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1292
YSU Penguin Athletics / Scalzo: Wolford looks for answers in Year 2
« on: October 11, 2011, 07:24:33 AM »
By Joe Scalzo
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Ex-Youngstown State coach Jim Tressel may not have attended Saturday’s halftime ceremonies honoring the 1991 national championship team, but his presence was still felt.
Like his predecessor, Jon Heacock, Penguins coach Eric Wolford is learning what it’s like when you live in the shadow of Tressel’s success.
“There’s a standard around here,” Wolford said at the beginning of this year’s training camp. “You guys know what the standard is. I don’t shy away from it. I embrace it.
“We’re going to get back to the standard that’s acceptable around here.”
Since that is the standard Wolford embraced, that is the standard by which this year’s team must be measured. And after Saturday’s 35-28 loss to South Dakota State — YSU’s second straight in conference play and third overall — it’s clear the Penguins are nowhere close.
“We just haven’t arrived yet,” Wolford said. “It’s very difficult, as you guys can tell.
“I’ve coached a lot of football. I’ve been through a lot of hard times. Good and bad. And I can assure you that this is a difficult loss for myself, our players and our program.”
Tressel won two games in his first year in 1986, then won eight in 1987, beginning a run of 10 playoff appearances in 13 years. After Tressel left for Ohio State in 2001, Heacock made the playoffs just once in his nine seasons and was replaced by Wolford last season.
While last year’s 3-8 record could be attributed in part to the huge amount of roster turnover that occurred in Wolford’s first year, this year’s 2-3 start is more puzzling.
And more disappointing, said senior DT Andrew Johnson.
“It does because I feel like we’re a lot more talented,” said Johnson, one of four co-captains. “I think we have a lot more skills at different positions. I don’t feel like we should lose against any team in this conference. That’s not being arrogant or anything; that’s how I feel our talent level is.
“We’ve just got to show up.”
Considering the team’s youth and inexperience, particularly on defense, it’s clear that the coaches and players should have done more to temper expectations. (Several players even talked about wanting to win a national championship this year, when competing for a playoff spot seemed like a more reasonable goal.)
Making matters worse, YSU still has November road games against the two best teams in the conference: North Dakota State and Northern Iowa.
Last year’s team was marked not just by its close losses, but its ability to stay together and stay competitive even when it was clear that there was nothing to play for but pride. This year’s team needs to do the same.
That’s what makes Saturday’s road game against Southern Illinois so crucial, said junior RB Jamaine Cook.
“You know what happens when things are going downhill like this,” said Cook, another captain. “We’ve got to keep guys together. Because either we’re going to come together or we’re going to fall apart.”
Like last season, YSU’s most immediate concern is with its secondary. The Penguins have often looked helpless against spread offenses and allowed a redshirt freshman quarterback in his third start, South Dakota State’s Austin Sumner, to torch them for 345 yards and four touchdowns.
If you’re wondering how that happened, consider this: Youngstown State started three freshmen linebackers, two freshmen cornerbacks and two safeties, junior Sir Aaron Taylor and senior Scott Sentner, who were starting their first career games.
“We got to find some guys at the right spots somewhere,” Wolford said. “I don’t know how we’re going to do it. But we’ve got to do something.”
In Saturday’s postgame press conference, Wolford said the coaches will make some depth chart changes this week. Ultimately, though, there’s not much they can do.
Wolford and his staff may eventually build YSU into a perennial playoff contender, but it’s clearly not going to happen this year.
“It’s a process,” Wolford said. “I’m very impatient, just like a lot of people. But I don’t think it’s going to be an overnight process.”
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Ex-Youngstown State coach Jim Tressel may not have attended Saturday’s halftime ceremonies honoring the 1991 national championship team, but his presence was still felt.
Like his predecessor, Jon Heacock, Penguins coach Eric Wolford is learning what it’s like when you live in the shadow of Tressel’s success.
“There’s a standard around here,” Wolford said at the beginning of this year’s training camp. “You guys know what the standard is. I don’t shy away from it. I embrace it.
“We’re going to get back to the standard that’s acceptable around here.”
Since that is the standard Wolford embraced, that is the standard by which this year’s team must be measured. And after Saturday’s 35-28 loss to South Dakota State — YSU’s second straight in conference play and third overall — it’s clear the Penguins are nowhere close.
“We just haven’t arrived yet,” Wolford said. “It’s very difficult, as you guys can tell.
“I’ve coached a lot of football. I’ve been through a lot of hard times. Good and bad. And I can assure you that this is a difficult loss for myself, our players and our program.”
Tressel won two games in his first year in 1986, then won eight in 1987, beginning a run of 10 playoff appearances in 13 years. After Tressel left for Ohio State in 2001, Heacock made the playoffs just once in his nine seasons and was replaced by Wolford last season.
While last year’s 3-8 record could be attributed in part to the huge amount of roster turnover that occurred in Wolford’s first year, this year’s 2-3 start is more puzzling.
And more disappointing, said senior DT Andrew Johnson.
“It does because I feel like we’re a lot more talented,” said Johnson, one of four co-captains. “I think we have a lot more skills at different positions. I don’t feel like we should lose against any team in this conference. That’s not being arrogant or anything; that’s how I feel our talent level is.
“We’ve just got to show up.”
Considering the team’s youth and inexperience, particularly on defense, it’s clear that the coaches and players should have done more to temper expectations. (Several players even talked about wanting to win a national championship this year, when competing for a playoff spot seemed like a more reasonable goal.)
Making matters worse, YSU still has November road games against the two best teams in the conference: North Dakota State and Northern Iowa.
Last year’s team was marked not just by its close losses, but its ability to stay together and stay competitive even when it was clear that there was nothing to play for but pride. This year’s team needs to do the same.
That’s what makes Saturday’s road game against Southern Illinois so crucial, said junior RB Jamaine Cook.
“You know what happens when things are going downhill like this,” said Cook, another captain. “We’ve got to keep guys together. Because either we’re going to come together or we’re going to fall apart.”
Like last season, YSU’s most immediate concern is with its secondary. The Penguins have often looked helpless against spread offenses and allowed a redshirt freshman quarterback in his third start, South Dakota State’s Austin Sumner, to torch them for 345 yards and four touchdowns.
If you’re wondering how that happened, consider this: Youngstown State started three freshmen linebackers, two freshmen cornerbacks and two safeties, junior Sir Aaron Taylor and senior Scott Sentner, who were starting their first career games.
“We got to find some guys at the right spots somewhere,” Wolford said. “I don’t know how we’re going to do it. But we’ve got to do something.”
In Saturday’s postgame press conference, Wolford said the coaches will make some depth chart changes this week. Ultimately, though, there’s not much they can do.
Wolford and his staff may eventually build YSU into a perennial playoff contender, but it’s clearly not going to happen this year.
“It’s a process,” Wolford said. “I’m very impatient, just like a lot of people. But I don’t think it’s going to be an overnight process.”
1293
YSU Penguin Athletics / Predictions
« on: October 07, 2011, 06:06:08 PM »
Okay folks. It is time ...
Guins 42-27 & Tressel DOES show up.
Guins 42-27 & Tressel DOES show up.
1294
YSU Penguin Athletics / Brian Campbell to be Inducted into Tiffin Hall of Fame Tonight
« on: October 07, 2011, 05:01:30 PM »
Youngstown State Head Softball Coach Brian Campbell will be enshrined tonight into the Tiffin University Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2011.
Campbell, who was the head coach at Tiffin from 2001 is the most honored softball coach in Tiffin University history.
At Tiffin, Campbell won six coach-of-the-year honors over his eight-year career, leading the Dragons to two NAIA National Tournament appearances, two Region IX Championships, five American Mideast Conference Championships, and a peak NAIA ranking of 13th in the nation.
He was twice named Independent Division II Coach of the Year while also landing the 2006 Region IX Coach-of-the-Year honors.
Campbell's teams won 285 games, including an impressive 104-16 mark in conference play. He earned his Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in Criminal Justice from Tiffin University.
Campbell, who was the head coach at Tiffin from 2001 is the most honored softball coach in Tiffin University history.
At Tiffin, Campbell won six coach-of-the-year honors over his eight-year career, leading the Dragons to two NAIA National Tournament appearances, two Region IX Championships, five American Mideast Conference Championships, and a peak NAIA ranking of 13th in the nation.
He was twice named Independent Division II Coach of the Year while also landing the 2006 Region IX Coach-of-the-Year honors.
Campbell's teams won 285 games, including an impressive 104-16 mark in conference play. He earned his Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in Criminal Justice from Tiffin University.
1295
YSU Penguin Athletics / Trib: Former Hubbard standout YSU’s top backup
« on: October 07, 2011, 06:45:00 AM »
By Joe Catullo Jr. , Tribune Chronicle | TribToday.com
YOUNGSTOWN - Marc Kanetsky's most memorable moment in the sport he loves and plays also is his most heartbreaking.
Kanetsky's alma mater, Hubbard High School, was up against a tall order as they made a 94-minute trip to Mentor Lake Catholic, just east of Cleveland.
The OHSSA regional semifinal on Nov. 11, 2006, saw the Eagles down by nine in the fourth quarter.
Kanetsky, then a junior, scrambled away from danger and tossed a pass to his tight end at the Cougars' 15-yard line.
The receiver raced into the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but the ruling on the field is a fumble. Two plays later, Lake Catholic had quickly moved 80 yards for a momentum-seizing touchdown and an eventual 31-12 victory.
"He was about one or so yards in the end zone when he spun out and hit the ground," Kanetsky said. "It should have been a touchdown."
Kanetsky, who began playing football when he was 6, was born and raised in Hubbard. He followed in the footsteps of older brothers Matthew and Marty as a starting quarterback for the Eagles.
Jeff Bayuk coached Kanetsky in his first three years. Brian Hoffman replaced Bayuk in 2007, Kanetsky's senior season.
"Each coach had players that fit into their own system," Kanetsky said. "After coach Bayuk left, we weren't as traditionally big as we were, so it was kind of a good time because our skill set changed. Once my team came in, we were more of a spread team and more skilled than size."
Kanetsky threw for 2,288 yards and 25 touchdowns in the new spread offense. He set school records with 5,042 career-passing yards and 47 touchdowns. He earned awards such as the two-time Honorable-Mention Division III All-Ohio selection, WYTV Student-Athlete of the year and more.
Kanetsky also played baseball and basketball. The class valedictorian was a first-team all-conference selection in baseball and second-team all-conference in basketball.
