Posts Tagged ‘Youngstown State University’

Youngstown State rallied to outscore Pitt, 43-17, in the second half to post a season-opening 64-50 win on the road.  The victory was the first over a Big East team since 1991 and also the first over a BCS Conference opponent since 1997.

Brandi Brown (above), playing in her last season for the Penguins, spearheaded a furious comeback after the Penguins trailed 33-21 at the half.  Brown scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the second half.  She also collected 11 rebounds for Youngstown State.

Brown was joined by Monica Touvelle and Melissa Thompson in double figures for YSU.  Touvelle shot 4-10 from three-point land and Thompson, who finished with 13, played a well-rounded game for the Penguins.

Surprisingly, the undersized Lady Penguins held their own on the boards.  Pitt finished the game with a 34-32 edge in rebounds, but Bob Boldon‘s scrappy team is getting used to a disadvantage in size that they are able to compensate for with hustle and technique.

The opportunistic Penguins play at Buffalo on Tuesday at noon.

Youngstown State will travel to Macomb, Illinois, for their final regular season road contest to face Western Illinois.  The Penguins (5-4, 2-4) are trying to regain the swagger that had them ranked as high as third in the polls.  Then October came.  The Leathernecks (3-6, 1-5) are having a pretty tough campaign as well, but hope that the adrenaline will propel them to a victory on Senior Day.

The Penguins have preached all season long that they will not look ahead, but rather, focus on the opponent of the week.  Coach Eric Wolford also vowed that this team could not put all of its eggs in one basket, but a loss would surely eliminate the Penguins from any hopes of postseason life.  The eggs are in one basket every week.

If the Penguins can secure a win in Macomb, next week’s contest against Indiana State will have huge playoff implications that could seed the winner.  One week at a time though, as the focus is on the Leathernecks of Western Illinois.

Last season, the Penguins won a lopsided 56-11 verdict at Stambaugh Stadium.  The Penguins have owned the Leathernecks in the recent years, winning seven of the last eight games, and now hold a 16-11 edge in the series.  Even though Western Illinois has lost seven of their last eight, senior WR Charles Chestnut vows that his team is going to do all they can to win.

The Penguins have turned up the pressure, recording eleven sacks in the last three games.  Aronde Stanton and Nick DeKraker have a sack in each of the three games.

Offensively, Kurt Hess needs one more touchdown pass to take sole ownership of the most touchdowns in a career.  The junior signal caller is tied with Tom Zetts at 51 aerial tosses.  RB Jamaine Cook (above) is the reigning MVFC Offensive Player of The Week as he popped out 203 yards on 42 carries last week in the win over South Dakota.

Cook is also chasing some historical marks.  He can set the career mark at YSU for all-purpose yardage if he can accumulate 180 yards.  He also trails Adrian Brown by 163 yards for second place on the all-time rushing yardage list.

“The win last week definitely helps us get our confidence back on track”, said OL Lamar Mady.  “Everybody is level-headed and working hard to be prepared for the next game.  We want to get the whole offense running strong again.”

Kickoff from Macomb is 2 pm EST (1 pm CST) and the game will be carried on WFMJ. Don’t count YSU out yet.

Youngstown State senior tailback Jamaine Cook was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against South Dakota, the league announced on Sunday.

Cook rushed for a 203 yards on 42 carries and had a touchdown in the Penguins’ 13-10 win over South Dakota. Cook had season-high totals in both carries and yards in the contest. He scored on one-yard run in the third quarter. He moved into third in rushing yards for a career in school history and eclipsed 1,000 yards for the third consecutive season. He had 103 yards on 23 carries in the first half and 90 on 19 totes in the second half.

He moved into third place in school history in career rushing yardage. Cook now has 3,815 and trails just Adrian Brown at 3,978 and Tamron Smith at 4,866 in school history. Against South Dakota, Cook had 42 carries for 203 yards. The carries rank as the fourth most in a single game in school history. The 203 yards is the 21st time in school history a Penguin has eclipsed the 200-yard mark in a contest.

Other players honored for their performances on Saturday were S Caleb Schaffitzel of Missouri State (defense); LB T.J. Lally of South Dakota State (newcomer); and PK Justin Syrovatka of South Dakota State (special teams).

The Penguins return to action on Saturday at Western Illinois. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Central.

Youngstown State University needed to win a game in the worst way.  South Dakota, the new kid on the block in the Missouri Valley Football Conference came in with a 1-7 record.  When the two struggling teams faced off, the Penguins ended up ahead, 13-10, and halted a four-game losing streak.

