Anticipation high for YSU’s visit to Heinz

September 5, 2015 at 12:07a.m.

Youngstown

With Youngstown State’s 2012 upset lingering over today’s game at Heinz Field, Penguins coach Bo Pelini wanted to make one thing clear this week.

“What happened a couple years ago, that was two different football teams,” he asaid. “That’s not going to play good or bad into the equation one way or the other.”

That’s not entirely true. YSU is 1-9 in money games since 2005, but that lone win, a 31-17 victory over Pitt, gave the Penguins confidence that they can pick up more than a $420,000 paycheck in today’s season opener.

“It just shows that if we put our mind to it, we can beat any team,” said senior DE Terrell Williams, who made his college debut in that game. “We were prepared and we got after it. We knew we were coming in to win and that’s what we did.”

Williams is one of eight Penguins on this year’s roster who played in that game. Three of them were starters — LB Dubem Nwadiogbu, WR Kintrell Disher and WR Andre Stubbs, who played the game of his life that night — while five others appeared as reserves: Williams, WR Andrew Williams, RB Demond Hymes and DTs Emmanuel Kromah and Steve Zaborsky.

“Big stage was set,” Zaborsky said. “The whole team at that point really feels like the same now — go in there and worry about what we’re going to do and not worry about what they’re going to do.

“What I’ve done is remind [the younger players] is that it’s really not a different level of talent that we’re playing against. The FCS is definitely going up as far as talent and competition, so I think it’s just another game to go out and do our own thing.”

Pelini has spent his career on the other side of these games, going 5-0 against FCS schools as Nebraska’s head coach with close wins over McNeese State in 2014 (31-24) and South Dakota State in 2010 (17-3). He also had blowout victories over SDSU (59-20 in 2013), Idaho State (73-7 in 2012) and Chattanooga (40-7 in 2011).

“I would hope as competitors that they understand that it’s a winnable game,” he said of his players. “Same thing when you’re on the other side — you better have respect for your opponents because you can easily lose a football game like that.”

Pelini-Narduzzi connections

Today’s game features a pair of Youngstown coaches in Pelini (Cardinal Mooney) and Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi (Ursuline), who is making his head coaching debut after spending the last eight years as Michigan State’s defensive coordinator.

The coaches faced each other once in high school, with Narduzzi’s Irish beating Pelini’s Cardinals 35-0 in 1984 when Narduzzi was a senior and Pelini was a junior.

Narduzzi then played one season at YSU under his father, Bill Narduzzi, who coached the Penguins from 1975-85, leading them to two Division II playoff appearances and a loss in the 1979 national championship game. Narduzzi set YSU’s freshman record for tackles in 1985 but transferred to Rhode Island after his father was fired at the end of the season.

Narduzzi’s Spartans and Pelini’s Cornhuskers faced off each of the last four years, with Nebraska winning in 2011 and 2012 and MSU winning in 2013 and 2014.

Other connections

Two of Narduzzi’s coaches worked under Eric Wolford at YSU. Tom Sims was the Penguins’ defensive line coach from 2010-14 and graduate assistant Phil DeCapito was a YSU G.A. from 2012-14.

Also, freshman RB Darrin Hall is an Austintown Fitch High graduate. He is listed as the fourth-string running back on Pitt’s depth chart.

The Penguins have 20 players from Pennsylvania, including four starters: DE Terrell Williams (McKeesport), DT Cody Squiric (Indiana), G Dylan Colucci (Latrobe) and LB Jaylin Kelly (Washington).

Pregame tailgate

There will be a tailgate for today’s game at The Sports Grille at Cranberry, 1294 Freedom Road, Cranberry Twp. The event kicks off at 7 a.m. and will feature free wings and $1 Miller Lites. The event will be hosted by owner Sean Pregibon, YSU class of 1996.