Heacock plans on QB shuffle

Aaron Marshall and Matt Rycraft will continue to split the snaps.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;By PETE MOLLICA & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Aaron Marshall is still the starting quarterback at Youngstown State University, but you can also expect to see a lot of Matt Rycraft on Saturday when the Penguins travel to Liberty University.
The game is set for a 7:07 p.m. kickoff at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Va. The contest also will be televised live over The Football Network and carried locally by WYFX Fox 17/62.
Marshall, a redshirt sophomore from Detroit, struggled somewhat last week in the 13-6 loss to Florida Atlantic. The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder completed just 8-of-18 passes for 82 yards and one interception.
Rycraft, like Marshall, led the Penguins on one scoring drive, but both ended up with field goals instead of touchdowns.
Rycraft, the junior from West Branch High, was 4-of-7 for 37 yards and ran for another 37 yards.
Getting ready
"We're going to always have two quarterbacks ready to play in every game," said Heacock. "We try to change about every third series during a game.
"Then later on in the game you have to wait and see which one is doing the best job," he added. "Last week Aaron was struggling a bit and we went with Matt late in the game."
While Marshall takes most of the snaps during practice, Rycraft also gets his chance to work with the No. 1 offense.
"When Matt comes into a game we will normally run the plays that he's worked on during practice that week," Heacock said.
According to quarterback coach Brian Wright, both quarterbacks have two other options to change the regular play at the line of scrimmage.
"The quarterback is a special position," said Heacock. "He's got his hands on the football on every play."
Since Marshall and Rycraft are two different quarterbacks, a problem is sometimes presented for other players on the offense.
Different approach
Sophomore tight end Shawn Carlson, a Boardman High graduate, said he has to adjust to whoever is in the game.
"I have to run my routes differently for each one," Carlson said. "With Aaron my route can be somewhat looser, but with Matt I have to run a tighter route."
Carlson came to the Penguins as a walk-on two years ago. He was redshirted his first season, and last season he had five receptions for 76 yards while making his first career start against Southern Illinois.
This season the 6-7, 227-pounder has five receptions, the longest being 31 yards, and two of them have been for touchdowns. Both scores came in the second quarter of the 45-12 victory over Slippery Rock.
The exercise science major is as good in the classroom as he is on the field, gaining a perfect 4.0 grade-point average last spring. He was awarded the Clarence R. Smith Jr. scholarship following his freshman season.
& lt;a href=mailto:mollica@vindy.com & gt;mollica@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;