Heacock will welcome players to YSU camp on Sunday

By Pete Mollica

The eighth-year coach will install a no-huddle offense this season.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State football coach Jon Heacock will welcome more than 90 players to the opening of fall camp Sunday as the Penguins prepare for the 2008 season.

Heacock (50-31), who begins his eighth season as head coach, is excited about the start of practice and he’s anxious to see how hard his players have worked out over the summer sessions.

“We are not allowed to be around the players in the summer or hold mandatory weight room workouts so they are entirely on their own during the summer,” Heacock said.

The Penguins will begin workouts Monday at 6:45 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.

Heacock isn’t worried about his players’ condition.

“We’re going to do things just the way we always have done and those players to come into camp in shape will have it a lot easier then those that don’t,” he added.

“This year’s schedule is a very trying one and to handle it we have to be in the best physical condition that we’ve ever been in,” he continued. “That means that we will be doing an awful lot of running. Our goal is by the time we go to Ohio State for the opener we will be in the best condition we’ve ever been in.”

Heacock said college football has gotten much quicker and conditioning will play a major factor in the season.

YSU will implement its new no-huddle offense this season which will also require the team to be in better condition.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference, formerly the Gateway Football Conference, has added two new teams as South Dakota State and North Dakota State become full-fledged members this season.

Heacock said the new additions made the conference much stronger overall.

“You still are going to need nine or 10 wins for a shot at the conference title and the automatic playoff berth,” he said.

For the first time since 1993, the Penguins will open the season with two straight road games. They play Bowl Division national runner-up Ohio State on Aug. 30 and then travel to meet South Dakota State on Sept. 6.

“It’s going to be a trying start to the season,” Heacock said. “You’ve got Ohio State to open with and then you have to go out to South Dakota who will be playing in their first full season as a member of the Playoff Subdivision, something they have been looking forward to for the last two years.”

Plus, the Penguins will open the season with a new quarterback for the first time in four seasons as junior Todd Rowan, a LaBrae High standout, will take over for graduated veteran Tom Zetts.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in Todd and we know that if he stays healthy he’ll get the job done,” Heacock said. “He’ll get to make his first start before 105,000 fans at Ohio State and that should be interesting.”

Heacock said summer conditioning will show which players were willing to make the sacrifice and are committed to making the program stronger.

“We’ll still have five days to get them in shape, but the better condition that they report in means the quicker we can get into football and get ready for the season,” he said.