YSU embraces smash-mouth style

March 29, 2015 at 12:09a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Bo Pelini is trying to mold Youngstown State’s defense into his image.

The offense is pretty much already there.

Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery, who spent the last five years crafting some of the best offenses in YSU history under Eric Wolford, doesn’t plan to change much under a new head coach. The Penguins may line up in a spread formation, but they have a smash-mouth philosophy.

“I think the one reason we’ve had some success offensively is we’ve been able to run the football and been able to stay balanced,” Montgomery said. “That’s the way we need to go.”

Pelini’s best offenses were built around talented running backs such as Ameer Abdullah (who finished his career as Nebraska’s second-leading rusher) and Rex Burkhead, as well as quarterback Taylor Martinez, who ran for more than 3,000 career yards.

YSU’s strongest position might be running back, where the Penguins return their top four backs from last year, including starter Martin Ruiz, who rushed for 1,320 yards and 10 TDs.

“I kind of expect the same thing: 20-plus carries a game while splitting time with Jody Webb and the rest of the backs,” Ruiz said of his role under Pelini. “I like that he [Pelini] is a running back kind of guy.”

Webb — a smaller, faster version of Ruiz — averaged 6.9 yards per attempt, finishing with 715 yards and nine TDs with another 200 yards receiving. Senior WR Andre Stubbs (155 yards) was third on the team in rushing, while sophomore Ryan Moore (118 yards) and senior Demond Hymes (75 yards) also return.

But with a (mostly) new coaching staff, they know they can’t rest on what they did last year.

“It’s a lot harder [this spring],” Hymes said. “There’s better competition, tougher coaches. They’re putting pressure on us to work hard for the spot that we want.”

“The players are really getting after it,” Webb said. “A lot of times, it’s to show the coaches that you’re for real, so that the coaches like what they see. We all want it. We want to show the coaches we’re about business.”

Offensive issues

In addition to the running backs, the Penguins return their starting quarterback (sophomore Hunter Wells) and four of their five starting offensive linemen. There are still some question marks at wide receiver (where senior Andrew Williams and Stubbs are the only ones with extensive experience) and tight end (where junior Jacob Wood is the main returnee).

“That’s why we signed a lot of [receivers],” Montgomery said. “We signed four to six guys who could possibly play receiver, so we’ll try to use the spring to get a feel for the guys here and who can contribute, then take a really hard look at those [new] guys.”

Montgomery wants to see Wells take more of a leadership role — “A quarterback has to be a leader no matter what grade he’s in, but it’s kind of hard as a true freshman” — but he’s been pleased with his development this spring.

“He showed a lot of poise as a freshman and he’ll continue to grow,” he said. “We’ve put more responsibility on him and he’s handling it really well.”

With former starter Dante Nania transferring to Slippery Rock, sophomore Ricky Davis has moved into the No. 2 spot.

“He’s had a good spring,” Montgomery said. “I think we’ll feel good about that position going into the summer.”

Different defense

Montgomery said that while Pelini’s defense is structurally similar to what the Penguins have seen the past few years, it’s philosophically different, especially with its aggression.

“They haven’t put a lot [of the scheme] in because I think Pelini and his staff wanted them to get a good base, but they’ve been challenging our receivers,” he said. “They’ve got a great set of defensive ends and they’ve made our tackles and tight ends better already. They’ve been really aggressive and I think that’s going to help us offensively as well.”

YSU’s running backs have noticed.

“They’re bringing it,” Hymes said. “They’re hitting us a lot harder and they’re coming down a lot faster. It’s making us play harder and making us a better team.”

Added Ruiz, “Since Bo came, there’s a lot more blitzes. More crazy. They got better.”