Messages

196

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Do we make the Playoffs? Schedule is favorable

« on: October 23, 2022, 05:30:00 PM »

Guys just was trying to make a point.  But Tressel teams were always about winning in November.  If you don’t win you don’t make it.  I remember in 2016 we looked horrible then Hunter saved our season. Anything is possible. 

We have the best back pound for pound in FCS.  Who knows!

Yes, but in 2016 we had a very good defense. The lack of an effective quarterback was holding back the entire team. Then the return of a healthy Wells did indeed save the season.  This year no defense=no chance.

197

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Do we make the Playoffs? Schedule is favorable

« on: October 23, 2022, 03:25:01 PM »

We are a pathetic road team, barely "beating" a terrible Western Illinois squad. I don't see us coming close to winning at Illinois State or Missouri State (unless the MSU transfers have completely quit.)

If we were improving each week, I might hold out some hope.  But we are not. Our defense is bad and gets worse every game.

198

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: WIU in Game

« on: October 22, 2022, 11:39:19 PM »

With all of our growing pains, if the oc was just consistently conservative inside the ten yard line, we would be in better shape. Two classic examples today.  First drive, second and six from the nine yard line.  He throws two passes and then kicks the field goal.  Fourth quarter, third and less than two from the ten, he throws into the end zone on third down.  Then the fourth down pass was dropped but probably short of the first down marker anyway.

Let's see.  We have the best back in FCS. His relief is an acceptable complimentary runner. Yet we can't pound the ball in for the last ten yards?  Ridiculous. The only time Tressel ever threw from inside the ten was on play-action, usually to a wide open tight end.

We lost the North Dakota game by passing needlessly in the red zone.  We should have lost this game today for the same stupid reason. I'm not asking for genius strategy, just plain common sense.

199

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: WIU week

« on: October 19, 2022, 10:31:41 AM »

They have a new coach.  That quarterback who torched us in our second half meltdown last year is gone. They now have instability at qb with several contestants trying to earn the position.

Looking only at the statistics from the conference games, WIU has a slightly worse defense than us (444 ypg for them; 425 for us.)  The good thing for us going into this game is the fact that their offense stinks, scoring only 11.3 ppg and gaining only 231 ypg. And they can't stop the run, yielding over 200 ypg.

Now that we have a balanced offense, this game should not be competitive. There can be no excuses for losing this game or the next game at home to a nearly as weak South Dakota team.

200

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: UND Game thread

« on: October 15, 2022, 09:42:19 AM »

I have said all along it was a money issue.  We let one of the best recruiters in the nation go…who had won awards from his peers as an a$$istant.  His name was Wolford.  He made 2 mistakes.  One not putting his foot down in getting a bigger money pool for a$$istants. The other mistake was playing #8 at safety. His teams past the eye test physically.  Till we get more money somehow we will be mediocre. Which makes me feel that the AD failed to find the money or revenue stream for us to complete.

   It is absolutely a money issue.  Checkout this site to explore D-1 Sports and Academic Finances:  https://knightnewhousedata.org/fcs

Thanks for finding this source.  It is exactly what we need to form intelligent judgments.

201

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: UND Game thread

« on: October 10, 2022, 11:32:15 PM »

The head coach is likeable just not sure he will be able to surround himself with the staff needed to be successful in the league.  JT handled the offense and was loaded with defensive minds for as long as he was here.

That's not a coaching problem, that's a funding problem

Quite possibly.  We really need to know what competent assistant coaches are paid in the MVFC.  At a place saturated with money like NDSU, we would logically expect them to pay quite well. But I wonder if the rest of the schools in the league are able to pay their coaches more than we do.

202

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: UND Game thread

« on: October 10, 2022, 05:51:32 PM »

Since I went to the game, I had no idea what was said on the pre-game show. This information puts to rest the absurd notion that Tressel could be intimidated to select a coach at the whim of a donor. As president, Tressel has done much to fortify his legacy at YSU. Should Phillips work out in the long run it will be his last accomplishment.

I am as angry and disappointed as anybody, but a little historical perspective is in order.  Tressel actually inherited more talent from Narduzzi than Phillips did from Pelini. Yet he won two games in that first year, including the vital upset of Akron in the final game.  Then we snuck into the playoffs in his second year behind some unlikely last second wins.  But people forget that the third year was also a disaster.  It was not until 1989, the fourth year, that Tressel started to win consistently. And the competition that Tressel faced in the Ohio Valley (1986-87) and as an independent (1988-89) was way, way inferior to what Phillips confronts in the MVFC.

I hate the word "patience" too.  But there are no quick fixes to building a program "the right way" as penguinpower and others have noted. I suppose Phillips could have done what Petrino did at MSU, bring in 49 transfers and try to win immediately (as a ticket back to the big time for him.)  That worked a bit last season. How is that working for him in 2022?

203

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: NDSU Game Thread

« on: October 05, 2022, 02:49:35 PM »

You know, people are going to not agree ...

But I think we blew the best opportunity to beat NDSU that we could have asked for. They are playing well below par, but we could not capitalize on offense. That last FG does not count, but we should have been able to score 24-points in that game. I mean our secondary is inept and the Bison could not get the ball out there. The Bison defense lined up not more than 6-yards off the LOS, for the entire first half because our QB was incapable of throwing the ball and our OC was not willing to put him under center to establish the run and play-action. We scored 14-point s with a QB that does not even get much (if any) practice all week. We keep the Bison out of the end-zone the entire second half. Two dropped INT's that we threw directly into the Bison defender's hands. I see three more challenging games on our schedule, starting this Saturday. UND, ILS and SIU are superior teams to what we played last Saturday. We will also struggle with SMS and  S. Dakota. 