After high school, Kanetsky said he wanted to play at Youngstown State University because it is home, but he found trouble along the way.
"The (high school) coaching change kind of hurt my recruiting," Kanetsky said. "I really didn't have a coach until midway in my junior year after coach Bayuk left, so it was kind of a tough spot."
In his freshman year at YSU he was never redshirted because the then placeholder was injured in the third game of the 2008 campaign, and Kanetsky had to fill the vacant spot despite never being a holder in high school.
"I enjoy holding it," Kanetsky said. "I have good hands. I was always a third baseman in baseball, so I was always took pride in it."
YSU coach Eric Wolford agreed with Kantesky.
"He's got great hands," Wolford said. "To be a holder you got to have great hands."
Kanetsky's proudest moment as a college quarterback came in 2009 at North Dakota State University, his first and only career start at quarterback.
"They fumbled the first play, we took over at midfield and we went right down, and I threw a touchdown," Kanetsky said. "It went to Donald Jones who plays for the Bills now. It's cool to see him have success on Sundays now."
When Wolford joined the Penguins in 2010, Kanetsky fought for the starting role against incoming freshman Kurt Hess. Wolford said it was a fight to the finish.
"Realistically, we decided as a staff to give Kurt the nod just because of his youth," Wolford said. "He's going to be with the program longer. We felt like Kanetsky did some things better and Kurt did some things better."
As a backup quarterback, Kanetsky must prepare and practice exactly like Hess. He said nobody knows the importance of a second-string quarterback until the unexpected happens.
"I've prepared just as much as Kurt, watched film with him, and meet and go over stuff with him," Kanetsky said. "Every play during practice, I'm seeing the same things he's seeing. I'm running the same play in my head. Once he comes off the field, I'm giving him feedback. We feed off of each other."
Kanetsky and Hess knew each other before they committed to YSU. They met at a quarterback camp in Toledo when they were in high school and were roommates.
"He's really helped me a lot just learning football and the college life," Hess said. "It's been great having him here and on the sidelines. He's one of the play callers, and he helps us out. He's kind of just a release sometimes to get away from coaches, my family and things like that."
Hess added that Kanetsky is a great competitor.
"He's always going to give everything he's got and we're both in the same light," Hess said. "We both want to see Youngstown succeed and both want to bring our team to the top. Marc's going to do whatever it takes to get us there, and I like that in him."
Wolford said it's great to have a guy like Kanetsky on the team and has no concerns in case Hess ever gets injured.
"He does a great job with our extra points and field goals," Wolford said. "There's been a lot of times where he saved the long snapper as far as being sure to handle the ball. He's a great kid and a great student of the game."
In his college career, Kanetsky is 7 of 16 for 65 yards and one touchdown. He has started every game since 2009 as the team's holder.
YOUNGSTOWN - Marc Kanetsky's most memorable moment in the sport he loves and plays also is his most heartbreaking.
Kanetsky's alma mater, Hubbard High School, was up against a tall order as they made a 94-minute trip to Mentor Lake Catholic, just east of Cleveland.
The OHSSA regional semifinal on Nov. 11, 2006, saw the Eagles down by nine in the fourth quarter.
Kanetsky, then a junior, scrambled away from danger and tossed a pass to his tight end at the Cougars' 15-yard line.
The receiver raced into the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but the ruling on the field is a fumble. Two plays later, Lake Catholic had quickly moved 80 yards for a momentum-seizing touchdown and an eventual 31-12 victory.
"He was about one or so yards in the end zone when he spun out and hit the ground," Kanetsky said. "It should have been a touchdown."
Kanetsky, who began playing football when he was 6, was born and raised in Hubbard. He followed in the footsteps of older brothers Matthew and Marty as a starting quarterback for the Eagles.
Jeff Bayuk coached Kanetsky in his first three years. Brian Hoffman replaced Bayuk in 2007, Kanetsky's senior season.
"Each coach had players that fit into their own system," Kanetsky said. "After coach Bayuk left, we weren't as traditionally big as we were, so it was kind of a good time because our skill set changed. Once my team came in, we were more of a spread team and more skilled than size."
Kanetsky threw for 2,288 yards and 25 touchdowns in the new spread offense. He set school records with 5,042 career-passing yards and 47 touchdowns. He earned awards such as the two-time Honorable-Mention Division III All-Ohio selection, WYTV Student-Athlete of the year and more.
Kanetsky also played baseball and basketball. The class valedictorian was a first-team all-conference selection in baseball and second-team all-conference in basketball.
After high school, Kanetsky said he wanted to play at Youngstown State University because it is home, but he found trouble along the way.
"The (high school) coaching change kind of hurt my recruiting," Kanetsky said. "I really didn't have a coach until midway in my junior year after coach Bayuk left, so it was kind of a tough spot."
In his freshman year at YSU he was never redshirted because the then placeholder was injured in the third game of the 2008 campaign, and Kanetsky had to fill the vacant spot despite never being a holder in high school.
"I enjoy holding it," Kanetsky said. "I have good hands. I was always a third baseman in baseball, so I was always took pride in it."
YSU coach Eric Wolford agreed with Kantesky.
"He's got great hands," Wolford said. "To be a holder you got to have great hands."
Kanetsky's proudest moment as a college quarterback came in 2009 at North Dakota State University, his first and only career start at quarterback.
"They fumbled the first play, we took over at midfield and we went right down, and I threw a touchdown," Kanetsky said. "It went to Donald Jones who plays for the Bills now. It's cool to see him have success on Sundays now."
When Wolford joined the Penguins in 2010, Kanetsky fought for the starting role against incoming freshman Kurt Hess. Wolford said it was a fight to the finish.
"Realistically, we decided as a staff to give Kurt the nod just because of his youth," Wolford said. "He's going to be with the program longer. We felt like Kanetsky did some things better and Kurt did some things better."
As a backup quarterback, Kanetsky must prepare and practice exactly like Hess. He said nobody knows the importance of a second-string quarterback until the unexpected happens.
"I've prepared just as much as Kurt, watched film with him, and meet and go over stuff with him," Kanetsky said. "Every play during practice, I'm seeing the same things he's seeing. I'm running the same play in my head. Once he comes off the field, I'm giving him feedback. We feed off of each other."
Kanetsky and Hess knew each other before they committed to YSU. They met at a quarterback camp in Toledo when they were in high school and were roommates.
"He's really helped me a lot just learning football and the college life," Hess said. "It's been great having him here and on the sidelines. He's one of the play callers, and he helps us out. He's kind of just a release sometimes to get away from coaches, my family and things like that."
Hess added that Kanetsky is a great competitor.
"He's always going to give everything he's got and we're both in the same light," Hess said. "We both want to see Youngstown succeed and both want to bring our team to the top. Marc's going to do whatever it takes to get us there, and I like that in him."
Wolford said it's great to have a guy like Kanetsky on the team and has no concerns in case Hess ever gets injured.
"He does a great job with our extra points and field goals," Wolford said. "There's been a lot of times where he saved the long snapper as far as being sure to handle the ball. He's a great kid and a great student of the game."
In his college career, Kanetsky is 7 of 16 for 65 yards and one touchdown. He has started every game since 2009 as the team's holder.
1296
YSU Penguin Athletics / Game Day Saturday Schedule
« on: October 06, 2011, 03:20:59 PM »
Saturday's Schedule vs. South Dakota State
9 a.m. - Athletic Ticket Office opens
10 a.m. - Tailgate Lots (M-24 and M-7) open
1 p.m. -- River Saints Band in M-7 Tailgate Lot
1 p.m. -- YSU Football Alumni Tailgate Blast in M-7 Tailgate Lot
1:40 p.m. - YSU Football "Team Walk" Through M-24 Tailgate Lot
2 p.m. -- Penguin Club Tent at Armed Forces Blvd. opens
2:30 p.m. - Stambaugh Stadium Gates Open
2:30 p.m. - North/South/East Side Ticket Booths Open/Handicap Parking Available behind East Stands/Shuttle Service Available
3 p.m. -- YSU Marching Pride Ice Breakers south of Stambaugh Stadium
3 p.m. - Mosure Hall of Gridiron Glory Opens
3 p.m. -- 570 WKBN YSU/Pizza Hut Tailgate Show Live from M-24 Lot
3:40 p.m. - YSU Marching Pride Pregame Show
3:50 p.m. - Tailgate Lot Closes
4 p.m. - Kickoff
Halftime - YSU Marching Pride, 1991 National Championship Team Honored
Postgame: Fifth-Quarter Call-in Radio Show on 570 WKBN
Game Replay on MyYTV at 8 p.m. on Saturday and Noon on Sunday (Channel 13 and 108 on Armstrong Cable and Channel 247 on Time Warner Cable)
9 a.m. - Athletic Ticket Office opens
10 a.m. - Tailgate Lots (M-24 and M-7) open
1 p.m. -- River Saints Band in M-7 Tailgate Lot
1 p.m. -- YSU Football Alumni Tailgate Blast in M-7 Tailgate Lot
1:40 p.m. - YSU Football "Team Walk" Through M-24 Tailgate Lot
2 p.m. -- Penguin Club Tent at Armed Forces Blvd. opens
2:30 p.m. - Stambaugh Stadium Gates Open
2:30 p.m. - North/South/East Side Ticket Booths Open/Handicap Parking Available behind East Stands/Shuttle Service Available
3 p.m. -- YSU Marching Pride Ice Breakers south of Stambaugh Stadium
3 p.m. - Mosure Hall of Gridiron Glory Opens
3 p.m. -- 570 WKBN YSU/Pizza Hut Tailgate Show Live from M-24 Lot
3:40 p.m. - YSU Marching Pride Pregame Show
3:50 p.m. - Tailgate Lot Closes
4 p.m. - Kickoff
Halftime - YSU Marching Pride, 1991 National Championship Team Honored
Postgame: Fifth-Quarter Call-in Radio Show on 570 WKBN
Game Replay on MyYTV at 8 p.m. on Saturday and Noon on Sunday (Channel 13 and 108 on Armstrong Cable and Channel 247 on Time Warner Cable)
1297
YSU Penguin Athletics / Official Preview: YSU Begins Key October Stretch With Home Tilt vs. SDSU
« on: October 05, 2011, 01:14:03 PM »
The Youngstown State football team begins a key stretch of three home games in the month of October against South Dakota State on Saturday. Kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium is set for 4 p.m. and will be carried live on 570 WKBN and televised on tape delay by MyYTV.
