Posts Tagged ‘Torrian Pace’

To caption the picture at the risk of sounding quirky, action kicked off for the Youngstown State University football team Saturday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium. These scrimmages are hard to gauge where a team truly is.  If the offense scores a ton of points, the defense looks really bad.  If the offense struggles, then it was a great defensive performance, but a lousy job on offense.

The Penguins had some series with the first team units facing off, or as Coach Eric Wolford would say,  the ones against the ones.  The worry coming into scrimmage play was the wide receiver position where drops have been a problem since Spring ball started.

“We need someone to step up as we continue dropping the ball.  The receivers will have to catch 20 balls for every one they drop to get used to a ball thrown harder than what they were used to in high school”, vowed Wolford.  “David Rogers, however, is having a great camp.  He has really stepped it up and looked good so far at tight end.”

The other problem that the Penguins are facing is depth.  There were a good chunk of players not suited up due to injuries.  Many are starters, mostly on defense.

“Hopefully Monday, we are going to get some guys back.  Will [Shaw] and Deonta [Tate] should be ready to go.  John Sasson should be ok, I think he tweaked his hamstring out there in the middle of the scrimmage today.  We will also get Deionte Williams and Donald D’Alesio back in to get some repetitions at practice”, remarked Wolford.

Allen Jones had a couple of nice runs for the offense including a big 65-yard jaunt.  Kurt Hess hooked up with Juilian Harrell for a couple of scores and Hess even showed his mobility on a 20-yard run for another score.  Najee Tyler connected with Pat White for a 20-yard score (above).  Tyler was picked off  in the scrimmage by free safety Justin Austin.  Adaris Bellamy scored a two-yard touchdown to round out the offensive production.

Defensively, it was nice to see Taylor Hill back on the field making plays for the defense.  Hill stuffed Torrian Pace on a third-and-one play forcing a field goal from David Brown. Brown missed a field goal earlier in the scrimmage to which Wolford stated, “He has never kicked on a field with a crown, he needs to get used to not kicking on a flat field.”

Spring practice resumed Monday and a second scrimmage will take place this coming Saturday leading up to the Red-White Game on Saturday, April 16.  Tickets and tailgate passes are on sale for the big Spring game.  Tailgate passes are available on a presale basis only and can be purchased by calling the YSU Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.  Only 200 passes are being sold and over 100 are gone, so act quickly to tailgate from 8 a.m. to noon.  The game starts at 12:05 and game tickets can be purchased for $5 apiece.  All tickets are general admission on the home side of the Ice Castle.

Youngstown State University (3-3, 1-2 MVFC) takes to the road in hopes of breaking a two-game losing streak.  The Penguins have lost back-to-back nailbiters to Missouri State and North Dakota State.  They are also winless on the road (0-2) in their 2010 campaign.  The #23rd-ranked Western Illinois  Leathernecks are currently sitting on a 4-2 record and are 2-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and suffered their first league defeat last week to South Dakota State. 

Youngstown State holds a 15-10 edge in the series against Western Illinois with the Penguins winning the last six consecutive games.  Last year at Stambaugh Stadium, the Penguins raced out to a 31-0 lead at the half and Western Illinois rallied in the second half, but ultimately fell, 31-21.  The last time these two teams faced off in Macomb, Illinois, the Penguins squeaked out a 31-28 nailbiter in the last game of the season.  WhenYoungstown State scores 22 or more points, they have won 14 in a row against the Leathernecks.

Last week, Youngstown State had problems with kickoffs.  After the game, Penguins Coach Eric Wolford made no bones about the problem.  “We have a kickoff specialist who has one job, to kick the ball into the end zone, that’s all he has to do.  He failed to do that today and you can expect changes.”  However, when asked directly about the kicking situation for this weekend, Wolford replied, “We made some changes on his fundamentals.  Jake [Smith] has worked hard and ironed it all out.  He just needed to get his fundamentals squared away, he’s gonna be ok.”

