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YSU roundup | More news and notes from Stambaugh Stadium
One more year: Wide receiver Jelani Berassa successfully petitioned the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility after missing two seasons with torn ACLs. “I was real happy,” he said. “The first thing I did [when I found out] was call my Mom and let her know. Then I called my brothers and sisters and talked to all my coaches and texted every single one of my teammates together to let them know I was coming back.” After missing the 2012 season, Berassa struggled to regain his form last fall, catching six passes for 74 yards and a TD. He’s looked much better this spring and has become the go-to receiver for all the quarterbacks, catching five passes for 99 yards in Saturday’s scrimmage. “Last year at training camp, I was just trying to get back into football shape and the only way you can get back into football shape is by playing football,” he said. “As much as the rehab strengthened my knee, I needed to play football. Now that I’ve had the chance to get myself back together, I’m feeling pretty good.”
Bringing pressure: New defensive coordinator Jamie Bryant said last week that he wants an attacking defense, saying, “We want to dictate what happens during the course of a game and not get everything dictated to us.” He showed hints of that on Saturday, bringing pressure from different spots, particularly with the linebackers. “Just being more active,” YSU coach Eric Wolford said. “Using our athleticism and our speed.”
Replacing Liste: In addition to kicking field goals and extra points, senior Joey Cejudo will add punting and kickoff duties this season after YSU lost Nick Liste to graduation. Cejudo struggled with the wind a bit on Saturday, but Wolford said he’s confident he can do the job. “Joey Cejudo has punted the ball pretty well,” he said. “We feel pretty good about him. I think he’ll be fine. Nick was a threat. Can you replace a guy like that and what he did? He flipped the field in how many football games for us last year? I hope he gets an opportunity to play on Sunday and I’m sure he will.”
Weather woes: While Wolford liked being able to practice in Saturday’s cold weather — “If you want to be playing in December, it’s going to be cold” — Berassa wasn’t as thrilled. “Sometimes a lot of my friends [in Miami] want to see snow for the first time and I tell them, ‘No, after a day of it, you want to go back to the sunshine,’” he said.