Archive for the ‘YSU Football’ Category

Youngstown State will face their toughest test of the Eric Wolford Era this Saturday when they travel to face a very talented Northern Iowa team.  The Panthers had a showdown with North Dakota State last week in a matchup of conference unbeatens, but came out on the short end of the stick, 27-19, and may have lost their best weapon on offense in the process.  Wolford knows that his team has to put their best effort on the field for four quarters to win a game against a team like Mark Farley‘s Panthers.

Tirrell Rennie (#10, above), as of this writing on Thursday night, is still listed as questionable.  I doubt Rennie is playing because when he got hurt at the start of the fourth quarter in last week’s game, he was unable to put any weight on his injured leg.  In a game that important, Rennie would limp around and play through pain unless he was too injured to do so.  My gut instinct is that Farley is just trying to keep everybody off-balance and guessing on the status of his quarterback, last year’s Missouri Valley Football Conference Player of The Year.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, this is a very good team, showing tremendous balance on both sides of the ball.  Senior LJ Fort is second in the nation in tackles and made 15 of them last week.  Fort is a good linebacker because of the stunts that Northern Iowa runs.  Fort would also be the first to credit players like Ben Boothby, a three-technique down lineman, for keeping blockers off of him and allowing the playmaker to get to the ball.  The Panthers defense ranks fourth nationally and gives up an average of less than ten points per game against conference opponents.

Youngstown State is currently ranked second in the nation in offense, averaging about 40 points per game.  While the skeptics would argue that blowout wins against Valpairaiso and Saint Francis are the only reason that average is so high, keep in mind that YSU only put up six against Michigan State, and that works against a 40-point average.

Kurt Hess is loaded with weapons and has done a fantastic job of moving the ball around. Jamaine Cook is currently third in rushing yards nationally and he has skipped about five quarters due to decided outcomes.  The offensive line knows that the Panthers defense is a handful, but can rise to the challenge.

“It starts with our line”, said Hess, who has been praising the big men all year.  “They have to communicate and pick up all of the twists and stunts that make their defense so dangerous.  I think they are smart enough to handle the assignments.”

Hess also commented on what this game means to his team.  “This is the biggest game for me since I have been here.  In order to make the run to the playoffs, I said three weeks ago that we would need six, and we got three of them so far.  We must play 60 minutes against Northern Iowa, and I enjoy playing in that kind of loud environment.  If we do what we are capable of and play that full 60 minutes, we are believing that we can do something really special.”

The YSU offense facing off against the Northern Iowa defense is a matchup made in heaven.  Something has to give, and it will come down to who wants it more.  The X-Factor in this contest will be the youthful Penguins defense.  Leaders have emerged in the last three weeks and everybody seems to be playing better than the first four weeks of the season.  Aronde Stanton has been a beast lately and Teven Williams seems to be emerging as a big-time linebacker.

The past is something that cannot get into the young minds of the YSU players.  UNI has defeated the Penguins ten times in a row, the longest active streak in the league.  The Panthers lead the all-time series 19-6, including last season’s 34-30 win over the upset-minded Penguins.  The last time YSU won at Cedar Falls was in 1999.

I don’t think the Penguins players and coaches care too much about past statistics and records.  Their focus is squarely on the 2011 Northern Iowa team that they face Saturday, period.  If Rennie is unable to play, it does not guarantee anything for YSU, but it definitely takes a dual-threat all-star out of the mix and enhances the upstart Penguins odds of winning this war.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. (EST) and the game will be televised on the CBWB Network.

In recent weeks, Eric Wolford has defended his young team through the bad times, while also assuring everyone that the season was not over and that this team was going to get better, contend, and live up to the standard of winning championships. Youngstown State took another big step or two in the right direction by blasting Western Illinois, 56-14.  The Homecoming win puts the Penguins in a position to climb back into the polls with some momentum as they prepare for Northern Iowa.

“Good day for all of the Penguins”, said Coach Eric Wolford.  ” We are getting people to focus on a consistent basis.  We are a stong running team, so there is some opportunity for play-action passes.  We are only a year and a half into this thing.”

“This football team is a work in progress, and when we focus, we can do it.  It was exciting to see four quarters of football and play all three phases of the game this year.  If we are going to make a run, we have to do it now.”

