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Defensive players dominate during Penguins’ scrimmage
By Joe Scalzo
scalzo@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Photo
Vance Gibbs tries to stop David Rogers from gaining yards Saturday afternoon.
Late in Saturday’s scrimmage, YSU senior cornerback Brandian Ross was matched up against junior receiver Dionte Snow on a fade route to the right corner of the end zone.
The play had no chance — Snow wasn’t able to get open or get to the ball — and Ross made sure everyone knew about it.
“The receivers and the linemen have the biggest mouths, so when we get to shut them up, it’s the best feeling in the world,” Ross said. “Dionte Snow, he’s one of the biggest trash talkers in the world, so I had to shut him up real quick and my man [offensive coordinator Shane] Montgomery, he talks trash to me every day.
“So I wanted to just send a message: ‘Don’t throw my way no more.’ ”
Playing with aggression and a chip on their shoulders, YSU’s defense thoroughly outplayed the Penguins’ offense in the first big scrimmage of spring practice.
Coach Eric Wolford counted at least eight sacks — although there was live tackling on receivers and running backs, quarterbacks needed only to be tapped — and defenders such as linebacker Deonta Tate and defensive lineman Torrance Nicholson helped disrupt the timing of the Penguin offense with their constant pressure.
“Obviously, we’re an attacking-style defense; that’s not hard to see,” Wolford said. “I told the defense, it’s going to be interesting to see if you boys can handle a compliment.
“Usually, as soon as you compliment somebody, the next day they come out and disappoint you.”
The only downside for the defense was a lack of turnovers. Sophomore cornerback Christian Smith had the only interception and fumbled it away on the return. Running back Jamaine Cook had one fumble but it bounced out of bounds.
Sophomore linebacker Taylor Hill, the team’s leading tackler last fall, dropped one interception and tripped over his feet while going for another.
“As soon as he came to the sidelines, we started letting him have it,” said Nicholson, smiling. “He’ll hear about when we get in there.
“He tripped over the white line on the ground.”
Offensively, junior Marc Kanetsky started for the first team and split most of the reps with redshirt freshman Kurt Hess.
Kanetsky, the only quarterback on the roster with any game experience, completed 15 of 27 passes for 121 yards and two TDs, one to senior receiver Dominique Barnes and the other to sophomore tight end Jelani Berassa.
Hess went 12 of 20 for 206 yards and a touchdown to Barnes, while third-stringer Meiko Locksley, a true freshman who enrolled in January, 3 of 6 for 23 yards and a TD pass to Barnes. Redshirt freshman Gannon Hulea was 2 of 5 for 12 yards.
Barnes, who led the conference in touchdown receptions last fall, caught eight passes for 166 yards, while Cook had 21 carries for 75 yards and redshirt freshman Torrian Pace had 31 carries for 98 yards and two TDs.
The numbers, however, are a bit misleading since Wolford focused on situations — such as third-and-one or red zone execution — rather than simulating real game conditions.
“I thought we were inconsistent [at quarterback] and I didn’t think we managed the game very well today,” said Wolford. “We had a couple delay of game penalties, we got out of synch and we had trouble getting in and out of the right plays.
“We’re a pressure-style defense and you’ve gotta get used to handling pressure. When you have a lot of inexperience at those positions, this is a learning process for those guys who aren’t used to heat.”
With a blitz-happy defensive coordinator like Rick Kravitz, don’t expect that approach to change.
“Coach Kravitz, his motto is swarm and punish,” Ross said. “That’s what we did today.”