The Penguins defense, for the most part, played a very solid game.  The offense did enough to win.

“It was an ugly win, but obviously we will take it”, said Eric Wolford.  “The defense played great.  It starts up front.  Going in, I had some concerns about their running game, but our front seven held them in check.”

Kurt Hess found Nate Adams (below) in the first quarter to give YSU a 6-0 lead.  The normally reliable David Brown, the teams extra point specialist, hit the right goalpost to record his first miss in 35 attempts this season.

Adams released to the right pylon as Hess scrambled around before completing the easy three yard pitch and catch.  The touchdown completed a drive that covered 84 yards in 15 plays.  The catch would be the only one Adams would have in the game.

With less than a minute to play in the first half, the Penguins tried a trick play.  Hess got the ball to Micheal Wheary who never crossed the line of scrimmage.  Wheary cranked up a pass from about 12 yards and unloaded into a crowded end zone.  The result was a red zone turnover with less than a minute to play in the half.

Youngstown State took the opening kickoff to start the second half and drove 75yards in nine plays.  The big play in the drive was a 28-yard run by Jamaine Cook that got the ball to the one yard line.  Cook would plunge in on the very next play and Brown would knock in the extra point to make it a 13-0 YSU lead.

South Dakota put together their most productive drive of the afternoon.  Eric Wolford said earlier in the week that Coyote quarterback, Josh Vander Maten, was a threat with his arm and his feet.  Vander Maten proved to be dangerous on the drive as he rushed for 39 yards on four carries and threw three completions for another twenty yards.

“The month of October was very difficult, we had to fight for 60 minutes to get a win”, said Wolford.  “I have been places where guys miss classes, talk back, and have discipline issues.  We aren’t having those issues here.”

The Penguins defense stiffened, however, and the Coyotes had to settle for a 37-yard field goal from Kevin Robb.

After the South Dakota field goal, Youngstown State mounted a drive that would kill a lot of clock.  The YSU special teams blunder of the week was up next.  Brown lined up for a 45-yard field goal.  The field goal was blocked and South Dakota ended up with possession inside the Penguins 50.

What happened next encapsulated what has gone wrong for the Penguins in the last four weeks.  The Coyotes used two plays to go 47 yards and make it a 13-10 game.  On the short possession, Dale Peterman picked up a 15-yard penalty on a flea-flicker that Vander Maten ended up keeping with all of his receivers covered, for a modest ten yard gain.  On the next play, Jasper Sanders gashed through several missed tackles for a 22-yard score.

Once YSU got the ball back with over ten minutes left in the game, they went back to the running game to grind the clock.  After a couple of first downs, the Penguins punted.  Nick Liste hit a nearly perfect punt that rolled into the right pylon for a touchback.  Football truly is a game of inches.

South Dakota got the ball back and after picking up a first down, faced a fourth-and-eleven on their own 41 yard line.  Aronde Stanton sealed the deal as he dragged Vander Maten down to force a change of possession.

“I tried to strip him, so my initial reaction was to just hold on”, said Stanton.  “We have been getting better.  This win gives us confidence to go into the next game.  If we don’t win the rest of our games, we know we don’t have a chance.”

For the Penguins, Cook carried the ball 42 times for 203 yards, a season-high in yardage, and a career-high in attempts.  The 42 carries were the fourth highest amount attempted in YSU history.  Hess finished 11-17 for  133 yards.

“Hats off to the offensive line, they did a great job up front”, said Cook.  “I feel fresher carrying the ball 42 times in a win than I would twenty times in a loss, I’m sure I will feel it tomorrow.”

“The coaches deserve all of the credit for putting a great game plan together”, said OT DJ Main.  “We definitely executed the game plan better than we have.  The offense struggled and the defense played great and kept us in the game, we executed when we had to.”

With the news that Indiana State was losing, there was a sudden renewal of hope for the Penguins.  If they can win at Western Illinois next week, they face Indiana State at home on November 17.  If they can win that game, both teams would have four losses and YSU would be selected over ISU because of the head-to-head logic.

The 2012 football season that started with such a bang is fizzing away.  After a 4-0 start, and then an 0-4 stretch, the Youngstown State University Penguins have gone from the headlines to the bread lines in just a month.  There is no magical answer as to why, but a logical guess would be turnovers, failing to defend any passing game, and special teams weekly blunders.

Coach Eric Wolford knows that this stretch has been taxing on the psyche of his players and assistant coaches.  Turnovers are not something that can be schemed against. Period. Any team that turns the ball over as much as YSU has in the last three games (11) will not win, and sometimes not even get close to winning.

