Facts are Facts after our loss to the Rabbits!

[YSUGO]

If I was joe average fan and comparing football programs this is what I would see.  Us 1 playoff appearance in 15 years.  Them, 4 playoff appearances  in 6 years.  Us 3 different HC in 6 years.  Them, 1 in 19yrs.  We have all new asst coaches except 2 on offense and 1 on D.  They have most of the same staff with 6 plus years with the program.  We had 3 guys missing on the O line as well.  Throw in all the other crap and WHY would anybody think we had a chance today.  We are a mess because we are REBUILDING again. All the damage from the last 2 coaches will take years to fix.  Heacock got lucky when a guy named Mason showed up and it got him to the playoffs.  Wolford limited in HC skills, recruited guys that were better athletes and met the eye test on the field but couldn't coach them up because a lot of them lacked the work ethic, leadership and little football IQ.  We had 2 whiffs, while the other guys have built a program. 

[ScarletRook]

I think that is: rebuilding AGAIN

[Penguin Nation]

Have we regressed from last year?  We beat SDSU last year @ Brookings. The defense is better, but is that gain overcome by deterioration in offense and special teams?

What game can we point to and say we are better? Pitt? No..we almost beat IL. USD? No...we never lost to them.  STFU? No for same reasons..plus it's a joke game that makes us weaker.

Other than hype about a BIG HC and BIG transfers, I see no evidence that we are a better team than 2014.

[IAA Fan]

We are clearly not Nation. Here are my thoughts:

1. Wells has not improved. I suggest Tanner Gary over either of the other two. As long as he knows the offense, he is truly the most balanced QB. Although with his lack of snaps ...he probably is not ready.

2. O-Line depth is almost non-existent. Yes, three out with injury is terrible, but we did not see back-ups in use (by design) last year or this. Although in coach P's defense, last night was the first time we had a score to use back-ups.

3. There is no depth in special teams & they do not know their assignments. Ball height on kick-offs is going to be the foundation of any repairs here and I do not see it. Although Sheely has saved this team.

4. Tackle, tackle, tackle. Placing your head down and use a shoulder against a player that just intercepted the ball? Get down and lock up those legs. The guy was small.

5. I like our receiving corpse and our defensive ends. However, the receivers are dropping balls and the ends are rushing during a safety-blitz? Just who do you think is going to stop the opposing player ...the cold weather? I suggest that Wells inconsistent passing has a lot to do with the dropped balls, I also suggest that we look into better defensive schemes (now-coordinator) Stoops. Sorry to the locals here , but folks ..."this ain't Cardinal Mooney and this ain't Nebraska" ...our HC needs to learn I-AA/FCS football. Great players are not knocking on the door to play at YSU.

6. The D does not get a pass. The talent-level is not at MVFC standards. Although we suspected this under coach W, despite the media's reminding us how great of a recruiter he was for for us. The reason that we never saw this under Wolf, is because Penguin defenses never engaged opposing players under Wolf ...everything was positioning.

7. Coaching. This SDSU QB last night had no idea what to do, we should have been blitzing him on every-single play ...I mean that literally. Every single play. We could have sacked him 25+ times. Just no excuse not send send him back to the plains with a renewed sense of respect for grass!

[ScarletRook]

I didn't see Tanner on the sidelines and he was not the holder.... gone too?

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

I do think we have a talented group of receiver's but they are putting very little effort into running their routes and getting open along with the drops. Wells is throwing the ball very poorly and his decision making has been very bad. I feel he has lost confidence in his receivers..Maybe a qb change should be considered..at this point i feel it wouldn't hurt to try

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

I didn't see Tanner on the sidelines and he was not the holder.... gone too?

Not sure if Tanner was on the sidelines or not, but I did notice #11 QB Nathan Mays with head sets on I never recalled that being the case before

[ysufan0505]

That was one of my nitpicks with Wolf. Recruited too many "athletes" but not enough "football" players. This team will not go far until Montgomery is gone and the offense changes.

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

Just curious who is the defensive secondary coach? What I seen in coverage was very disturbing. Couldn't even cover twins and switch on a simple X ..leaving the slant across the middle wide open

[ysufan0505]

Richard McNutt. Played at Ohio State for JT and a well respected recruiter and coach. Secondary actually has been very solid. Give this staff time.

[FOOTBALLFEVER]

They have been solid, but seemed very confused the entire game. Taking nothing away from the freshman Qb but we made his job pretty easy

[Blo Pelini]

Just curious who is the defensive secondary coach? What I seen in coverage was very disturbing. Couldn't even cover twins and switch on a simple X ..leaving the slant across the middle wide open

At Nebraska, Bo was very hands on with the secondary.  That is why they allegedly churned through so many coaches at that position. 

