YSU spring practice More from Stambaugh Stadium

WATT a difference: The YSU football team was able to use the WATTS for conditioning and unsupervised practices this winter, which made a big difference, junior quarterback Kurt Hess said. “Being in the WATTS helped us not lose a step and also move forward,” he said. “We were able to take the next level instead of falling back in the winter.” Coach Eric Wolford agreed, saying it was a big reason why the first spring practice went so smoothly. “Obviously you can tell we’ve been able to take advantage of the indoor facility,” he said.

Talent upgrade: After losing just 11 seniors to graduation and a handful of others in the offseason, Wolford enters this spring with a deeper and more talented team. When asked to compare this spring’s roster to one from two years ago, Wolford chuckled and said, “Well, you guys can see it. I don’t need to say it. It’s night and day. It’s a different football team.” YSU still has a lot of question marks on the defensive line and needs to develop some depth on the offensive line but the Penguins could be the most athletic team in the conference. “We look fast,” Wolford said. “We look a lot faster than we have in the past. A lot more athletic. We’ve got a chance to be explosive.”

Injury update: Junior DT D.J. Moss (shoulder), junior LB Thomas Sprague (shoulder), senior guard Lamar Mady (knee), junior RB Adaris Bellamy (knee) and sophomore CBs Jamarious Boatwright (knee) and Donald D’Alesio (shoulder) will either sit out spring practice or be limited.

This and that: Former YSU CB Brandian Ross, who spent last season on the Packers’ practice squad, attended Wednesday’s practice. ... Former Ursuline CB Dale Peterman also attended practice and said he will join the team in the summer after spending the 2011-12 school year focusing on his grades. Peterman originally signed with Syracuse out of high school and spent the ensuing two years playing junior college football. ... Los Angeles native Julius Childs, a sophomore CB, enjoyed Wednesday’s L.A.-esque weather. “Yeah, finally,” he said, smiling. “It was cold when I first got here. It was snowing every day.” Senior DT Aronde Stanton wasn’t quite as thrilled. “It was HOT,” he said.

Joe Scalzo