A Youngstown native, the former Kansas State offensive lineman and well-traveled Division I assistant returned in 2010 to invigorate a program that dropped off since the Jim Tressel era. In 15 seasons under Tressel, the Penguins went 135-57-2 and won four Division I-AA national championships before he left for Ohio State.

Tressel also left behind the residue of a scandal centered on improper payments to a player. YSU football already was in decline, and this didn’t help. The Penguins have advanced to the I-AA (FCS) playoffs once since Tressel’s last season in 2000.
Wolford, whose team plays Pitt at Heinz Field on Saturday in the 2012 season opener, is trying to fix that.
“This is a unique experience because I grew up here,” he said. “I know what the expectations are. Some people might not view it this way, but this is a high-pressure job. Winning six or seven games? That’s nothing. This is like coaching the Steelers or the 49ers. It’s about winning championships.”

After going 3-8 in Wolford’s first season, the Penguins improved to 6-5 in 2011, handing eventual FCS champion North Dakota State its only loss. But YSU blew a 17-point halftime lead in the season finale against Missouri State to miss out on a playoff berth. Four of the losses came by a total of 17 points.

“It was disheartening to lose those close games, including the one at the end of the year,” quarterback Kurt Hess said. “I think we’re very hungry. This team realizes its potential. We got a sense of that last year, and now we know what it will take, day in, day out.”

A fourth-year junior, Hess and senior tailback Jamaine Cook made the All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team last season. They are among 11 starters who return on offense, along with last year’s top receiver, Christian Bryan, a sophomore from Norwin High School.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Hess passed for nearly 2,500 yards, setting school records in completion percentage (64.8 percent) and touchdown passes (26).

“He’s a big kid, smart, he throws the ball well, makes good decisions,” Wolford said. “He’s our leader.”

YSU is 0-9 against recent Division I competition, including blowout losses to Pitt in 2005 and e_SSRq09. But Wolford, who coached Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall at Illinois, enjoys the challenge.
“I love it,” he said. “I think it’s great for our kids. We recruit in Pennsylvania. And how many kids get a chance to play in Heinz Field at 6 o’clock on a Saturday night?”

Hess also likes these kinds of games. His first start as a redshirt freshman came in front of more than 101,000 fans at Beaver Stadium against Penn State in 2010. YSU lost, 44-14, but Hess completed 21 of 25 passes for 189 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

“The whole game week I was nervous,” he said. ‘But as soon as I stepped off the bus I wanted to embrace the moment. And when I stepped on the field I thought, ‘No one in this stadium wants me to do well.’ I was gonna show them. It was definitely a fun moment.”


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/2482013-85/state-pitt-season-wolford-ysu-hess-youngstown-division-penguins-tressel#ixzz24wlbcaX2

Offline KentStGuin15

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #19 on: August 29, 2012, 04:44:32 PM »
Pitt Vs. Youngstown State: Q&A With YSU Beat Writer Joe Scalzo


http://www.cardiachill.com/2012/8/28/3270489/pitt-vs-youngstown-state-preview-vindicator-vindy-pittsburgh-panthers-joe-scalzo-footbal-linel

Our game week coverage continues with a Q&A with Youngstown State beat writer Joe Scalzo, who covers the team for the area newspaper, the Vindicator. We've linked to some of his articles at Vindy.com here and be sure to check out his writing for plenty of good stuff on Pitt's first opponent.

For us, he discussed two of the team's stars, Jamaine Cook and Kurt Hess, the coaching staff, what he looks for in Saturday's game, and more.

Onto the Q&A (my questions in bold, his answers in italics).

Jamaine Cook is the guy to watch in the backfield with approximately 1,400 yards last season. Just how much will the offense rely on him in 2012?

    They keep saying they're going to limit his carries this year so he'll be fresher, but we'll see. I don't think he'll need to play as big of a role as he did the past two years. Besides, nobody is worried about Youngstown State's offense being a problem (although losing starting WR Jelani Berassa to an ACL injury was a big hit). It's the other two units that have been a problem.

Junior quarterback Kurt Hess is already scattered all over the school's all-time record lists. He's got a long way to go, but do you think he can be considered an NFL prospect by the end of his career?

    I think Kurt has a NFL head, a NFL body and a NFL work ethic. I'm not convinced he has a NFL arm but he's got a lot of other strengths to make up for not having a cannon.

    I think he's a guy who could make a NFL roster as a No. 3 guy. He's really good at sizing up a defense pre-snap and making the right read and he's very accurate. And his character is off the charts.


The Penguins' defense struggled a bit in 2011. Is the unit expected to be improved this season?

    Definitely. They've gotten a lot more athletic and there has been a night-and-day difference in some of this summer's scrimmages. The secondary is still a concern and there's still a lot of inexperience but I think it's got a chance to be pretty good by the end of the season. I'm sure there will be some growing pains early on.

