COLLEGE FOOTBALL YSU gets special teams workout

The Penguins also worked on game situations during their morning session.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- A football game rarely goes as planned by the coaching staff, and that's the reason Youngstown State coach Jon Heacock devoted most of Friday morning's practice to situations and special teams.
The team spent the early portion of the session working on the kicking game -- punting, place kicking and kickoffs -- and then went into game situations and the two-minute drill.
"Things went pretty well today; the kids have great attitudes and they're out there trying to do the right things," Heacock said.
"It wasn't a clean scrimmage -- we still have a lot of things to take care of in situations -- but their minds are in the right places out there, and as long as they stay there we'll get things right," he added.
The Penguins started out in third-and-long situations inside the 50-yard line, bringing in the field goal unit when the first down wasn't converted.
Terracina hits pair
Senior place-kicker Nick Terracina, the second-year transfer from Lake Charles, La., hit his first two field goals -- of 47 and 49 yards -- but then hit a slump and missed his next several, although three were from well beyond 50 yards, one from 56 yards. He was short on all three.
A year ago Terracina converted 13-of-17 field goal attempts, including a school-record 56 yarder in a win over Liberty.
The team also worked on the punting game, with sophomore Joe Bishop from St. Thomas Aquinas High School again leading the way.
As a redshirt freshman last season Bishop averaged 40 yards per punt, only the second time since 1986 a YSU punter has averaged 40 yards. He had a season long of 60 yards and nine of his 63 punts were over 50 yards.
Terracina will also handle kickoff duties; a year ago he had 19 kicks reach the end zone, 14 of them for touchbacks.
Return specialists
Returning kicks this season will be junior wide receiver Kyle Smith, while he'll be joined by sophomore defensive back Jason Perry, junior tailback Josh Cayson and senior wide receiver Matt Rycraft on kick returns.
In the two-minute drill situations the offense struggled somewhat, while the defense rose to the occasion.
"The defense is improving every day," Heacock said.
"They are getting a good feel for the system, they are working hard and their enthusiasm is the thing that really excites me the most."
The only time the offense moved the ball consistently in the drill was with freshman redshirt quarterback Vince Gliatta directing the attack.
He connected with sophomore Tyler Morton, a defensive back turned wide receiver, on three occasions and had a nice gain on another toss to junior transfer Jameson Evans, a Shaker Heights native who came from Purdue University.
Two workouts today
The team will hold its second two-a-day workout today, with the morning session beginning at 8:15 and the afternoon session at 3:30.
The team will hold a single practice on Sunday at 2 p.m. and has slated its jersey scrimmage for Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.
mollica@vindy.com