Penn State’s first-ever Blue-White Practice — in lieu of the team’s annual Blue-White Game — commenced on Saturday afternoon amid an onslaught of rain.
Head coach Matt Campbell, along with many coaches and players, got their first taste of Beaver Stadium with fans inside, though the attendance was meager with the watered-down format — and watered-down bleachers.
Still, there’s some information to be taken away from the roughly 90-minute practice session, which featured some extended 7-on-7 action and 11-on-11 action with tackling, as well as a look at every healthy player during their first experience inside Beaver Stadium with fans.
Here’s what went down.
Backup quarterback struggles
The quarterback room wasn’t operating at full strength, with projected starter Rocco Becht spending the second half of practice on the sideline as he recovers from shoulder surgery, while expected backup Alex Manske, also dealing with a long-term injury, wasn’t present.
But the four quarterbacks behind them — Kase Evans, Peyton Falzone, Connor Barry and Jack Lambert — all had their share of struggles.
Eight 11-on-11 drives from these four players, including some that started with short field, resulted in just two touchdowns and two field goals (Ryan Barker is still nails). The successful drives were largely powered by the run game (more on that later).
On the opening drive, Barry was pressured in the pocket and sailed a pass, which was picked off by cornerback Daryus Dixson. Two drives later, freshman Peyton Falzone threw a screen pass that was jumped by cornerback Josiah Zayas, who took it to the house for a pick-6.
Evans’ two drives resulted in a field goal and a punt, but he often held the ball too long and took back-to-back sacks at one point.
While Becht and Manske are expected to run the room in the fall, none of the other quarterbacks produced impressive showings on Saturday.
Run game
When Penn State’s offense was able to move the chains, it came largely off the efforts of running backs Carson Hansen and James Peoples.
While Hansen continued to take first-team reps, Peoples was arguably the better performer on the day, scoring one of the two touchdowns during 11-on-11 action.
Peoples was also impressive during other drills, showcasing his vision while running behind blockers during a thud period.
Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace also saw a fair share of snaps and had their moments during drills and live action.
LaVar leaping into the backfield
After making an offseason switch from linebacker to defensive end, LaVar Arrington II has showcased elite explosiveness off the edge.
The sophomore bested Owen Aliciene — who’s in contention for a starting offensive tackle role — during one-on-one reps with a nice swim move.
Later on during live action, Arrington recorded a tackle for loss after bursting into the backfield to stop a running play at the handoff.
While he’s not projected to step into a starting role this fall, and he’ll likely need to add size as he grows into a new position, Arrington stood out during the Nittany Lions’ 15th and final spring practice.