One thing that is impressive about Youngstown State was that they won several blowout games and their losses were fairly close last year. Will that translate to a better win-loss record this season in your opinion?

    I think so. You can definitely see a progression. In Eric Wolford's first year, 2010, he didn't have anywhere near as much talent as this team and Youngstown State was in every FCS game (and hung with Penn State for a half). They just wore out at the end of games.

    Last year, they closed the gap on some of the best teams in the conference -- YSU was the only team to beat the national champs -- and I wouldn't be surprised to see them win the conference title. At the very least, I'd be stunned if they didn't make the FCS playoffs.


The coaching staff, led by head coach Eric Wolford is fairly new, having been in place for only three seasons. What's your general opinion of the job he's done so far and what types of teams does he put on the field?

    Well, for one thing, he's a lot of fun to cover. Maybe not Steve Spurrier or Bobby Bowden fun, but the next level down.

    From the beginning, I've felt like they found the right guy. He's a very good recruiter, he's good at communicating his expectations and he's gotten rid of the complacency that set in after Jim Tressel left. And he hasn't been afraid to get rid of underachievers or guys that didn't buy in, whether they were players (only 11 guys remain from the previous coaching staff's roster) or his coaches (he replaced his receivers coach and strength coach after one year and his defensive coordinator in February).

    In general, his teams have played hard and have been really good offensively. He's just been young and thin on defense and special teams and it's cost him a lot of wins.


Looking over the school's history, they've played against several programs that have made the jump to the FBS, such as Marshall and Boise State. Do you think the day will come that Youngstown State makes that move?

    Youngstown State was really, really close to joining the Mid-American Conference in the late 1990s and a lot of fans would still like to see that happen because it makes a lot more sense geographically. (The Penguins have never really developed a true rival at the FCS level.) That said, there are no plans to jump to the FBS, nor should there be. They're at the right level.

    I think if you look at the teams that have successfully jumped to the FBS -- and Boise State is the most obvious example -- they come from areas where there's not as much competition for players, media attention, fans, etc. But let's say YSU were to join the MAC. Suddenly, they're competing against Akron and Kent State (both within 45 minutes) for players, not to mention all the other MAC schools in Ohio (Bowling Green, Toledo, Ohio, Miami) and all the nearby BCS schools (Ohio State, Pitt, Penn State, etc.).

    Bottom line: YSU doesn't have the facilities, budget, recruiting base, etc., to make that jump and the people in charge know it. Teams like Marshall and Western Kentucky have gone from competing for national championships to hoping they'll eventually play in some December 26 bowl. YSU doesn't want to end up like that.


Youngstown State hasn't been all that competitive in their two recent games against Pitt. But the Panthers are a bit of an unknown this year and coming off a pretty down season last year. I doubt the Penguins will be intimidated at Heinz Field having played at more intense atmospheres, but because of their offensive firepower, do you expect the game to be a bit closer than some might think?

    Tell me about it. I sat through the 2005 Pitt-YSU game and the only good thing I remember was the pregame fajitas they served the media. It was 42-0 and it felt like 420-0. So, yeah, it should be better than some of the previous games between the two.
    There's a quiet confidence here that Youngstown State is capable of pulling an upset. I think that's a stretch, but I bet the Penguins could win one out of 10, whereas in 2005, YSU wouldn't have won 1 out of 1,000 against Pitt. Wolford's teams have played pretty well against BCS schools so far -- last year against Michigan State, for instance, it was a 21-6 game until midway through the fourth quarter -- so I think it will be closer than people think, especially since Pitt is still dealing with the aftermath of all the coaching turnover.

Thanks again to Joe for his input. Be sure to check out his work on Vindy.com.



Doesnt have an NFL Arm LOL!

DefendYoungstown

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #20 on: August 30, 2012, 01:52:02 PM »
Penguins Believe In Themselves As They Prepare For Pitt:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/aug/30/gaining-confidence/?newswatch

The Jambar: YSU Receives Payday As Penguins Head To Pitt:
http://www.thejambar.com/ysu-receives-payday-as-penguins-head-to-pitt-1.2754407#.UD-luKPhCSo

Coachspeak: Top Ten Paul Chryst Quotes For Youngstown State Game:
http://www.cardiachill.com/2012/8/28/3272873/pitt-football-vs-youngstown-state-line-score-spread-final-recap-paul-chryst-press-conference

Beyond Sport U: Pitt vs. Youngstown State:
http://www.beyondusports.com/pitt-vsyoungstown-st-preview/

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Redshirt Diaries Blog:
Coach Paul Chryst On Youngstown State: “They’re a tough group. They battled their tails off last year. They played big opponents and battled them late. Michigan State, they did that. That’s the thing that comes across to me. No question, we better be prepared to see their best shot.”