A pattern had developed a few weeks into the season where the offense was scoring a lot of points, but the defense had given up more than the offense could produce a couple of times.  This young defense is really turning the corner and the offense has somehow gotten even better than they were. The Penguins dominated the Leathernecks on both sides of the ball, playing their most consistent football of the season.  The score does not reflect the parity of a tough Missouri Valley Football Conference where teams can jump up and beat the other on any given week.

Youngstown State struck early and often in the first half.  On the first play from scrimmage, Kurt Hess threw a perfect deep ball to Christian Bryan on a skinny post route.  Bryan was a good ten yards behind the defense and the perfect pass from Hess, which traveled about 40 yards before landing in Bryan’s arms, yielded the opening score in a real hurry.  Hess had two more touchdowns in the opening half, a 69-yarder to Jelani Berassa (above) to end the first quarter, and a 17-yard strike to Kevin Watts.  Hess also ran for a score and added another TD pass in the second half to round out his shortened day.

Hess reflected on the win.  “It starts in the trenches, and our offensive line performed very well today.  The defense created some turnovers and offensively, we appreciate that, and we were not going to let ourselves fail to take advantage of those situations.”

Jamaine Cook always punches his card and goes to work for Shane Montgomery‘s high powered offense.  Cook broke the 1,000-yard barrier in the first half.  He also scored the two first half touchdowns to round out the scoring as the Penguins took a 42-0 lead into the locker room.  Just in the first half, Cook had 111 yards on 16 rushes, he also caught a couple of passes for 19 yards.  Hess and Cook, two captains, have produced week in and week out for Youngstown State.

Defensively, the Penguins were chaotic and disruptive and never allowed the Leathernecks to get into a rhythm, keeping them off of the scoreboard until there was 5:21 left in the third quarter.  Aronde Stanton (above), played a solid game at noseman for the second week in a row.  Stanton had an interception to set up a Penguin score in the second quarter.  The entire defense just looked good.  The secondary created chances for the line to pressure WIU quarterback, Josh Hudson, all day.  In return, the line did a pretty solid job against the run and did all of the little things right.

“When we get turnovers like that, it creates chances for our offense”, remarked Daniel Stewart after the game.  “We are starting to finish games and are consistently getting better.  We have a big challenge ahead of us next week.”

YSU, which has not lost at home to Western Illinois since 2003, scored more than 28 points for the seventh consecutive game.  The win also marked a halt to losing Homecoming games.  Prior to this victory, the Penguins had lost five straight Homecoming contests, but this win boosts their all-time record to 48-21-1 on such games.

Hess, who only went one drive into the second half, finished the game 7-10 passing for 209 yards and three touchdowns.  He also ran one in.  Cook (above) finished with 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17 rushes.  Bryan and Berassa only caught a ball each, both touchdowns, 70, and 69 yards respectively. Marc Kanetsky found Ely Ducatel for an 11-yard touchdown in the third quarter, a rare senior-to-senior hookup. Kintrell Disher also scored his first career touchdown as a Penguin. Daniel Stewart recorded five unassisted tackles, including one for a loss.

“All of the guys on defense have made significant improvement”, said Wolford.  “A lot of times when you are a young person, you don’t understand the sense of urgency or focusing on ‘now’.  We have confidence that we can play with anyone on our schedule. Northern Iowa is a good football team, very well coached.”

The Penguins (5-3, 3-2) head west next week to take on Northern Iowa, the #2 FCS-ranked school going into this week.  The Penguins have not beaten Northern Iowa in their last ten meetings and look to bolster their playoff hopes with a big road win. Don’t be surprised to see YSU ranked this week in the new FCS poll.

There is a sign in the dark cement tunnel that empties onto the field from the Youngstown State locker room.  The sign is hanging on a cement column right in the middle of the ramp and doesn’t have many different connotations.  Last season was a prime example of why a young and talented team needs a subtle reminder sometimes. Western Illinois dealt Youngstown State a painful 40-38 defeat , winning the game in the last minute after the Penguins failed to convert a first down with the game seemingly in control. Times have changed.

For starters, the Leathernecks lost their two best players, QB Matt Barr, and LB Kyle Glazier.  Optimistically, the Leathernecks are in a rebuilding year at the money positions.  However, the Missouri Valley Football Conference has proven one thing over the past several years – that every conference game is an unpredictable war, and that nobody can take assume that they can win a game until it is officially over.

