It was clear that there is still plenty of time remaining in spring practice for Nittany Lions football. On Saturday, Penn State held its annual coaches clinic, which is highlighted by a weekend-ending scrimmage.

Running Backs

As junior quarterback Zack Mills stepped out of the huddle for the first play of the scrimmage, Mike Gasparato was in backfield behind him. Gasparato took the first handoff, and went off tackle for two yards. He showed a momentarily flash of brilliance on the first drive when he broke a 15-yard run on a draw play.

Tim Shaw replaced Gasparato when the second team took the field for the second drive. On the first snap, Michael Robinson optioned to Shaw, who broke free down the right sideline and gained 20 yards.

Donnie Johnson, a redshirt freshman, replaced Shaw as the tailback and displayed on a few plays a rare combination of power and speed. On his first two carries he rushed for gains of five and eight yards. In addition to his ability to carry the ball, Johnson showed his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, catching a screen pass for 12 yards.

Quarterbacks

After a poor performance in the Capital One Bowl, Mills drew much criticism from the media and fans. An alleged quarterback controversy ensued that has lingered throughout spring practice as to whether or not Mills' top spot in the depth chart would be taken this fall by sophomore Robinson. While Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said in his spring press conference that the starting job indeed belongs to Mills, some questions regarding the position were brought to the forefront after Saturday's showcase.

The seven-on-seven drills started with Mills, who had some trouble with his pass accuracy, at quarterback. He underthrew Tony Johnson on one of the first plays of the game and had trouble finding receivers out of the pocket. He would hang many of his receivers out to dry for the safeties with lofty and wobbly passes. However, as the day progressed and the offense ran 10-play sets in the full-contact scrimmage, he was able to connect a series of short passes and effectively move the ball down field. During his last series, Mills hit Tony Johnson in the seam for a touchdown.

When Robinson was at the helm for the seven-on-seven drills, he immediately moved the ball vertically with precision passes. After the option pitch to Shaw for a big gain, Robinson connected with Gerald Smith for a long touchdown pass that set the tone for the remainder of his time taking snaps. His passes looked much tighter than Mills', and he threw the ball with a crisp velocity. During the scrimmage, Robinson ran the ball in for a touchdown off an option keeper, but it is imporant to note that quarterbacks donned red jerseys, signifying that they were not allowed to be tackled.

Offensive Line

A depleted offensive line due to graduation has only one holdover, left tackle Chris McKelvy. Joining him on the first-team line were junior Scott Davis at left guard, senior David Costlow at center, sophomore Tyler Reed at right guard and senior right tackle Damone Jones.

E.Z. Smith, who played sparingly last season, didn't play in the scrimmage. He's recovering from a shoulder injury.

Defensive Line

The only returning starter, John Bronson, sat out the scrimmage with an injury.

The Lions started with junior Jeremiah Davis and sophomore Matt Rice at defensive ends. Sophomores Tamba Hali and Levi Brown started at the defensive tackle positions.

Secondary

A secondary devastated last season by injuries is starting to become healthy. Safety Calvin Lowry, who missed the second half of the season with a broken leg, started at Hero, with Andrew Guman starting at free safety. Rich Gardner started at one corner, opposite of Maurice Humphrey. Humphrey got the nod with sophomore Alan Zemaitis out after suffering lacerations to his face in an offseason car accident.

Notes

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley was not at the scrimmage. His younger brother, Matt Bradley, died earlier in the week. Bradley's nephew, sophomore Jim Kanuch, was also not at the scrimmage. ... Wide receiver Ernie Terrell and grey-shirt defensive back Vince Gliatta were thrown out of practice after the two mixed it up during a play and grabbed each others' facemasks.