YSU FOOTBALL Stuvaints sparks defensive play

The junior linebacker leads the team in tackles and tackles for losses this year.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Russell Stuvaints is having the time of his life for the Youngstown State University football team.
Stuvaints, the 6-0, 197-pound junior outside linebacker, is the Penguins' leading tackler and was one of the few bright spots in last Saturday's 30-11 loss to Northern Iowa.
That defeat was the first this season for the Penguins, who carry a 3-1 season record and a 1-1 mark in the Gateway Conference into Saturday's contest against Indiana State University.
The Sycamores are the third Gateway opponent for the Penguins and the second straight road game as Saturday's contest will be played at 2:30 p.m. in Terra Haute, Ind.
Easy decision: Stuvaints decided on Youngstown State after only one visit during his senior season at McKeesport (Pa.) High School.
"I came here and loved it right off," Stuvaints said. "I knew about all their national championships and then when I saw all those trophies I knew this is where I wanted to be."
He was redshirted his freshman season in 1998 and then got to see limited action the following year, playing in four games and recording nine tackles.
Last season, as a sophomore, he began to make strides. He played in all 12 games and started the final three, including the Division I-AA playoff game in Richmond.
This season he has been a starter from the opening day at camp and hasn't disappointed anybody and probably has surprised a few.
"I'd say maturity is the big difference in me right now," Stuvaints said. "I'm much more mature and I know what it takes to get the job done.
"I've been here since 1998 and I've watched a couple of great players, Dwight Smiley and Tim Johnson, and I learned a lot from both of them," Stuvaints said.
In the Penguins' first four games, Stuvaints has recorded 29 tackles, 24 of them unassisted. He also leads the team in tackles for losses with eight totaling 31 yards.
He also has two sacks and has forced three fumbles, including one of them for a big turnover last Saturday against the Panthers.
Can't explain: Stuvaints is still at a loss for words trying to explain last week's disappointing performance when the defense allowed 300 yards rushing and 414 total yards.
"I still can't figure out what went wrong," he said. "Northern Iowa is a good football team, but we made them look a lot better. Now we have to just go out and work that much harder this week.
"I'm not sure whether there was some overconfidence after we beat Western Illinois or what. They were a great team, defending champions in the Gateway, but that was still no excuse for the way we played at Northern Iowa," he said.
"We've got to refocus again, and we have to work hard to get ready for Indiana State."
Saturday's contest will be shown on area cable-TV systems beginning at 2:30 p.m. The cable systems carrying the contest will be: American Telecasting (Channel 126); Armstrong Cable (Channel 20); Time/Warner (Youngstown, Salem, Greenville -- Channel l9); Time/Warner (Warren-upgraded area -- Channel 15); and Time/Warner (Warren-non-upgraded area -- Channel 21).