Sunday, November 18, 2012
YOUNGSTOWN
There is a certain standard for the Youngstown State football program.
It’s simple, really.
Forget the record. Forget the signature victory. Forget any memorable individual performances and milestones.
If the Penguins aren’t playing in December, the season has been a failure.
That isn’t the media talking. It’s the Penguins themselves. YSU’s coaches and players are their own harshest critics. The Penguins are harder on themselves than any reporter or fan could ever be.
YSU coach Eric Wolford and his players will tell you they measure the program’s success in terms of playoffs and championships.
It’s a tough way to approach the game, because most Football Championship Subdivision teams have long since packed away their pads and uniforms by Thanksgiving.
The Penguins’ prospects appear faint, even after their most impressive all-around performance of the season in a 27-6 victory over Indiana State on Saturday.
The Sycamores (7-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley) came to Stambaugh Stadium with their own playoff hopes, but YSU (7-4, 4-4) outplayed Indiana State in every way.
That victory — the Penguins’ third in a row to finish the regular season — still might not be enough to overcome a winless October in the eyes of those on the committee. Even YSU’s season-opening road win at Football Bowl Subdivision member Pittsburgh might have come too long ago to factor in the equation.
If this is it for the Penguins, they made it clear how they’ll view the season that was.
“I base success here on the standard and I’ve said from day one the standard here is playoffs and championships, and I’ll never back away from that,” Wolford said.
Senior defensive tackle Aronde Stanton was even more adamant. If the Penguins aren’t playing next week, he won’t consider the season a success.
“We won more games than last year, but at the end of the day this place is built on tradition and we’re trying to build that back,” said Stanton, who had four tackles and two QB hurries Saturday. “If we can’t get in the playoffs and try to win national championship, it’s a failure as a season.”
Junior linebacker Dom Rich, a Canfield High School product, had two tackles and the first sack of his college career.
“It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight,” Rich said. “I won’t consider [the season] a success if we don’t make the playoffs, because that’s one of our team goals.”
Rich said the Penguins just need a chance to show they belong.
“I think if we make the playoffs, we won’t lose again,” he said.
Senior running back Jamaine Cook rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. He hopes there will be more.
“I’m going to do a lot of praying tonight,” Cook said. “If we don’t get in it will be bittersweet. Obviously, we are 7-4 and that’s a winning season, but it’s about playoffs and championships at Youngstown State.”
Ed Puskas is The Vindicator’s sports editor. Write him at epuskas@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/edpuskas85.