Tag: Blue-White Game

Defensive keys to Penn State’s Blue-White game on Saturday

Penn State’s defense will have a few things to watch during the Blue-White Game this weekend.

Penn State is losing plenty of talent to the draft this year. However, there is still plenty to look forward to, including the incoming recruits for next season.

As spring football practices come to a close this week with the playing of the annual Blue-White Game on Saturday in Beaver Stadium, new defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] will have plenty on his plate to deal with as the defense takes on the offense in a modified spring game. The secondary appears to be in good shape and the optimism for the defensive line is encouraging.

Here are the top three defensive keys to a successful Penn State spring game on Saturday.

Blue-White Game takes on new format in Penn State spring game

How Penn State is modifying its Blue-White Game due to a shortage of offensive linemen.

Penn State will bring a close to their 2022 spring football practices this weekend with the annual Blue-White Game inside Beaver Stadium, but this year’s game will not be played in a traditional format with a Blue and a White team. Instead, head coach James Franklin explained the game will be organized with an offense vs. defense approach.

“It won’t be a traditional spring game like we’ve had in the past,” Franklin said on Wednesday, according to Blue White Illustrated. “We’re working on a scoring system right now…We’re looking into that. I don’t want to make it overly complicated, but we’re working on that right now.

The biggest reason for such a setup is a lack of healthy and available offensive linemen, making it difficult to organize a roster full enough in the trenches to field two separate teams. While it may be a new idea for fans to witness in person as the doors to Beaver Stadium will be opened for the first time since 2019 for the spring game, it will be a familiar format for players. The offense vs. defense format is one that has been used in closed scrimmages during offseason practices.

Penn State will be getting more bodies for the offensive line later this summer with the arrival of new additions to the program that have not been available this spring, including Cornell transfer Hunter Nourzad.

Penn State’s offensive line was a primary concern during the 2021 season and is an area in need of significant improvement in 2022 if the Nittany Lions are to succeed in the fall. Penn State’s running game struggled as a whole behind a sub-par offensive line, and quarterback Sean Clifford was knocked out of games twice under consistent pressure from opposing defenses.

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Blue-White Game: 5 players to watch in Penn State’s spring game

5 Penn State players to watch closely in the Blue-White Game this weekend

Penn State will put a bow on its 2022 spring football practice schedule with the annual Blue-White Game this Saturday in Beaver Stadium. This will be the first opportunity to witness a defense coached by [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] in action, whether or not the offensive line has been able to improve to protect sixth-year quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], or if the running game has found a way to get back on track.

Not every question we will have about Penn State in 2022 will be answered in full on Saturday. And odds are fairly good [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] won’t have everything figured out just yet either. But the spring game is always an opportunity for somebody to make a case for a significant role in the upcoming fall. Who will be the breakout star?

Here are five players to be monitoring during the Penn State Blue-White Game this weekend.

Micah Parsons set to attend Penn State Blue-White Game

Micah Parsons is planning to attend Penn State’s Blue-White Game.

It is not uncommon for notable alumni and fans to make an appearance during Penn State’s annual Blue-White Game and the festivities that surround it. In the past, there have been sightings of Anthony “Spice” Adams and Keegan-Michael Key doing his usual [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] impression.

With that in mind, we also will be seeing a high-profile football alumnus at the 2022 installment of the famous spring game. Former Nittany Lion and current Dallas Cowboys linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] teased he will be coming back for the game in a message posted on his Twitter account.

Parsons hails from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania so the Blue-White Game and Penn State had a special place in his heart. Going from watching the game to playing in the game to then come back as a famous alumnus is special for Parsons. He would start out his career with a tremendous freshman season where he would be a freshman All-American.

Parsons would end up opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns. In his one full year starting in 2019, Parsons was a consensus All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, and capped off the season with a Cotton Bowl win that saw him earn MVP.

Position battles like the quarterback position and the continued emergence of players from a talented rookie class will highlight this year’s spring game in Happy Valley. The Blue-White Game will take place on April 23 and will air live on The Big Ten Network. Nittany Lions Wire will have live coverage that day as well.

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