Penn State Football: 2016 Blue-White Game Prediction Roundtable
After a long winter, it’s finally time for the Penn State Nittany Lions to take the field. Of course, it’s not a real game, but the Blue-White Game that’s upcoming on April 16 is still an exciting time for all of Nittany Nation. While the entire team is not together yet, fans will get a glimpse of what could be forthcoming in 2016.
As we always do for every game during the season, the VBR staff has taken time to write up some predictions for the Blue-White Game.
Instead of score predictions, you’ll find our thoughts of what you’ll see during the game. Also, we’ll provide you with our picks for MVPs in the game.
Lead Editor Barry Leonard Jr.
While I usually expect the defense to be ahead of the offense in the spring game, I’m not so sure that will be the case this year. Although new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead has brought in a new system, all indications have been that guys have been able to pick it up quick. It also helps that many players on the offensive side have a ton of experience.
The defense, on the other hand, has some major holes to fill on the depth chart, and I don’t expect some of those issues to be resolved by the time the Blue-White Game kicks off. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the offense
Of course, the most interesting thing to see will be the quarterback battle between Trace McSorley and Tommy Stevens. To me, that’s the thing I’m most excited to see. Speaking of quarterbacks, it will be the first chance to see true freshman Jake Zembiec on the field for the Nittany Lions.
Catching the ball from whoever is under center will be several familiar faces, as well as some exciting newcomers. The likes of DaeSean Hamilton, Chris Godwin, Irvin Charles and Juwan Johnson could all be in for solid days.
I’m not expecting to see much of the new playbook, but the running game, led by Saquon Barkley, should be heavily features.
As for MVPs for the game, I think new wide receiver Irvin Charles will make an early impact. On defense, I’m looking for a solid performance from linebacker Jason Cabinda.
Staff Writer Marty Leap
The thing I am most excited to see on Saturday is Joe Moorhead’s offense. Now, what we will see on Saturday will be a watered down version of what we’ll get come September but it will still be exciting to watch. Coach JoMo’s offense does a great job of incorporating multiple wide receiver and running back sets, and this should greatly benefit a Penn State offense that is loaded with talent at both positions.
The quarterback battle between Trace McSorley and Tommy Stevens is also something I am very excited to watch on offense this Saturday. Both quarterbacks have been up and down this spring, with McSorley being slightly more consistent, but this battle is far from over. Stevens has the bigger arm, but McSorley is slightly more accurate and has more experience than Stevens does. I expect this battle to comedown to camp in August.
I am also interested in seeing the defensive line rotation. The Nittany Lions lost their top three defensive linemen from last year which is a lot of replace, but they have the talent to do it. Obviously, Garrett Sickels will start at one of the defensive end positions, but the other three spots are wide open. Defensive ends Torrence Brown, Evan Schwann, Shareef Miller, and Ryan Buchholz will all have a shot to get significant reps this season. I look for Brown to have a big year as a pass rusher.
As for defensive tackle, redshirt sophomore Antoine White brings a lot of potential and should lock down a starting defensive tackle position, but the player I’ll be watching is redshirt freshman Kevin Givens. No player has turned more heads this spring than Givens has, and the future is very bright for the former Altoona High School star. Redshirt freshman Robert Windsor is another player that should see reps at defensive tackle this year to keep an eye on Saturday afternoon. Also keep in mind that redshirt junior Parker Cothren and JUCO transfer Tyrell Chavis will play a large role at defensive tackle as well this fall, but neither will play in the Blue White Game on Saturday.
Offensive MVP: WR Juwan Johnson
Defensive MVP: DE Torrence Brown
Staff Writer Nick Lemon
With the shuffling of the coaching staff, quarterback competition and emerging young talent at several key positions this is one of the most anticipated Blue-White games in recent years.
As Joe Moorhead’s fast-paced scheme goes on display for the first time in Beaver Stadium on Saturday fans will be focused on the offensive side of the ball and the hope that we finally are privy to playcalling with a purpose. I, like most fans, am anticipating the first glimpse of the Moorhead-led offense and hope it is enough to incite excitement around a Penn State squad that is legitimately stacked at running back and wide receiver and has the firepower at skill positions to potentially disrupt a loaded Big Ten East Division.
As far as individual players and position groups, obviously there is the quarterback competition and uncertainty on the line, but keep a close eye on the play of Mike Gesicki and the tight ends. In Moorhead’s offense the tight ends often play a prominent and productive role and I believe Gesicki and the rest of the unit rebound from a difficult 2015 campaign and get on track this season, starting with an increased role on Saturday. If I am Penn State’s coaching staff I call Gesicki’s number early and often, especially in the red zone in hopes of giving him a much needed jolt of confidence to carry into the summer and fall.
On the defensive side of the ball, Brent Pry steps in as defensive coordinator where the main focus is replacing the NFL-caliber talent along the defensive line that was lost to the draft and graduation. While Penn State returns depth and talent in the linebacker and secondary units, the defensive line starters/rotation appears to be up for grabs at this point as a number of players have made the move inside to combat the lack of depth. I don’t expect Pry and the defense to be overly aggressive or implement complicated blitz packages on Saturday, but there will be plenty of opportunities for defensive linemen to take a major step towards earning their way into a permanent spot in the rotation with a dominating showing.
Look for a few of the defensive tackles: Antoine White, Robert Windsor, Curtis Cothran and Kevin Givens, to separate themselves and make their presence felt helping provide clarity to Coach Spencer’s rotation this fall.
Staff Writer Shane Lunnen
The biggest storyline heading into the Blue White Game is the quarterback competition between Trace McSorley, Tommy Stevens and Jake Zembiec. While McSorley has the upper hand to be the starter, the other two will be pushing for playing time. All three with get valuable reps on Saturday and I suspect head coach James Franklin won’t name a starter until sometime during the fall camp.
The new offense under coordinator Joe Moorhead will be the other major thing to watch Saturday. While we should expect the playbook to be somewhat vanilla compared to what we will see this fall, we should certainly see the differences compared to the old offense of the last two seasons.
Watching the loaded backfield with Saquon Barkley, along with the talented wide receivers, should be really fun to watch even in a scrimmage.
My picks for MVPs of the game are redshirt freshman Juwan Johnson and at his new position of cornerback, redshirt sophomore Nick Scott.