May 14, 2009 | Blose Interview | Nowicki Interview

Football: Nowicki Returns, Blose Set to Assume PK Duties in 2009

    Youngstown – A new face and a trusty veteran headline the 2009 Youngstown State football team's specialty units. Senior punter Ben Nowicki returns for this third year in that role while fourth-year junior Stephen Blose assumes placekicking duties for four-year starter Brian Palmer.

    Blose is no stranger to action after handling kickoff duties the past two years and his strong leg will give him a shot to move into the placekicker role. His lone career field goal came on a big stage during his redshirt freshman season in 2007. At Ohio State in front of 100,000 pairs of eyes, he connected on a 41-yarder. He is strong off the field with a cumulative 4.00 grade-point average in his YSU academic career.

    Nowicki improved his yards-per-kick average by four yards from the 2007 season to 2008. He averaged 41.1 yards per kick, placing 13 inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. He also had nine punts of 50 yards or more. He battled shoulder injuries last year and was forced to miss the season finale after injuring his good shoulder against Indiana State.

    For his career, Nowicki is averaging 39.0 per kick. He has attempted 91 punts for 3,551 yards in his Penguin career. Of his 91 punts, 32 have been downed inside the opposition's 20-yard line.

    Junior Erik Johnson stepped in when Nowicki suffered his injury late in the season to have a solid performance at punter. He punted nine times last season. Johnson placed four of his kicks inside the opposition's 20, averaging 37.3 yards a kick.

    Freshman Nick Liste could push for time at the placekicker position. Liste was a first-team All-Ohio Division III selection last season. He made five field goals, including a 48-yarder, and 80 percent of his kickoffs went for touchbacks. He was the Red Dragons' punter and placekicker all four seasons.

    Reserve quarterback Marc Kanetsky returns to handle the holder duties while long snapper Nate Schkurko is back.

    On kickoff returns, Dominique Barnes returns after leading the team with 399 yards on 17 returns in 2008. Barnes busted two returns over more than 45 yards against FCS semifinalist UNI last year. Josh Lee returned five kicks for a total of 95 yards last year.

    Punt returner De’Angelo Wilson, who returned 18 punts for 216 yards last year, must be replaced. No player on the current roster has a career punt return for the Penguins. Donald Jones and Barnes could see time in that role with their exceptional hands. Jones returned a few punts in junior college back in 2007.