Ryan Riemedio Opens Youngstown State Against the Team He Left

Opening games reward teams that hide their changes well. Ryan Riemedio gets no such luxury Thursday, because his Youngstown State debut comes against the program where he worked for 14 seasons.

Mercyhurst promoted Tom Sydeski, the offensive coordinator Riemedio hired in 2024, to head coach. Riemedio knows the Lakers’ habits and people, while Sydeski has two seasons of working inside Riemedio’s program (Riemedio guided Mercyhurst through its move from Division II to FCS). The information advantage belongs to both sidelines.

During an April interview with The Vindicator, Riemedio reflected on the school where he met his wife and built most of his coaching career. “Mercyhurst is always going to hold a special place in my heart.” His history gives Thursday some emotion, although the harder football problem sits with the coaches and players who remained in Erie after he left.

Ryan Riemedio Advantage Runs Both Ways

Let us look at the matchup from Mercyhurst’s side for a moment. Sydeski ran the Lakers’ offense for two seasons under Riemedio, while Mercyhurst promoted linebackers coach Bryce Dempsey to defensive coordinator.

When the school introduced Sydeski in February, he said, “We’re excited to build on what’s been established and continue pushing this program forward.” The coaching language and institutional memory did not disappear with one departure, even as Sydeski gained an offseason to change the offense.

Last August already gave both staffs something worth studying. Mercyhurst lost 24-15, yet Sydeski’s offense outgained Youngstown State 374-301 and threw for 311 yards. Four turnovers swung the result toward YSU. Mercyhurst held the Penguins to their second-lowest point total of 2025. You can understand why Youngstown State respected what the Lakers were doing, while Mercyhurst can look at the same film and see an offense that created chances. Familiarity helps with recognition, but possession decided the first meeting.

Youngstown State Needs More Than Brungard Again

A nine-point opening win was enough last August. Youngstown State enters this season ranked No. 9 after an 8-5 playoff campaign, so the standard has moved. Beau Brungard returns after leading the FCS with 4,702 total offensive yards and winning the Walter Payton Award.

Brungard rushed for 145 yards against Mercyhurst last August. We already know what Brungard can do when a game gets messy. Our Week Zero watch list shows the stage expanding Saturday. The more interesting question here is how much help the new defense can give him.

Youngstown State hired Ryan Riemedio after finishing 80th in FCS total defense and 112th in pass defense. Mercyhurst finished inside the top 40 in total defense and top 15 against the pass under Riemedio.

During August camp, linebacker Carston Marshall told the Tribune Chronicle how the new coordinator installed the system. “He just came in and broke it down step-by-step to us. He didn’t really overload us with a lot of details.” Mercyhurst now gives YSU a familiar first test of whether those lessons hold at full speed.

Opening Night Will Test What Familiarity Is Worth

Still, 14 years of knowledge only reaches so far. Mercyhurst’s 2025 quarterback Adam Urena is gone from the current roster, several offensive roles have changed, and Youngstown State rebuilt much of its secondary.

YSU added six transfer defensive backs. Riemedio knows the program unusually well, although Thursday’s Mercyhurst team is not the same group he coached last season. Sydeski faces a similar limitation because he studied Riemedio’s Mercyhurst defenses, not every wrinkle installed with different players in Youngstown.

Sonny Dykes offers a useful reminder about where familiarity stops helping. He coached SMU for four seasons before leaving for TCU, then returned to Dallas with the Horned Frogs in 2022. TCU still had to earn a 42-34 victory. Dykes knew the building and many of the people. The result still came from what players executed after the snap.

Riemedio has preached the same limit since spring. Asked about the foundation of his new defense, he told The Vindicator, “It always comes down to just fundamental football, playing top-down.”

Thursday will reduce the reunion to something that simple. On Mercyhurst’s first third down, Riemedio may recognize the formation, and Sydeski may recognize the structure across from him. Somebody has to protect the quarterback, defeat a block, cover Dylan Evans, or finish the tackle. The first real adjustment may be whatever one side decided the other two no longer know.