Both teams are coming off losses to Indiana State entering Saturday's tilt. YSU dropped a 37-35 decision at Terre Haute on Sept. 24 while the Jackrabbits lost at home 38-28 to the Sycamores last Saturday. The Penguins and SDSU each allowed 21-point spurts to Indiana State, which proved to be the difference in both contests.
YSU (2-2 overall and 1-1 in the MVFC) trailed 21-0 just 10 minutes into the contest at Indiana State, and, although battling back all afternoon, came up just short falling 37-35. Kurt Hess threw two touchdown passes and Jamaine Cook ran for two scores in the comeback bid. After allowing 34 points in the first 26 minutes, the Penguins allowed just three the remainder of the game. However, a 22-yard fourth-quarter field goal by Cory Little proved to the be the difference.
SDSU (1-4 and 0-2) trailed Indiana State 17-15 late in the third quarter on Saturday, but three straight Sycamore touchdowns were too much to overcome in a 38-28 loss. The Jackrabbits had 414 yards of total offense, including 305 yards passing by Austin Sumner. The Jacks led 9-3 midway through the second quarter making three chip-shot field goals. SDSU was driving down 24-15, but a 78-yard interception return for a touchdown by ISU helped turned the momentum of the game.
The Jackrabbits have won all three conference meetings between the two programs in a series that dates back to 1942. Last season in Brookings, the Jackrabbits earned a 30-20 win over the Penguins. In 2009 at YSU, SDSU scored two second-half touchdowns for a 17-3 win. At Brookings in 2008, the Guins lost 40-7. The Penguins' most recent win in the series was 23-17 triumph in 2007. The schools played seven times from 1968 through 1979, with the final contest coming in the Division II playoffs at Austintown Fitch High School.
YSU returns to the road next Saturday for a contest at nationally-ranked Southern Illinois. The Guins then close out October with home games agianst Saint Francis (Pa.) and Western Illinois.
Indiana State Game Notes
• In the first 10:30 of the game, YSU was outyarded 187 to minus-1. Indiana State had drives of 62, 58, 2 and 65 compared to YSU's minus-11, 6 and 4.
• The 34 points scored in the first half were the most allowed in a half since Georgia Southern had 38 in the first half of the National Championship Game on Dec. 18, 1999.
• The three second half points by ISU were the fewest since Butler was held scoreless last season.
• The Penguins had more first downs (30-14), more total plays (92-47), more time of possession (37:38 to 22:22), more rushing attempts (51-30), more passing attempts (41-17), more third-down conversions (8-2), more fourth-down conversions (3-0) and more total yards (470-467) in the game.
• Of Indiana State's 467 yards of total offense, 280 came on five plays (rushes of 62, 61, 51 and 39 and a fourth-quarter pass completion of 67 yards).
• Sophomore WR Jelani Berassa caught two four-yard touchdown passes in the game.
• Junior TB Jamaine Cook eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and ninth time in his career. Cook had a season-high 177 yards on 33 carries.
• WR Christian Bryan caught a school freshman record seven passes in the game. He had seven catches for 75 yards.
• The 14 fourth-quarter points scored were a season-high for the Penguins.
• YSU was 5-for-5 in the red zone while Indiana State was 2-of-2.
• The Penguins converted three fourth-down plays. Two came on the same drive in the second quarter trailing 27-7, and the other came on the final snap of the third quarter with YSU trailing 34-21.
• The Penguins scored 21 of the game's final 24 points.
ISU Recap: ISU 37, YSU 35
The Penguins battled the final 50 minutes trying to dig out of a 21-0 hole, but in the end they came up just short losing 37-35 to Indiana State at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Sycamores shot out of the gate scoring 21 points in just over 10 minutes to put the Guins in a tight spot.
YSU scored on the final play of the first quarter, but Shakir Bell answered with a 61-yard run on ISU's first play of the second.
Kurt Hess connected with Jelani Berassa on a four-yard pass midway through the period, but Bell's fourth touchdown of the first half gave ISU a 34-14 lead. Jamaine Cook found the end zone in the final minute of the first half as the Guins trailed 34-21 at the break.
After a scoreless third quarter, YSU pulled within 34-28 early in the fourth on a one-yard run by Cook. But a 22-yard field goal by Cory Little pushed the lead to nine. YSU was able to get within two on a toss from Hess to Berassa with just over a minute left.
Jacks Scouting Report
South Dakota State enters the contest with the Penguins following a 38-28 loss to Indiana State. The Jackrabbits opened the year with a nail-biting 29-28 win over Southern Utah, but has since lost their last five contests, including MVFC games to Illinois State and Indiana State.
Twice this year the Jackrabbits have scored 28-or-more points while allowing more than 28 in four contests.
Quarterback Austin Sumner has started the past two games for SDSU. The Jackrabbits have 13 turnovers on the season while averaging 284.6 yards per game. They are allowing 417.6 yards a contest so far this year.
Last Year's Recap: SDSU 30, YSU 20
Big passing plays by South Dakota State and Kyle Minett's legs made the difference as the Penguins suffered a 30-20 loss to the Jackrabbits at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
SDSU had four passes of 33 yards or more, all of which came on scoring drives, and Minett rushed for 185 yards on 26 attempts to lead the Jackrabbits.
Trailing 7-0, YSU went up 9-7 following a Stephen Blose 34-yard field goal and a 33-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Hess to Dominique Barnes with 1:41 left in the first quarter.
But South Dakota State scored 23 of the next 26 points to go on top 30-12 midway through the fourth quarter. The Guins lone points during that stretch came on a 19-yard field goal by Blose that cut the deficit to 17-12.
YSU pulled within 30-20 on a 15-yard pass from Hess to Ely Ducatel and a two-point conversion run by Hess with 5:34 left in the game.
Series History
The Jackrabbits have won all three Missouri Valley Football Conference clashes between the two progams and lead the overall series 7-5.
Last season in Brookings, the Jackrabbits earned a 30-20 win over the Penguins. In 2009 at YSU, SDSU scored two second-half touchdowns for a 17-3 win. At Brookings in 2008, the Guins lost 40-7.
The series with SDSU dates back to a 1942 meeting, and the schools played seven times from 1968 through 1979, with the final contest coming in the Divison II playoffs at Austintown Fitch High School. The teams resumed the series in 2007 with a YSU win, but SDSU has won the past three games.
Extra Week Pays Off
The Penguins have won six of their last seven games following a bye week dating back to the 1998 campaign. A 2009 loss at Southern Illinois snapped YSU's six-game winning streak coming off idle Saturdays. Historically, the Guins have had success following some time to catch their breath and get healthy. Since 1975, YSU has won 24 of 28 games following an idle weekend. The Oct. 1 respite was just the second off Saturday in October since 1997 (2009 at SIU was the other time).
Don't Leave Early
The Penguins' last 11 Missouri Valley Football Conference games have all been decided by 10 points or fewer. Dating back to a 39-35 win over North Dakota State on Nov. 21, 2009, YSU has played nine MVFC games decided by a touchdown or less out of those 11. The Guins' last five league games dating back to last season have been decided by a total of 21 points. Also, six of those 11 have been decided by five points or less.
Sharing the Ice Castle
The Penguins welcomed some special visitors to Stambaugh Stadium last week. The San Francisco 49ers practiced at the Stadium on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and used the weight and athletic training rooms throughout the week. The 49ers are owned by John and Denise DeBartolo-York, who have a residence in nearby Canfield. Instead of make consecutive treks from the West Coast for East Coast games, the 49ers headquartered in Youngstown last week after beating the Cincinnati Bengals. San Francisco ended the trip on positive note, rallying to beat Philadelphia 24-23 on Sunday.
Cook Remains Steady
Junior tailback Jamaine Cook has rushed for more than 100 yards in the past three games following the ninth 100-yard rushing performance of his career at Indiana State.
He rushed for a season-high 177 yards in the loss to the Sycamores. Cook had 30 carries in the contest.
For the year, he has rushed for 501 yards on 95 carries. Now that conference action has started his workload has increased. In two non-conference games, Cook rushed 32 times. He had 30 carries last time out at Indiana State after a season-high 33 in the win over Illinois State.
Hess Continues to Impress
Sophomore QB Kurt Hess has averaged 240.3 yards passing per game the past three outings. Highlighting Hess' strong performances was a career-high 293-yard and four-touchdown effort in the win over Illinois State.
At Indiana State, Hess completed 25-of-41 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. It marked the eighth time in his 15 career games that he eclipsed the 200-yard mark.
He is now the seventh quarterback in school history to throw for at least 200 yards in eight games. The school mark is 13 set by Tom Zetts during a four-year career that featured 47 starts.
For the season Hess has completed 75-of-118 passes (63.6 percent) for 847 yards and nine touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions. In his career, he has completed 254-of-422 passes (60.1 percent) for 2,964 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Bryan Already Up to 23
Freshman wide receiver Christian Bryan has 23 catches in his first four games as a Penguin. Bryan had a career-high seven catches at Indiana State, which set a school record for most grabs in a game by a freshman.
His 23 catches are already more than YSU's top receiver had in 2001 (21) and 2002 (20).
In his other three contests, Bryan had five catches against both Illinois State and Valparaiso and six in his debut at Michigan State.
Against the Redbirds, Bryan caught his first career touchdown pass – a 25-yarder from Kurt Hess in the first quarter.
The freshman mark for catches in a game was six, held previously by TB Jake Andreadis, which he established in 1995.
Milestone Update
Junior TB Jamaine Cook needs 112 yards to become the 17th player in school history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a career. Kurt Hess needs just 36 yards to become the 12th quarterback in YSU history to throw for more than 3,000 yards as a Guin. Hess's 21 career touchdown passes ranks him 11th in school history as well. Senior LB John Sasson went over 200 tackles for his career at Indiana State.
Preaching Red-Zone Success
Head Coach Eric Wolford continues to stress Red Zone play in his second campaign. In 17 trips this year, the Penguins have scored 16 touchdowns and missed a field goal (at Michigan State).
In his 15 games as coach, the Penguins are 57-for-62 (91.9 percent) when moving the ball inside the red zone.
Last year, YSU was 41-of-45 in the red zone, which ranked third in the FCS, for a conversion percentage of 91.1 percent.
So far through five weeks of FCS action, the Penguins rank sixth in the nation at 94 percent. UNI leads the nation and is the only remaining team in the country to be perfect so far.
