YSU AWARDS Street gets top offensive honor

He played only 11 minutes, but guided the Penguins to a clinching touchdown Saturday.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- It only took Colby Street 11 minutes to do what most Youngstown State football players need a whole game to accomplish.
Street, a 6-foot-3, 228-pound junior quarterback from Beallsville High in Armstrong Mills, earned his first-ever offensive player of the game award following Saturday's 44-30 win over Illinois State.
Street, the backup quarterback behind Jeff Ryan, has seen little action the past two seasons and this year most of that action has been mop-up duty.
Saturday night, with just over 11 minutes remaining in the contest and YSU hanging onto a slim 37-30 lead, Ryan went down after a hard hit and had to leave the game.
Street guided the Penguins on a 75-yard touchdown march that clinched the victory over the Redbirds and kept the Penguins (6-1, 4-1) in the thick of the Gateway Conference race.
Rushing leader: In those 11 minutes Street took game-high rushing honors with 66 yards on just seven carries and that included a 41-yard run on YSU's final series that enabled the Penguins to run out the clock.
Street, who was redshirted his first season at YSU, has made one career start, against Illinois State in 1998. He played the first quarter and led the Penguins to a 7-6 lead, before Ryan replaced him. YSU won that game 14-12.
Street doesn't just stand on the sideline waiting to get in. He also participates on several of the special teams, which is how he earned his first letter in 1999 as a redshirt freshman.
The defensive standout for the second straight week was senior strong safety Antulio Aroche (6-1, 184, Los Angeles). Aroche led the team with 10 tackles, returned an interception 38 yards to set up a touchdown and had three pass deflections.
Also for the second straight week and the third time in the last four weeks, junior wide receiver Jerald Burley was named special teams player of the game. Burley also received the same honor in the Gateway Conference this week.
Burley returned three punts for 103 yards, including a 77-yarder for a touchdown, against the Redbirds. He also caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Ryan in the second quarter.
Top linemen: Linemen of the week honors went to sophomore tackle Josh Davis (6-5, 266) from Lisbon on offense and senior linebacker Russell Stuvaints (6-0, 197) of McKeesport on defense.
The Derrick Pixley Wash on Wheels hit of the week was recorded by junior linebacker Justin Dellarose, a 6-0, 230-pounder from Labelle, Pa.
The Haines Family player of the week honors, selected by the YSU broadcasters, went to Burley.