Between a running clock and ever changing personnel for each team, the Blue White game can often turn from a simple practice into a series of moments and stats you may have missed. Certainly there is a lot of time between now and when the season finally starts, but a few stats and figures here and there might just give you a glimpse of things to come.
If nothing else it’s something to talk about as the offseason truly beings and the weeks turn into months before training camp finally arrives in August.
So here are five stats you may have missed this weekend.
6-for-6: That’s how well the first team offense did on third down. Trace McSorley’s accurate passing day kept Penn State on schedule for each down, giving the Nittany Lions fairly short and manageable second and third downs. Averaging just over 8 yards a play, Penn State’s offense clicked down the field with relative ease. Sure it’s against the second team defense, but success is success and never a guarantee. if anything has been bad through both the O’Brien and Franklin eras, it has been third down conversions.
5-of-5: Not exactly turning heads, but Tyler Davis continued to be at least a consistent force on special teams making all of his point after attempts. Certainly nothing that screams ‘nation’s best kicker’ but every ball that goes through the uprights is a positive step for this bunch. Davis might eventually lose the job to Alex Barbir this summer, but while Joey Julius is off the radar, Davis continues to do his job. Davis did miss a 42-yarder at the buzzer though.
5.2 yards: Without Saquon Barkley, Penn State’s first team offense still managed 5.2 yards a carry on the ground behind a solid outing by Andre Robinson and Mark Allen. Again, the second team defensive front isn’t going to win any awards anytime soon, but considering that Penn State’s offensive line hasn’t exactly been the greatest in the history of the game, getting 5+ yards a carry is a welcome sight coming from that bunch no matter who they’re facing. While adding Barkley and Miles Sanders to the mix won’t equate to seeing that average shoot through the roof, it’s not a bad average to start, or even finish the season with.
8: That’s how many different receivers caught at least two passes from Trace McSorley this past weekend. Saeed Blacknall led the way with 5 catches for 45 yards and a score as he continues to fly on the radar as a potential star in the making. Chris Godwin was his usual self and DaeSean Hamilton seems to fit quite comfortably in his position in the slot. Last year Penn State bragged about a deep receiving corps, this year you might actually see that claim come to fruition.
6. How many tackles DT Kevin Givens had in a potential coming out party. The Altoona native had a game-high two sacks and six total tackles including 3.5 for a loss. Givens has been the talk of the spring, and showed why that is the case this past weekend. Going up against the second team offensive line isn’t exactly proof of greatness, but it’s a good step in the right direction.