For the Penguins to be successful on Saturday night, Adaris Bellamy will have to step up and run hard like he did in the loss to North Dakota State.  On the season, Bellamy has 324 yards on 57 attempts.  Jamaine Cook’s status remains a mystery.  Cook took part in full workouts Tuesday and Wednesday, but did get banged up last week.  Cook leads the Penguins youthful rushing movement with 620 yards on 103 carries.  Jordan Thompson will be back in uniform this week as well to join Torrian Pace and Allen Jones. 

Dominique Barnes had another big week.  Barnes caught 10 passes for a career-high 151 yards last week.  If Barnes catches a pass this week, he will have a reception in 30 consecutive games which would tie him with Kyle Smith for the school record.  With one receiving yard Barnes will also tie Smith on the all-time Penguins yardage total for wideouts with 1,534, and if Barnes can muster 66 receiving yards he will move past Lorenzo Davis and into the Top-10.  With one catch, Barnes will catch Bob Ferranti for fifth all-time in receptions.  Jimmy “Flea” Ferranti still leads the way with 186 receptions, Barnes currently has 129.  Barnes may draw extra coverage allowing Kurt Hess to use other targets such as Ely Ducatel and Kevin Watts.

For Youngstown State, a challenge of holding a lead would be a good goal.  The Penguins have squandered 10 and 17 point leads the last two weeks.  Wolford remarked on that trend.  “We have addressed it, and after looking at it, it is more of a case of shooting yourself in the foot.  We have got to adjust to the adjustments and stop getting penalties and making huge mistakes.”

Western Illinois will need to keep doing whatever it is that is working at home.  The Fighting Leathernecks did not win a home game last season and have not lost one at Hanson Field yet this season.  Offensively, WIU is averaging about 47 points per game at home.  At home, the offense has scored in every quarter (12 total),  rushed for at least 300 yards per game, and the defense has recorded nine takeaways in those three home games.  The offense is led by Lito Senatus at WR and QB Matt Barr who can run the ball as well as heave it.  barr had 125 yards rushing in a game earlier this season.  Defensively, LB Kyle Glazier is a beast.  Glazier had 21 tackles against South Dakota State and obviously has a nose for the ball.

Brandian Ross had 13 tackles the last time these two teams played in Macomb.  He will need another big effort to keep the Penguins going as Andre Elliott will again not dress with shoulder problems.  Luke Matelan has really stepped it up and been the biggest playmaker for the experienced Penguin Defensive Line. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. with Bob Hannon and Ed Muransky calling the action on AM-570.

Youngstown State University (3-1, 1-0)  takes to the road this weekend to face Missouri State (1-2, 0-1).  Both teams opened Missouri Valley Conference play last weekend.  Youngstown State cleared the big hurdle called Southern Illinois in convincing fashion scoring 31 unanswered points against the defending champs.  With the big win, the Penguins find themselves ranked 20th in the latest FCS polls.  Missouri State lost a nailbiter to Illinois State in two overtimes, 44-41.  The two teams will play for a fifteenth time Saturday with YSU holding an 11-3 series lead.  However, Missouri State has won the last two meetings.

The Bears won 17-7 at Stambaugh Stadium last season and posted a 42-28 victory the last time these two teams played at Plaster Field in Springfield, Missouri.  The teams have split with three wins each over the past six years with Youngstown State winning seven consecutive times before that.  For Youngstown State, the bullseye has been officially placed after being forecast as a seventh place team.  No more hiding in the weeds, everyone knows there is talent on this team.  The next hurdle for first-year coach, Eric Wolford, is to win one on the road.  The Penguins are a perfect 3-0 at home and 0-1 on the road with a loss to Penn State. 

For Missouri State, a better defensive effort is needed across the board.  Wolford and his crafty Offensive Coordinator, Shane Montgomery, have used a variety of weapons all season.  Nobody has truly emerged as the #1 running back.  Jamaine Cook has gotten the most carries but Adaris Bellamy and Jordan Thompson have been very effective and Torrian Pace has shown he can handle the load when called upon.  Kurt Hess has been outstanding for a Freshman.  Hess does not make mental errors and does a great job controlling the football.  Ely Ducatel and Kevin Watts have proven that if Dominique Barnes is taken out of the game and double teamed that they can step up and make plays.  The Bears can score, but are giving up 462 yards per game and 34 points per game. 

