From today’s Tribune/Vindy
Penguins’ defense shines in spring game
YSU SPORTS
APR 24, 2022
JOEL WHETZEL
Staff writer
jwhetzel@tribtoday.com
Staff photo / Joel Whetzel Youngstown State quarterback Demeatric Crenshaw (10) escapes the pocket as he’s pressured by Dylan Wudke (17), being blocked by Ryan Johnson (55).
YOUNGSTOWN — Football fans caught their first glimpse of next season’s Youngstown State squad Saturday, as the team held its Red-White intrasquad spring game at Stambaugh Stadium.
The event featured the team’s offense (White team) against the defense (Red team). Starters matched up against starters, and the team worked its way down the depth chart throughout the day.
The defense won, 27-24.
“It always starts with the attitude and effort and the competitiveness,” said YSU head coach Doug Phillips. “We want to compete. It’s not like we were playing South Dakota State or North Dakota State today; we’re playing our own games. At the same time, you want to be able to have fun, play with great fundamentals, but take care of each other.”
On that note, he was pleased to see the Penguins get through the day with no injuries, save for one player exiting for muscle cramps.
“You can’t win a game in the spring; you can only lose it (with injuries),” he said. “So we got through spring ball and in the Red and White Game injury free to me (was important) as we head into that next cycle and in the weight room.”
The defense made plays throughout the day, courtesy of some pressure on YSU’s quarterbacks and some playmaking in the secondary.
In the first drive of the game between first stringers, defensive back D’Marco Augustin had a sack of 11 yards on Demeatric Crenshaw, and linebacker Griffin Hoak had a hurry on the next play. Later in the drive, Tyjon Jones had a pass breakup and an interception.
Later on, Hoak had a pass breakup, and James Jackson recorded a sack.
Phillips says the defensive line is what stood out to him this spring.
“What jumped out at us — and I saw it in the weight room in February — is the strength of our defensive line,” he said. “We have about 10, 12 guys and two didn’t play this spring — Jelani Stafford and Hunter Allen had surgeries — so you can go into the season with 12 guys you can put on the field. And a lot of these young men have three or four years of experience.”
Hoak added, “I’m just really excited to come out and play behind this defensive line in the fall.”
The defense is under new leadership, as Jahmal Brown took over as defensive coordinator for Joe Schaefer, who left for a job with Texas A&M.
“It’s mostly been getting to know (Brown), kind of building that chemistry with the coaching staff,” Hoak said. “That trickles down — their leadership becomes our leadership, and then we take over the responsibility of being leaders out on the field. So just getting to know them and their philosophy really makes things a lot better.”
For his part, Crenshaw showed flashes of what the passing game can become. He connected on an 11-yard pass to C.J. Charleston on the first drive, and later hit Bryce Oliver for gains of 12 and 30 yards on separate drives.
In the run game, Liberty grad Dra Rushton worked with the starters for Jaleel McLaughlin, who was held out of the scrimmage. On the starters’ second drive, Rushton had a nine-yard run, a 46-yard reception on a pass from Charleston on a trick play and then capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run.
Of Crenshaw, Phillips assessed, “I liked that we were behind the sticks at times and were able to have explosive plays, the plus-15 (yards). I thought that was the one area of improvement. … We know we can run the football, and we have to be able to put the ball downfield. I thought you saw that. Those are the areas we really did make major improvements in this spring.”
Crenshaw credited his offensive line for making strides and also noted the developing chemistry between the receivers and himself.
“The way our offensive line focused on the progression — we were better on that in a lot of practices. This week was a good one for them,” he said. “And us (quarterbacks) and the receivers going through progressions and making good plays downfield.”
The Penguins will get a little time off before returning for workouts in May.
“Finish as strong as we can academically,” Phillips said of what’s next for YSU. “Then in late May we have to get back in the weight room, and we have to make another major jump in that weight room in the months of May, June and July.”