Berassa A Playmaker
Sophomore WR Jelani Berassa caught two four-yard touchdown passes against Indiana State. Berassa caught the first touchdown pass of his career in the season opener at Michigan State.
Against the Sycamores, he had six catches for 44 yards and the two scores. Berassa had six catches in the first three games, including three for a career-best 46 yards against Illinois State.
New Line Holding up Well
Through the first four games, the YSU offensive line is allowing an average of one sack per game, which ranks 15th in the FCS. The same unit has started each contest together - LT Andrew Radakovich, LG Lamar Mady, C Mark Pratt, RG Chris Elkins and RT D.J. Main.
Offense High In FCS Ranks
The Penguins rank in the top 20 in the FCS in 12 offensive categories (out of 15). YSU is first in fewest fumbles lost; second in first downs per game and third-down conversion pct.; fourth in turnovers lost; sixth in red zone percentage; seventh in rushing offense; eighth in total offense and scoring offense; 10th in time of possession; 14th in interceptions thrown and fourth-down conversion percentage and 15th in sacks allowed.
Impressive First Halves
The Penguins have scored 118 of their 152 points in the first half this year. YSU has scored 56 points in the first quarter and 62 in the second quarter.
YSU did not punt in the first half against either Illinois State and Valparaiso. Against the Redbirds, YSU scored touchdowns on each of its four first-half scoring drives. In the Valpo game, YSU scored on its first nine possessions and took a knee to end the opening half.
Defense Stepping Up
YSU's defense has been strong in the second half this season. In the past three games, the Guins have allowed 24 second-half points, including a season-low three at Indiana State.
Last year, the Penguins allowed an average of 17 points in the second half. In four games this year, they are allowing just 9.2 a contest.
Since the opener at Michigan State, YSU has allowed just eight first downs and seven pass completions in the past three fourth quarters.
Big Plays Hurt at ISU
YSU had done a good job of limiting big plays in the first three games of the season before the Indiana State game.
In the first three games of the year, the Guins had allowed just six plays longer than 20 yards on 187 opponent snaps.
Indiana State ran just 47 plays, but five were big gainers, including four on the ground. ISU had runs of 62, 61, 51 and 39 (all touchdowns) and connected on 67 yard pass in the fourth quarter.
Otherwise in 42 plays, YSU allowed 187 total yards, 122 yards passing and 65 yards rushing. Shakir Bell had 43 yards on his 17 other attempts that did not go for touchdowns.
Third-Down Conversions
The Penguins have converted 29-of-54 third-down situations so far this year (53.7 percent). YSU was 8-of-18 at Indiana State, 7-of-14 versus Illinois State, 6-of-9 against Valpo and 8-of-15 at Michigan State. The Penguins rank second behind Towson (56 percent) in successful third-downs converted at the FCS level.
Last year, YSU was fourth in the FCS in third-down conversions at 47.8 percent.
Distributing the Ball
YSU quarterback Kurt Hess has completed passes to 12 different players so far this season. Six wide receivers, three running backs and three tight ends have combined for 50 receptions so far this year.
Of that group, only TE David Rogers and WR Andre Barboza are seniors. YSU's leading receiver is freshman Christian Bryan with 23 catches for 262 yards. Sophomores Jelani Berassa and Kevin Watts have combined for 21 receptions.
Now We're Cooking
Junior TB Jamaine Cook, who is on the preseason Watch List for the Walter Payton Award, is making a good candidacy for the award averaging 125.2 yards and nearly 24 carries per contest. He is averaging 5.3 yards per rush. He is 10th in the FCS in yards per game average.
For his career, Cook has rushed for 1,888 yards on 357 carries and scored 15 touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He also has 31 receptions for 272 yards.
Cook, a second-team All-MVFC selection in 2010, has nine 100-yard plus rushing games in his career.
Last season against South Dakota State, he rushed for 78 yards on 18 carries.
Youngsters at LB
YSU started three freshmen linebackers at Indiana State. Redshirts Davion Rogers and Travis Williams along with true freshman Teven Williams were all in the starting lineup. Travis Williams was credited with a team-high eight total tackles while Rogers and Teven Williams were each credited with five.
Barboza is Mr. Touchdown
Senior WR Andre Barboza has 10 career receptions, and four are for touchdowns. This year, Barboza has seven catches in four games after having just three in the 2010 campaign. He has three touchdown grabs this year, including 20 and 44-yard touchdown strikes against Illinois State. The previous week against Valparaiso, he had a 24-yard scoring reception.
Turnovers Hard to Come By
After four games, the Penguins have three giveaways and four takeaways. In fact, YSU's lone lost fumble of the season was when DT Aronde Stanton tried to return an Indiana State fumble for a touchdown, only to fumble the ball as well on the one-yard line. Two fourth-quarter Kurt Hess interceptions are the other two giveaways. YSU does not have a turnover in the first or third quarters this season.
However, the opposition has held onto the ball as well. Michigan State fumbled a punt, LB Dom Rich intercepted a pass in the final minute of the first half against Valparaiso and Quentin Jones recovered a fourth-quarter fumble. Shakir Bell was stripped by Stanton at Indiana State.
Top of the Liste
Sophomore punter Nick Liste has been a key contributor as both punter and kickoff specialist this season.
Liste is averaging 38.1 yards per punt while six of his 15 attempts have been inside the opposition's 20-yard line. The coverage has been solid with six of his punts resulting in fair catches while the six that have been returned have resulted in a gain of 28 yards (4.7 avg.).
He averaged 41.1 yards per kick last season, but the trade off was that 15 were returned for an average of 11.7 yards.
Liste has kicked off 22 times this season and because of his kicks and coverages, the Guins are allowing three fewer yards per return than in 2010.
Our Teams are Special
The Penguins have blocked three kicks - two PATs and one punt - and returned a punt for a touchdown so far this season.
The last time the Guins blocked four in one campaign was 2004.
After not punting against Valparaiso, a well-rested Nick Liste had an impressive performance against Illinois State. He placed three of his four punts inside the 20-yard line.
Against Valpo, YSU returned a punt for a touchdown, while blocking a punt and an extra-point. Junior PK David Brown set a school record with 11 extra-point kicks made in a single game while Josh Lee returned his punt for a touchdown a school-record 96 yards.
D-Line Each With a Sack
After four games, each member of the starting defensive line -- Daniel Stewart, Andrew Johnson, Aronde Stanton and Obinna Ekweremuba - has recorded a sack. YSU's four-sack total is already one-third of the way toward last year's 12.
Stewart is the active team leader in career sacks with three ahead of Obinna Ekweremuba (2.0), Andrew Johnson (2.0), Deonta Tate (1.5), Aronde Stanton (1.0) and John Sasson (0.5).
Another QB With Four TDs
QB Kurt Hess became the eighth quarterback in school history to throw four touchdown passes in a game when he accomplished the feat against Illinois State. Hess had scoring throws of 44, 25 20 and 10 in the game.
It was the first time a YSU quarterback threw four in a single game since Brandon Summers against Austin Peay in 2009.
Lee Sets Return Record
Senior CB Josh Lee set a school and conference record with his 96-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter against Valparaiso. It was the second straight season that a Penguin returned a punt for a touchdown in the home opener (Dominique Barnes returned one 80 yards vs. Butler).
No Seniors on the Line
The Penguins have no seniors on the offensive line this year. The last time no seniors started on the line was in 1998.
Since at least 1978, this is the first time no seniors at all were part of the offensive line.
Wolford in Second Year
Head Coach Eric Wolford is in his second season looking to build on last year's three-win campaign. Historically, the second years of head coaches have gone either way.
Here is a look at the previous five coaches and how they fared their first two years: Coach Dwight Beede won four games in each of his first two seasons; Rey Dempsey improved from four to eight; Bill Narduzzi went from five to four, Jim Tressel went from two to eight and Jon Heacock went from eight to seven.
Eight is Enough
The last three times the Penguins dropped eight games in one campaign, they rebounded strong the next year.
YSU is 2-2 in 2011 following a hard-luck 3-8 season last year. Most recently, the Guins lost eight times in 1995 and rebounded to win eight in 1996.
In 1986 (Coach Jim Tressel's first season), YSU suffered nine defeats but regrouped to win eight games and reach the postseason in 1987. In 1980, YSU was 2-8-1 and rebounded with a 7-4 mark the following year.
The only time YSU did not win at least seven games in the immediate year following an eight or nine-loss season was following the lone winless campaign in school history (0-9 in 1970). The Guins won twice in 1971.
WATTS New at YSU
Most visually will be the WATTS, the Watson and Tressel Training Site, an indoor practice facility east of the Stadium. The project was ongoing during last year's football campaign. The building is open for football and sports team practices.
YSU also had a new turf surface installed over the summer. The Sports Construction Group of Brecksville, Ohio, installed Shaw Sportexe's PowerBlade HP+ in Stambaugh Stadium for use by the football and soccer programs.
Single Digits in Fumbles
The Guins have lost one fumble (and that was on a returned fumble by DT Aronde Stanton at Indiana State) after four games this season.
Last year, YSU lost just nine fumbles marking the seventh straight season they have lost single digits in fumbles.
In 2009, YSU lost just three fumbles. In 2008, YSU lost nine in 12 games. YSU had nine fumbles lost in 2007, five in 2006, eight in 2005 and eight in 2004. Prior to the current seven-year streak, the Guins had committed single digits in fumbles lost in consecutive years just twice in school history (1986-87 and 1958-59).
The offense has run 309 plays with special teams chipping in 27 without a lost fumble.
And Your Captains Are:
The Penguins announced their 2011 captains on Aug. 27. Those selected were sophomore quarterback Kurt Hess, junior tailback Jamaine Cook, senior linebacker John Sasson and senior defensive tackle Andrew Johnson. Hess, who started every game at quarterback last year, is believed to be the first sophomore to be named a team captain in school history.
Building a Turnaround
Coach Eric Wolford is working to turn the Penguins' fortunes around quickly.
YSU has 15 junior-college transfers, eight Division I transfers and three lower-division transfers on the current roster.
The FBS transfers are QB Adam Charles (Akron), CB Devonta' Davis (Miami, Fla.), WR Juilian Harrell (Miami, Ohio), DT Andrew Johnson (Bowling Green), OT Andrew Radakovich (Penn State), Anthony Stryffeler (Ball State) and LB Travis Williams (Miami, Fla.).