Youngstown State needs to realize that Missouri State rises to the challenge of big games.  The Bears have a very capable offense with senior quarterback Cody Kirby at the controls.  Missouri State averages 222 passing yards per game and just under 200 rushing yards per game, that is a pretty healthy balance.  Kirby poses adual threat of being a good runner as well as a great passer.  If the Penguins can bring the heat and contain Kirby at the same time, they should be successful stifling the Bears offense.  Coach Wolford has praised the Missouri State offensive line all week and called the Bears, “a dang good football team.” 

The Penguins will be playing without Andre Elliott, who is sidelined with a neck / shoulder problem.  Nick Gooden will step in and see some quality minutes in place of Elliott.  Brandian Ross (last week’s Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of The Week), Randy Louis, and Donald D’Alesio will have to work hard not only to contain Kirby, but also concentrate on shutting down Bears RB Chris Douglas (76 YPG) on the perimeter and WR Jermaine Saffold (16 catches, 263 yards) to keep the Bears on the ropes.

When asked if being ranked meant anything at this point, Coach Wolford responded.  “It’s obviously good for the fans and the media and the alumni.  It is what it is and we try not to let it be a distraction.  The only rankings that matter here are the ones at the end of the year.”  The last time the Penguins were ranked was in 2008 and this years 3-1 start equals last seasons record after four games.

You can catch all of the action on AM-570 with the pregame show starting at 1:30 p.m. and kickoff slated for 2 p.m.  Bob Hannon will have the call with Ed Muransky offering his analysis and Dave Sess chiming in from the sidelines.

Youngstown State University (2-1) welcomes Southern Illinois (1-2) to town for the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.  Southern Illinois has enjoyed recent success against YSU winning the last three meetings.  Things have changed at both schools in the past year.  Eric Wolford has taken over YSU’s program and has the team really playing with a beam of confidence.  Southern Illinois seems to be missing their patented running game.  Overall, the series is tied at 10-10-1.

Last season, the Salukis defeated the Penguins, 27-8.  The last meeting at Stambaugh Stadium was forgettable for the Youngstown sports faithful as Southern Illinois won in a blowout, 33-0.  There are several streaks heading into Saturday’s game to make note of. Southern Illinois has won a conference record 14 straight Missouri Valley match-ups.  However, the Salukis are currently on a two-game losing streak falling to SE Missouri State last week and being handled easily by Illinois.  Their lone win came in the opening week of the season, a 70-7 (not a typo) win against Quincy.

Youngstown State opened with a loss at Penn State and the Penguins have posted back-to-back wins over Butler and Central Connecticut to boost their win total, but more importantly, their confidence level.  One notable streak to watch will be based on the performance of Dominique Barnes.  Ironically, Barnes originally signed a letter of intent to attend Southern Illinois but later changed his mind and came to Youngstown State.  With one catch, Barnes will extend his consecutive games with a catch streak to 27 straight games. With two catches he will tie Renauld Ray for sixth place on the all-time Penguins reception list.  With six catches, Barnes can tie Lorenzo Davis for fifth on the all-time Penguin reception list.  If Barnes goes completely ballistic and catches 14 balls, he will tie Bob Ferranti for fourth.

The thing Southern Illinois has to be most concerned with is the arsenal of players Wolford has used this season.  Last week against Central Connecticut, the Penguins used four different running backs who all had at least nine carries each.  Adaris Bellamy, Torrian Pace, Jamaine Cook and Jordan Thompson have all had quality touches the first three weeks of the season.  Wolford has proven in the last two games that this year’s Penguins team is multi-faceted.  Take the run away and Kurt Hess can throw to Barnes, a healthy Ely Ducatel, and Kevin Watts.  It has been set up rather cleverly as a “pick your poison” type of offense.

The key to Youngstown State coming out of this with a win is to minimize penalties and mistakes.  The perfect game is what YSU needed to play to beat Penn State.  Sloppy play will not cut it this week.  The Penguins do a good job taking care of the ball and Southern Illinois is not the type of team you can make too many mistakes against .  YSU Receivers Coach, Phil Longo, coached at Southern Illinois as the Salukis Offensive Coordinator over the past two seasons.  He will surely provide some insight as to schemes, personnel, and even tendencies — more stuff than the Penguins could ever see on game films.