(Cincinnati) Bearcats Nation: Big East Week 1 Preview:
"Pitt vs. Youngstown State: Keep an eye on this game, boys and girls. The Panthers have been getting hit with the injury bug hard this Summer while at the same time adjusting to yet another new offensive system. For us Bearcat fans it will be interesting to see how this team plays in their first game under Paul Chryst as they will be traveling to Nippert the following Thursday. Pitt should take this one, though. Pitt 27, Youngstown State 6"

DefendYoungstown

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #21 on: August 30, 2012, 10:12:12 PM »

DefendYoungstown

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #22 on: August 30, 2012, 11:45:01 PM »
Post-Gazette: Panthers Safety (Vinopal) Has Reasons To Be Eager To Play:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/pitt-football/panthers-safety-has-reasons-to-be-eager-to-play-651045/

Pitt sophomore safety Ray Vinopal has been waiting a long time to play in a football game again. He hasn't suited up in 20 months, since his old team, Michigan, was beaten by Mississippi State, 52-14, in the 2011 Gator Bowl.

Vinopal, who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules, started six games as a freshman for the Wolverines, including that Gator Bowl loss. On Saturday, he'll get the starting nod again when the Panthers play Youngstown State in the season opener at Heinz Field.

Vinopal beat out junior safety Jason Hendricks, who started the first seven games last season before a shoulder injury ended his season.

"I can't wait," Vinopal said. "It's going to be awesome to finally get in a game situation and compete, especially playing my hometown team for the first time."

Vinopal is a Youngstown native and he spent many Saturdays at Youngstown State football games when he was a youth. His father, Chuck, played baseball there, and he is well-versed in the school's football tradition.

"I went to a lot of football games, tailgated with my buddies," said Vinopal, who has 25 friends and family members coming to the game Saturday. "Growing up there, YSU football, in general, is a pretty big deal. A lot of people care about it.

"They're going to play hard. I know that from being there. They're going to be out there to win the football game, so we have to come out ready to play."

Vinopal said sitting out last season was hard on him.

"It's been awhile since I stepped out there and competed," Vinopal said. "That's why you come to this type of program, to compete. Saturdays are what you live for. It killed me last year sitting on the sidelines in a jumpsuit. To finally be able to buckle up and get there will be awesome."



DefendYoungstown

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #23 on: August 31, 2012, 02:05:23 PM »
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pitt's 1st Opponent, Youngstown State, Puts Ambitions On The Line:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/pitt-football/pitts-1st-opponent-youngstown-state-puts-ambitions-on-line-651290/

SB Nation: Pitt vs. Youngstown State:
http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/8/31/3280927/pitt-vs-youngstown-state-pittsburgh-panthers-score-football-2012-final-preview-line-penguins

Football Nation.com: Pitt vs. Youngstown State:
http://www.footballnation.com/content/ncaa-football-2012-pitt-vs-youngstown-state-preview/16441/

The Pitt News:
Youngstown State: "The Panthers start their campaign this Saturday with a classic cupcake game against the Penguins, Pitt’s lowly Football Championship Subdivision opposition from a small school in Ohio.

The biggest threat for Youngstown State comes from running back Jamaine Cook, who racked up 1,599 all-purpose yards last season, but these Penguins might need Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to have a chance in this game.

Expect Pitt to take care of business easily, as the Panthers prepare for a week-two showdown with conference rival Cincinnati.

Pitt beats the Penguins, 34-10.

----

Broadcast Note: If in the Pittsburgh area, “Panther Preview” begins at 3:00 Saturday SportsRadio 93.7 The Fan.

Offline Dmorton

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #24 on: August 31, 2012, 04:39:19 PM »
Wow!  Absolutely no respect!   I guess we have to earn it all over again!  Face it!  Pitt is no Mich. State.  Obviously!  These writers don't  do enough research.   

Offline Dmorton

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #25 on: August 31, 2012, 04:45:29 PM »
I'm only referring to the Pitt News.  Hopefully, they'll have a different viewpoint after the game.

Offline penguinpower

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #26 on: August 31, 2012, 08:52:42 PM »
Wow!  Absolutely no respect!   I guess we have to earn it all over again!  Face it!  Pitt is no Mich. State.  Obviously!  These writers don't  do enough research.

Apply what you just wrote to politics

Offline ysuindy

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #27 on: September 06, 2012, 04:54:45 PM »
This gal doesn't think highly of YSU

http://collegespun.com/national/pitt-panthers-preview-youngstown-state-penguins

Pitt Panthers Preview: Youngstown State Penguins
Kristin Bowser


Twitter/Roc The Pitt Panther
This Saturday, unranked Pitt faces off against the Youngstown State Penguins. Do Panthers fans have anything to worry about?