Okay.  So what happens now?  The Penguins could very easily pack up the tent and post the ‘wait until next year’ taunts, ala Cleveland sports teams since 1949, or the Penguins can continue to try to win games.

Keep in mind, at 4-3 going into last week, this team was ranked #22.  If the Penguins can defeat South Dakota this week and Western Illinois next week, they may very well end up right back in the polls at 6-4.  If that does happen, the home finale against Indiana State will have plenty of importance in determining whether or not the Penguins will play the following week.

In true Penguin fashion, however, these games must be won one week at a time.  Kurt Hess has struggled.  Jamaine Cook has had limited production in two of the last four games because the Penguins have trailed, meaning the pass game becomes the dominant choice on offense.  In obvious passing situations, teams can sit back and use numbers to conjure turnovers.  They can also send more than what can be blocked to hurry or sack Hess.

Defensively, consistency is the biggest issue.  South Dakota’s Tyler Starr, a sophomore linebacker, thinks his team is struggling with the same issues on the defensive side of the ball.

“It comes down to discipline and execution”, said Starr.  “People can get carried away during a game and miss an assignment or take a play off here or there.  Suddenly what was a 7-7 game becomes a 21-7 game, and you are trying to figure out what just happened.”

When asked who is a bigger threat to his defense, Hess or Cook (pass or run), Starr gave an honest and candid answer.

“They are both great players.  We have to concentrate on shutting down the run game early and force them to pass.”

The meeting against South Dakota will be the first ever.  USD is in its first year in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  It will also mark the 71st Homecoming game in school history.  Since relocating to Stambaugh Stadium, the Penguins are 20-10 in Homecoming games.

The game has the potential of being a blowout for the home team, or a disastrous next chapter in a book Penguin fans do not want to read.

“It’s not hard to see that turnovers have made the difference in these last few games”, said Wolford.  “We preach how important it is to take care of the ball, and we have failed to do that.”

The Homecoming Parade will start at Noon and the game will kickoff at 2 pm.

Youngstown State has had a motto they have focused on this season, in good times and bad – focus on winning one game at a time.  Entering this week, the Penguins are still ranked at #22, still confident in the potential, and still in the thick of a playoff berth.  However, if the second half of football this week is anything like the past three have been, all of those aspirations can vanish quickly.

Eric Wolford has not beaten South Dakota State in his first two tries.  He knows that South Dakota State (5-2, 2-2) is in a similar situation with a sense of urgency churning through both teams preparing for this game which will have major playoff implications. As an added bonus, the Penguins will face the Jackrabbits on Hobo Day, the South Dakota State Homecoming.

“They are number one in the conference in red zone defense”, said Wolford at the weekly press conference.  “They are terrific on third down too.  But the glaring thing is that program’s ability to recruit players that fit into their defensive scheme.”

One of the reasons South Dakota State has been so good this season is Zach Zenner (above).  In last week’s loss to Northern Iowa, Zenner had 112 yards rushing.  Zenner currently leads all FCS backs with a 194 yards per game average.  The Jackrabbits sophomore tailback talked about the importance of winning on Hobo Day.

“Hobo Day, in one word, is Homecoming here”, said Zenner via telephone.  “We are doing our best to grow some beards and it is a very festive time on campus.  Our mascot is a Jackrabbit, and there are knockoff mascots and a whole bunch of fun things going on.  Naturally, we want to try to win every game, but we really want to win on Hobo Day.”

YSU must shut Zenner down to have a chance.  They must also not give away penalty yards at crucial junctures of the game.

“We are looking to stay within ourselves”, said Zenner.  “If they commit penalties against us, we won’t turn away the free yards.”

Wolford has done a good job blocking out the sudden rush of negativity geared toward the way things have gone lately.

“When you are winning, everyone wants to pat you on the back and say how good things are”, exclaimed Wolford.  “When you are not winning they will throw bricks, and sticks, and stones at you.  We don’t pay attention because we know what we have to do.”

“We know we are only guaranteed four more games”, said safety Donald D’Alesio.  “They [South Dakota State] run a very basic offense, but they do what they do well.  We have to get this bad taste out of our mouths this week, we are ready to win.”

Junior LB, Ali Cheaib, who doubles as a special teams player, was asked which of the three phases of the game need the most attention, since he is involved with two of them.

“Special teams are getting better, and last week was our best effort since the Pitt game on defense.  We are confident as a team because we know what we are capable of.  There is also a sense of urgency, more than ever, and we know our backs are against the corner.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 3 pm EST, and the game will be televised on WFMJ.

