Tag: Blue-White Game

Penn State confirms date for 2024 Blue-White Game

We are still waiting to see what bowl game Penn State will be playing in to wrap up this season, but we can also start planning for the conclusion fo spring football practices in State College in 2024. Penn State announced the date for its annual …

We are still waiting to see what bowl game Penn State will be playing in to wrap up this season, but we can also start planning for the conclusion fo spring football practices in State College in 2024. Penn State announced the date for its annual spring game, the Blue-White Game, on Thursday so fans can start making their plans now.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game will be held in Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2024. An exact start time for the intra-squad scrimmage will be locked in at a later date but Penn State announced the plan is for an early to mid-afternoon start, which is typical for Penn State’s spring scrimmage.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game has typically been the final part of the spring football practice schedule for the Nittany Lions over the years. There is no reason to suspect that will change in 2024..

The spring game will be the first chance for fans to see what they hope to be a new-look offense under a new offensive coordinator. Penn State has reportedly hired Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas to fill the role of offensive coordinator.

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Penn State confirms date for 2024 Blue-White Game

Mark your calendars! Penn State has announced the date for the 2024 Blue-White Game.

We are still waiting to see what bowl game Penn State will be playing in to wrap up this season, but we can also start planning for the conclusion of spring football practices in State College in 2024. Penn State announced the date for its annual spring game, the Blue-White Game, on Thursday so fans can start making their plans now.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game will be held in Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2024. An exact start time for the intra-squad scrimmage will be locked in at a later date but Penn State announced the plan is for an early to mid-afternoon start, which is typical for Penn State’s spring scrimmage.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game has typically been the final part of the spring football practice schedule for the Nittany Lions over the years. There is no reason to suspect that will change in 2024.

The spring game will be the first chance for fans to see what they hope to be a new-look offense under a new offensive coordinator. Penn State has reportedly hired Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas to fill the role of offensive coordinator.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Omari Evans and Dani Dennis-Sutton riding Blue-White Game momentum into summer

Penn State should be encouraged by the spring game performances of these tow players going into the summer.

Coming off of Saturday’s Blue-White Game, the game’s MVPs are looking to take the next step together with their team in 2023.

Defensive lineman [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] were honored for their efforts and the success they had against their teammates on Saturday. Coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] spoke highly of Dennis-Sutton as “unblockable” and by all accounts he was. With two sacks in the game, he stood out when watching the defense play. Penn State struggled last season finding an effective pass rush after being spoiled by years of fruitful returns by players who were good enough to go to the NFL. Dennis-Sutton will hope the duo of himself and [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] can give Penn State that edge on [autotag]Manny Diaz’s[/autotag] defense.

On offense, Evans emerged as a potential playmaker at wide receiver at a time when the team needs players stepping up at the position. Evans finished with a team-best five catches for 80 yards including a 28-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Drew Allar. Sadly it would be the only time any Nittany Lion reached the end zone Saturday but that production should skyrocket in the fall.

Both Evans and Dennis-Sutton play crucial positions of need for Penn State. Their performances may be enough to allow Franklin and his staff to give attention to other positions in recruiting and transfer portal. Regardless of what those two groups do, these two sophomores will be and should be expected to take the next step. If they do, this team could be looking like the complete package on both sides of the ball after being very weak at two important positions.

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Five Penn State players received awards at halftime of Blue-White Game

Here are the five Penn State players who received awards during the Blue-White Game

The annual Blue-White Game was a big win for the football program, players, coaching staff and fans. Hosting recruits for the spring game is always a good way to put Penn State into the forefront for the recruits the coaching staff is targeting. They got at least two commitments from players who were hosted over the weekend.

Fans were able to see what the team will look like this season and how the former recruits look on the field with the Penn State jersey on. Similarly, the coaches are able to see who can play in a game setting besides just in practice.

Between all the excitement that was happening on and off the field during the Blue-White festivities, there was some awesome recognition for five players at halftime of the game.

Four awards were handed out in front of the fans, recognizing them for their excellence on and off the field. One is for the offensive side of the ball, one is for the defensive side, another is for attitude and improvement during spring practice and the last one is for total commitment.

Here are the winners of those awards.

