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YSU 7th in league poll; Barnes, Rodemoyer all-MVFC
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Dominique Barnes
YSU 7th in league poll; Barnes, Rodemoyer all-MVFC
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Eric Rodemyer
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Youngstown State wide receiver Dominique Barnes is hoisted in the air by Penguin guard Eric Rodemoyer (64) after scoring the winning touchdown in last season’s game against North Dakota State University. On Monday, the two seniors were named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s preseason team.
By JOE SCALZO
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown State football coach Eric Wolford called his team’s preseason conference ranking embarrassing, disappointing and disrespectful.
He didn’t call it unfair.
The Penguins were picked to finish seventh in the nine-team Missouri Valley Football Conference’s preseason poll on Monday — their lowest ranking since joining the conference in 1997.
“I think it’s embarrassing to the whole community and embarrassing to Youngstown State,” he said. “It’s disrespect. In some parts of this world we live in, if you disrespect someone, you may lose your life.
“Right or wrong. I don’t handle disrespect very well. I’m sure my players won’t either. That’s why we’ve got a job to do.”
Defending champion Southern Illinois was a near-unanimous choice to repeat, earning 30 of 36 first-place votes in the poll conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors.
South Dakota was second, followed by Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Missouri State and North Dakota State. Western Illinois and Indiana State finished 8-9.
YSU was picked sixth in last year’s preseason poll and finished in a tie for fifth. The preseason league favorite has won the league title in 13 of the last 24 years, although it hasn’t happened since 2007.
“When I look back to when I was a player at Kansas State, a lot of times we used it as motivation when we were trying to turn the program around,” said Wolford, a four-year starter at KSU who was an assistant coach at South Carolina last fall. “Coach [Bill] Snyder did a good job of that. At South Carolina, Coach [Steve] Spurrier did a good job with us in same type of setting.
“It’s just a starting point. It really matters where you are in January.”
YSU has twice been picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll — in 2004 and 2005, when the league was called the Gateway Conference. The Penguins finished fifth in 2004 and tied for first in 2005.
“Obviously the program slipped and that’s why there was a change,” said Wolford. “You’ve got to earn respect. We’re not happy about the ranking. It’s disappointing. Our players, I’m sure, won’t be happy about it. But that’s a good thing.
“We’ve got something to prove. It is hard to believe Youngstown State has been picked seventh but that’s where we’re at.”
Two Penguins were named to the MVFC’s preseason team Monday: senior WR Dominique Barnes and senior guard Eric Rodemoyer.
“Deservedly so,” said Wolford. “They’ve done a good job.
“I think it’s been motivation for our defense too, though. Not one guy on there. I’m disappointed we only have two players on it.”
Rodemoyer was a second-team all-conference selection in 2009 while Barnes, who led the league in touchdown receptions, was an honorable-mention selection.
In 2009, Rodemoyer started 10 games on the offensive line, including nine at guard. Barnes finished with 60 receptions for 762 yards and eight scores.
The Penguins had two first team all-conference selections last season, wide receiver Donald Jones and defensive lineman Mychal Savage, who both graduated.
Wolford has made it his mission to upgrade the team’s overall talent, bringing in 36 new players since the spring.
“I think we’re a lot closer to where we need to be,” he said. “I’m still looking. I look every day. We’ve got competition now at just about every position, which is good. Competition makes you better.”
YSU notebook
Expanded playoffs: The Football Championship Subdivision will have 20 playoff teams for the first time this fall after competing with 16 in recent history. Two of those spots will be automatic berths for the champions of the Big South and Northeast conferences. The other two will be at-large. The Missouri Valley Football Conference has one automatic berth and has had at least one at-large berth for the past 15 years. The league is hoping to earn at least one more at-large berth under the new format. “We believe sincerely our top teams are in a very good position for either [an at-large spot] or both,” said league commissioner Patty Viverito. Under the new format, the bottom eight teams will play four opening-round games on Nov. 27. The 16-team, second round will begin the following week, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals the following two weeks. The championship game will be Jan. 7, the day before the BCS championship game. Viverito said she’s hoping the field will eventually be expanded to 24 teams but has been told by the NCAA that the finances aren’t available for that to happen anytime soon.
Thinking ahead: Viverito also said she’s had open discussions with the Summit League, which is exploring adding football in the future. The Summit (formerly the Mid-Continent Conference, of which YSU is a former member) has three teams that also compete in the MVFC: Western Illinois, North Dakota State and South Dakota State. The latter two joined the MVFC in 2008 and are under contract through 2015. Viverito is understandably concerned about losing members but said the MVFC has not discussed expanding or joining forces with the Summit. Still, she points to the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association (which features defending FCS champion Villanova) as a league that has been successful with more members. “Nine is a pretty perfect number for a lot of reasons,” she said of the MVFC’s current lineup. “But there are external factors developing in the Midwest and we need to be cognizant of that. The Colonial has opened some eyes for what larger leagues can be. If nothing else, it lets us know there’s more than one way to skin this playoff cat.”
Other YSU roster notes: Junior safety Scott Sentner (McDonald), junior right end Joel Younkins (Hubbard) and sophomore linebacker Bryan Whitaker (Boardman) will be out at the start of camp due to injury. Senior kickers Bob Gratz (Boardman) and Jarrod Satmare (Beaver Local) did not make the opening camp roster but will likely be added later this month. Also, incoming freshman Eric Franklin, an offensive tackle from Mooney, will spend the fall semester meeting eligibility requirements and will not be on the roster.
Joe Scalzo