Fresh Faces Past Two Years
This season the Penguins have played nine true freshmen - three have started - through the first four games. A total of 18 others have made their YSU debuts this year as well.
Last year, a total of 13 freshmen saw the field, including five who started.
Of the eight that are true sophomores in 2011, five are on offense and three are on defense. Donald D'Alesio, Jamarious Boatwright and Zach Larson will redshirt because of injuries while two are no longer with the program.
Numbers of Note
• Turnover Margin: Since 1996, the Penguins are 98-22 when they win or tie in the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 13-47.
Since 1990 YSU is:
• 130-18-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
• 102-11 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
• 123-18 when scoring 28-or-more points.
• 65-6-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
• 150-8 when leading entering the fourth.
• 68-3-2 when holding opponents to 10 points-or-less in a game.
Up Next: at Southern Illinois
YSU plays its lone road game in the month of October at Southern Illinois next Saturday. The Penguins will be making their first trip to SIU's two-year-old Saluki Stadium. Kickoff for the contest is set for 3 p.m. Eastern/2 p.m. Central time.
Southern Illinois, which is ranked 20th this week, plays host to North Dakota State on Saturday.
Both teams are coming off losses to Indiana State entering Saturday's tilt. YSU dropped a 37-35 decision at Terre Haute on Sept. 24 while the Jackrabbits lost at home 38-28 to the Sycamores last Saturday. The Penguins and SDSU each allowed 21-point spurts to Indiana State, which proved to be the difference in both contests.
YSU (2-2 overall and 1-1 in the MVFC) trailed 21-0 just 10 minutes into the contest at Indiana State, and, although battling back all afternoon, came up just short falling 37-35. Kurt Hess threw two touchdown passes and Jamaine Cook ran for two scores in the comeback bid. After allowing 34 points in the first 26 minutes, the Penguins allowed just three the remainder of the game. However, a 22-yard fourth-quarter field goal by Cory Little proved to the be the difference.
SDSU (1-4 and 0-2) trailed Indiana State 17-15 late in the third quarter on Saturday, but three straight Sycamore touchdowns were too much to overcome in a 38-28 loss. The Jackrabbits had 414 yards of total offense, including 305 yards passing by Austin Sumner. The Jacks led 9-3 midway through the second quarter making three chip-shot field goals. SDSU was driving down 24-15, but a 78-yard interception return for a touchdown by ISU helped turned the momentum of the game.
The Jackrabbits have won all three conference meetings between the two programs in a series that dates back to 1942. Last season in Brookings, the Jackrabbits earned a 30-20 win over the Penguins. In 2009 at YSU, SDSU scored two second-half touchdowns for a 17-3 win. At Brookings in 2008, the Guins lost 40-7. The Penguins' most recent win in the series was 23-17 triumph in 2007. The schools played seven times from 1968 through 1979, with the final contest coming in the Division II playoffs at Austintown Fitch High School.
YSU returns to the road next Saturday for a contest at nationally-ranked Southern Illinois. The Guins then close out October with home games agianst Saint Francis (Pa.) and Western Illinois.
Indiana State Game Notes
• In the first 10:30 of the game, YSU was outyarded 187 to minus-1. Indiana State had drives of 62, 58, 2 and 65 compared to YSU's minus-11, 6 and 4.
• The 34 points scored in the first half were the most allowed in a half since Georgia Southern had 38 in the first half of the National Championship Game on Dec. 18, 1999.
• The three second half points by ISU were the fewest since Butler was held scoreless last season.
• The Penguins had more first downs (30-14), more total plays (92-47), more time of possession (37:38 to 22:22), more rushing attempts (51-30), more passing attempts (41-17), more third-down conversions (8-2), more fourth-down conversions (3-0) and more total yards (470-467) in the game.
• Of Indiana State's 467 yards of total offense, 280 came on five plays (rushes of 62, 61, 51 and 39 and a fourth-quarter pass completion of 67 yards).
• Sophomore WR Jelani Berassa caught two four-yard touchdown passes in the game.
• Junior TB Jamaine Cook eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and ninth time in his career. Cook had a season-high 177 yards on 33 carries.
• WR Christian Bryan caught a school freshman record seven passes in the game. He had seven catches for 75 yards.
• The 14 fourth-quarter points scored were a season-high for the Penguins.
• YSU was 5-for-5 in the red zone while Indiana State was 2-of-2.
• The Penguins converted three fourth-down plays. Two came on the same drive in the second quarter trailing 27-7, and the other came on the final snap of the third quarter with YSU trailing 34-21.
• The Penguins scored 21 of the game's final 24 points.
ISU Recap: ISU 37, YSU 35
The Penguins battled the final 50 minutes trying to dig out of a 21-0 hole, but in the end they came up just short losing 37-35 to Indiana State at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Sycamores shot out of the gate scoring 21 points in just over 10 minutes to put the Guins in a tight spot.
YSU scored on the final play of the first quarter, but Shakir Bell answered with a 61-yard run on ISU's first play of the second.
Kurt Hess connected with Jelani Berassa on a four-yard pass midway through the period, but Bell's fourth touchdown of the first half gave ISU a 34-14 lead. Jamaine Cook found the end zone in the final minute of the first half as the Guins trailed 34-21 at the break.
After a scoreless third quarter, YSU pulled within 34-28 early in the fourth on a one-yard run by Cook. But a 22-yard field goal by Cory Little pushed the lead to nine. YSU was able to get within two on a toss from Hess to Berassa with just over a minute left.
Jacks Scouting Report
South Dakota State enters the contest with the Penguins following a 38-28 loss to Indiana State. The Jackrabbits opened the year with a nail-biting 29-28 win over Southern Utah, but has since lost their last five contests, including MVFC games to Illinois State and Indiana State.
Twice this year the Jackrabbits have scored 28-or-more points while allowing more than 28 in four contests.
Quarterback Austin Sumner has started the past two games for SDSU. The Jackrabbits have 13 turnovers on the season while averaging 284.6 yards per game. They are allowing 417.6 yards a contest so far this year.
Last Year's Recap: SDSU 30, YSU 20
Big passing plays by South Dakota State and Kyle Minett's legs made the difference as the Penguins suffered a 30-20 loss to the Jackrabbits at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
SDSU had four passes of 33 yards or more, all of which came on scoring drives, and Minett rushed for 185 yards on 26 attempts to lead the Jackrabbits.
Trailing 7-0, YSU went up 9-7 following a Stephen Blose 34-yard field goal and a 33-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Hess to Dominique Barnes with 1:41 left in the first quarter.
But South Dakota State scored 23 of the next 26 points to go on top 30-12 midway through the fourth quarter. The Guins lone points during that stretch came on a 19-yard field goal by Blose that cut the deficit to 17-12.
YSU pulled within 30-20 on a 15-yard pass from Hess to Ely Ducatel and a two-point conversion run by Hess with 5:34 left in the game.
Series History
The Jackrabbits have won all three Missouri Valley Football Conference clashes between the two progams and lead the overall series 7-5.
Last season in Brookings, the Jackrabbits earned a 30-20 win over the Penguins. In 2009 at YSU, SDSU scored two second-half touchdowns for a 17-3 win. At Brookings in 2008, the Guins lost 40-7.
The series with SDSU dates back to a 1942 meeting, and the schools played seven times from 1968 through 1979, with the final contest coming in the Divison II playoffs at Austintown Fitch High School. The teams resumed the series in 2007 with a YSU win, but SDSU has won the past three games.
Extra Week Pays Off
The Penguins have won six of their last seven games following a bye week dating back to the 1998 campaign. A 2009 loss at Southern Illinois snapped YSU's six-game winning streak coming off idle Saturdays. Historically, the Guins have had success following some time to catch their breath and get healthy. Since 1975, YSU has won 24 of 28 games following an idle weekend. The Oct. 1 respite was just the second off Saturday in October since 1997 (2009 at SIU was the other time).
Don't Leave Early
The Penguins' last 11 Missouri Valley Football Conference games have all been decided by 10 points or fewer. Dating back to a 39-35 win over North Dakota State on Nov. 21, 2009, YSU has played nine MVFC games decided by a touchdown or less out of those 11. The Guins' last five league games dating back to last season have been decided by a total of 21 points. Also, six of those 11 have been decided by five points or less.
Sharing the Ice Castle
The Penguins welcomed some special visitors to Stambaugh Stadium last week. The San Francisco 49ers practiced at the Stadium on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and used the weight and athletic training rooms throughout the week. The 49ers are owned by John and Denise DeBartolo-York, who have a residence in nearby Canfield. Instead of make consecutive treks from the West Coast for East Coast games, the 49ers headquartered in Youngstown last week after beating the Cincinnati Bengals. San Francisco ended the trip on positive note, rallying to beat Philadelphia 24-23 on Sunday.
Cook Remains Steady
Junior tailback Jamaine Cook has rushed for more than 100 yards in the past three games following the ninth 100-yard rushing performance of his career at Indiana State.
He rushed for a season-high 177 yards in the loss to the Sycamores. Cook had 30 carries in the contest.
For the year, he has rushed for 501 yards on 95 carries. Now that conference action has started his workload has increased. In two non-conference games, Cook rushed 32 times. He had 30 carries last time out at Indiana State after a season-high 33 in the win over Illinois State.
Hess Continues to Impress
Sophomore QB Kurt Hess has averaged 240.3 yards passing per game the past three outings. Highlighting Hess' strong performances was a career-high 293-yard and four-touchdown effort in the win over Illinois State.
At Indiana State, Hess completed 25-of-41 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. It marked the eighth time in his 15 career games that he eclipsed the 200-yard mark.
He is now the seventh quarterback in school history to throw for at least 200 yards in eight games. The school mark is 13 set by Tom Zetts during a four-year career that featured 47 starts.
For the season Hess has completed 75-of-118 passes (63.6 percent) for 847 yards and nine touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions. In his career, he has completed 254-of-422 passes (60.1 percent) for 2,964 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Bryan Already Up to 23
Freshman wide receiver Christian Bryan has 23 catches in his first four games as a Penguin. Bryan had a career-high seven catches at Indiana State, which set a school record for most grabs in a game by a freshman.
His 23 catches are already more than YSU's top receiver had in 2001 (21) and 2002 (20).
In his other three contests, Bryan had five catches against both Illinois State and Valparaiso and six in his debut at Michigan State.
Against the Redbirds, Bryan caught his first career touchdown pass – a 25-yarder from Kurt Hess in the first quarter.