Coach Wolford said that this game has to be played as a normal conference game, nothing more.  “Every conference game is a big game for us.  However we don’t make this particular game out to be the Super Bowl or anything.  If we approached it like that and made it too big, I think maybe guys would get too tight.  There is a certain degree of looseness you want and a right time to tighten down the screws and go. With young people, you have got to squeeze ’em.  When we squeeze them, we are pushing them to get better. At the same time, you better hug them and love them, squeeze them that way too.  These kids know that we love them even though we coach them hard.”

Wolford has done something really impressive.  Before each home game, the coaches and players, in suits and ties, walk through the main tailgate lot to share in the joy of a Saturday in Youngstown with the great Penguins fans.  Wolford has seem to have done everything right so far.  Attendance is up, there is no media scrutiny, his relationships with executives at YSU remain increasingly positive, and he has really liked coming home.

Beware this week, Southern Illinois, these are not the same Penguins you have beaten up on since 2007.

New YSU Coach Eric Wolford advised all to circle the annual Red-White Spring game on their calenders.  He promised at halftime of the home basketball game against Butler that there would be tailgating for the first time ever as a way to hype things up and a way for the community to enjoy fellowship and networking.  Wolford had to be happy with the upgrade from Spring games past as the Red got by the White, 48-20, in front of well over 2,000 fans.

The way the game was set up, the Red team were the “ones“, or first teamers.  The White team were the “twos“, or second teamers.  According to Wolford, no one was guaranteed anything, so with a strong showing against the Red team, any member of the White team could be promoted to starter status.

The two big questions coming into the game remained unanswered.  Marc Kanetsky and Kurt Hess (above) both had good showings at QB as they alternated series with both offenses.  Kanetsky finished the day 20-32 for 213 yards and a TD, he also ran one in from two yards out.  Hess was 26-33 for 350 yards and 3 TD.  Statistically, the edge goes to Hess, but Kanetsky did a better job leading drives that resulted in scores.  Hess was critical of himself afterwards.  “There were some reads that I made not as fast as I would have liked to, but getting the ball to the receivers we have so they can do the things they do worked out well for me today.”

The other unanswered question was will the special teams be a drawback as they were last year?  There were two field goals attempted, one by starter Stephen Blose, that were missed.  Blose also missed an extra point attempt while succeeding six times.  There were a couple of mishandled punts that rolled around on the turf.  The blocking on punts was not full contact, so that was an untested commodity.  Special Teams will win or lose a team games and Wolford knows how important they become when in a close one.

The factors that were expected to click did not disappoint.  Dominique Barnes caught 10 passes for 174 yards and two TDs.  Both of Barnes’ touchdowns (27 and 35 yards) came from Hess passes.  Jelani Berassa stepped it up catching 8 balls for 107 yards and a touchdown. 

In the rushing department, Torrian Pace (above, being served water by injured Torrance Nicholson) ran hard and got 13 carries for 109 yards and a pair of scores.  Jamaine Cook (pictured below) got 14 touches for 48 yards.  Dan Banna, the younger brother of Red team FB Kyle Banna, had 10 carries for 93 yards to lead the White team.  Dan Banna commented on what it was like to play against a team his brother was on fo the first time ever.  “We are always competing, but usually on the same side.  Today you got to see which Banna was better,” remarked the younger Dan as brother Kyle laughed.

Pace praised the offensive line and gave his thoughts on what will happen at quarterback.  “The O-line did a great job and it all works because of them.  Both of the quarterbacks played well and it is in the coaches hands.  I have faith in both of them and trust whoever I am lined up behind on the field.  I think they can both play”

After the game, Coach Wolford commented on the positives.  “I’m excited by the great turnout today.  I was happy with things I saw on both sides of the ball and you really have to credit the White for playing very competitively.  We are now entering the most important phase of the year, our Summer program.  As coaches, you cannot monitor the players but it is a time when you can make the biggest gains or losses and we need to make alot of gains.”

A man of his word, Wolford and members his staff went through the tailgate lot visiting the fans who came out in celebration of YSU Football.  “It was good to see.  This community is ready to change and we are all going to work together to do positive things.”