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YSU in for an e-motional defensive test today
Penguins open
MVFC play today
By Brian Dzenis
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown State is going to be face to face with one of college football’s latest fads: using motion before the snap to confuse an opponent on defense.
To Penguins coach Bo Pelini, Western Illinois is a program that has jumped on the bandwagon.
“It’s a lot of smoke and mirrors type of stuff. It’s well thought out. It’s similar to what Pitt did last year — it’s kind of the craze of certain programs in college football,” Pelini said. “You see it a lot now. You have to identify formations and adjust throughout the game.
“They’re going to put guys in a lot of places and run similar plays and if you’re not disciplined and know where to line up or what your role is, it’s going to be a long day.”
Today’s game in Macomb, Ill., marks the beginning of Missouri Valley Football Conference play for the Penguins (1-2) coming off a bye week. The Leathernecks (1-2) are in the similar spot. WIU played a tough non-conference schedule with a close loss to Top 25 vote-getter Montana State, 26-23, and lost to FBS Illinois, 34-14 before defeating No. 17 Montana, 31-27.
The improvement of senior quarterback Sean McGuire was big for the Leathernecks getting their lone non-conference win. He’s coming off a season-high 360-yard, three-touchdown performance with one interception. He had two picks in both of his team’s losses. McGuire makes plays with his legs in an unconventional manner — he’s 2 for 2 on field goal attempts with his longest coming at 43 yards. He’s one of three different Leathernecks that have attempted a field goal this season.
Senior running back Steve McShane benefits a lot from that aforementioned motion. Sliding from behind the QB into the slot before snaps, he’s the current conference leader in receptions with 21 for 143 yards and three touchdowns. He almost has as many catches as carries with 24 for 122 yards and his team’s only rushing touchdown through three games.
Redshirt junior John Brunner is the deep threat with 12 catches for 234 yards and two scores. Sixty percent of Western’s plays this season have been passes.
“We have to get ourselves in situations where they’re forced to pass the ball and then with our speed package, we can go ahead and pressure the quarterback,” defensive end Shereif Bynum said. “I feel like it starts up front with us controlling the line of scrimmage. Our DBs will hopefully play lights out and we can get some sacks.”
Defensively, the Leathernecks are in their second season as a 3-4 defense. Linebackers Zach Gilsan and Quentin Moon are tied for the conference lead in tackles with 34 each.