History: These teams don’t have a long history playing each other, but what history they do have might help predict the outcome of this game. The last time Pitt played YSU in 2009, the Panthers beat up on the Penguins in a 38-3 victory. Before that, they played in 2005, when Pitt annihilated the Penguins 41-0.

Pittsburgh Offense vs. Youngstown Defense:

The majority of the worries for Pitt this year are on the offensive side of the ball. How will Tino Sunseri fair in the scheme devised by new head coach Paul Chryst? Luckily, Youngstown State ranked 49th in the FCS last year in total defense, giving up an average 5.66 yards per play. The Penguins only recorded seven interceptions all season. Tino should be fearless against a weak secondary.

Pittsburgh Defense vs. Youngstown Offense:

There are some minor issues for Pitt on defense. In his press conference yesterday, Paul Chryst said starting cornerback K’Waun Williams is still day-to-day recovering from his torn ACL. Even though Pitt’s secondary struggled last year, if Williams can start, they’ll be good to go. The good news is that defensive lineman Aaron Donald had arguably the best fall camp of any player, and Chryst made it known that he was impressed. Pitt had a surprisingly good defense last year, ranking 35th in total defense and allowing only 4.99 yards per play. The Panthers ranked 3rd overall in sacks, averaging well over three per game.

Even though Youngstown State QB Kurt Hess is coming off a banner year, and despite the fact that the last time the Penguins didn’t score a TD was in 2009, the improved Pitt defense should handle its FCS opponents. The Penguins lost one of their best wide receivers in Jelani Berassa to an ACL tear, so Hess has one less offensive weapon to use. Chryst doesn’t want to underestimate the Penguins offense though, as they do have 10 starters returning.

Verdict:

Pitt should win this game handily. Youngstown State has lost its last five season openers, and this one shouldn’t be any different. The Panthers are looking for redemption after a tumultuous 2011 season, and a loss or even an underwhelming win would not bode well. Expect Pitt to make a statement.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 42, Youngstown State 7

Kristin Bowser
A Pittsburgh native and a 2012 University of Georgia Broadcast Journalism grad. Lives and breathes Pittsburgh sports and enjoys college basketball and UGA sports. An expert in many fields including Mario Kart racing and making Easy Mac. Follow me on Twitter: @kbows.

I went back to her blog and looked for her game recap story - there was none.  The ability to add comments to the blog entry has been disabled, although they exist for her other blogs.

And the Mario Kart and Easy Mac comments are gone.  :)


Offline KentStGuin15

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #28 on: September 06, 2012, 08:30:41 PM »
Pitt looks awful
down 14-0 already with 7 minutes to go in 1st quarter vs cincy

Offline HLecter

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Re: YSU at Pitt - Link to stories, reports. etc
« Reply #29 on: September 07, 2012, 09:40:59 PM »
Post-Gazette: Panthers Safety (Vinopal) Has Reasons To Be Eager To Play:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/pitt-football/panthers-safety-has-reasons-to-be-eager-to-play-651045/

Pitt sophomore safety Ray Vinopal has been waiting a long time to play in a football game again. He hasn't suited up in 20 months, since his old team, Michigan, was beaten by Mississippi State, 52-14, in the 2011 Gator Bowl.

Vinopal, who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules, started six games as a freshman for the Wolverines, including that Gator Bowl loss. On Saturday, he'll get the starting nod again when the Panthers play Youngstown State in the season opener at Heinz Field.

Vinopal beat out junior safety Jason Hendricks, who started the first seven games last season before a shoulder injury ended his season.

"I can't wait," Vinopal said. "It's going to be awesome to finally get in a game situation and compete, especially playing my hometown team for the first time."

Vinopal is a Youngstown native and he spent many Saturdays at Youngstown State football games when he was a youth. His father, Chuck, played baseball there, and he is well-versed in the school's football tradition.

"I went to a lot of football games, tailgated with my buddies," said Vinopal, who has 25 friends and family members coming to the game Saturday. "Growing up there, YSU football, in general, is a pretty big deal. A lot of people care about it.

"They're going to play hard. I know that from being there. They're going to be out there to win the football game, so we have to come out ready to play."

Vinopal said sitting out last season was hard on him.

"It's been awhile since I stepped out there and competed," Vinopal said. "That's why you come to this type of program, to compete. Saturdays are what you live for. It killed me last year sitting on the sidelines in a jumpsuit. To finally be able to buckle up and get there will be awesome."


WOuldn't start at YSU.
I HATE MIAMI.  WATERBOARDING IS NOT TORTURE.  ABORTION IS.

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