Three Penn State Blue-White Game observations from the press box

Penn State wrapped up its spring practice session Saturday with the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium.

And, with 62,000 fans and a host of others checking out the program from home on the live BTN broadcast, the event offered a glimpse of what’s to come for Penn State this season. 

Framing the day in its totality, Penn State head coach James Franklin walked away from it feeling optimistic about progress made. Maybe more important, it also showed the ability to take strides through the summer months ahead of a Sept. 1 date at Purdue.

“For the most part, we stayed healthy, got a ton of reps, managed a challenging situation with our offensive line based on numbers. I know today wasn’t exactly what the fans or the media wanted, but it was the best thing to do for our program and then still maximize the opportunity that we had,” Franklin said. “We answered some questions this spring, but we still have some questions going into fall camp. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done between now and fall camp.”

Beyond the front-and-center storylines of the wave of mid-semester enrollees and their expected impact this season, Manny Diaz’s defense in its foundation-laying stage, and of course the quarterbacks, what else stood out from our vantage point in the press box?

Here are a few of our observations that might not have made it to the broadcast:

1) Penn State’s freshmen had some nerves

Late in the scrimmage, with the action still taking place, I leaned over to Greg Pickel and shared a laugh.

Behind the bench of the offense, quarterback Sean Clifford was signing an autograph for a young fan. For the self-described “oldest quarterback in college football,” the moment was the epitome of relaxation. A fifth spring will do that, naturally.

On the field, the sentiment felt very much the opposite. 

Penn State’s early enrollees were taking their first steps in front of a live audience and a huge TV viewership. And the results were, at times, a bit messy.

Whether it was at quarterback, running back, or receiver, errant throws, missed assignments, and drops were plentiful.

In his postgame comments, asked about the value of the Blue-White Game and the notion of a traditional spring scrimmage, Franklin acknowledged those growing pains as a necessary element of the process.

“I want to know which young players can handle that,” Franklin said. “Some rise to the moment and play better than they did in the 14 other practices. Some are nervous and they’re dropping balls they haven’t dropped all spring, or missed assignments. or whatever it is.”

None of that negates the positivity the program set through the course of the spring regarding its January enrollees.

And, as Franklin would go on to assert, Penn State has a wealth of players ready to contribute immediately as a result.

“We probably have more new guys showing up on campus that have a chance to impact the roster as freshmen than maybe we’ve ever had, maybe one other class that did that, so I’m excited about that,” Franklin said. “Where I think this class may be different is, obviously we’ve all seen the increase in mid-semester grads. We’re getting more guys that are graduating early and coming in, learning the system, and then going into summer with a chance to truly compete. So overall, I’m excited about it.”

2) Devyn Ford runs hard

Speaking of veteran players who looked comfortable. Devyn Ford needed only a couple of late carries to serve as a reminder of how he’s evolved.

With 1:06 on the clock in the fourth quarter, the offense trailing the defense, 15-10, Ford ripped off a 20-yard carry through the heart of the defense. Decisive in his cut, the senior running back plowed into Jaylen Reed at the end of the first-down carry during the thud period.

A couple of plays later, he did it again. This time, he traversed eight yards before delivering another blow to Reed in the middle of the field.

No one is going to mistake the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Ford for a punishing running back. But, in a room that lacked that spirit and attitude a season ago, Ford had done enough to get a start at Iowa.

That he got hurt wouldn’t get another carry until the Michigan State game removed Ford from Penn State fans’ consciousness. The introduction of two heralded running backs in Singleton and Allen only exacerbates that reality. But, from the press box, Ford looked like a back who understands the differentiating factors that can get a guy on the field in a room otherwise crowded with talent and potential.

3) James Franklin is ready to turn the corner

Being there helps when assessing “the vibe.”

But, anyone in the Beaver Stadium media room Saturday afternoon could attest to this point.

James Franklin, coming off two ultimately disappointing seasons, had the demeanor of a guy with enthusiasm. Call it what you will, but his post-scrimmage remarks weren’t that of wallowing in penance for past letdowns.

Rather, pleased with the progress accomplished through the spring, with optimism for further development through the summer, Franklin set a purposeful tone. And he’s very much hoping that the doldrums of the past 25 months can be shed as the program attempts to push forward into a future marked by possibility instead of focusing on what hasn’t gone well. 

“I think there’s also a part of it, and let’s be honest, I want the fan base excited going into next year. That there’s a buzz and they’re talking about it,” Franklin said. “I want you guys writing nice columns, please. All of these types of things. I think there’s value in it.”