WILAJ: YSU’s trick no treat

Youngstown State offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery played with fire again Saturday night at Salukis Stadium.

This time, he got burned (and Bo Pelini’s headset spiked and broken).

In YSU’s devastating 38-31 overtime loss at Southern Illinois, the sixth-year YSU play-caller reached into his bag of tricks – and a few years into the past – with the game on the line.

On fourth-and-2 from the SIU 6 yard line with the Penguins needing a touchdown to tie and send the game to a second overtime, Montgomery called for the always-risky halfback pass: pitch right to Jody Webb as tight end Kevin Radar leaked across the end zone from the left side of the field.

Resulting in a game-ending incomplete pass, it certainly didn’t work – not even close to how it did in the 2012 season opener in Pittsburgh.

In that YSU upset victory, Montgomery called for nearly the same play early in the third quarter with the Penguins ahead 14-10 and facing a fourth-and-1 on Pitt’s 23. Executed to perfection, former running back Jamaine Cook took a pitch right and tossed a TD pass to tight end Will Shaw leaking from the left side of the field.

While that play three seasons ago propelled YSU to a 31-17 win, Saturday’s failed halfback pass capped the Penguins’ third straight loss (which very well may have killed their playoff hopes) and opened Montgomery to criticism.

“I don’t feel good about it,” a frustrated Pelini said about the call after the game under popping fireworks outside the stadium.

Sure, quarterback Hunter Wells stuck up for the play-call – as a player should – but it’s easy to feel Pelini’s frustration with other options on the table.

Wells, who finished 20-of-31 for three TDs and a career-high 324 passing yards, was playing well after finding his groove in the third quarter.

Starting running back Martin Ruiz also had a solid game (he finished with 94 yards on 22 carries).

Meanwhile, YSU found some success running the option with backup QB Ricky Davis – who scored on a 6-yard TD run in the second quarter – and Shane Kuhn had been solid in short-yardage rushing situations all season.

Then again, the previously successful halfback pass that helped YSU beat Pitt was available.

“It’s definitely a play [Montgomery]’s pretty confident in,” Cook said Sunday. “Obviously, it won a big game for us in the past.”

Cook didn’t see the play Saturday night (he only read about it Sunday morning), so he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. Still ...

“The things that I do know are huge about that play is once the running back catches that toss, he has to do a great job of selling the run to make the defense think it’s a toss,” Cook said. “Then once it’s sold and you get the linebackers to run up towards the line of scrimmage, that’s when you want to throw the pass.”

Unlike Cook in Pittsburgh, Webb didn’t give it a great sell, the Salukis were never fooled and Radar was never open.

Sure, YSU could have avoided the situation altogether, as the Penguins whiffed on multiple scoring opportunities in the first half and found a way to squander an 11-point lead in the final 5:35. SIU also helped YSU by leaving nine points on the field when it botched three field goals.

But the high-risk/high-reward halfback pass certainly stands out from Saturday’s loss. While it was rightfully glorified for its success three years ago, in turn, it’s only fair that the play call catches heat for backfiring this time around.

Steve Wilaj is a sportswriter with The Vindicator. Write him at swilaj@vindy.com.