YSU QB a ‘game-time decision’
Phillips mum on starter for North Dakota matchup
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YOUNGSTOWN -- With Youngstown State trailing 21-3 at halftime at North Dakota State and with starting quarterback Demeatric Crenshaw struggling, Penguins coach Doug Phillips decided to make a change and handed the ball to Mitch Davidson for the second half.
Who takes snaps Saturday when YSU welcomes No. 22 North Dakota to Stambaugh Stadium is still up in the air.
"Game-time decision," Phillips told media Tuesday. "I get excited when they're all practicing, and to be able to go into the film room today and see how they executed -- I thought both quarterbacks today were on it. You saw a little more sense of urgency from both of them, and both offer so much."
Crenshaw, the more mobile of the two, has started in each of YSU's four games, but has been inconsistent. The sophomore is completing just 48.68 percent of his passes (37-of-76), and has 538 yards and five touchdowns. All five of those came in September's 49-16 win over Dayton, when Crenshaw went 11-of-17 for 230 yards.
Aside from that, however, accuracy has been somewhat of an issue. Crenshaw went 14-of-29 against Duquesne, 7-of-20 against Kentucky and then just 5-of-10 for 34 yards at NDSU. He's also been picked off in each of YSU's losses.
Among eligible FCS quarterbacks, Crenshaw's completion percentage ranks 110th out of 118.
And Crenshaw's dual-threat capabilities so far have been stymied, as he's run 24 times for just 44 yards and a touchdown -- 1.8 yards per carry.
Of his decision to call Davidson's number in Fargo, N.D., Phillips said, "As a head coach, those are decisions you have to make. We went to Fargo, North Dakota, to win a football game. ... Do I have faith in No. 10 (Crenshaw)? Yeah, No. 10 is dynamic. He's the only quarterback in that quarterback room that's won us football games, and he's a great leader and a great competitor. Sometimes you have to push pause, sit back, look and see and get back to work in practice and go compete and go get ready to play a football game."
Davidson, meanwhile, hasn't seen much action beyond occasional opportunities later in games. He's gone 9-of-14 this year for 119 yards and two touchdowns, and has yet to be picked off, though he had a couple close calls against the Bison last week.
Against NDSU, Davidson, a junior, finished 6-of-10 for 87 yards and a touchdown as the Penguins fell 27-14.
"Mitch has never had the opportunity to come in like he did, and he was prepared and ready to do it, and I'm happy for that," Phillips said. "And in the same vein, with Demeatric to get back, take a pause, the game slows down. ... Sometimes coming off and just watching for a while, it's push pause, but now it's let's get back to work and make sure we're executing at a high rate, because our gale is we know we can run the football, but we also have to be able to distribute the football and get it to (Bryce Oliver) and (Latrell Fordham) and (Max Tomczak) and get it to the tight ends. So we're continuing to work on that, and I like what I saw (Tuesday) in practice."
To that end, Phillips noted the Penguins are "evaluating each and every day."
He added, "For us, it's about getting first downs, scoring touchdowns and getting wins. And whatever (quarterback) is necessary to get wins, that person's going to play the football game. If it takes two, we're going to play two. If it takes three of them, we're going to play three. If it takes four, we're going to play four ... and we preach every day it's about practice execution becomes game reality."