The freshman mark for catches in a game was six, held previously by TB Jake Andreadis, which he established in 1995.
Milestone Update
Junior TB Jamaine Cook needs 112 yards to become the 17th player in school history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a career. Kurt Hess needs just 36 yards to become the 12th quarterback in YSU history to throw for more than 3,000 yards as a Guin. Hess's 21 career touchdown passes ranks him 11th in school history as well. Senior LB John Sasson went over 200 tackles for his career at Indiana State.
Preaching Red-Zone Success
Head Coach Eric Wolford continues to stress Red Zone play in his second campaign. In 17 trips this year, the Penguins have scored 16 touchdowns and missed a field goal (at Michigan State).
In his 15 games as coach, the Penguins are 57-for-62 (91.9 percent) when moving the ball inside the red zone.
Last year, YSU was 41-of-45 in the red zone, which ranked third in the FCS, for a conversion percentage of 91.1 percent.
So far through five weeks of FCS action, the Penguins rank sixth in the nation at 94 percent. UNI leads the nation and is the only remaining team in the country to be perfect so far.
Berassa A Playmaker
Sophomore WR Jelani Berassa caught two four-yard touchdown passes against Indiana State. Berassa caught the first touchdown pass of his career in the season opener at Michigan State.
Against the Sycamores, he had six catches for 44 yards and the two scores. Berassa had six catches in the first three games, including three for a career-best 46 yards against Illinois State.
New Line Holding up Well
Through the first four games, the YSU offensive line is allowing an average of one sack per game, which ranks 15th in the FCS. The same unit has started each contest together - LT Andrew Radakovich, LG Lamar Mady, C Mark Pratt, RG Chris Elkins and RT D.J. Main.
Offense High In FCS Ranks
The Penguins rank in the top 20 in the FCS in 12 offensive categories (out of 15). YSU is first in fewest fumbles lost; second in first downs per game and third-down conversion pct.; fourth in turnovers lost; sixth in red zone percentage; seventh in rushing offense; eighth in total offense and scoring offense; 10th in time of possession; 14th in interceptions thrown and fourth-down conversion percentage and 15th in sacks allowed.
Impressive First Halves
The Penguins have scored 118 of their 152 points in the first half this year. YSU has scored 56 points in the first quarter and 62 in the second quarter.
YSU did not punt in the first half against either Illinois State and Valparaiso. Against the Redbirds, YSU scored touchdowns on each of its four first-half scoring drives. In the Valpo game, YSU scored on its first nine possessions and took a knee to end the opening half.
Defense Stepping Up
YSU's defense has been strong in the second half this season. In the past three games, the Guins have allowed 24 second-half points, including a season-low three at Indiana State.
Last year, the Penguins allowed an average of 17 points in the second half. In four games this year, they are allowing just 9.2 a contest.
Since the opener at Michigan State, YSU has allowed just eight first downs and seven pass completions in the past three fourth quarters.
Big Plays Hurt at ISU
YSU had done a good job of limiting big plays in the first three games of the season before the Indiana State game.
In the first three games of the year, the Guins had allowed just six plays longer than 20 yards on 187 opponent snaps.
Indiana State ran just 47 plays, but five were big gainers, including four on the ground. ISU had runs of 62, 61, 51 and 39 (all touchdowns) and connected on 67 yard pass in the fourth quarter.
Otherwise in 42 plays, YSU allowed 187 total yards, 122 yards passing and 65 yards rushing. Shakir Bell had 43 yards on his 17 other attempts that did not go for touchdowns.
Third-Down Conversions
The Penguins have converted 29-of-54 third-down situations so far this year (53.7 percent). YSU was 8-of-18 at Indiana State, 7-of-14 versus Illinois State, 6-of-9 against Valpo and 8-of-15 at Michigan State. The Penguins rank second behind Towson (56 percent) in successful third-downs converted at the FCS level.
Last year, YSU was fourth in the FCS in third-down conversions at 47.8 percent.
Distributing the Ball
YSU quarterback Kurt Hess has completed passes to 12 different players so far this season. Six wide receivers, three running backs and three tight ends have combined for 50 receptions so far this year.
Of that group, only TE David Rogers and WR Andre Barboza are seniors. YSU's leading receiver is freshman Christian Bryan with 23 catches for 262 yards. Sophomores Jelani Berassa and Kevin Watts have combined for 21 receptions.
Now We're Cooking
Junior TB Jamaine Cook, who is on the preseason Watch List for the Walter Payton Award, is making a good candidacy for the award averaging 125.2 yards and nearly 24 carries per contest. He is averaging 5.3 yards per rush. He is 10th in the FCS in yards per game average.
For his career, Cook has rushed for 1,888 yards on 357 carries and scored 15 touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He also has 31 receptions for 272 yards.
Cook, a second-team All-MVFC selection in 2010, has nine 100-yard plus rushing games in his career.
Last season against South Dakota State, he rushed for 78 yards on 18 carries.
Youngsters at LB
YSU started three freshmen linebackers at Indiana State. Redshirts Davion Rogers and Travis Williams along with true freshman Teven Williams were all in the starting lineup. Travis Williams was credited with a team-high eight total tackles while Rogers and Teven Williams were each credited with five.
Barboza is Mr. Touchdown
Senior WR Andre Barboza has 10 career receptions, and four are for touchdowns. This year, Barboza has seven catches in four games after having just three in the 2010 campaign. He has three touchdown grabs this year, including 20 and 44-yard touchdown strikes against Illinois State. The previous week against Valparaiso, he had a 24-yard scoring reception.
Turnovers Hard to Come By
After four games, the Penguins have three giveaways and four takeaways. In fact, YSU's lone lost fumble of the season was when DT Aronde Stanton tried to return an Indiana State fumble for a touchdown, only to fumble the ball as well on the one-yard line. Two fourth-quarter Kurt Hess interceptions are the other two giveaways. YSU does not have a turnover in the first or third quarters this season.
However, the opposition has held onto the ball as well. Michigan State fumbled a punt, LB Dom Rich intercepted a pass in the final minute of the first half against Valparaiso and Quentin Jones recovered a fourth-quarter fumble. Shakir Bell was stripped by Stanton at Indiana State.
Top of the Liste
Sophomore punter Nick Liste has been a key contributor as both punter and kickoff specialist this season.
Liste is averaging 38.1 yards per punt while six of his 15 attempts have been inside the opposition's 20-yard line. The coverage has been solid with six of his punts resulting in fair catches while the six that have been returned have resulted in a gain of 28 yards (4.7 avg.).
He averaged 41.1 yards per kick last season, but the trade off was that 15 were returned for an average of 11.7 yards.
Liste has kicked off 22 times this season and because of his kicks and coverages, the Guins are allowing three fewer yards per return than in 2010.
Our Teams are Special
The Penguins have blocked three kicks - two PATs and one punt - and returned a punt for a touchdown so far this season.
The last time the Guins blocked four in one campaign was 2004.
After not punting against Valparaiso, a well-rested Nick Liste had an impressive performance against Illinois State. He placed three of his four punts inside the 20-yard line.
Against Valpo, YSU returned a punt for a touchdown, while blocking a punt and an extra-point. Junior PK David Brown set a school record with 11 extra-point kicks made in a single game while Josh Lee returned his punt for a touchdown a school-record 96 yards.
D-Line Each With a Sack
After four games, each member of the starting defensive line -- Daniel Stewart, Andrew Johnson, Aronde Stanton and Obinna Ekweremuba - has recorded a sack. YSU's four-sack total is already one-third of the way toward last year's 12.
Stewart is the active team leader in career sacks with three ahead of Obinna Ekweremuba (2.0), Andrew Johnson (2.0), Deonta Tate (1.5), Aronde Stanton (1.0) and John Sasson (0.5).
Another QB With Four TDs
QB Kurt Hess became the eighth quarterback in school history to throw four touchdown passes in a game when he accomplished the feat against Illinois State. Hess had scoring throws of 44, 25 20 and 10 in the game.
It was the first time a YSU quarterback threw four in a single game since Brandon Summers against Austin Peay in 2009.
Lee Sets Return Record
Senior CB Josh Lee set a school and conference record with his 96-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter against Valparaiso. It was the second straight season that a Penguin returned a punt for a touchdown in the home opener (Dominique Barnes returned one 80 yards vs. Butler).
No Seniors on the Line
The Penguins have no seniors on the offensive line this year. The last time no seniors started on the line was in 1998.
Since at least 1978, this is the first time no seniors at all were part of the offensive line.
Wolford in Second Year
Head Coach Eric Wolford is in his second season looking to build on last year's three-win campaign. Historically, the second years of head coaches have gone either way.
Here is a look at the previous five coaches and how they fared their first two years: Coach Dwight Beede won four games in each of his first two seasons; Rey Dempsey improved from four to eight; Bill Narduzzi went from five to four, Jim Tressel went from two to eight and Jon Heacock went from eight to seven.
Eight is Enough
The last three times the Penguins dropped eight games in one campaign, they rebounded strong the next year.
YSU is 2-2 in 2011 following a hard-luck 3-8 season last year. Most recently, the Guins lost eight times in 1995 and rebounded to win eight in 1996.
In 1986 (Coach Jim Tressel's first season), YSU suffered nine defeats but regrouped to win eight games and reach the postseason in 1987. In 1980, YSU was 2-8-1 and rebounded with a 7-4 mark the following year.
The only time YSU did not win at least seven games in the immediate year following an eight or nine-loss season was following the lone winless campaign in school history (0-9 in 1970). The Guins won twice in 1971.
WATTS New at YSU
Most visually will be the WATTS, the Watson and Tressel Training Site, an indoor practice facility east of the Stadium. The project was ongoing during last year's football campaign. The building is open for football and sports team practices.
YSU also had a new turf surface installed over the summer. The Sports Construction Group of Brecksville, Ohio, installed Shaw Sportexe's PowerBlade HP+ in Stambaugh Stadium for use by the football and soccer programs.
Single Digits in Fumbles
The Guins have lost one fumble (and that was on a returned fumble by DT Aronde Stanton at Indiana State) after four games this season.
Last year, YSU lost just nine fumbles marking the seventh straight season they have lost single digits in fumbles.
In 2009, YSU lost just three fumbles. In 2008, YSU lost nine in 12 games. YSU had nine fumbles lost in 2007, five in 2006, eight in 2005 and eight in 2004. Prior to the current seven-year streak, the Guins had committed single digits in fumbles lost in consecutive years just twice in school history (1986-87 and 1958-59).