James Franklin’s post Blue-White Game thoughts on Penn State’s search for a third wide receiver

James Franklin updates his thoughts on Penn State’s search for a third receiver after the Blue-White Game

After losing two leading wide receivers to the NFL draft and graduation, the search for passing options was officially on this spring for Penn State. The return of [autotag]Keandre Lambert-Smith[/autotag], who is coming off a solid performance in the Rose Bowl helped keep one receiving spot stabilized for the Nittany Lions, but [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] knew it was important to find the other options as soon as possible for the offense to keep firing in the fall.

Penn State attacked the transfer portal in the offseason to bring in two options for the receiving game. One of the most likely replacements for a starting receiver position, [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag] from Kent State, is joining the program after the spring and will start getting to work with quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] this summer. Cephas is widely expected to lock down one of the starting jobs upon his arrival, leaving Franklin and offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag] hoping someone else would step up and be that coveted third receiver.

[autotag]Malik McClain[/autotag] from Florida State joined the program in time for spring practices and was able to participate in the Blue-White Game. That was beneficial as McClain had some good moments in his spring debut for the Nittany Lions. But the rising star coming out of Penn State’s Blue-White Game this spring may have been sophomore [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag].

Evans scored the only touchdown of the spring game for the Nittany Lions when he found some rare open space against a tight defensive pass coverage, hauled in a pass from Allar after he scanned his progressions, and stretched into the endzone for the score (and was promptly penalized for excessive celebration).

After the game, Franklin commented on the performance of Evans and the overall search for a third passing option.

“I thought Omari (Evans) really stepped up and we need a third wideout to step up,” Franklin said in his postgame press conference. “So that was exciting to see him make some plays out there.”

“He’s strong and he’s physical, and he’s getting more and more confident day by day,” Franklin later added. “We need somebody to step up in that third wide receiver role. For the last week and a half, we moved him into that spot and obviously today was something to build on. There’s no doubt about it. He’s got all the tools.”

It is easy to overreact to a performance in a spring game, but Omari Evans certainly picked a good day to turn in the performance he did. We’ll see if that leads to a more meaningful role in the fall.

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5 takeaways from Penn State’s Blue-White Game

5 thoughts about the Penn State Blue-White Game the morning after.

Penn State returned to a more traditional Blue-White Game approach and the action flew by with a running clock to keep things nice and orderly. Despite the quick pace, there were some easy observations to make about where the team stands now going into the summer and looking ahead to fall camp. Head coach James Franklin and his staff were able to get some good film to review on both sides of the football and there will be some key decisions to be made between now and when the Nittany Lions open the 2023 season with a home game against West Virginia at the beginning of September.

Overreacting to anything that happens in a spring game is bound to happen, but here are five takeaways I had from watching Penn State football for the first time this spring.

QB report card: Who shined in the Blue-White Game?

The report card for Penn State’s quarterbacks in the Blue-White Game are telling.

Penn State came into the Blue-White Game with a quarterback competition according to coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]. While former five-star recruit [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] was expected to be the heir apparent after Sean Clifford graduated, Franklin wasn’t ready to give him the keys to the program without a competition.

While many thought the quarterback competition was just lip service, it was clear that evaluations would be made during the spring game that could impact who would be the 2023-24 starter.

After the performances during the game on Saturday, it looks like their is a clear front runner for who will be the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions.

Allar finished the scrimmage going 19-30 for 202 yards and one touchdown. [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] went 10-27 for 92 yards, zero touchdown and one interception. Pribula got snaps for both the Blue and White side, while Allar stayed on the Blue team the entire time.

While it’s always difficult to make judgements after a scrimmage, it was clear who the better quarterback was in the game.

With that said, here are is the report card for the two quarterbacks involved in the battle.

Penn State defense shines in Blue-White Game

Penn State’s Blue-White Game is led by the defense and a potential contributing receiver shines.

For all of the attention that Penn State’s big playmakers on offense get, the defense was the real winner of the Blue-White Game on Saturday afternoon in  Beaver Stadium. Penn State’s 15th and final practice of the spring saw plenty of good pressure up front by Penn State’s defensive line and terrific coverage for much of the game from the pass defense, making life difficult for Penn State’s young quarterback combo of [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag].

