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PLAYING FOR KEEPS
Youngstown State football team returns to practice as title game looms
youngstown
After a lengthy 10-day break from football, the Youngstown State team hit the field on Wednesday for its first day of preparation for the FCS National Championship game against James Madison on Jan. 7.
“It felt great to put the cleats back on and get back on the field,” offensive lineman Brock Eisenhuth said.
The Penguins had a standard practice at the Watson and Tressel Training Site, covering a wide range of drills including plenty of special teams work.
“We had a lot of good energy,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “It was pretty sharp for our first day back. It was a good start to our preparation.”
Pelini has had experience with previous teams still playing over Christmas break before bowl games and he said he’s treating preparation for the national title in Frisco, Texas, just like his Nebraska teams.
“You have to balance everything out,” Pelini said. “You get your work done and when you get away you get away.
“I don’t treat it any different than when I went to bowl games,” the Penguins’ second-year head coach said. “I’ve had experience with it. You give your players a chance to get back and enjoy their families and then get back to work and make sure you do what’s necessary.
“You can’t take them 24 hours a day. There’s a balance there and you’ve got to make sure at the end of the day you’ve got to make sure they’re fresh but prepared.”
Eisenhuth was one of many who spent much of their Christmas break dreaming of getting back to campus instead of sugarplums.
“The whole break you’re thinking about ‘I want to watch film. I want to go to practice. I can’t wait to get on that field on Jan. 7 and win a national championship,’” Eisenhuth said.
What the Penguins are playing for is not lost on the team. Eisenhuth said he’s well aware of the banners hanging in the WATTS.
“It means more than the world [to play for a national championship],” Eisenhuth said. “Coming here [to YSU] and then going to the national championship is huge. We’ve won it four times and we can add another banner to the wall. It’s incredible.”
Throughout his career, no YSU team has been practicing this late into the season. But with the stakes, the work isn’t bothering Eisenhuth.
“It’s different,” Eisenhuth said. “But it’s pretty cool. We haven’t made it this far since I’ve been here.”
But with school out, players now get to eat, breathe and sleep football.
“It’s great,” Eisenhuth said. “There’s no stress, no tests, no studying. It’s strictly football.”
There is plenty of lead up to the game against James Madison. Some wish the game was this weekend though.
“I hate [the wait],” Eisenhuth said. “I just want to get back out there and win it and have that ring.”
While others are enjoying the build up to the biggest game of their careers.
“The break was definitely needed,” defensive end Derek Rivers said. “It would have been cool to play it here [this week] but I love the break and I love the anticipation leading up to the game.”