First-year Head Coach Bo Pelini will get his first on-field look at the YSU football team when the Penguins start spring drills on Tuesday. Spring drills will culminate with the annual Red-White Spring Game on Friday, April 17 at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Penguins will hold their first three practices of the spring this week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. All are scheduled for Stambaugh Stadium unless weather forces the Penguins into the WATTS. All practices at the stadium are open to the public and media.
YSU returns a solid group of playmakers from last year's 7-5 squad that started the year winning seven of its first nine games before losing its last three. However, of the last three contests, two were road games at National Finalists Illinois State and North Dakota State while the other was an overtime home defeat to playoff qualifier Indiana State.
On offense, the Penguins return starters at quarterback, tailback, wide receiver and four of the five offensive line spots. Also back from last year are sixth-year Offensive Coordinator Shane Montgomery and sixth-year Offensive Line coach Carmen Bricillo which will provide some stability to that side of the ball.
Under Montgomery, the Penguins had more than 2,000 yards rushing and passing in each of the last five seasons. During the 12-game 2014 season, YSU had 2,556 yards passing and 2,427 yards rushing. The Guins averaged 415.2 yards of total offense per game - 213 passing and 202.2 rushing a contest.
The 2,556 yards passing was the second most in school history behind the 1999 season in which the Guins had 2,722 yards. It was also just the second time in school history that YSU averaged more than 200 yards rushing and passing per game. The only other year was 2011 that the Guins averaged above 200 yards in both.
Primary offensive starters back from the 2014 slate are junior tailback Martin Ruiz, sophomore quarterback Hunter Wells, senior wide receiver Andrew Williams, offensive tackles Trevor Strickland and Justin Spencer and offensive guards Brock Eisenhuth and Dylan Colucci. Additionally offensive lineman Cole Newsome and Cameron Fraser also appeared in the starting lineup. Colucci will be sidelined for the spring with a shoulder injury.
This will be the first spring guiding the offense for Wells who started the final six games as a true freshman last fall. In his first year with the program, Wells completed 121-of-202 passes (59.9 percent) for 1,772 yards and 14 touchdowns. Besides Wells, Ricky Davis and Tanner Garry are each entering their third seasons with the program.
The one-two punch of Ruiz and Jody Webb are back for a third season at the tailback position. The duo combined for 2,035 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2014. Ruiz had his second straight 1,000-yard campaign finishing with 1,320 while Webb had a career-best 715, including and impressive 6.9 yards per carry.
The tailback position is still one of the deepest on the team as Demond Hymes, Ryan Moore and Sidney Sandidge all return. Hymes will be entering his senior campaign while Moore showed a promising future with a solid outing at North Dakota State to end the year.
Williams had a breakout season last year hauling in 54 passes for 976 yards. He averaged 88.7 yards a game for the Guins and his numbers were bolstered by a solid performance during the conference slate. He excelled in MVFC play with 47 receptions for 776 yards and four scores. Williams averaged 97 yards per contest and 16.5 yards per reception in eight league games.
Vetaran Andre Stubbs will provide an experienced outlet for Wells once again. Stubbs had 28 catches for 365 yards last season.
After Williams and Stubbs, the Guins will be looking for some new faces to step up during the spring. I'tavious Harvin, Jaylon Brown, Darien Townsend, Joe Gallinatti, Michael Callender, Brad Good, Logan Rhea, Donovan McWilson and Ivan Adu-Poku will all be looking to show the coaching staff they belong in the lineup throughout the spring.
At tight end, junior Jacob Wood returns to lead a young group. Joining Wood as returning players from last season are true sophomores Shane Kuhn and Chance Towery. Wood saw more time last season as the primary backup to full-time starter Nate Adams. In his career, Wood has three receptions to lead the three-person group.
