Penn State Blue-White Game to take on non-traditional format amid shortage of offensive linemen
Penn State’s Blue-White Game is set to be open to the general public for the first time since 2019.
But Nittany Lions fans will encounter something slightly different than what they’re accustomed to inside Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
Head coach James Franklin emphasized once again that Penn State is working with a limited number of healthy offensive linemen this spring. As such, the Blue-White Game won’t be carried out between a Blue Team and a White Team.
Instead, Franklin said Wednesday, the game will pit the offense against the defense, with each unit occupying its own sideline. It’s the same format the Nittany Lions employed during their behind-closed-doors scrimmage earlier in spring practice.
“It won’t be a traditional spring game like we’ve had in the past,” Franklin said. “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.
“More of a practice type structure, but there will be some live periods for the fans and the media to see.”
The Nittany Lions will dive into special teams work between drives, allowing their offensive linemen to rest.
Some of the periods will be thud periods, Franklin said. That means ball carriers will be wrapped up — but won’t be taken to the ground. Other periods will be fully live.
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“There are some players that aren’t cleared for live, but they are cleared for thud,” Franklin said. “So it allows us to get guys more reps.”
Penn State deals with offensive line shortage
An unconventional Blue-White Game will conclude an unconventional spring practice session for Penn State’s offensive linemen.
Franklin said that the three offensive linemen who have remained available throughout the spring — Caedan Wallace, Olu Fashanu and Juice Scruggs — have improved significantly because of the reps they’ve taken on out of sheer necessity.
Talented second-year lineman Landon Tengwall was among those “dinged up,” Franklin said.
“He was doing well,” Franklin said. “He got dinged up and missed a number of practices, but he was doing really well. That’s gonna be a competition. We got some guys coming in. We got some transfers. There will be some really good competition on the offensive line.”
Franklin said “the hard part” for the summer arrivals — three freshmen and Cornell transfer Hunter Nourzad — will be keeping pace with Wallace, Scruggs and Fashanu, who are ahead because of their rep count.
“It’s gonna be challenging for guys to come in and compete with them,” Franklin said.
One might expect that to result in some fatigue, but Wallace explained Wednesday that he doesn’t feel that was the case.
“It’s the way you look at it,” Wallace said. “The way that we look at is that we have more time and more reps. We can make a direct focus on things and we have more reps to go out and directly improve.”
