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YSU evaluating kicking candidates
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown State’s biggest weakness entering training camp was its special teams.
After eight practices, it still is.
“We’ve got to get better in the kicking game,” YSU coach Bo Pelini said. “I’m seeing some good things but I’m seeing some things we obviously need to improve on. It’s a third of the game. It’s always a big emphasis for me.”
After graduating two-year starter Joey Cejudo, who handled kicking and punting duties last fall, the Penguins don’t have a single kicker or punter on the roster who’s played in a college game.
Sophomore Connor McFadden, a Poland High graduate and the son of former NFL kicker Paul McFadden, is battling Mooney graduate Zak Kennedy (who graduated early and enrolled in January) for placekicking duties.
At punter, redshirt freshman Nick Sheely (Fitch), true freshman Mark Schuler (Springfield) and Kennedy are competing.
The problem isn’t talent, it’s consistency. Each player can look like a future starter, or a future backup, on any given play.
“There’s just not a lot of consistency right now,” Pelini said. “We’re looking for guys to step up in a lot of areas, not just kickers. I’m seeing some good things and we’ll start honing things down and who gets what reps. Right now there’s a lot of evaluation going on.”
Pelini has spent a lot more practice time on special teams than Eric Wolford ever did and the Penguins still have more than 20 practices left before their opener against Pitt, so there’s no sense of panic.
“We’ve got plenty of time,” Pelini said.
Still, if Pelini isn’t confident in his kicking game, it might affect the way the Penguins call plays.
“Not as much on third down, but there might be fourth downs involved,” he said. “Right now, it’s too early in camp to know what our strengths are going to be. What I want to see right now is progress, making sure every phase of the game can hold up their end of the bargain.”
Stretching out
While the Penguins didn’t practice on Sunday, Pelini had his players do yoga in hopes of helping them recover from the first week of camp.
“I’ve found that guys, if they’ve never done it before, aren’t quite sure about it at first but I think they realize when they’re done it can be advantageous,” said Pelini, who sat out Sunday’s session but worked with the instructor a few weeks ago. “A lot of NFL teams are doing it now. It’s designed to help guys recover. They get a little stretch and a little sweat without taxing their bodies.”
Senior CB Kenneth Durden had never tried yoga, but said “it was really helpful stretching-wise. My body was kind of sore afterward.”
Added sophomore WR I’tavious Harvin: “You get your body back right, mentally and physically.”
Harvin said his favorite yoga pose was “happy baby,” where you lie on your back, grab your feet and rock back and forth.
Senior wideout Andrew Williams said he didn’t have a favorite pose, “but I did like it at the end when we were lying on our back and relaxing. I felt that was the best pose. I don’t know what ‘Tav’ was talking about.”
This and that
When they’re unhappy, YSU’s position coaches make their position groups run the stadium steps after practices. Thanks to construction on the west side (home) bleachers, the Penguins can only run the east side steps. “They’re way easier,” Durden said. “They don’t go as high as the ones on the home side.” ... The Penguins have gotten terrific weather so far in training camp, with comfortable temperatures nearly every day. When asked if he’ll take Ohio in August over Florida, Harvin (a Fort Myers native) said, “Yes, definitely. And I’ll take Florida in December.” ... The Penguin Club will hold a YSU football preview at 9 a.m. Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium. The event is open to members and non-members. The event starts with a meet-and-greet with the Penguin Club board of trustees, followed by a tour of the facilities and a situational scrimmage at 10 a.m. The cost is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Call Mary Arroyo at 330-941-1910 for reservations.