43
Improved Penguins take down Coyotes
McCaster
scores twice
as Penguins
top Coyotes
By Brian Dzenis
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown State’s football team finally lived up to coach Bo Pelini’s expectations.
He described the Penguins’ performance in a 29-17 win against South Dakota as “a lot closer” to what he’s wanted all season.
“We weren’t perfect, but that was good to see,” Pelini said. “We were more efficient for the most part and defensively we played well.
“We took a step forward.”
Wearing helmets with silver decals to honor its 1993 national championship team, YSU (3-4, 2-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference) scored three touchdowns in the first quarter while limiting South Dakota to three yards.
The Coyotes’ Ben Klett fumbled on his team’s first offensive play and Penguin defensive end Johnson Louigene recovered. A few plays later, Tevin McCaster punched in his first touchdown. After a South Dakota three-and-out, McCaster scored again on a 12-yard swing pass from Montgomery VanGorder.
VanGorder closed out the opening quarter with a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
McCaster rushed for a season-high 169 yards on 36 carries in addition to his touchdowns.
“It was clicking on the offensive line. They were great. Coach was making the calls. Everything was going really well, you know?” McCaster said. “It worked out.”
The Coyotes (3-4, 2-2) came to life after a scoreless, 43-yard first half, but DJ Smalls ran back an Austin Simmons interception 65 yards for the pick-six that was the knockout blow in the fourth quarter.
“Coach told me to read the quick gain. I’ve seen it a few times during the game, but I just couldn’t get to it,” Smalls said. “I played it a little more patiently, read the quarterback and jumped [the route].”
South Dakota picked up its first points early in the third quarter with Kai Henry’s 14-yard touchdown run. Following a YSU three-and-out, the Coyotes drove all the way down to the Penguins’ 4, before the defense forced the visitors to settle for a 23-yard Mason Lorber field goal. After the Smalls’ pick-six, Henry picked up his second touchdown. Simmons entered the game averaging 325 passing yards a game, but was held to 158 passing yards and was sacked three times. Savon Smith had two sacks.
“This week, we put an emphasis on getting the quarterback, we dropped some guys back in a spy and that allowed us on the d-line to go after the quarterback,” Smith said. “We had some more freedom to go get him.”
Freshman Grant Gonya got the start at kicker. The Hudson graduate, who owns the Ohio record for consecutive field goals made with 17, missed his first two extra points wide right before getting the ball through the uprights on his third try. He didn’t miss another PAT. His first career field goal was good from 27 yards.
Senior Zak Kennedy handled kickoff duties and punter Mark Schuler responded to being benched last week with four punts averaging 46.8 yards, including a 68-yarder.
Junior quarterback Nathan Mays made his first appearance of the season after VanGorder left the game feeling “loopy” in the fourth quarter, Pelini said. After starting the majority of YSU’s games in 2017, nerve issues in Mays’ leg ended the quarterback competition in fall camp. He didn’t practice for almost a month.
“It was spur of the moment getting thrown in there for the third or fourth time of my career. It was deja vu, but I wasn’t nervous at all,” Mays said. “I told the coaches to give me a couple plays to get loosened up, but it felt good to be back in there.”
He rushed six times for 76 yards and did not attempt a pass. Most of his yardage came on a career-best 50-yard run.
“It was only 50? It felt long. I’m out of shape,” Mays said. “The thing that’s wrong with me has kept me from running a lot. I get limited reps in practice and I don’t run a lot, so I came in and I was gassed.
“I was like ‘I got enough here, let’s just get to the next play.’”