YSU Football Coach Eric Wolford seemed concerned with the weather.  “I hope it doesn’t get real hot again, not when it is this cool.”  The weather is probably the last thing on the first-year leader’s mind these days.  Wolford and staff are trying to tie up all of the loose ends on both sides of the ball in preparation of the 2010 season. 

“I am at my dream job.  If you have to interview for a job, one you have really wanted, in the morning, you are not going to sleep real well.  You should always keep a paper and pencil next to your bed so when you wake up you can write stuff down and then hope you can go back to sleep “, declared Wolford after practice Tuesday.  Wolford’s Penguins are working very hard to get ready for their opening game, a September 4 trip to Happy Valley to face #14 ranked Penn State.

Kurt Hess has been named the starting QB for the Penguins.  Hess has no previous game experience.  Consequently, he is taking a majority of the snaps with the first unit through practices.  Marc Kanetsky and Najee Tyler will start the season as backups.  Quarterback Coach and Offensive Coordinator, Shane Montgomery, explained the unique situation of inexperience at the most important position on offense.  “I don’t want him [Hess] out there thinking if he makes a mistake that he is going to come out of the game.  Kurt knows that we put a lot of responsibility in the quarterback and he has to step up.  In all fairness, we have to work to take some of the pressure off of him too.  We have to be able to run the football to open up the passing game and take that pressure away from Kurt.”

Receivers Coach Phil Longo said the process takes time.  “It’s not really ‘polish’ time yet.  We are sharpening up everything that has been installed and now we are taking steps to get better at executing what we will be doing on offense.  The expectation here is to play every game hard enough to go win the thing.”  Longo also praised one of the new guys when asked if there were any surprises on the team. ” I have been surprised by Andre Barboza, a transfer from Erie.  He catches the ball well, runs well, and has really worked hard.”

Wolford has seen some turnover since taking over.  In March, the plan was to ‘weed out’ the guys who would not fit into the system.  Wolford commented on how that process has gone.  “The dead weight weeded itself out, we didn’t have to do anything.  Some guys just hang themselves.   We have got to lay a foundation here for a future.  If you are trying to do a quick fix, you are bringing in renegades and guys that got into trouble with other programs.”

With September 4 fast approaching, the Penguins are pretty much injury-free and are taking the approach of intensity to new levels.  Wolford is a perfectionist in many ways and declared that his team did not do enough in practice on Tuesday to win.  Thursday was to be an off day, but that may change based on the premise of sharpening things up.