No offense, but there was really no offense

It would be hard to try and figure out just what the Youngstown State football team got out of playing Ohio State Saturday afternoon, other than a check for $650,000.

The only groups that really got a workout, except for the YSU defense, was the kickoff return team and the punting team. The offense might as well not have shown up.

But when you are playing against the No. 2 team in the country, have no experience at quarterback and a lot of players making their first college start, it wasn’t something that was unexpected.

About the only bright spot in the 43-0 loss was the defense stopping the Buckeyes four times in the red zone and forcing field goals.

Still, the Buckeyes scored on nine of 11 offensive possessions.

Twice, they had a first and goal inside the YSU 10 but didn’t score. One time, OSU tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells fumbled at the YSU 2 yard line with the Penguins recovering.

Plenty of practice returning kickoffs

The Penguins returned seven kickoffs — two of them went into the end zone and weren’t returned — and averaged 19.6 yards a return. But the Penguins never got the ball past their own 25 yard line.

Junior punter Ben Nowicki punted the ball nine times and had a very respectable 42.7 yard average, but it really didn’t do much good.

The offense was a nightmare, being held to a minus-11 yards rushing and 85 passing.

Their only first down in the first half came on a penalty. They never crossed midfield until the final quarter and then only got to the Ohio State 49 yard line.

It was really hard to tell just how the YSU quarterbacks did in the contest, because when they weren’t handing off they were running for their lives.

Starter Rowan passed for 46 yards

Junior Todd Rowan, who was making his first start of his college career, completed 8 of 13 passes, but for just 46 yards. Most of them were dump-off passes behind the line of scrimmage.

To Rowan’s credit, two of the best passes he threw were dropped by Penguins receivers.

Only two YSU rushers finished the game with plus yardage. Junior transfer Dana Brown led the way with 11 yards on five carries, while junior Jabari Scott had four yards on five carries.

YSU’s 21 carries gained 23 yards and lost 34 and the longest run from scrimmage was five yards.

All that behind an offensive line that was hoped to be one of the best the team has had in recent years.

South Dakota trip looms this weekend

Well, the good news is that the Penguins will not have to play anybody nearly as good as the Buckeyes the rest of the season.

However, next Saturday’s opponent, South Dakota State, definitely will be another obstacle that they must climb.

This will be the Jackrabbits’ first league contest as an official member of the Football Championship Subdivision and it will be their home opener under the lights with a packed house expected.

Kickoff on Saturday is 7 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium in Billings, S.D.

Saturday, a couple of area players did well for the Buckeyes.

Redshirt freshman Dan “Boom” Herron of Warren Harding, finished with 17 yards on five carries.

Senior defensive back Shaun Lane, a Hubbard High graduate, finished with four tackles. Two of them were on kickoff coverage and he almost had a pass interception that slipped through his hands and would have been a sure touchdown.

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