Facility won’t go up just yet

For those of you who are anxiously awaiting the start of construction for Youngstown State’s new indoor practice facility, don’t be looking for the bulldozers any time soon.

Youngstown State athletic director Ron Strollo said all the funds for the facility have to be in place before things start to roll.

“We’re moving along very well, but we are nowhere near where we need to be yet and that’s what we are working on now, raising the funds that we need,” Strollo said.

Strollo said nothing definite has been decided about the site of the facility.

“We have several sites that we are considering,” he said. “Some we own and some we still would need to purchase properties at.”

Strollo wouldn’t disclose the sites since it would conflict with the university’s attempt to purchase a property if it were to be considered.

“Those decisions will be made once we get the funding in place. Right now there is no time frame set on when or where the facility will be built,” he added.

Money from OSU, other
games to be earmarked

Strollo did say some of the money the Penguins are to receive from the two games with Ohio State will be earmarked for the new facility.

“Some of that money will go toward the facility because it will be a facility that will be used for the entire athletic department as well as the student body. Plus we are also hopeful that it will be used by other members of the community,” he said.

YSU has played three so-called “money games” since 2005 and have games scheduled with Ohio State next year and Penn State in 2010.

There is also a verbal agreement for a game in 2009, but Strollo wouldn’t indicate the opponent. He did say it was not a Big Ten school.

Scheduling has become less of a problem for Strollo because the Gateway Conference expands to nine teams next season.

“It’s going to change things around here quite a bit,” he said. “Gone are the days of seven regular season home games.

“You can almost be assured that from here on out we’ll be playing six home [games] and five away one year and then five home and six away the next year,” he said.

“You know you will have four home and four away every year in the conference,” he said. “[You can] play one money game, which will always be on the road, one regular home game against a non-scholarship team or a Division II team and then one home-and-home game against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.”

Next season the Penguins will play six away games, including four in the Gateway, at Ohio State and a return game at Southern Utah. Liberty University will be the other non-Gateway home game, as they return a game they owed the Penguins.

YSU still owes Northeastern University a game in Boston, which Strollo said he’s almost certain is scheduled in the future.

Penguins struggled
on both sides of ball

Saturday, the Penguins struggled before finally putting away a pretty good South Dakota State team.

The YSU offense looked awesome in the first quarter and parts of the second, but then lost something for the next two quarters before rallying in the final minutes to pull out the win.

The running game looked better, but still doesn’t have a running back to step forward and take charge. Sophomore Jabari Scott looks the best and junior Brandon Nicholson isn’t far behind, but freshman redshirt Jordan Edwards lost some of his appeal with a costly fumble.

A lot of people are still wondering about junior transfer Kevin Smith, who came to the Penguins this summer from California and a junior college. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound speedster has been injured most of the fall camp and has yet to see action in a game.

The YSU defense was again strong against the run on Saturday, but against the pass allowed 208 yards. Coach Jon Heacock said the Jackrabbits’ short passing game was something that they hadn’t showed and caught the Penguins off guard.

YSU should be able to solve some of its problems the next two weeks with Division I-AA non-scholarship Stoney Brooke coming here Saturday at 4 p.m. and then Division II Lock Haven, led by former YSU assistant John Klacik who is now the head coach there.

XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.