“There is so much parity in this league”, said YSU coach Eric Wolford.  “In most leagues, there is an upper echelon of very good teams, and there is another group of teams that fall below that standard.  There is no division in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, any team can win any week.  Every week in college football, there are teams that are expected to win and are double digit favorites.  They go out and don’t play well.”

Kurt Hess (above) echoed the sentiment of his team on last year’s loss.  The sophomore QB said, “It was a very tough loss and it was very emotional, just like all of the other losses were.  We feel like we owe them something.”

The Penguins have gone all season without making a field goal attempt.  Wolford shared his feelings on the lack of three-point kicks.

“I don’t really care if we kick a field goal.  We work very hard on our red zone stuff.  I think everyone knows that seven is greater than three from kindergarten.  I would rather have seven.”

Hess, who is mature beyond his years, has been pretty effective this season, as has the entire offense, to the tune of 37.7 points per game. Jamaine Cook, barring injury or disaster, should crack the 1,000 yard mark in rushing against the Leathernecks, needing only 51 yards to do so.  Cook scored four touchdowns in the first half of last weeks game against Saint Francis.

Western Illinois (2-5, 1-3) lost last week, 31-17, at home to Missouri Valley State.  It was the first win in the conference for the Bears and if there was a silver lining to the outcome for the Leathernecks, it had to be the play of senior linebacker, Kevin Palermo, who recorded 14 tackles in the loss.  Palermo has 63 tackles on the season, 21 more than anyone else on the team.

The Leathernecks have gotten decent numbers out of first-year quarterback Josh Hudson, who has thrown for 1,313 yards so far this season.  His favorite target is 6’3″ senior, Terriun Crump, who has 41 catches in 2011, more than double of the next closest Leatherneck receiver.  I spoke with Crump about using his experience against YSU’s freshman-dominant defense.

“Obviously, we want to find a way to take advantage.  Youngstown State must have confidence in all of those freshmen to put them on the field.  We start some freshmen too and they have performed for us.  I don’t think it matters if they are freshman or seniors.  Our key to victory is to win all three phases of the game – offense, defense, and special teams.  We’re a balanced team and can play with anyone when we get all three phases going.”

YSU has not lost to Western Illinois at home since 2003, and the Leathernecks are currently riding a five-game road losing streak.  The special Homecoming game will start at 1 p.m., and YSU will announce it’s 2011 Hall of Fame inductees at halftime. With a win, the Penguins continue to show marked improvement from last season, stay in the playoff hunt, and head off to Northern Iowa, and then North Dakota State.  First though, the goal is to take care of the business at hand, and that is focusing on defeating Western Illinois.

Youngstown State junior center Mark Pratt was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Week, the league announced on Monday.

Pratt earned an overall grade of 90 percent for his efforts in the 49-23 win over Saint Francis (Pa.). He was named the team’s co-offensive player of the game allowing with tailback Jamaine Cook who rushed for four touchdowns.

Pratt played 46 snaps at center and had an assignment grade of 97% and a team-high technique grade of 84 percent. YSU rushed for 450 yards, had two tailbacks rush for more than 100 yards and amassed 646 yards of total offense in the win.

It marks the second time this season that YSU has had an Offensive Lineman of the Week selection. OG Chris Elkins received the honor following the Penguins’ win over Valparaiso.

YSU plays at home for the second consecutive week playing host to Western Illinois on Saturday. Kickoff for the contest is set for 1 p.m. It is the annual Homecoming/Hall-of-Fame contest. Tickets are available by calling (330) 941-1978.

Perhaps the most likable characteristic a person can have is that when they reach a level of success that few have, they are unchanged and remember their roots. Donald Jones is nursing a high ankle sprain and will be out of action at least this week (bye) and next week against the Washington Redskins.  The money hasn’t changed his attitude.  He is still a very sensible and grounded human being and returned to Youngstown State to talk with the team at this week’s pregame dinner on Friday night.

When addressing the players, Jones talked about his personal hurdles in establishing his goal.  “There were only two teams interested in signing me as a free agent, Buffalo and the New York Giants.  The chances of you making it to the league (NFL) are not very good.  I am not saying that you can’t do it, because I am proof that you can, but embrace the education you are receiving while in college and prepare yourself for a future.”