The Youngstown State volleyball team had four players reach double digits in kills and hit .273 as a unit to defeat Milwaukee in four sets (25-22, 20-25, 25-21, 25-23) in a Horizon League match on Saturday at Beeghly Center.

Missy Hundelt tied for match-high honors with 17 kills, and the junior from St. Louis added 13 digs for YSU, which responded from a tough five-set loss to Green Bay on Friday. Alexis Egler added 12 kills while Jenna Cavanaugh had 11 kills and Jackie Carlisle had 10. Hundelt hit .438, and Cavanaugh’s .474 attack percentage was the highest among any player with more than two kills. Erika West added a match-high 15 digs.

Elizabeth Egerer had 17 kills as one of three Panthers in double figures.

The win moves YSU into a three-way tie for fifth place with Milwaukee and Green Bay at 3-6.

“I’m very proud of how we fought this weekend,” YSU head coach Mark Hardaway said. “Last night was a very tough, emotional and physically-draining match. We were flat at times today but found a way to push through at the right times.”

“Our players off the bench continue to do a great job with Kelsey Wagy today and Nichele Johnson and Chelsea Guerrieri yesterday. Milwaukee has a very talented team, and I know this match could have gone either way.  We have been so competitive all year, and I’m very happy for the team. They deserved this win.”

There were 33 ties and 17 lead changes in the match, and the fourth set had 16 of those ties and nine of those lead changes.

Eric Wolford started a new practice week like a politician, promising change.  Wolford made good on the promise of a more stubborn defense.  Something Wolford can’t scheme against or plan differently are the mistakes that doomed his Penguins.  Southern Illinois blocked a punt for a score, landed on a loose ball in the end zone, intercepted passes and recovered a fumble to defeat the Penguins, 38-21.

“We didn’t play very well.  There are three phases and we only played good defense”, said Eric Wolford.  “We know we are capable of being a good football team but we have been shut out the last three games on offense.  We need to simplify some things.”

YSU started the game in very workmanlike fashion.  The Penguins marched 55 yards in ten plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard Jamaine Cook plunge.

The Salukis scored by the end of the first quarter on a 26-yard Austin Johnson field goal that cut the YSU lead to 7-3.

Cook garnered his second touchdown of the game on a 4-yard scamper that would increase the lead to 14-3 for the Penguins.  The touchdown came with 11:43 left in the first half and capped off a ten play, 65-yard drive.

Big special teams plays by the Salukis hindered YSU’s improved defensive effort in the first half.  Southern Illinois blocked a punt with 5:36 left in the half and Courtney Richmond pounced on the loose pill in the end zone to close the gap to 14-10.

YSU would again retaliate with a good drive.  Cook had his third rushing touchdown of the half when he dove in from a yard out to increase the Penguin lead to 21-10.  It marked the third successful scoring drive of the half, this one covering 76 yards.

As a steady mist fell, Southern Illinois would cut the lead to 21-17 when Kory Faulkner spotted LaSteven McKinney for a 10-yard touchdown.

On a third-and-short, Southern Illinois used play-action to catch the YSU defense out of position.  MyCole Pruitt was pretty much by himself, catching a Faulkner pass on about the ten and jogging into the end zone to give the Salukis their first lead of the afternoon at 24-21.

On the next YSU possession, with the Penguins trying to drive and get their lead back, an errant snap exchange between Hess and center Mark Pratt from the shotgun formation rolled into the Penguins end zone and Southern Illinois’ Tyler Williamson landed on the ball for a 31-21 Salukis lead.

With five minutes left and YSU driving, Hess was stripped of the ball while trying to make something out of nothing.  Southern Illinois recovered with a 10-point lead.

The final straw was a last gasp drive that ended in Hess getting picked off in the end zone and running 100 yards for a game-sealing touchdown.

The Penguins fell to 1-3 in the conference and probably can’t lose again if they want into the postseason.

“It hurts [the loss] just like the rest of them.  Our defense played a great game and as a leader, I can take the blame, our offense did not get the job done”, said YSU’s Cook after the game.

Aronde Stanton, another captain, gave his views.  “We lose as a team, so it doesn’t matter who plays better, offense or defense, it is a team loss.”

“I will be thinking all night about how to keep this team loose”, said Wolford.  “We play South Dakota next week and we have not beaten them since I got here, so we have to really focus.”

Racing out to a 4-0 start is a good thing.  Collapsing on the road for two key conference games is not such a good thing.  Saturday, #15 Youngstown State (4-2, 1-2) will try to regain the winning form that vaulted them into being ranked as high as third in the polls when they take the field for their first home game since September 22.  Southern Illinois, one of the hottest teams in the league, comes in at 4-2, but are 3-1 in the conference.  The task is not easy, but the Penguins need to start winning again.

