43
YSU pass defense to be tested
By CHARLES GROVE
YOUNGSTOWN
While the Youngstown State Penguins are facing challenges off the field, there also will be plenty of them on the field in Cheney, Wash., on Saturday.
The Eastern Washington Eagles (12-1) will attempt to showcase their high-scoring offense on their home field, where they’re a perfect 7-0 this year.
Quarterback Gage Gubrud is completing 68 percent of his passes, has 45 touchdowns as opposed to 12 interceptions and is averaging 369.8 passing yards.
His main target is Cooper Kupp. a senior who has 107 catches this year for 1,520 yards and 15 touchdowns. Kupp is listed as the eight-best wide receiver eligible for the 2017 NFL Draft according to WalterFootball.com.
“They say he’s the best in the FCS and they say he’s going in the first or second round,” YSU linebacker Armand Dellovade said. “We’re going to have to prepare all week to prepare our secondary for a challenge.”
You throw in Kendrick Bourne with 76 catches and Shaq Hill with 75 and it becomes easier to see why this passing attack is so strong.
“The numbers are pretty staggering,” YSU head coach Bo Pelini said. “They catch a lot of footballs. They’re going to throw it around and spread you out. They’re built on throwing the football.”
One of the challenges of YSU will face this week is simply trying to give their own secondary solid-enough looks to try to prepare cornerbacks and safeties for the barrage they’ll be hit with most of the evening. There is also the possibility some defensive players could be among the 4-5 expected to be suspended for the game.
“It’s going to be really hard to replicate [their wide receivers] in practice,” Dellovade said. “But I think we’ll be up to the challenge.”
While the players may be different, YSU said they’ve seen offenses like this one during this season.
“They remind me a lot about South Dakota State,” Dellovade said. “They run a lot of run-pass option. They’re also a lot like Samford in the way they move the ball down the field.”
A defense that was challenged a week ago by having to learn to stop a finely-tuned option attack, now has to turn right back around and face a near-total opposite offense.
“We’ve been challenged this way before,” Pelini said of EWU’s passing attack. “It’s about as night and day from last week as you can get. We’re going from one extreme to the other.”
The weather forecast for Cheney on Saturday is not one that brings to mind a drink with an umbrella sticking out of it and your feet in the sand.
The high on Saturday is projected at 3 degrees and around kickoff temperatures could be at 0 degrees before dipping below that as the game progresses.
“I think it’ll mostly be a mental thing,” Dellovade said. “Once you get off the field there’s always heaters and jackets to keep you warm. You have so much adrenaline going during the game I don’t think it fazes you.”
If cold weather were to favor either team, it might favor a YSU team that prefers to run the ball up the middle rather than a team trying to throw and catch in frigid conditions, according to Dellovade.
“I think it’ll be a little tough to throw the ball in the cold,” Dellovade said. “The quarterback’s hands will be cold. They run the ball a little bit but I think we’ll have more of an edge since we like to run the ball.”