Jones not only talked with the team but introduced himself to many of the faces he had never met.  He sat with various members and chatted during the dinner.

Aaron Pitts, Jones’ college roommate, is on a different path of success.  Pitts is training with the Cintas Corporation locally and enjoys what he is doing.  Pitts showed up at the dinner to hang out with his old friend and it was nice to see the past interact with the future.

“We haven’t seen each other much”, said Pitts.  “As you know, Donald and I were roommates and got to be pretty close.  I am glad he is doing well and it is great to spend some time with him and catch up.”

Youngstown State second-year coach, Eric Wolford, introduced Jones to his team and talked about how hard work and taking care of your body can pay dividends. Interestingly, Jones graduated before Wolford was hired, but the two interacted like old friends.  It was a nice union of old meets new and everyone walked away happy.

Jones and Pitts showed up at the Youngstown State – Saint Francis game, which the Penguins won, 49-23.  Jones was on the home sidelines and spent time talking to reporters, signing autographs, and talking to anyone that approached him.  He is a refreshing change from the stereotype of a successful athlete, often perceived as a prima donna.  Jones is anything but.

“The biggest problem I have now”, joked Jones at the dinner, “is that everyone wants something.  Everyone calls and wants something from you.”

The most satisfying thing Youngstown could ever want, they got, when Jones showed up as an unchanged and respectable person who has not let the limelight change who he is and how he acts.

Sometimes Youngstown State University starts a game slowly, something Coach Eric Wolford claimed needed addressed.  Other times the Penguins had problems on both sides of the ball with missed assignments, lining up wrong, and fundamentals.  Against Saint Francis, a game which the Penguins won, 49-23, the maturity of this young team continued to take place.  There were few missed assignments, little that was not properly executed, and everyone looked fundamentally sound for the Penguins.

Jamaine Cook came into the game 4th in the FCS in rushing with 131.2 yards per game.  One of the backs ahead of him at number three on the list was Saint Francis’ Kyle Harbridge.  Cook put on a show, racking up four first half touchdowns and gaining 162 yards on 19 carries.  Harbridge managed to crack 1,000 for the year, but the Penguins RB had the much more productive day.  What was more impressive of Cook’s day was that Saint Francis runs a plus one defense most of the time, meaning they have nine guys in the box.  The line did a great job of picking up the extra man and sprung Cook, Adaris Bellamy, and Jordan Thompson for good yardage all day, to the tune of 450 yards combined on the ground.

“We came out to play up to our standard”, said DT Aronde Stanton.  “We prepared for this game like it was a conference game.  Because there are so many good running backs in our conference, we were prepared to face this kind of an offense that runs the ball.”

The Penguins (4-3, 2-2) never punted in the first half.  Cook had touchdown runs of 1, 4, 8, and 26, to account for his four first half scores, which marked the first time a Penguin scored four times in a game since PJ Mays did it in 2001 against Indiana State.  The Penguins also got a 5-yard touchdown from Bellamy, and Kurt Hess hit Christian Bryan for 19-yard score to account for the 42 first half points for Youngstown State.  Saint Francis managed a 35-yard Josh Thiel field goal.

In the second half, the Penguins sat the starters and Coach Wolford got the depth chart some playing time.  Saint Francis scored a few touchdowns in the second half to salvage some pride on offense.  The damage was pretty well done in the first half though and the Penguins and Wolford can be content with the first unit’s play on both sides of the ball.  The Penguins, however, put some icing on the cake when Jordan Thompson tore off a 95-yard touchdown run, off right tackle, tying a school record.  Thompson will be a force to be reckoned with going forward and he is finally 100% after suffering a shoulder injury early in the season.

“I didn’t know I had tied a record”, said Thompson.  “We have a bunch of talented backs and we were able to make some plays against a plus one defense, forcing misses.  I am happy to get the ball and contribute.”

For Saint Francis (1-6), Harbridge finished the game with 117 yards on 28 carries (he had 52 yards in the first half).  John Kelly threw for 288 yards on 16 completions in 28 attempts (including a 70-yard TD) and had 5 rushing yards and a score on the ground.

