Rants & Raves: YSU
That was a wild one! The Jacks (5-1, 2-0) came back from a 14-3 halftime deficit to defeat Youngstown State (4-2, 0-2). The first half was not pretty and it sure felt like this was going to be the annual "game where the Jacks don't show up" game. But... it was not and it was pretty exciting.
Rants & Raves
Rave: The Jacks stuck with the run, even when they were down and it all added up in the 4th quarter. The team finished with 213 yards on 40 attempts on the ground and constantly tested the interior of the YSU defense. The runs in the first half didn't go for big gains but they were certainly body blows that added up. As I shared in the YSU preview, they are playing two defensive ends out of position at defensive tackle. Their quickness was evident but eventually the bulk of the #605Hogs got the best of them.
Rant: Penalties. What the heck was that first half? A personal foul, two running into the returner, an unsportsmanlike conduct, two block in the backs, and a defensive holding. Yuck. The Jacks finished with nine penalties for 105 yards. This is the second time this season the Jacks have had 6 first half penalties. It can't keep happening. They need to be more disciplined.
Rave: The Jackrabbit defense gave up some yards last night. 412 yards to be exact. This is more than their usual but they again showed their improvement by forcing three turnovers, including a pick six, and earning three sacks on the final YSU possesion.
Rave: The Jackrabbit receiver trio (Adam Anderson, Jaxon Janke, and Cade Johnson) had a big game. Cade obviously had the big catch and run but Adam and Jaxon were making big first down grabs throughout the night.
Rant: YSU had 4 sacks on the game and 3 came in the first half. Watching it live I was livid at the offensive line. On the rewatch it was evident that 2, maybe 3, weren't really the offensive lines fault.
- The first sack was a coverage sack. J'Bore either has to scramble and make a play with his legs or simply get rid of the ball. Aron Johnson did get beat late in the play on a spin move but he had provided plenty of time.
- The second sack YSU initially brought seven but ended up dropping 3 defenders after they intially moved towards the line. The offensive line blocked it up correctly. However, Pierre missed his block which forced J'Bore to role right into the defensive end who Johnson was doing a good job on.
- The third sack was a bad a look for the offensive line. Greeneway and Miller didn't communicate a stunt and the defender had an easy pass.
- The fourth sack (in the second half) was a unique play. It looked like a fake jet sweep to CJ Wilson and Eagan Lickiss pulled to the left to take the defensive end. It looked like Eagan was expecting a chip from CJ but never got one and he was easily beat for the sack.
Rant: Special teams was sloppy in the first half. Penalties and a couple of poor punts will do that. As the game went along they played better. I think the standard for them has been set so high that when this unit does screw up it is more noticable.
Rave: Pierre Strong finished with just 8 attempts for 61 yards but it was his work in the passing game that really stood out to me. He finished with 3 receptions for 33 yards. This is a new wrinkle in his game and I'm excited to see what he can do as a receiver out of the backfield.
Rant: The four tipped passes by the YSU defensive line in the first half were annoying. Two of the four could have gone for HUGE gains too. The defensive tackles did a nice job of dropping off their pass rush and getting their hands up but the offensive line has make them pay it.
Rave: J'Bore's composure continues to impress me. He doesn't quit. His best throw of the night was the 3rd and 8 conversion on the deep out to Adam Anderson for a gain of 16. YSU had just answered Don Gardner's pick 6 with a nice scoring drive of their own. It was important that SDSU scored ont the drive. J'Bore later showed that he can throw the deep ball (81 yards to Cade Johnson) and make plays with his feet (63 yard run). He has all the ability in the world. He still has plenty of room for improvement (not staring down receivers is a big one) but Jackrabbit fans have to be happy with the early returns of their freshman QB.
Rave: Luke Sellers. I'm going to miss this guy next year. His block that cleared out two YSU defenders was awesome.
Rant: Penalties. Yep, listing this a second time. Clean it up fellas! Also, refs... get some consistency and balance in your calls.
Rave: The Jacks won the time of possession battle AND were +3 in turnover margin. These are two huge statistics against YSU. They want to eat up clock and they had forced 12 turnovers before Saturday. These two areas played a big factor in the Jacks securing the W.
Rave: As I alluded to in the intro, this a game in the past where I think the Jacks may have folded and lost. It just had the feel. When YSU went up 21-9 I kind of thought it may be over. But the Jacks responded and they looked really really good doing it. I don't think the offense is too far away from fully clicking. When it does, watch out!
Game Balls
Offense: J'Bore Gibbs
Defense: Don Gardner
Special Teams: Jaxon Janke
Go Jacks!
Matt
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