From today's Vindicator:
Coach says pieces
in place to improve
By charles grove
cgrove@vindy.com
canfield
With practices set to begin next week, Youngstown State head football coach Bo Pelini spoke at a Curbstone Coaches event on Monday night to discuss the upcoming season.
Expectations at a minimum are to improve upon last year’s team that finished 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
“Last year we lost four games by like eight points or something like that,” Pelini said. “We were close to doing some pretty good things and I didn’t think we were worth a damn, which is a good thing.”
Technically it was three games by eight points, but the point remains. For the Penguins to meet expectations this year, improvement has to be shown throughout the team.
“We didn’t deserve to win last year because commitment wasn’t there and I didn’t do my job well enough,” Pelini said. “But I believe the ingredients are there right now to take that next step.”
That next step will include naming a starting quarterback as Hunter Wells, Trent Hosick and Ricky Davis are set to slug it out in a battle for the job.
“[The starter] is going to be whoever earns it during the month of August,” Pelini said. “Whoever walks out there against Duquesne will have earned it because we’re not giving it to anybody.”
With injuries last year to the offensive line and more injuries during spring practices this year, Pelini said the line could be strong if the Penguins don’t have to constantly plug holes in an injury-filled dam like last year.
“We have to potential to be pretty good on the offensive line this year,” Pelini said. “We were decimated on the offensive line a year ago. We didn’t have to depth to offset the injuries we had. I don’t think after the second or third game a year ago that we ever played with the same offensive line and that’s a recipe I don’t want to have to follow again this year.”
Depth isn’t supposed to be an issue throughout the rest of the offense. And Pelini said he would take many of his groups of players over the individuals you see on television sets on Saturdays during the fall in major conferences.
“There’s certain position groups that I would take, probably 10 out of 12 guys that I have going into this year that I would probably take over a lot of teams you see playing in the Big 10,” Pelini said.
In terms of the conference, North Dakota State is the clear favorite, but Pelini said he believes the schedule this year lines up favorably for YSU.
“North Dakota State are going to be there until someone knocks them off,” Pelini said.
“But South Dakota comes here, Northern Iowa comes here [and] it’s a good schedule. I expect to win every game. Obviously the goal is to get into the playoffs and see what happens from there.”
Pelini also spoke about the status of linebackers Lee Wright and Cash Mitchell who were arrested in May and charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Both are still listed on the team’s athletic website and Pelini said both their status is “still pending.”
Other stories of interest
Comeback route: Gordon reinstated
Scrappers tame Tigers in twinbill
Valley ump Cooper will work Little League Intermediate World Series
- See more at:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2016/jul/26/bo-pelini-optimistic-about-ysus--season/?newswatch#sthash.PcS55nEU.dpuf