The Penguins really distributed the ball well in both halves.  Cook finished with 162 yards on 19 carries.  Thompson, aided with his 95-yard score, finished with 135 yards on 4 carries  (33.8 ypc).   Hess was 11-14 for 172 yards and a touchdown again doing a very efficient job of managing the offense.  Bryan finished with four catches for 49 yards and a score.  Torrian Pace got 15 carries in the second half and finished with 81 yards.

Defensively, Josh Garner and Aronde Stanton finished with five tackles each an Andrew Johnson recorded a sack. Sir Taylor nabbed an interception and returned it 42 yards, just missing a 65-yard touchdown when the last possible tackler tripped him up near the YSU sideline.

The first meeting of these two teams since 1953 ended sort of lopsided, but both coaches will have things to build upon despite the wide scoring differential.  Youngstown State will jump back into conference play when they welcome Western Illinois to town for Homecoming next weekend.  Saint Francis will host Central Connecticut State.

Coach Wolford talked about the victory at the postgame press conference.  “You always worry that the team will look at the record of the other team and have preconceived notions of chalking up a win.  Upsets happen all of the time and this team posed some challenges with a solid running game.  We did good things in the first half against the ‘plus one’ look, and defensively, the only thing that had me worried was the abundance of penalties.  We continue to strive though, and are putting things further behind us.  We now have to get ready for Western Illinois.”

One of the things about Wolford that has become more obvious to me over the past couple of weeks is his character.  I knew he had a big heart because of his ‘paying ahead’ attitude and charitable contributions through No Stone Unturned.  However, what I learned about this guy in the last 48 hours is that he worries about the personality and character of his players as responsible young men.  Everything from what they eat the night before a game, to what they do in their spare time, to the value of their education.  Wins and losses aside, Eric Wolford is now a better fit, in my mind, more than I ever could have imagined.  He is honest, refuses to make excuses, has tackled adversity head-on several times in just his second season, and more than anything — finds time for everyone.

Call me a mark.  Call me a homer.  Call me anything you would like.  Facts are facts.  Wolford is solid.

The Buffalo Bills enter their bye week at 4-2.  Donald Jones missed last week’s game, a 27-24 loss to the New York Giants, with an injury he sustained against Philadelphia the week before.  Because it is the bye week, Jones is missing one less game and is working hard to get back on the field and mend his high ankle sprain.  The original diagnosis was four to six weeks of no football, but Jones is determined to get back in the mix.

“It’s a tough injury”, remarked Jones. “So far things are going pretty well and I feel like I am ahead of schedule.  I am doing a lot of pool workouts and I am going to get on the field Monday to do some agility drills and test it a little.”

So how will Jones spend the bye week?  “Everyone went home after practice for the bye week.  We put in the first installment of plays for the Washington game, our first game after the bye.  On Monday, we will put the rest in and start to work on the plays.  I am coming to Youngstown State to talk to the team on Friday and am going to the game on Saturday, I am looking forward to that.”

The Bills have exceeded expectations from coast-to-coast so far with big wins over New England and Philadelphia.  Jones feels that the team has more to do, much more.

“So far it has been really good.  We felt like we let the game against the Giants last week get away, the same as Cincinnati.  We were winning both games and all of the guys are upset that we didn’t come out of those two games with wins.”

Stop by Stambaugh Stadium this Saturday and say hello to YSU’s biggest representation in the NFL since Jeff Wilkins.

I also spoke with Jones’ father via telephone.  He is working hard on promoting his Buffalo’s Soldiers group.

“Buffalo’s Soldiers is a group of former policemen who go to various football events and games covering a pretty wide area”, said Mr. Jones.  “We are now working harder to promote Donald and the DJ3 logo.  We want to get the people where he was and keep them informed.”

When asked whether or not he could take a team like Saint Francis lightly, Eric Wolford gave reasons why he could not.  Saint Francis is coming to Youngstown State this weekend for a rare midseason non-conference game and they bring plenty of offense to town.  The Penguins got a huge win last week at Southern Illinois, posting a quality 35-23 win over a good team.  Wolford knows that his Penguins have to stay focused and sees some daylight.

“Last week was a step in the right direction,” said Wolford.  “Southern Illinois has a very good football team and won this conference a couple of years ago.  I felt coming into this season that they were the second or third best team in the conference, so I am very pleased to get that win.”