Penn State’s edge rushers, specifically [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Zane Durant[/autotag], were impressive and the entire defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage for the bulk of the afternoon. Penn State’s offensive line may have some concerns as a result, although it was without one of its biggest players in Olu Fashanu. But it seemed as though the quarterbacks, who were playing for both teams in the spring game, were under constant pressure every time out, especially against the Blue team, which was comprised of mostly projected first-stringers.

While it was a quiet day for the offense, there was one player who seemed to make the most of the afternoon. Wide receiver [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] was the one receiver who seemed to find open spots on the field on a day when doing so seemed to prove difficult. Allar connected with Evans a few times, and Beau Pribula connected with him as well. With competition for a significant role in the receiving department as Penn State looks to find replacements for Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley, Evans came away as a spring game-winner.

Evans caught the only touchdown scored in the game, doing so on the second offensive possession led by Drew Allar in the first quarter.

Of course, the spring game is just one part of the offseason process that will ultimately lead to determining what happens in the fall. Head coach James Franklin got some good film to evaluate moving on after spring practices as decisions will have to be made about the roster. While a strong showing in a spring game can sometimes be the weight to tip a scale one way or another, it isn’t necessarily the final straw in any decisions by the coaching staff.

The good news for the Penn State offense is it won’t be facing too many defenses as the one it faced on Saturday once the 2023 season kicks off. There is some work to do, naturally, but there is time to fine-tune what is needed before the season begins.

Penn State will open the 2023 season at home against West Virginia on September 2. It should shape up to be a fun season for the Nittany Lions.

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WATCH: Drew Allar’s first Blue-White Game TD leads to celebration penalty

Yes, Penn State had a player flagged for excessive celebration in the spring football game.

Sure, it may just be a spring game, but Big Ten officials aren’t letting players slide a little bit on the celebrations. After Penn State’s Blue team put the first points on the board in the annual spring game, we saw our first penalty for excessive celebration from an official not allowing for any fun whatsoever.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], the presumed starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions in 2023, had a bumpy first offensive series in the Blue-White Game, but he was much smoother on his second series. After making his progressions, Allar found an open [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag] down the middle of the field for a nice gain, and Evans worked his way into the endzone for the first score of the Blue-White Game. And that led Evans, who is among those competing for a significant role in the offense this fall, to spike the football with a little flair.

Unfortunately, that led to Evans being flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty for the excessive celebration by an official working the game. Hey, it’s spring for the refs trying to get some work in as well, and this official wasn’t about to let this moment go without some discipline.

But on top of the penalty assessed to his team, Evans paid the ultimate price by having to do a series of up-downs on the sideline as punishment from the coaching staff.

On one hand, it would be nice if the spring game could allow for some fun moments and the officials hold on to the flag for stuff like this. It may be a spring game being worked as a more traditional game approach, but it’s still not an actual game. On the other hand, for a team working to take the next step toward being a legitimate Big Ten and College Football Playoff contender, perhaps it is good to keep the focus on doing everything possible now to be better prepared for big things in the fall.

But after giving it some though, let’s have some fun in the spring game and keep that flag in the pocket next time, ref.

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Watch (and listen) to Penn State football player sing national anthem before spring game

Watch Penn State football player perform the national anthem before the spring game.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game may not have had perfect weather conditions to close out spring practices, but one of its offensive linemen was a ray of sunshine prior to the game with his rendition of the national anthem.

Instead of the Star-Spangled Banner being performed by the Penn State Blue Band, redshirt junior offensive lineman [autotag]Golden Israel-Achumba[/autotag] was handed a microphone and asked to start things off with his vocal cords being put on display. And with a little creative liberty, it is safe to say he delivered. Performing the national anthem is among the most nerve-racking things any performer can do no matter what the stage may be. Beaver Stadium had a good number of empty seats on a drizzly afternoon in State College, but there is still a lot of pressure under these conditions.

You can see the full performance by Israel-Achumba in the tweet below, which was shared by the official Twitter account for the Penn State football program.

Nice job, Golden!

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