“Our backs are against the wall and we need to respond”, said Penguins junior QB Kurt Hess.  “We are still growing as a team and cannot afford to hurt ourselves with small penalties.”

In last week’s loss to Illinois State, the Penguins didn’t break any records for penalty yardage, but the timing of at least two penalties proved very costly.

“We got a penalty on a kickoff and had to re-kick”, said Penguins Coach Eric Wolford. “Instead of having them pinned deep, we kick again and they get the ball around midfield.  We also had a personal foul penalty that was a dumb mistake on our part.  To win games in this conference, you just can’t make those kind of mistakes.”

Southern Illinois has a tremendous talent at tight end in MyCole Pruitt.  Pruitt has 32 catches for 362 yards and three touchdowns.  He is also a pretty good blocking tight end.  Pruitt commented on what his team has to do to come away with a big road win.

“I expect this year’s game to be like last year”, said Pruitt.  “It can probably go down to the end and the team who wins will make a play.”

Pruitt moves like a wide receiver, but looks like a lineman at 6’3″ and 247 pounds.

“I feel like there isn’t a linebacker in the conference that can cover me.”

Saluki QB Kory Faulkner is a dual-threat after starting a play.  He can run (47 yard rushing touchdown last week), or he can beat you with his arm (had a 384 yard passing game this season).  Southern Illinois keeps a defense off balance with plenty of motion and shifting.  The Penguins seem like they know what is coming, but can they execute?

YSU center, Mark Pratt, reflected on what the last two weeks have been like.

“I hate losing.  I get sick to my stomach and I don’t eat right.  I didn’t talk to my wife much and I didn’t sleep well either.”

Wolford knows that Southern Illinois is a worthy opponent and that the Penguins need to be on their game, all three phases, and have to convert third downs, avoid penalties, and not commit turnovers.

“It gets agonizing to sit and watch films when you keep seeing the four or five plays that beat you,” said Wolford.  “You don’t know going into a game which four or five plays will define a game, but at the end, you definitely know which plays they were.”

Wolford said that there will be changes.  Jamarius Boatwright will get the start in the defensive backfield.  The defensive line also looks to be shaken up, but Wolford would not say who would be where because it would be based on who performed the best in practice this week.

“We need to get back to having fun again”, said Wolford.

Everyone smiles on a winning team from the top down.  In this battle of a couple of teams who dominated the I-AA division in sections of years, one team will leave the field smiling, attempting to regain championship form from years past at their respective universities.  The other will leave scratching their heads wondering why it is so difficult to rekindle the magic that once defined their team as a powerhouse in this sport.

YSU 37, Southern Illinois 29.

Youngstown State watched a 21-point lead evaporate as Illinois State (6-1, 3-1) scored the last 28 points of the game to complete a comeback that sends the Penguins (4-2, 1-2) losing streak to two games.

“Offensively, we had some foolish penalties that kept us behind the chains”, said Eric Wolford.  “We probably have to make some personnel changes.  We can’t keep thinking that things are going to change with the personnel we are using.”

The Penguins opened the game with a ten-play, 76 yard march.  Jamaine Cook, who had a huge day, punched it in from seven yards away to make it 7-0 in favor of the Penguins.  That lead would increase to 14-0 when Kintrell Disher caught a nice fade route in the corner that Kurt Hess delivered to the only catchable spot.

The Redbirds found the scoreboard by the end of the first quarter.  Darrelynn Dunn tallied from eleven yards away to make it 14-7 in favor of the Penguins.

Before the first half would end, the Penguins would go up, 28-7 on a pair of Cook touchdowns from one and 14 yards away.  The resilient Redbirds closed it to 28-14 before the half ended.

The Redbirds took their first lead of the game when Brown was ruled across the plane of the goal line.  Watching the replay on television a few times, I’m not so sure.  Either way, it made the score 35-28 in favor of Illinois State with 2:44 left in the game.

YSU would get the ball with plenty of time left in the game but ran out of downs as the comeback attempt was thwarted with less than a minute left in the game deep in Redbirds territory.

Brown started slow for ISU but would finish the game 20-31 for 225 yards, passing for three touchdowns and rushing in the game-winning score.  Dunn had 19 carries for 75 yards.

For the Penguins, Cook had 30 carries for 177 yards and three scores.  Hess finished 16-29 for 201 yards and a touchdown.

The Penguins return home next week to face Southern Illinois at 4 pm.