Cayson cuts through Edinboro

YOUNGSTOWN -- From his teammates to his teachers, Josh Cayson is known as "Two-Cut Cayson."
Why?
"Because the only thing I do is cut," he explained.
Cayson lived up to his name Thursday night in Youngstown State's season opener against Edinboro at Stambaugh Stadium.
The sophomore tailback from Warren Kennedy, getting his first taste of game action, ran for 136 yards on 10 carries and scored one touchdown as the Penguins won, 35-11.
"As long as you have great vision, it doesn't matter what size you are," said the 5-foot-10, 170-pound tailback. "That's why, when I'm out there, I just see everything."
Highlight
What everyone is surely talking about today is Cayson's 73-yard touchdown run -- worthy of the highlight reel -- in the second quarter.
It was also a monumental moment for the Warren native.
"It was my first play in a college football game, so I was a little nervous," Cayson said. "I hadn't played in a year, so I had a few jitters. But once I got the football, they all went away."
So did he, from his pursuers.
Cayson took a shaky hand-off from freshman quarterback Tom Zetts and broke through Edinboro's line, cutting to the left. He made a quick cut right and broke away from the defense.
When did he know he would score?
"Once I got past the linebackers and saw one of our receivers [Kyle Smith] pick up the DB going across the field," Cayson said.
And he wasn't going to allow anybody to catch him.
"He can run the football," Youngstown State coach Jon Heacock said. "When you add Josh [to the backfield], it's a quicker game."
Fresh beginning
Cayson is getting his shot with the Penguins after sitting out last season for failing to meet NCAA academic requirements. He practiced with the scout team, getting other Penguins prepared to play every week.
"Every day I would run, and the defense would get mad because I was running hard," Cayson said. "I would almost get in fights, but I was just trying to make them better."
He didn't know any other way.
"My dad told me to practice every play like it's a game situation, and that's what I did," Cayson added. "Whether they got mad at me or not, I was helping out the team."
Since his days at Warren JFK, Cayson has benefited from the Penguins' strength program. He was a mainstay on campus during the summer, lifting with teammates and preparing his body for an opportunity such as Thursday's.
It finally came.
"I'm a lot bigger and stronger now than I was at Kennedy, and I'm faster because my legs got stronger," he said. "Just the level of college -- it's bigger, faster and stronger. So I had to prepare myself coming into the season, just trying to get bigger, faster and stronger."
Backfield reloads
Even with the departure of P.J. Mays, Youngstown State is deep at running back. Mike Burns and Josiah Doby were listed as the top two tailbacks coming into the season.
Then there's Cayson, who recognizes the situation and plans to adjust accordingly.
"When I'm out there, I just want to make the best of what I can," Cayson said. "If I get three carries, then I'll try to score on three carries. I'm just trying to help the team."
If he continues to run like he did Thursday, Cayson will provide plenty of help to the Penguins, who are hoping "Two-Cut" will be too much for future defenses.
XBrian Richesson is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.