With Penn State’s annual Blue-White Game approaching Saturday, fans from across the state and region will begin to trek to Happy Valley for their first look at Coach Bill O’Brien’s players and program.
While the offense and defense will both look drastically different come the fall, there are still plenty of things to look for during what could be another rainy contest at Beaver Stadium.
Pace: Over the course of spring practice, O’Brien has stressed the importance of speed on offense between plays. While over the years Penn State has had issues with clock management, he is looking to have the offense set at the line of scrimmage with over 15 seconds left on the play clock. If that is in full effect on Saturday, make sure you’re paying attention or you might just miss a touchdown.
Coaches: While Penn State’s new coaching staff won’t actually be playing the game, seeing how each member interacts with players on the sideline could be an interesting look in to how the program has changed in a few short months. From Charlie Fisher working with the quarterbacks, to O’Brien calling the offense, new faces and new names should be seen running all over the sideline.
Tight Ends: The figurehead of O’Brien’s offense, seeing how the tight ends are used in the spring game could be a look into fall. Redshirt junior Garry Gilliam, who has battled injury his entire career, and true freshman Jesse James, from South Allegheny High School, are both big targets and playing well this spring. James is the only early enrollee among the 2012 freshman class.
Quarterbacks: For the third year running, Penn State’s quarterback situation is in a state of uncertainty. Fifth-year senior Matt McGloin is the assumed leader in the clubhouse with the most time under center, but redshirt sophomore Paul Jones has another chance to impress Nittany Lion fans after his two-touchdown performance two years ago in the Blue-White Game. And don’t forget junior Rob Bolden, who has made 16 career starts. Ultimately, this race will come down to the ability to learn the new offense rather than pure skill. If any quarterback is able to separate himself from the pack, it could go a long way toward making the “cut” as O’Brien plans to narrow the race by the end of the spring.
Scoring: While the Blue-White Game has been the same for the past several decades, O’Brien has yet to address the actual format of the game. It is assumed that it will continue to be the traditional scoring system used in actual games, but other schools such as Ohio State have set up scoring systems rewarding such things as interceptions and first downs. You won’t need to watch long for this answer, but don’t be surprised if the final score is 230-212.
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