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Penn State Football: Top five scrambling QBs in program history

By Collin Wieder

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Daryll Clark #17 of the Penn State Nittany Lions jumps over Taylor Mays #2 of the USC Trojans to score a touchdown in the first quarter of the 95th Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi on January 1, 2009 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Daryll Clark #17 of the Penn State Nittany Lions jumps over Taylor Mays #2 of the USC Trojans to score a touchdown in the first quarter of the 95th Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi on January 1, 2009 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /
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2 Sep 2000: Rashard Casey #12 of the Penn State Nittany Lions moves with the ball as Phil Gibson #96 and Tyler Lenda 50 of the Toledo Rockets move to tackle him during the game at the Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. The Rockets defeated the Nittany Lions 24-6.Mandatory Credit: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport
2 Sep 2000: Rashard Casey #12 of the Penn State Nittany Lions moves with the ball as Phil Gibson #96 and Tyler Lenda 50 of the Toledo Rockets move to tackle him during the game at the Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. The Rockets defeated the Nittany Lions 24-6.Mandatory Credit: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport /

4. Rashard Casey

Much like Mills, Rashard Casey didn’t have the wins or signature moments. But, he brought the Penn State football offense into the 21st century with his scrambling ability.

Casey played in Happy Valley from 1997-2000, but he didn’t start seeing significant snaps until 1999. He began to dazzle the Nittany Lion faithful, entering the game for spurts and making plays on the ground and through the air. Along with starting QB Kevin Thompson, he helped lead Penn State to a 10-3 record in 1999 and an Alamo Bowl victory over Texas A&M.

Once he got the starting job in 2000, he had some ups-and-downs on a 5-7 squad, but it wasn’t all on him. He put up a quality season, throwing for 2,001 yards, 14 touchdowns against eight interceptions, while rushing for 315 yards and five touchdowns. His escape ability, dodging and weaving around defender’s tackles was something that hadn’t been seen in Penn State football’s offense. (Video Courtesy of vslice02).

He had just two seasons of full play, but he still made life difficult for opponents, because defenses had to account for his legs. In total, he threw for 2,857 yards, 20 touchdowns against 11 interceptions and rushed for 615 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final two seasons. For a deeper look on his career, I explored his short but fun time at Penn State in an article last summer.

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