ISU

[YSUGO]

People don’t care what conference you are in!  When YSU was D2 during the Narduzzi and Dempsey playoff runs Fitch stadium was full.  When we were an independent the stadium was full.  All programs need fare weather fans that is what fills the stands.  Winning creates excitement. Yes we will probably get some lineman etc.  but are we going to go 9-2 or even 8-3 and win a couple of league championships in 8 years.  I doubt it.

[ytownchief22]

Small time coaches. They will not be successful here. This is not John Carroll....

As for recruiting, yes you may hit a few small time kids if you can develop but the staff has not shown they can do that either. Especially O and D line. They are recruiting mainly D2 players.

[Kandrase]

Small time coaches. They will not be successful here. This is not John Carroll....

As for recruiting, yes you may hit a few small time kids if you can develop but the staff has not shown they can do that either. Especially O and D line. They are recruiting mainly D2 players.

To be fair... our last coach was big time and was also not successful here. Don't forget DP was hired in early 2020 and is still mostly working with a roster built from the last coaching staff. The decline of this program is just an extension of the trend we saw happening during Pelini.

If we're giving Wolford's recruiting credit for Pelini's 2016 title run than we should give Pelini's recruiting credit for DPs 2020 and 2021 seasons. I still think it's way too early to criticize this staff from a player and recruiting standpoint.

I was just reviewing 247 sports recruiting ranking and saw that we have a 3 star commit at linebacker from the cla$$ of 2022, 6-4 202lbs. That looks like D1 recruiting to me.

[IAA Fan]

Do you think Crenshaw is the answer? His pa$$ing game will never be their because his height. You will be worried every single time he runs as to whether or not he is going to get up again.

The play-calling is sub-par. This is not going to change for some time to come. You do not mind a young team when you have experienced staff; but when your staff is just as inexperienced...what are you going to do?. I mean we are happy because the coaches finally see the need for some thunder in the backfield and then we put the QB in at shotgun depth? The back should have run up the middle with Craycratft pushing him from behind; or he should have been making a whole for Craycraft. In either case, THE QB SHOULD BE UP UNDER CENTER. This is HS fundamentals.

Did anyone else notice that the receivers could not catch many of Craycraft's more powerfully thrown pa$$es? Maybe this is something that will change with regular exposure, but it does make me kind of wonder if we have the improved receiving corps that we were thinking.

Line improvement is hard to call. ISU always has huge linemen and we struggle early.

[Penguin Nation]

People don’t care what conference you are in!  When YSU was D2 during the Narduzzi and Dempsey playoff runs Fitch stadium was full.  When we were an independent the stadium was full.  All programs need fare weather fans that is what fills the stands.  Winning creates excitement. Yes we will probably get some lineman etc.  but are we going to go 9-2 or even 8-3 and win a couple of league championships in 8 years.  I doubt it.

IMO D2 today isn’t the D2 when we were in it. To go D2 now, or even OVC IMO, would be an irreversible retreat and an inch away from dissolving the program.

As I’ve commented before, there is lots of reason to believe that someday (soon) mathematics will matter and the MAC will cease to exist in its current form. At that time, opportunities may arise where a regional FCS conference is formed.

As a side note, our prior MCC and OVC partner, Akron, still lists YSU as a rival on Wikipedia.

The problem, of course, is our wildly incompetent  “ticketgate”, Slocum & Heacock contract renewing AD will certainly blow such opportunity when it arises.

Until the AD is under new leadership, which won’t happen for at least 10 years...the FB program will continue to languish. There is so much that is broken that there isn’t even one solution (like conference affiliation) that will make the program competitive again.

My goals for the program have been lowered to “please just don’t have more scandals.”

[Penquin68]

Poor showing yesterday for sure. And with some luck we ended up tied at half. Lost our QB and number 8 was hurt at some point in the second half.  And getting the kick off to start the 2nd half and getting to the 4 yard line, first and goal. We absolutely should have scored a td at that point and the game would have been different in my opinion. Running 8 at that point on 1st and 2nd down fooled no one and we ended up 3rd and goal from the 2. Now a pass was expected and Indiana State coaches who out schemed us all day, brought pressure. Cracraft is not quick enough or good enough under pressure which they found out and our play failed. If 81 caught the flip pass that would have saved the day, but he dropped it. Then the 4th down call with inches to go and we go shotgun with a 300 lb running back. Again out schemed by their coaches and we fail. Game basically over, they know our qb can't survive under pressure. When given time he makes the throws at this point of the game. With our O line we need a mobile elusive qb to survive. With Creshaw down, we are done.