[Observer]

Facts are indeed facts.  So when Pelini leaves after next year for the power 5, having accomplished whatever he will accomplish, which at this point doesn't seem like it will be much, 1) Will Strollo be allowed to hire the next coach? 2)Will YSU move to D2 3) what new building/slash facility construction/upgrade will be announced to draw attention away from habitual almost genetic mediocrity of the current administration.   I hear the ghost of Dike Beede is looking for a spot.

[YSUFANSINCE1990]

  YSUGO great post.   Our defense is very average at best.  Our defensive line in every game except St Francis gets pushed around.   We give up huge chunks of yardage in the run game every week.  Allow too many big plays.  Our corners are awful, this Kenneth Durden is a joke.  You watch the corners from South Dakota State, thats how you play, in fact their entire secondary played as a unit and together.

 Way to early in the Pelini era, but I said when hired and I say now, he is not the answer.  In most of his big games at Nebraska, his defense was embarrassed, games at Wisconsin and Ohio State were not competitive.   A Wisconsin running back once ran for over 400 yards on his defense.  Not going to rehash Pelini hire, it is done.  But his 9 wins at Nebraska, very similar to Heacock and Wolford winning 6-8 at YSU, and both got fired.   You have 2-3 lock wins each year when you play the teams we do before conference play begins.

 I am disappointed in the lack of progress of Wells, especially since Montgomery built him to be the next great QB here.   Maybe Montgomery is the problem as well.  Our offense is predictable and good teams shut us down. 

 Right now we are an average team, average program.  I also think Pelini needs to quit whining about the fans,  what we have seen the last two weeks, can you blame them for not coming.  Also, big picture, most games at the FCS level are played in front of 5-8 thousand fans, we are where we should be.  Even with a winning program maybe 12-14 thousand fans,  but we need a reality check.  FCS football is regional, and maybe even local interest.   Other than ND State with ESPN exposure, most could care less and would prefer to stay home at watch a good game on TV.   

 Because there are 24  teams in a watered down playoff, and just about the great FCS programs have made the jump to FBS, there will be some not so good teams in the playoffs, and we could be one of them.  Appy State, Georgia Southern, Troy, Nevada, Marshall, and the list goes on, have all moved to FBS.  We may be the lone one not stepping up.  And if we had the money, and they would take us, we would be in the MAC.

[ysubigred]

  YSUGO great post.   Our defense is very average at best.  Our defensive line in every game except St Francis gets pushed around.   We give up huge chunks of yardage in the run game every week.  Allow too many big plays.  Our corners are awful, this Kenneth Durden is a joke.  You watch the corners from South Dakota State, thats how you play, in fact their entire secondary played as a unit and together.

 Way to early in the Pelini era, but I said when hired and I say now, he is not the answer.  In most of his big games at Nebraska, his defense was embarrassed, games at Wisconsin and Ohio State were not competitive.   A Wisconsin running back once ran for over 400 yards on his defense.  Not going to rehash Pelini hire, it is done.  But his 9 wins at Nebraska, very similar to Heacock and Wolford winning 6-8 at YSU, and both got fired.   You have 2-3 lock wins each year when you play the teams we do before conference play begins.

 I am disappointed in the lack of progress of Wells, especially since Montgomery built him to be the next great QB here.   Maybe Montgomery is the problem as well.  Our offense is predictable and good teams shut us down. 

 Right now we are an average team, average program.  I also think Pelini needs to quit whining about the fans,  what we have seen the last two weeks, can you blame them for not coming.  Also, big picture, most games at the FCS level are played in front of 5-8 thousand fans, we are where we should be.  Even with a winning program maybe 12-14 thousand fans,  but we need a reality check.  FCS football is regional, and maybe even local interest.   Other than ND State with ESPN exposure, most could care less and would prefer to stay home at watch a good game on TV.   

 Because there are 24  teams in a watered down playoff, and just about the great FCS programs have made the jump to FBS, there will be some not so good teams in the playoffs, and we could be one of them.  Appy State, Georgia Southern, Troy, Nevada, Marshall, and the list goes on, have all moved to FBS.  We may be the lone one not stepping up.  And if we had the money, and they would take us, we would be in the MAC.

YSU has a much better "D" than you think. Again, with the rules change from years gone by "O" is king and "D" has to always play catch up. Not many teams "IF" any are shutting down teams every play every game like we used to see in the early 90's at YSU. The player on YSU's "D" that I don't understand why he plays is #1  Tackles like a 2nd grade girl.

Bottom line; the Offense is Offensive and has been for a few years,, I can't understand why Monty was retained. Yes Dan I said it but I have to call it as the facts state.

Carry on!