The offensive line returns familiar faces in Spencer, Strickland, Colucci and Eisenhuth. The four players combined for 45 starts last season. The lone starter lost from a year ago is center Stephen Page. At left tackle, Spencer had a solid redshirt freshman season starting all 12 games. At the right tackle spot, Strickland started every game as well. Eisenhuth started 11 games and Colucci had 10 starts at the guard positions. Frasure filled in when needed while Newsome started for Page in one game.
Despite replacing four lost starters last season, the group combined to allow just 14 sacks last year protecting two first-time starting quarterbacks. Veterans Matt Bell and Christian Wilson will be looking to step in while redshirts Charles Zaborsky, Jeff Rotheram and Steven Jefferies are taking part in their first spring season.
The defense made strides last year and with the background of Pelini it will be watched closely during the spring as Ron Stoops assumes the coordinator responsibility. Making life easier will be veterans and returning starters Derek Rivers, Emmanuel Kromah, Terrell Williams, Tre' Moore, Dubem Nwadiogbu, Nate Dortch and Jaylin Kelly.
On the defensive front line, Rivers, Kromah and Williams all return after breakthrough seasons in 2014.
Rivers, who had 13 total tackles as freshman had 14 sacks as a sophomore and for his efforts was named a first-team All-MVFC selection in his second year. Of his 14 sacks, 10 came in eight conference games. During the league slate, he had 41 total tackles, including 23 solo stops.
On the opposite side, Williams had a standout campaign as well. Not to be overshadowed, he had 10 sacks of his own and nine additional tackles for losses. Williams had 50 tackles of his own as he and Rivers combined for 101 stops on the season.
In the middle last season were Kromah and Octavius Brown. The duo started all 12 games together on the defensive front line. Kromah is back after a 25-tackle campaign last year, including 16 solo stops.
Also returning to help out up front are seniors Eric Myers and Steve Zaborsky. Both players have battled injuries and will be looking to be healthy additions to the lineup. Joining the squad from Nebraska is transfer Avery Moss. Moss had a breakout redshirt freshman campaign in 2013 for the Huskers, but was not part of the program last year.
The linebacking group features Nwadigobu and Kelly who both started all 12 games a season ago.
Nwadiogbu led the team with 104 total tackles, including 59 solo stops and was a second-team all-conference pick. He had 27 tackles in his career leading up to last year's campaign. In MVFC play, he had 71 total tackles, including 35 solo stops, highlighted by 13 tackles in contests against at North Dakota State and Western Illinois.
Kelly was credited with 84 total tackles, including 43 solo stops. He came on late in the season making 10-or-more tackles in four of his final five games. Mike Palumbo brings some solid experience after starting early last year. Senior Antonie Cox provides some leadership for the young group as well.
Four redshirt linebackers, Lee Wright, Nathan Pittman, Johnson Louigene and Jonathan Stewart will get a chance to show the new staff what they can offer this spring.
In the secondary, Moore came on to start the final nine games at safety while Dortch started the first nine.
Moore led the team with four interceptions, all of which came during the conference portion of the season. He became a key contributor on defense the final 10 games of the season finishing with 78 total tackles, including 50 solo stops.
Dortch had 19 total tackles, including 14 solo stops and broke up eight passes in his nine starts. For his efforts he was named to the MVFC's All-Newcomer squad. Thompson started nine games in a rotation between linebacker Desmond Williams. He had 31 total tackles, including an impressive 24 solo stops.
Others in the secondary this spring who saw action as reserves and on special teams last year were Kenny Bishop, Deion Hall, D.J. Thomas, Shane Dixon, Jameel Smith and David Rivers III. Rivers started the season finale at corner and Smith opened up the 2014 campaign as a starter. He started every contest in 2013 as well.
Special teams will see some changes with the departure of punter/placekicker/kickoff specialist Joey Cejudo. Last season, Nick Sheely redshirted behind Cejudo at punter. Connor McFadden returns for his third season looking to step in as the placekicker. Joining the program this spring after a successful high school career is Zak Kennedy. The Guins will also be looking to replace four-year starter Nathan Gibbs as long snapper.
