Long-awaited matchup puts fans in football heaven
Thousands from the Valley will attend today’s game.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
DURING THE PAST 45 YEARS, Rocco Fumi of Canfield, a 1955 Ohio State University graduate, has attended all but one of his alma mater’s home football games.
Jim Morrison, associate director of the Penguin Club since 1996, Youngstown State University’s athletic fund-raising organization, has attended every Penguin football game since 1968.
Both were to be at Ohio Stadium today to watch the teams start their college football seasons.
They’ll be joined by thousands of others from the Mahoning Valley making the trip to Columbus to watch a matchup local college football fans have been waiting to see for years.
Morrison, who served nearly 30 years as YSU’s associate athletic director until his 1996 retirement from the job, says this is the biggest regular-season game in Penguins football history.
“We’re eager to compete with them,” said Morrison, who graduated in 1964 from what was then called Youngstown University. “This is going to be a historic moment.”
Loyal fan
Although Daryl Mincey of Liberty graduated from the University of Cincinnati, he hasn’t missed a Penguins game, home or away, since 1992. That’s about 180 straight games for Mincey, chairman of YSU’s chemistry department and a member of the Penguin Club board for the past six years.
Mincey has an extensive collection of game programs, photos and other YSU football memorabilia. He also serves as a volunteer photographer for the team, giving him on-field access.
“By far, this is the biggest regular-season game for the team,” he said.
OSU is a college football powerhouse that made it to the national championship last year but came up short.
Mincey said seeing Jim Tressel, the former longtime Penguins head coach who’s held that position with the Buckeyes since 2001, on the sidelines adds to the excitement and importance of the game.
“The emotional aspect of playing a Jim Tressel team is great,” Mincey said. “I don’t think a lot of people realize what that will be like ... I don’t think it will get into the psyche of people until just before the game. This is very big deal.”
Fumi agrees.
“Absolutely, this is an important game,” he said. “This is not only a football game, it’s an event. It’s very seldom you get a contest of this magnitude in terms of emotion and excitement.”
Randy Brashen of Canfield, president of the OSU Alumni Club of the Mahoning Valley, said: “Here in Youngstown, this game is a harder ticket to buy than a Michigan ticket. I’ve had more calls for [tickets for] this game than any other in years.”
A number of YSU fans believe their team can pull off the major upset. Some local OSU fans are diplomatic, saying there are no guaranteed victories and pointing to close wins in recent years against underdog teams.
But Brashen doesn’t see it that way.
“I don’t foresee a battle,” he said. “I think we’ll play walk-ons. If the score is run up, it’s because the walk-ons are over-enthused. It’s a glorified practice.”
Crowd atmosphere
The game may be boring, but the crowd atmosphere will be exciting, Brashen said.
Atty. Jim Pazol of Liberty, who received his bachelor’s and law degrees from OSU, has a soft spot in his heart for YSU, but “I don’t have mixed feelings in this matter. I’m a Buckeye.”
A past president of the Valley’s OSU Alumni Club, Pazol expects the pre-game tailgating and the game to “be a real party and a lot of fun.”
Fumi’s tailgating parties near French Field House are well-known among local OSU fans.
Scott Schulick of Youngstown, who earned bachelor’s and master of business administration degrees from YSU, is hosting a tailgating party before the game at OSU’s recreation and physical activities center. Schulick, a Penguin Club member, hasn’t missed a home YSU game since 1994.
“This game is big for a variety of reasons,” he said. “Both universities are in Ohio, the success of both schools in football, and the Tressel connection make this big. It’s really big. We’re playing one of the best teams in the country.”
Ed Reese of Cornersburg, a Penguin Club member and past president, is going to be busy today.
His plan is to catch as much of the OSU-YSU game before driving to Canton to watch Cardinal Mooney High School play at 5 p.m. against Gateway High School of Pennsylvania. Reese’s son, Ed Jr., is Mooney’s extra-point kicker.
“It’s a great day for the university,” Reese said. “It’s the biggest game for YSU in terms of exposure. It’s a great opportunity to play in front of a large crowd.”
Reese, a former Mahoning County commissioner, is a fan of both college football teams but says he’ll be rooting for the Penguins.
“I may wear a YSU hat and an OSU shirt,” he joked. “I’ll get some chills when they take the field.”
Gov. Ted Strickland, who is to attend today’s game, said the showdown is something that should make Ohio proud.
“I’m going to be torn; at least half the time, I’ll be rooting for the Penguins,” he said. “This will be a celebration of Ohio.”
skolnick@vindy.com