More from Stambaugh Stadium

By Joe Scalzo

Punting prowess: Sophomore punter Nick Liste (Niles) had a terrific day punting for both teams, averaging 41.4 yards on 15 punts, including a 59-yarder, in very difficult conditions. (In fairness, he did not face a pass rush.) “We kind of expect that now from him, as far as being able to boom the ball,” YSU coach Eric Wolford said. “He’ll be one of the top punters coming back in this conference.” Liste redshirted two years ago and struggled at times last summer before getting an earful from Wolford. “One practice, I really got it from Coach Wolf and it seemed like after that little scare, I started to concentrate on the little things and do my job,” Liste said. “Last year, as the year went on, I got better and better every day.” Liste averaged 41.4 yards per kick last season and was named to the league’s all-newcomer team and earned honorable mention all-conference.

Opening eyes: Outside of a two-fumble performance in last week’s scrimmage, sophomore RB Allen Jones has drawn praise from the coaching staff this spring. He may have solidified his spot as the third-string running back with his 159-yard performance on Saturday. “He constantly gets better every time we challenge him,” Wolford said. “Allen’s a guy we need to figure out how to get the ball to. So far, over the course of the spring, he’s been very productive when he gets the ball.” Jones said he can’t let a strong spring game go to his head. “You’ve got to do it against the Michigan States and you’ve got to do it in the conference games,” he said.

In the mix: Redshirt freshman QB Patrick Angle made a case to earn the backup spot with his performance, completing 6 of 10 passes for 78 yards and a TD. The current backup, senior Marc Kanetsky, was 3 of 8 for 19 yards. “Pat Angle is very talented and we feel like Pat’s got a chance to solidify our quarterback position,” Wolford said. “He gives us depth there. If somebody gets hurt, we’ve got a guy who can step in and play at a high level.”

Quick hits: Backup defensive end Kyle Sirl had a nice day, leading the Red defense with eight tackles, including three for a loss. ... Senior DE Obinna Ekweremuba led the White defense with seven tackles, including two for loss. ... YSU an announced attendance of 500, which was generous. There were more people on the field at the start of the game than in the stands. ... The White team improved to 21-18 all-time in spring games, which (hopefully) is the most meaningless statistic you’ll read all day.