Mountaineer#96
December 8th, 2006, 12:53 PM
Interesting article, I remember seeing some of YSU's coaches around.
NCAA DIVISION I-AA SEMIFINALS
Youngstown got sneak peek
Coaching staff invited to ASU last year to see how program is run
RON GREEN JR.
[email protected]
It's not entirely accurate to say that Youngstown State will be making its first visit to Appalachian State Saturday when the two football teams meet in the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals at 4 p.m.
It is true that the two programs, which have given I-AA football much of its identity the past decade, have never played each other.
However, several members of the Youngstown State coaching staff spent time in Boone last spring taking an in-depth look at how Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore and his staff run their program.
"We didn't go spy," said Youngstown State coach Jon Heacock, who did not make the trip to Boone but has developed a long-distance friendship with Moore in recent years.
It began a few years ago when Moore visited Youngstown State to look at the artificial turf that had been installed there. Appalachian State was in the process of changing the surface in Kidd Brewer Stadium, and Heacock gave Moore all access in his visit to Youngstown.
Last spring, Heacock sent several of his coaches to the North Carolina mountains to analyze what had made the Mountaineers so successful. The coaches sat in on staff meetings, discussed recruiting strategies and attended spring practice.
"Division I-A schools share ideas all the time," Heacock said. "I-AA schools don't seem to do that."
Moore and his staff have visited Florida and Iowa in the past to study their programs and welcomed the Youngstown State staff.
"It doesn't bother us a bit," Moore said.
Heacock already has offered the Appalachian State staff an invitation to visit next spring.
The Penguins' familiarity with the Mountaineers shouldn't be a significant factor in their semifinal game. When Heacock asked his staff what they learned from their visit, he was told, "They have great players."
There was a time, not long ago, when Youngstown State was a fixture in the I-AA playoffs. The Penguins have won four national championships and are 6-0 in national semifinal games.
However, most of their success came under Jim Tressel, now the coach of top-ranked Ohio State. Heacock's teams struggled initially, but the Penguins re-emerged as a national power this season.
The fourth-seed, Youngstown State is 11-2 and coming off a 28-21 quarterfinal victory against Illinois State in which the Penguins intercepted four passes. Running back Marcus Mason set a school record with 1,726 rushing yards this season for a team that relies heavily on the run.
The challenge will be making it work against an Appalachian State defense that is allowing 265 yards and 14 points per game in a stadium where the Mountaineers have won 26 consecutive games.
"They're the No. 1 team in the country for a reason," Heacock said.
NCAA DIVISION I-AA SEMIFINALS
Youngstown got sneak peek
Coaching staff invited to ASU last year to see how program is run
RON GREEN JR.
[email protected]
It's not entirely accurate to say that Youngstown State will be making its first visit to Appalachian State Saturday when the two football teams meet in the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals at 4 p.m.
It is true that the two programs, which have given I-AA football much of its identity the past decade, have never played each other.
However, several members of the Youngstown State coaching staff spent time in Boone last spring taking an in-depth look at how Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore and his staff run their program.
"We didn't go spy," said Youngstown State coach Jon Heacock, who did not make the trip to Boone but has developed a long-distance friendship with Moore in recent years.
It began a few years ago when Moore visited Youngstown State to look at the artificial turf that had been installed there. Appalachian State was in the process of changing the surface in Kidd Brewer Stadium, and Heacock gave Moore all access in his visit to Youngstown.
Last spring, Heacock sent several of his coaches to the North Carolina mountains to analyze what had made the Mountaineers so successful. The coaches sat in on staff meetings, discussed recruiting strategies and attended spring practice.
"Division I-A schools share ideas all the time," Heacock said. "I-AA schools don't seem to do that."
Moore and his staff have visited Florida and Iowa in the past to study their programs and welcomed the Youngstown State staff.
"It doesn't bother us a bit," Moore said.
Heacock already has offered the Appalachian State staff an invitation to visit next spring.
The Penguins' familiarity with the Mountaineers shouldn't be a significant factor in their semifinal game. When Heacock asked his staff what they learned from their visit, he was told, "They have great players."
There was a time, not long ago, when Youngstown State was a fixture in the I-AA playoffs. The Penguins have won four national championships and are 6-0 in national semifinal games.
However, most of their success came under Jim Tressel, now the coach of top-ranked Ohio State. Heacock's teams struggled initially, but the Penguins re-emerged as a national power this season.
The fourth-seed, Youngstown State is 11-2 and coming off a 28-21 quarterfinal victory against Illinois State in which the Penguins intercepted four passes. Running back Marcus Mason set a school record with 1,726 rushing yards this season for a team that relies heavily on the run.
The challenge will be making it work against an Appalachian State defense that is allowing 265 yards and 14 points per game in a stadium where the Mountaineers have won 26 consecutive games.
"They're the No. 1 team in the country for a reason," Heacock said.