The win came on the road, a first for Wolford.  It was also his first come-from-behind win, small landmarks in a bigger path of goals.  With playoff chances looming with every game, YSU cannot afford another loss, at home or on the road.

“We will prepare for Saint Francis like they are the best team we play”, remarked Josh Lee (below), one of last weeks heroes. “We have to prepare and can never underestimate an opponent.”

The Penguins defense will have their hands full against the Red Flash offense.  Kyle Harbridge has been outstanding at RB this year.  The gutty running back put up 189 yards on 23 carries last week and has 955 yards on 150 carries this season.  That is an average of about 132 yards per game.

“We rely on the run game and when it is working, we click on all cylinders.  My line does a fantastic job and we look to establish the run early in games.  It is the same approach every week, get it going early… early and often, hopefully”, said Harbridge via telephone.  “We want to play 60 full minutes to beat YSU, they are an FCS top power type team and we hope it is going to be a fight until the end.”

The Red Flash also have QB John Kelly.  Kelly is 79-173 for 942 yards and six touchdowns.  This team can score, they have just been outscored in most of their games so far this season.

One of the things that concerned Wolford in last week’s win was the kickoff coverage.  It seemed like Southern Illinois started every drive close to midfield.

“Guys didn’t do what they were supposed to do”, said Wolford.  “Those problems should be fixed and some changes will be made, but I think the coverage will be fine this week.”

Wolford praised several of his young players for their effort but says the celebration ends Sunday and there is still a lot of work to do to reach the goal of making the playoffs.

“We can play with anyone.  We could win or we could lose.  We can’t look at the schedule and circle the games we think we will win and the games we think we will probably lose.  We finally feel as though we have some depth at every position.  We are maturing and with that will come better execution.  This season isn’t over yet, I’ll tell you guys when it is over.”

The Penguins will be without David Rogers and Carson Sharbaugh will get the start at tight end on offense.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

For the first time under Eric Wolford, Youngstown State University won a game on the road.  In a must win for both teams, YSU outplayed Southern Illinois in the second half and got their first win at Carbondale in ten years, posting a quality 35-23 win over the Salukis.  The defense played arguably their best game of the season to protect the lead and maybe showed some signs of maturation.

The first half was filled with more of the frustration shown in the Penguins previous two losses.  Earlier in the week, Wolford said that his Penguins (3-3, 2-2) were getting beat on four or five plays where players were not lining up right or missing assignments.  The first half produced two such plays where fumbles killed drives and momentum.

Halftime adjustments and better protection of the football resulted in keeping momentum and putting points on the scoreboard.  The defense really strapped it up all day.  Jewel Hampton was held to 70 yards on 20 carries.  Hampton posed the biggest threat to YSU entering the game, neck-in-neck with Jamaine Cook atop the conference rushing leaders list.  However, Cook emerged in the second half with a couple of long runs, his sixth touchdown, and his fifth 100-yard game of the season.  Kurt Hess played a good game and really controlled the pace regardless of the situation.  Hess played like a captain for those who questioned a sophomore garnering such a title.

“Nothing comes easy for us”, said Wolford.  “We will keep sawing wood and working hard.  Take your hats to our defense today, they really stepped up and played hard.”

Southern Illinois scored first when they marched 43 yards in eight plays, punctuated by a Hampton two-yard run.  The Penguins evened the score in the second quarter when Adaris Bellamy (below) plunged in for a two-yard score.  The YSU scoring drive, which covered 42 yards only took five plays.

The Salukis would capitalize on a turnover and take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.  Hampton got his second touchdown on a six-yard scamper to increase the margin.  Jackson MacLachlin booted a 34-yard field goal to increase the Saluki lead to 17-7 at the half.

In the second half a couple of long-awaited answers came for the Penguins.  A receiver, Christian Bryan, has stepped up as a go-to guy for Hess.  Bryan made a couple of leaping, full-extension grabs to set up the Penguins in Saluki territory at crucial times.  The other question mark that can be erased was the ability of the defense to finish a game.  Give Davion Rogers the Derek Pixley Hit of The Week now, he earned it when he crushed MyCole Pruitt late in the game, dislodging the ball before the TE could gain full possession.

The Penguins scored the first two touchdowns of the second half to take a 21-17 lead.  Hess found Bryan alone in the corner of the end zone for the first score.  Cook scored the go-ahead touchdown on a hard two-yard run.

