Welcome to the board Spartan. I think we have a few people making the trip. As to YSU:
We are team in transition, but we have a strong football history. As you probably already know, your head coach is a local product, and our former DC ... your DC is a former Penguin linebacker, and the son of Bill "Duzzer" Narduzzi ...our head coach from 1974 through 1985. Bill was also our AD. Mike Tressel is the son of our next former head-coach/AD Jim Tressel ... for 15-years perhaps the most beloved figure in Penguin Sports history. Your former OC, Don Treadwell is a former OC for YSU as well.
Our traditional style of offense if very power (old school Big-10) oriented, with deep lines and a 6-pack of players that carry the ball. Our traditional defense is very Big-10 as well. We will put lots of pressure up front, contain the run game, & play strong man-to-man in the secondary. We are called the Syracuse or Penn State of I-AA (now FCS) in that we use our linebackers for everything on defense. They blitz, they block, they spot, and they are our primary pass defense. We traditionally have the top linebackers at our level and they are very opportunistic.
However, our new staff has changed things quite a bit. We play a much more SEC style of ball, yet we have a pro-set quarterback. QB Hess is very good. Last year we could hardly believe he was a freshman, most of the time. However. our receiving corp is brand new, so I cannot tell you much. Hess does like to wait for his receivers to open up though.
Our coordinators are very established in the college ranks. Our DC is Rick Kravitz, and our OC is Shane Montgomery. Both have brought in smaller (taller) lines with more speed and stronger hands. Montgomery will call his plays from the box, and is quite gifted. Kravitz likes to mix up his defenses and hopes he can cause some confusion. However, we are very inexperienced on that side of the ball. I think we will be solid in the middle, but need to get more pressure in the front. Our secondary is athletic, but they need to take it to the next level in terms of contact, tackling and keeping an eye on the ball.
Key players are:
Offense:
RT: DJ Main
LT: Andrew Radakovich
All 4 of our TE's are outstanding, but not heavily used in this offense. Don't lose track of Rogers or Sharbaugh ...I know QB Hess won't.
WR: Are our biggest unknown this year, but I know we will throw quite a few of them at you Friday night. Something has to stick.
RB's: We will put one of the deepest set of backs against you that you may face all season. Skill is not too bad either. Cooke is the star, with all of the preseason accolades ...he is on the Walter Payton award watch list going into the season (that is the I-AA/FCS version of the heisman trophy). Thompson, Pace, and Bellemy are larger backs, but we no longer use a full/power back. Pace is the closest thing we have to one. He came to us with a tremendous background ...he was Mr. Virginia. However he has always been injured. He seems healthy this year, so I would like to see what he can do.
QB: Hess is a pro-style QB, young but experienced beyond a Soph. He will not hurt himself too badly, and seems to have more poise in this year's camp. He is the first person under a Junior to be a captain in YSU history. His first collegiate game was Penn State last year, where he went 21 of 25 for 189-yards and 2 TDs. You have to respect anyone that can do that.
Defense:
RCB: Davis is a Miami (FL) transfer and 3.5 stars.
LBD D'Alesio is a very good athlete, but needs to work with his hands.
Mike: John Sasson is very good ...much the traditional YSU middle-defender.
Will: Travis Williams in another Miami (FL) transfer ...highly starred as well.
DT: Andrew Johnson is very good.
DE: Obinna Ekweremubu (Obiwan) is probably the best athlete playing on either team. Although he has never played American football prior to last year, you will be impressed. He is a true NFL-caliber player, and I understand he had a very good camp.
-Again most all are inexperienced. Unfortunately a game against a Big-10 school may not show us what we need to know, but should be very exciting.
Special teams: we have some returning speed, and solid kicking (especially good punter). Our coverage, last season, was so poor. So it has no were to go but up. We lost two games with less than 1-minute remaining because we gave them the ball almost in scoring range.
Last season we had the lead against Penn State until 1:20 left in the first half. I am hoping we can stay competitive even longer this year ...hopefully 4-quarters against the Spartans.
