YSU beat down and out
By Joe Scalzo
BROOKINGS, S.D.
There was no “What if?” this time. No last-second heartbreak or laments about turnovers or penalties.
For the first time since the season opener, the YSU football team lost to a clearly superior opponent and, in the process, eliminated any lingering hope of a playoff berth.
Saturday, “Wait ’til next year” became this year’s slogan.
Behind a dominating performance from senior running back Kyle Minett, South Dakota State beat the Penguins 30-20 at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, handing YSU its fourth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference loss.
“I knew they were the physically-best team and I thought they were the best-coached team we’ve played thus far,” said YSU coach Eric Wolford, whose team fell to Penn State 44-14 in the opener. “I think that showed up today.”
Minett ran 26 times for 185 yards to lead the Jackrabbits (3-4, 3-2), who gouged the Penguin defense for 492 yards, including 209 on the ground.
The 492 yards were a season-best for SDSU and a season-worst for YSU’s defense, which has given up 400 or more in four straight games.
“They came out and did a lot of shifts and motions that we weren’t used to seeing on film and it caught us off guard,” said senior cornerback Brandian Ross. “We tried to adjust to them as best as possible.”
SDSU quarterback Thomas O’Brien completed 14 of 25 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns, finding WR Aaron Rollin five times for 127 yards.
With two starting defensive backs out with injury, the Penguins (3-5, 1-4) started three first-year players in the secondary and it showed. Freshman safety Donald D’Alesio tied linebacker John Sasson for the team-high in tackles with 10 but he, sophomore Will Shaw and freshman Jamarious Boatwright (making his first career start) struggled when they had to match up in coverage.
“Donald and Will, they’re slowly learning the game,” said Ross. “It’s different from high school or junior college, so they have to get used to it. Boatwright, it was his first start. He played some [as a backup] but the speed of the game is totally different when you’re out there every snap and you have to go play special teams as well.
“Eventually, all three of those guys will learn how to be big-time players.”
Sophomore running back Jamaine Cook rushed 18 times for 78 yards as the Penguins managed just 139 yards on the ground, 89 fewer than their average.
Freshman quarterback Kurt Hess completed 26 of 46 passes for 263 yards and two TDs but he also lost a fumble and came away dissatisfied with his performance.
“We left some points out there, left some yards out there,” Hess said. “I missed some throws I should have made. We would have liked to have run the ball better because that’s what we do best.
“Give South Dakota State credit. They played well. They made some plays when they needed to, they scored points when they had to and they kept us off the field when they had to.”
Wide receiver Dominique Barnes caught 10 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown and Ely Ducatel added five for 70 yards and a TD.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Saturday’s loss wasn’t nearly as bad as the one suffered two years ago in Brookings when YSU lost 40-7.
Add in the fact that they’ve had 18 first-time starters this year and there’s reason to think this year’s growing pains will pay off eventually.
“That’s all fine and dandy, but I’m not into those ‘first-year-players, young’ excuses,” said Wolford. “At the end of the day, we lost the game and you’ve got to take your hats off to them boys. They did a good job.”