We need to stop looking at last Saturday's game as the "marker". We played an average football team. The difference is that the Bison coaches will learn and not make these same mistakes again. Our staff will continue to do what it has done for over a season now. Just so frustrating.  This is the point where I was ready to toss Tressel as well. Tressel did well with Duzzer's players & then he gave us just what we are seeing now. They still renewed his contract and we are all glad they did. Maybe the same thing is here with us now and we just have to be patient?

What? An “Average” FCS team can’t put up 300 yards of rushing against a P5 team… that’s what’s the Bison did the week before they played us…

But yes hopefully this is the downturn before this staff pulls it together, I think this week will be extremely informative

Correct.  Bison are a top 3 FCS team no matter how you look at it.

That "average" football team that beat us last Saturday would defeat half of the Big Ten. And the only thing similar about North Dakota and North Dakota State is the fact that green is the major school color for both institutions. Football 101: one team plays defense and the other team does not play much defense.

204

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: NDSU Game Thread

« on: October 03, 2022, 07:08:00 PM »

I see MD is pictured on the advertisement for this week.  Does that mean he gets the start?

On his radio show at 5:00, Phillips would not reveal his choice for qb this week.  He did state that Crenshaw had been hampered by a hamstring injury that he sustained in the summer. Which begs the question: if he physically can not run, why is he out there?

205

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: NDSU Game Thread

« on: October 03, 2022, 02:52:58 PM »

We need to give Mitch a try at least a few games under his belt.   Would have been nice if he could have started this game it could have been much different.   Oh well looks like another losing season at 5-6,

So far we’ve only lost to teams we should have lost to, we’ll find out how good this team is in the next stretch of games

Agreed.  Everybody in this league will lose to NDSU by at least 13 points, probably more inside their gym. This North Dakota game will tell us a lot.  Good offense, not very much defense, not a good track record of winning on the road.  We shall see.

206

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: NDSU Game Thread

« on: October 03, 2022, 02:49:29 PM »

Lol. This is what it looks like when a high school principal who only got the job because his buddy donated millions to the university is leading a bunch of D2 and D3 coaches. Embarra$$ing...

Totally agree!

Since when has football become rocket science?  Football is 90% about recruiting a d leadership, 5% strength and conditioning, And 5% on schemes and play calling.  But recruiting and leading a team is the main thing.  Most coaches that are the best at X's and O's can't recruit (Pelini). 

The recruiting is the most important part of the job and a former HS principal should have the skills to relate to the kids he's recruiting. 

We are a project.  So he missed at QB and he's got a problem at OC.  He will learn and get it fixed.  Luke Fickle at Cincinnati buit his program the same way.  But it took him several years.  Winning isn't going to come overnight after what Pelini did to the recruiting and how he left the cupboard bare.

Don't let your expectations get out of line. I think Phillips is the right guy for the job, and I've heard the kids love him.

Well said. Everybody remember that Phillips inherited Crenshaw. His recruits at QB are freshmen and unknown commodities.

207

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: NDSU Game Thread

« on: October 01, 2022, 08:16:52 PM »

I am not going to trash Crenshaw.  He is in an impossible situation: a running quarterback who is absolutely NOT ALLOWED TO RUN! Unbelievable and pathetic!

Here is a history lesson that a few of you might have heard about. In 1975, Narduzzi's first season, he installed a veer offense that required his quarterback to run the option repeatedly.  His quarterback was Cliff Stoudt, the traditional passer who had led the team to our first playoff appearance in 1974. Naturally, it was an abysmal failure. Narduzzi could not win until he found his veer quarterback in 1977.

This is the same freakin' thing but in reverse order. Allow Crenshaw to run 20 times.  Have him run many options with Jaleel.  Have him pass off play action and not from the pocket where he is inept. If in the spirit of Narduzzi you are stupid enough to insist on traditional quarterback play, then put in Davidson.

208

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: NDSU Week

« on: September 28, 2022, 11:53:58 PM »

A 2-2 start was baked into the schedule.  We all understood this. No FCS team will beat NDSU so making definitive judgments based on what happens this Saturday is rather pointless.

The next four games after Saturday will define Phillips and his staff. North Dakota and South Dakota don't play much defense and they are bad road teams.  Western Illinois and Indiana State stink. We should be 6-2 and looking at games with a decent but not good Illinois State and two good teams that we actually defeated last season when we had much less talent.

By Thanksgiving we will be able to deliver the verdict on this staff.

209

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: NDSU Week

« on: September 26, 2022, 12:52:27 PM »

Nothing causes the NDSU defense any real trouble.  Over the years the one thing that has been a minor inconvenience for them is a running quarterback. It would be insanity to force Crenshaw to pass from a small or nonexistent pocket.  To stay in this game we must get the ball into the hands of our skilled athletes with some space to operate.  Does anybody think that our offensive coaches can come up with such a plan? I certainly don't.

210

YSU Penguin Athletics / Re: Kentucky Game!

« on: September 18, 2022, 04:41:41 PM »

Good thing that you corrected that, Power.  You had me worried about you for a second.

I could not watch the game.  From the comments I am assuming that the coaches again forced Crenshaw to act like a traditional passer which he is not and can never be.  He can be valuable as a running qb who might become proficient with play-action passes.  Expecting him to be anything else is unfair to him and to us. Why the offensive coaches can not see what we all understand is incomprehensible to me.

Before we become too depressed, take some consolation in the old football adage: run the ball and stop the run. NDSU is going to annihilate us.  After that there is no reason that we cannot compete with the remaining seven opponents on our schedule.