ysu roundup News and notes

Good turnout: YSU drew about 200 fans for the evening practice and more than 100 were still there by the end of the 21/2-hour session. “Our fans are awesome,” Penguins coach Eric Wolford said. “This community and this Valley, we’re in this together. They understand that we’re not happy with the way things are and we’re doing everything we can to get this back to where it needs to be.”

Good position to be in: When asked about practicing in pads, junior quarterback Marc Kanetsky said the biggest difference is training camp becomes more grueling. “Guys wake up and feel like they’re 75 years old,” he said. “It’s not bad for us [quarterbacks]. Us and the kickers joke around about it in the locker room, saying, ‘This is easy; I don’t know what you guys are talking about’ while the other guys are sitting in the ice baths forever.”

Doing drills: The Penguins started practice with the “Oklahoma Drill,” which features a QB, RB, offensive blocker and defensive player, who tries to make the tackle. It’s a change from the “Hoot ‘N Holler” drill that used to mark the opening of YSU’s contact period. Wolford said he learns a lot about a player once the pads are on. “Some guys are kind of like those combine guys where they look good and then you get them out here and they won’t hit anybody or, if they’ve been in there for about 20 plays, they get tired of hitting,” he said.

Injury update: Sophomore wide receiver Jelani Berassa suffered the only serious injury of practice, twisting his left knee. He was helped off the field but was able to put some weight on the leg. He was on crutches afterward.

Happy birthday: Wolford’s wife, Melinda, was celebrating her birthday on Monday. “We’ve got a hot date,” he said. “I’m taking her to McDonald’s.”

Joe Scalzo