The lead would be short-lived as SIU reclaimed the lead on a 20-yard dash from the Iowa transfer, Hampton.  However, the Penguins were able to dig deep and take the lead for good with 1:11 left in the third quarter.  Hess found Jelani Berassa amongst a sea of Saluki defenders in the middle of the end zone and hit him with a hard pass that Berassa hauled in.

After a couple of empty possessions for both teams, the Penguins special teams made a difference.  Josh Lee pounced on a muffed punt that rolled beyond the goal line and into the end zone to put the Penguins ahead by the score of 35-23 with 2:48 left in the game.  Special teams were a problem to that point of the game for the Penguins.  The kickoff coverage unit let Steve Strother gain 195 yards on five returns, and Nick Liste had a couple of punts nearly blocked.  The defensive effort is even more praiseworthy based on the fact that Southern Illinois started most of their drives with great field position.

Hess finished the game 16-21 for 264 yards with two scores and no picks.  Bryan again took top receiving honors for YSU, catching five balls for 131 yards.  Cook had a sluggish first half statistically, but finished strong posting 179 more rushing yards to his growing resume.

Pruitt was a thorn in the Penguins sides all day and the freshman TE finished with 124 yards on eight grabs. Kory Faulkner was 20-35 for 184 yards for the Salukis (2-4, 1-3).

Wolford finally has the road monkey off of his back and this team is going to keep getting better with experience.  Quality win!

The Penguins return home for two games against St. Francis and Homecoming against Western Illinois.

*Photos courtesy of Ron Stevens / YSU Athletics

At halftime of last week’s Youngstown State football game, the 1991 Penguins National Championship team was honored.  It was nice to see about 25 members of the team on-hand to be introduced to the crowd.  One of the 25 members in attendance was current YSU Athletic Director, Ron Strollo.  Anyone who has been around YSU’s campus in the last few years will notice dramatic changes for the better.

Before every home football game,there are a million calories sitting on three long tables. It is fun to hear the visiting team’s media and sports department boast that YSU puts out the best spread in the conference.  Comparatively, on a recent visit to Michigan State, the only food offered to media was a boiled hot dog and a fountain soda.  Not even a bag of chips.  Big 10, shame on you.

It is also fun to hear coaches and players who travel in to face the Penguins rant about the facilities.   When Illinois State was in town, the boosters commented that they had preconceived notions of not knowing what to expect on their first trip to Youngstown State.  I ran into the same couple after the game, and even though their Redbirds came out on the short end of the stick, they went out of their way to come near me to say that they really enjoyed everything about the visit and thanked several people more important than I for the hospitality.

Back to Strollo…  People have this thing in their minds that an athletic program of a college should strictly be based on wins and losses. There is some truth in the statement, but there are other ways a university will flourish as a direct result of sports.  The WATTS is a great example of how a facility enhances an already beautiful campus, draws recruiting interest for all competitive sports, and can be utilized by more than one group or team at any given time.

“We have really made an investment over the past four or five years in our facilities and the community has really jumped on board”, said Strollo.  “Construction companies, plumbers, and electricians have donated to the improvements that will ensure our facilities continue to stay at the top of the line”.

Surrounded by a great staff, Strollo is always accessible and genuine with an answer to a question.  He attends many sporting events and the thing I admire the most about him is that he can talk on any level with anyone.

“We try to compare what we have here to major Division-I schools”, commented Strollo.  “My role is to keep things running as smoothly as possible.  I can’t go recruit and I can’t coach, so I manage what my role is.  Everything we do is to the best of our ability.  Our goal is to make sure that these coaches and student athletes have everything at their disposal they need to be successful.”

If you havent been on campus for the last three years, go check things out.  Start with the new turf on the football field and walk toward the WATTS.  If you can get access, check out the updated training facilities inside Stambaugh Stadium.  Make your way to Beeghly Center and look at the weight room additions, coaches corner, and upgraded locker rooms.  Visits to the campus, especially by recruits, will reveal a very favorable environment to continue excelling in athletics, but also getting a quality college education.

We have a gift in this valley people.  Rather than focus on the negatives of the “tired steel town” or “mafia ties everywhere” versions, go intake the beauty that lies within.  Keep up the good work, Mr. Strollo!