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YSU football team staying positive
Penguins say
goals attainable
despite recent
struggles
youngstown
After a second straight week of not finding the end zone, it wouldn’t have been surprising to find a sluggish, downtrodden practice Tuesday evening.
But Youngstown State’s first practice after a 24-3 loss at North Dakota State was anything but.
“You have to remember everything we’ve been working for is still in front of us,” YSU running back Jody Webb said. “We were trying to get our step back today, especially offensively.
“We might have had a downfall or two but that doesn’t define a team. Overcoming adversity is what defines a great team.”
Practice appeared to be that of a team on a five-game winning steak and not of a team that hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown since Oct. 22. Wide receivers were jawing with defensive backs in a friendly manner after running routes, even laughing with the referees after a flag was thrown.
Keeping a high level of confidence has been an emphasis as the Penguins prepare for their final regular-season home game when the Southern Illinois Salukis come to Stambaugh Stadium on Saturday.
“The biggest thing our guys have to do is maintain confidence,” YSU offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery said. “It’s very easy to sit back in this position and say, ‘Is this going to happen all the time?’ You’ve got to realize we’ve got to go take it and be more aggressive.”
YSU head coach Bo Pelini is still confident even after seeing the poor showing YSU put up against NDSU this past Saturday.
“I have a tremendous amount of confidence,” Pelini said. “Heck, I was looking at the film the other day and it’s 17-3 against North Dakota State on the road and we couldn’t have played any worse. We had multiple opportunities to get in the red zone and we weren’t playing very good, but we’re still right there.”
Technique, especially with the offensive line within the running game, was heavily stressed during Tuesday’s practice. The Penguins are averaging 221.6 rushing yards per game this year despite being held to 92 against North Dakota State.
“I thought our technique was poor in all three phases [against NDSU} and that really bothers me,” Pelini said. “I thought our effort level across the board [was poor]. You need 11 guys playing with a championship level of effort every play and we didn’t always have that and that’s disappointing.”
Despite Saturday’s loss, YSU remains in a strong position for a playoff spot if they close out the season with two wins against Southern Illinois and Missouri State. Webb said that’s a better spot to be in than the previous years he’s been here.
“It’s better than the positions we’ve been in in the past,” Webb said. “It feels great knowing this team is one of the top teams, not having someone else in control of what some would call fate.”
Montgomery knows it’s now or never for his offense to step up and help one of the best defenses in the country that has been pulling more than its fair share of weight the past month.
“We’ve got a great opportunity Saturday,” Montgomery said. “We’re still in a position where we still control what we want to do. There’s a lot to play for. Our defense has played really well and we’ve got to step it up to hold our end of the bargain.”