The offense has run 309 plays with special teams chipping in 27 without a lost fumble.
And Your Captains Are:
The Penguins announced their 2011 captains on Aug. 27. Those selected were sophomore quarterback Kurt Hess, junior tailback Jamaine Cook, senior linebacker John Sasson and senior defensive tackle Andrew Johnson. Hess, who started every game at quarterback last year, is believed to be the first sophomore to be named a team captain in school history.
Building a Turnaround
Coach Eric Wolford is working to turn the Penguins' fortunes around quickly.
YSU has 15 junior-college transfers, eight Division I transfers and three lower-division transfers on the current roster.
The FBS transfers are QB Adam Charles (Akron), CB Devonta' Davis (Miami, Fla.), WR Juilian Harrell (Miami, Ohio), DT Andrew Johnson (Bowling Green), OT Andrew Radakovich (Penn State), Anthony Stryffeler (Ball State) and LB Travis Williams (Miami, Fla.).
Fresh Faces Past Two Years
This season the Penguins have played nine true freshmen - three have started - through the first four games. A total of 18 others have made their YSU debuts this year as well.
Last year, a total of 13 freshmen saw the field, including five who started.
Of the eight that are true sophomores in 2011, five are on offense and three are on defense. Donald D'Alesio, Jamarious Boatwright and Zach Larson will redshirt because of injuries while two are no longer with the program.
Numbers of Note
• Turnover Margin: Since 1996, the Penguins are 98-22 when they win or tie in the turnover margin. When committing more turnovers, YSU is just 13-47.
Since 1990 YSU is:
• 130-18-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 21 points in a game.
• 102-11 when rushing for 200-plus yards.
• 123-18 when scoring 28-or-more points.
• 65-6-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.
• 150-8 when leading entering the fourth.
• 68-3-2 when holding opponents to 10 points-or-less in a game.
Up Next: at Southern Illinois
YSU plays its lone road game in the month of October at Southern Illinois next Saturday. The Penguins will be making their first trip to SIU's two-year-old Saluki Stadium. Kickoff for the contest is set for 3 p.m. Eastern/2 p.m. Central time.
Southern Illinois, which is ranked 20th this week, plays host to North Dakota State on Saturday.
1298
YSU Penguin Athletics / Scalzo: YSU looking for defensive leaders
« on: October 05, 2011, 06:19:51 AM »
By Joe Scalzo
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
On Tuesday morning, YSU football coach Eric Wolford met with one of his defensive players — he didn’t say who — to talk about the team’s leadership void in the back seven.
“This leadership thing has been on my mind quite a bit,” Wolford said. “The Sam [strongside] linebacker can’t text to the safety that you need to get yourself ready to go. You can’t email ’em. Can’t text ’em. You’ve gotta be able to be vocal, communicate, be loud, be precise about it, be demanding.
“We need a little more of that.”
Of the three defensive units — defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs — the line has performed the best so far this season, thanks in part to having a senior co-captain in Andrew Johnson at defensive tackle. But the other defensive co-captain, senior linebacker John Sasson, has lost his starting spot.
After starting every game last season and leading the team in tackles, Sasson came off the bench for the first time against Indiana State on Sept. 24 and is once again behind true freshman Teven Williams on the Mike [middle] linebacker depth chart.
In fact, the depth chart is basically unchanged from the Indiana State game, where the Penguins were gashed for 467 total yards, including 256 from running back Shakir Bell.
When asked to define Sasson’s role at this point, Wolford first brought up his captaincy and his experience, but said “whoever plays better in the previous game is who we’re going to roll with.”
“He still plays quite a bit,” Wolford said of Sasson. “He’s obviously a leader for us on and off the field. He does everything right. He wants to help in all the ways he can. I think he’s given us all the effort and everything you can ask for from a guy in his role.”
But, increasingly, that role seems like it will be limited to special teams and game-specific situations, leaving a void for someone else to fill.
Cornerback Josh Lee is the only starting senior in the back seven and he’s spent most of his career at wide receiver. But in an encouraging sign, Lee was given the team’s leadership award for last week’s off week.
Considering there are three freshmen starting at linebacker, YSU needs someone who can make sure the back end of the defense is aligned properly and ready to play.
That didn’t happen in the first quarter against the Sycamores as YSU fell behind 21-0 in the first 101/2 minutes.
“I’ve explained to them several times that I can’t scream and yell like a mad man and almost have a heart attack every game,” Wolford said. “There’s a maturity level that needs to take place.
“I feel like you can manufacture a lot of excuses about why we weren’t ready to play but at the end of the day I don’t think we were mature enough.”
The Penguins were off last week and you can bet Wolford and his staff spent plenty of practice time making sure the Penguins knew they needed to grow up and play better.
You can also be sure they didn’t deliver that message by text.
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
On Tuesday morning, YSU football coach Eric Wolford met with one of his defensive players — he didn’t say who — to talk about the team’s leadership void in the back seven.
“This leadership thing has been on my mind quite a bit,” Wolford said. “The Sam [strongside] linebacker can’t text to the safety that you need to get yourself ready to go. You can’t email ’em. Can’t text ’em. You’ve gotta be able to be vocal, communicate, be loud, be precise about it, be demanding.
“We need a little more of that.”
Of the three defensive units — defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs — the line has performed the best so far this season, thanks in part to having a senior co-captain in Andrew Johnson at defensive tackle. But the other defensive co-captain, senior linebacker John Sasson, has lost his starting spot.
After starting every game last season and leading the team in tackles, Sasson came off the bench for the first time against Indiana State on Sept. 24 and is once again behind true freshman Teven Williams on the Mike [middle] linebacker depth chart.
In fact, the depth chart is basically unchanged from the Indiana State game, where the Penguins were gashed for 467 total yards, including 256 from running back Shakir Bell.
When asked to define Sasson’s role at this point, Wolford first brought up his captaincy and his experience, but said “whoever plays better in the previous game is who we’re going to roll with.”
“He still plays quite a bit,” Wolford said of Sasson. “He’s obviously a leader for us on and off the field. He does everything right. He wants to help in all the ways he can. I think he’s given us all the effort and everything you can ask for from a guy in his role.”
But, increasingly, that role seems like it will be limited to special teams and game-specific situations, leaving a void for someone else to fill.
Cornerback Josh Lee is the only starting senior in the back seven and he’s spent most of his career at wide receiver. But in an encouraging sign, Lee was given the team’s leadership award for last week’s off week.
Considering there are three freshmen starting at linebacker, YSU needs someone who can make sure the back end of the defense is aligned properly and ready to play.
That didn’t happen in the first quarter against the Sycamores as YSU fell behind 21-0 in the first 101/2 minutes.
“I’ve explained to them several times that I can’t scream and yell like a mad man and almost have a heart attack every game,” Wolford said. “There’s a maturity level that needs to take place.
“I feel like you can manufacture a lot of excuses about why we weren’t ready to play but at the end of the day I don’t think we were mature enough.”
The Penguins were off last week and you can bet Wolford and his staff spent plenty of practice time making sure the Penguins knew they needed to grow up and play better.
You can also be sure they didn’t deliver that message by text.
1299
YSU Penguin Athletics / Football: Indiana State Players of the Week
« on: October 05, 2011, 06:17:46 AM »
Offense: Kurt Hess (6-3, 235, Soph.), QB from Dayton
Defense: None
Special teams: Davion Rogers (6-6, 215, RFr.), LB from Warren
Offensive line: None
Defensive line: None
Scout offense: Demond Hymes (5-9, 190, Fr.), TB from Warren
Scout defense: Emmanuel Kromah (6-1, 245, Fr.), DE from Trenton, N.J.
Scout special teams: Cy Edison (5-11, 230, Soph.), LB from East Liverpool
Hit of the week: Rogers
Player of the game (radio): Hess
Leadership award (Indiana State week): Hess
Leadership award (off week): Josh Lee (5-10, 195, Sr.), CB from Lutz, Fla.
Note: All awards, unless noted, are from the Sept. 24 game against Indiana State.
Defense: None
Special teams: Davion Rogers (6-6, 215, RFr.), LB from Warren
Offensive line: None
Defensive line: None
Scout offense: Demond Hymes (5-9, 190, Fr.), TB from Warren
Scout defense: Emmanuel Kromah (6-1, 245, Fr.), DE from Trenton, N.J.
Scout special teams: Cy Edison (5-11, 230, Soph.), LB from East Liverpool
Hit of the week: Rogers
Player of the game (radio): Hess
Leadership award (Indiana State week): Hess
Leadership award (off week): Josh Lee (5-10, 195, Sr.), CB from Lutz, Fla.
Note: All awards, unless noted, are from the Sept. 24 game against Indiana State.
1300
YSU Penguin Athletics / 2011-12 Women's Basketball Gets Under Way
« on: October 04, 2011, 06:11:15 AM »
The Youngstown State women's basketball team opened practice in preparation for the 2011-12 season on Sunday evening in its first of 30 scheduled sessions prior to the season opener at West Virginia on Nov. 11.
Individual and small group sessions had been held for several weeks, but Sunday's practice at Beeghly Center was the first session of considerable length with the entire team.
The team worked out for roughly 90 minutes on Sunday, and the Penguins had sessions in the weight room and in the Stambaugh Stadium gymnasium on Monday.
"We're a lot further along this year than we were last year," head coach Bob Boldon said. "We're trying to get as much offensive movement and development in as we can, and defense will come in a couple of weeks."
Boldon, who is in his second year with the program, has especially noticed an increase an intensity from a year ago.
"Our effort has been fantastic. Your biggest concern [at this time of year] is that your kids are working hard and that they're learning. We're doing both of those, and I'm happy from that standpoint."
Boldon is welcoming newcomers Kelsea Fickiesen, Ashley Lawson, Devan Matkin and Melanie Poorman to the program, and he'll also have the use of redshirt-freshman forward Heidi Schlegel, who missed the final 22 games of 2010-11 with a foot injury. Those five join seniors Tieara Jones, Kenya Middlebrooks and Macey Nortey; junior all-league candidate Brandi Brown; and sophomores Liz Hornberger, Melissa Thompson and Monica Touvelle.
Boldon inherited a program that had gone 0-30 the year prior to his arrival, and the Penguins improved well beyond their six-win increase. Most indicative was closing the scoring margin by 15.2 points from 2009-10 to 2010-11. That was the second-best improvement in the country. The Penguins finished last season by winning three of their final seven contests, and they had shots in the final 20 seconds in three of those losses that would have tied the game.