For the future I still have hope for DP. He needs to rebuild and needs time and support to do it. Give him a honest chance and be supportive. In many ways it is our team and our entertainment. Without YSU what do we have? OSU, Kent State, and Akron? I think YSU adds signigicantly to the area and deserves our support. All the negatives don't really help. In many ways people in Youngstown want everything to fail and they will be happy. Almost like the old Vindicator on the area and YSU.

[YSUGO]

I don’t want to see us fail.  But we don’t have the money to be what we used to be.  Even our student population is what like 8800 and they with fees give 70% of our athletic budget which is even less than what Akron students give.  We are not understanding the economic hardship we are dealing with.

I’m sure that Phillips can recruit better but in reality now we need to play 2 money games which are losses and we all know we will lose at least 2 games minimum in our conference.  So we are for the most part starting with hoping to go 8-4, or 8-3 maybe once in  15 years 9-2.  We are just idiots for continuing to think we can be a big player in our conference,  as for the comment that one of our teams in our conference is renting a stadium shows you how f***ed up FCS is.  Dropping down to the OVC will help us not hurt us.  Or whatever.  No kid grows up wishing to play in the MVFC where we recruit. 

[Kandrase]

Do you think Crenshaw is the answer? His pa$$ing game will never be their because his height. You will be worried every single time he runs as to whether or not he is going to get up again.

The play-calling is sub-par. This is not going to change for some time to come. You do not mind a young team when you have experienced staff; but when your staff is just as inexperienced...what are you going to do?. I mean we are happy because the coaches finally see the need for some thunder in the backfield and then we put the QB in at shotgun depth? The back should have run up the middle with Craycratft pushing him from behind; or he should have been making a whole for Craycraft. In either case, THE QB SHOULD BE UP UNDER CENTER. This is HS fundamentals.

Did anyone else notice that the receivers could not catch many of Craycraft's more powerfully thrown pa$$es? Maybe this is something that will change with regular exposure, but it does make me kind of wonder if we have the improved receiving corps that we were thinking.

Line improvement is hard to call. ISU always has huge linemen and we struggle early.

First of all Crenshaw was a Pelini recruit… but also height being a limiting factor for QBs has pretty much been debunked in modern college football. Sure it helps, but no reason a shorter QB can’t be a great pa$$er at our level, Devlin Hodges was 6-1 and set records at Samford. Not to mention Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray,  Johnny Manzel etc

But I agree the play calling was bad

[IAA Fan]

I cannot agree Kandrase. When you take away your passing game between the hatch marks you become am much more easy offense to defend against. If we decide to integrate an option component, then maybe passing could be more effective. I see no other way.

[YSUGO]

We havent had a passing game to defend since Hunter Wells graduated.  The offense has regressed since Montgomery left. 

[Penguin Nation]

We havent had a pa$$ing game to defend since Hunter Wells graduated.  The offense has regressed since Montgomery left.

Why was his nickname “pick 6”?

[YSUFANSINCE1990]

  We have reached a very low point.  Losing to Western Illinois and Indiana State in the same season.  Would need a supreme effort to win any of the final four.  Looking at a 1-6 spring, 2-8 fall.  If we lose all 4, Coach Phillips 3-14 first two seasons is pathetic.  Pelini didn't leave the program in this bad of shape. 

We are slow, small and lack athleticism other than McLaughlin.  On another note, why did he disappear the final part of the fourth quarter on Saturday?

[goodnews]

For YSU to be competitive we have to go 2 deep which would be 44 players with legitimate D1 talent.  I'm sorry but this staff isn't capable of recruiting those type of numbers.   That means u have hit 50% on your recruits year in and year out to be successful.  Thats just the talent equation of the puzzle.  Throw in the coaching we currently have and its virtually impossible. 

[guinpen]

  We have reached a very low point.  Losing to Western Illinois and Indiana State in the same season.  Would need a supreme effort to win any of the final four.  Looking at a 1-6 spring, 2-8 fall.  If we lose all 4, Coach Phillips 3-14 first two seasons is pathetic.  Pelini didn't leave the program in this bad of shape. 

We are slow, small and lack athleticism other than McLaughlin.  On another note, why did he disappear the final part of the fourth quarter on Saturday?

I do believe that bo left us in terrible shape. But at the same time I am not totally sold on the new coaching staff. Way too early to judge their recruiting talents. DP seems to have the right demeanor but a lot of the play calling on both sides of the ball have me wondering. DP may not be making these calls but he is responsible for them so lets see what, if any , changes he makes in the off season.

[Double ET]

I am depressed with the state of our football program. DP might be ok, but his assistants are not.
So, I am ready for Basketball.