"They know what it takes to win games, and there's an expectation of what's to be done at practice to prepare to win games," Boldon said. "They're taking that preparation more seriously than they were a year ago."
Boldon said the weight room report from the preseason lifting program came back with pleasing results, thanks in large part to a large portion of the team lifting on campus during the summer.
"We definitely look more athletic, and we're moving better," he said. "Everybody's weights are up, and that's exciting. That means they took what Coach Danzer's doing very seriously, and he's done a great job of working with them and raising his standards. They've done a good job of meeting those standards."
The Penguins will practice on Tuesday and Thursday before having three straight off days. As a general pattern, they have scheduled off days on Wednesdays and Sundays through October.
Individual and small group sessions had been held for several weeks, but Sunday's practice at Beeghly Center was the first session of considerable length with the entire team.
The team worked out for roughly 90 minutes on Sunday, and the Penguins had sessions in the weight room and in the Stambaugh Stadium gymnasium on Monday.
"We're a lot further along this year than we were last year," head coach Bob Boldon said. "We're trying to get as much offensive movement and development in as we can, and defense will come in a couple of weeks."
Boldon, who is in his second year with the program, has especially noticed an increase an intensity from a year ago.
"Our effort has been fantastic. Your biggest concern [at this time of year] is that your kids are working hard and that they're learning. We're doing both of those, and I'm happy from that standpoint."
Boldon is welcoming newcomers Kelsea Fickiesen, Ashley Lawson, Devan Matkin and Melanie Poorman to the program, and he'll also have the use of redshirt-freshman forward Heidi Schlegel, who missed the final 22 games of 2010-11 with a foot injury. Those five join seniors Tieara Jones, Kenya Middlebrooks and Macey Nortey; junior all-league candidate Brandi Brown; and sophomores Liz Hornberger, Melissa Thompson and Monica Touvelle.
Boldon inherited a program that had gone 0-30 the year prior to his arrival, and the Penguins improved well beyond their six-win increase. Most indicative was closing the scoring margin by 15.2 points from 2009-10 to 2010-11. That was the second-best improvement in the country. The Penguins finished last season by winning three of their final seven contests, and they had shots in the final 20 seconds in three of those losses that would have tied the game.
"They know what it takes to win games, and there's an expectation of what's to be done at practice to prepare to win games," Boldon said. "They're taking that preparation more seriously than they were a year ago."
Boldon said the weight room report from the preseason lifting program came back with pleasing results, thanks in large part to a large portion of the team lifting on campus during the summer.
"We definitely look more athletic, and we're moving better," he said. "Everybody's weights are up, and that's exciting. That means they took what Coach Danzer's doing very seriously, and he's done a great job of working with them and raising his standards. They've done a good job of meeting those standards."
The Penguins will practice on Tuesday and Thursday before having three straight off days. As a general pattern, they have scheduled off days on Wednesdays and Sundays through October.
1301
YSU Penguin Athletics / Marta Burak
« on: October 03, 2011, 11:25:20 AM »
Did any see our frosh tennis player from the Ukraine? I guess she is pretty bright, and/or they have different education over there. In any case she plays tennis for the lady Pens, at age 15, won Flight-A singles and doubles in her first collegiate meet this weekend. Welcome and GREAT JOB Marta!!
1302
YSU Penguin Athletics / Other Scores of Interest
« on: October 02, 2011, 01:25:42 PM »
UNI Big Over Missouri State
Wofford over Appy State
NDSU over ILS 20-10. This is a good team we beat. We just need defense. ILS scored late. Score really 20-3. What ever ILS did in the first quarter, to keep NDSU from scoring, we need to do the same.
Maine over Delaware 31-17
North Dakota over Southern Utah. This is not NDSU, these guys are really good.
WIU over SIU 27-21. WOW. I thought the conference was SIU's this year.
Wofford over Appy State
NDSU over ILS 20-10. This is a good team we beat. We just need defense. ILS scored late. Score really 20-3. What ever ILS did in the first quarter, to keep NDSU from scoring, we need to do the same.
Maine over Delaware 31-17
North Dakota over Southern Utah. This is not NDSU, these guys are really good.
WIU over SIU 27-21. WOW. I thought the conference was SIU's this year.
1303
YSU Penguin Athletics / Interesting Changes for this Years Play-Off
« on: September 30, 2011, 12:34:21 PM »Automatic Qualification Criteria/Process
The Division I Football Championship Committee will annually make the determinationof which eligible conferences will receive automatic qualification. The following criteria
are used when determining which conferences shall receive annual automatic qualification
for the NCAA Division I Football Championship:
1. Non-conference records;
2. Strength of non-conference opponents;
3. Recent postseason history; and
4. Competition against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.
The Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet policy stipulates that for the
Division I Football Championship at least 50 percent of the bracket shall be reserved for at-large
selections, and no more than 50 percent of the bracket shall be available for automatic
qualification of eligible conferences.
For those conferences that qualify for automatic qualification but do not receive it,
a guaranteed at-large position shall be awarded in any year in which its conference
champion team meets all of the following conditions:
a. Team wins a minimum of eight Division I games during the season;
b. Team wins a minimum of two non-conference games against Division I teams
representing a conference that has earned an automatic qualification in that year;
and
c. Team finishes the season ranked 20 or higher in an average of the last regular-season
media, coaches and/or computer polls (which will be determined by
the committee on an annual basis). For 2011, the media poll will be the Sports
Network Poll, the coaches poll will be the FCS Coaches poll and the computer
poll using the following computer rankings: The Massey Ratings, Wolfe Rankings, Ashburn Rankings,
Self Rankings and the Laz Index.
So for those of you complaining about playing two Non-Scholarship teams ...the above is why. Which is also why you will see the Pioneer with an automatic berth soon. When this happens, only the schedules will keep the conferences in contention for an automatic berth. Also, the media people are so east-coast biased, all of the votes are going to continue to go to the Colonial. Then when they break back into 2 again ...they will just dominate the participants. Another good reason to look at any IA conference that will have us.
1304
YSU Penguin Athletics / Andrew Johnson Nominated for 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy
« on: September 30, 2011, 09:49:03 AM »
Dallas, Texas - Selected as the best and brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the 127 candidates for the 2011 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments®, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher education. The 127 nominees also comprise the list of semifinalists for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation.
Youngstown State senior defensive tackle Andrew Johnson (Detroit, Mich.) is one of 33 Football Championship Subdivision student-athletes who were nominated for the award.
"This year's candidates truly embody the National Football Foundation's mission of building leaders through football," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (1997 Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "They are standouts in the classroom and on the field and have become leaders in their respective communities. Each school should take great pride in being represented by such well-rounded young men who will undoubtedly go on to do great things in life."
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
"The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees for maintaining such high standards throughout their collegiate careers," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "We are extremely proud to showcase their achievements, and there is no question that the NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the final group of honorees from among this esteemed group."
The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Wednesday, October 26. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2011 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City be honored Dec. 6 during the 54th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the Campbell Trophy.
Named in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total post-graduate scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $9.8 million. Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments. The Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks.
Youngstown State senior defensive tackle Andrew Johnson (Detroit, Mich.) is one of 33 Football Championship Subdivision student-athletes who were nominated for the award.
"This year's candidates truly embody the National Football Foundation's mission of building leaders through football," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (1997 Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "They are standouts in the classroom and on the field and have become leaders in their respective communities. Each school should take great pride in being represented by such well-rounded young men who will undoubtedly go on to do great things in life."
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
"The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees for maintaining such high standards throughout their collegiate careers," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "We are extremely proud to showcase their achievements, and there is no question that the NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the final group of honorees from among this esteemed group."
The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Wednesday, October 26. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2011 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City be honored Dec. 6 during the 54th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the Campbell Trophy.
Named in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total post-graduate scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $9.8 million. Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments. The Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks.
1305
YSU Penguin Athletics / Celebration of 1991 National Title Team Set for Oct. 8
« on: September 30, 2011, 08:03:15 AM »
Members of Youngstown State's 1991 National Championship football team will be honored on Saturday, Oct. 8, when the Penguins return home to play host to South Dakota State. Kickoff for the contest against the Jackrabbits is set for 4 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the school's first national-title winning team the Athletic Department will be selling special commemorative gameday programs and fans in attendance will receive a trading card set featuring standouts from the 1991 team.
The Penguins defeated Marshall 25-17 in the National Championship Game in 1991 held in Statesboro, Ga.. In the playoffs, YSU came-from-behind to defeat Villanova in the first round (17-16) won at Nevada (30-28) in the quarterfinals and advanced to the finals beating Samford 10-0 in the semis at Stambaugh.
During the year, the Penguins were 4-3 heading to Statesboro for a contest against defending champion Georgia Southern. YSU held on for a 19-17 victory over the Eagles and went on to win its final eight games of the season on the way to winning the national championship.
Programs featuring a commemorative cover are just $3 while the collector's edition trading-card set is being sponsored by McDonald's and MyValleySports.com.
The YSU Football Alumni Group will be hosting their annual Tailgate Blast party prior to the game. The River Saints Band will perform live in the M-7 tailgate lot prior to the game beginning at 1 p.m.
For ticket information contact the YSU Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978 or visit the office located in North End of Stambaugh Stadium.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the school's first national-title winning team the Athletic Department will be selling special commemorative gameday programs and fans in attendance will receive a trading card set featuring standouts from the 1991 team.
The Penguins defeated Marshall 25-17 in the National Championship Game in 1991 held in Statesboro, Ga.. In the playoffs, YSU came-from-behind to defeat Villanova in the first round (17-16) won at Nevada (30-28) in the quarterfinals and advanced to the finals beating Samford 10-0 in the semis at Stambaugh.
During the year, the Penguins were 4-3 heading to Statesboro for a contest against defending champion Georgia Southern. YSU held on for a 19-17 victory over the Eagles and went on to win its final eight games of the season on the way to winning the national championship.
Programs featuring a commemorative cover are just $3 while the collector's edition trading-card set is being sponsored by McDonald's and MyValleySports.com.
The YSU Football Alumni Group will be hosting their annual Tailgate Blast party prior to the game. The River Saints Band will perform live in the M-7 tailgate lot prior to the game beginning at 1 p.m.
For ticket information contact the YSU Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978 or visit the office located in North End of Stambaugh Stadium.