At this year's Blue-White game, it's hard to say what was more surprising: the shining sun on the day of the intra-squad scrimmage or the way a maligned group of wide receivers caught the ball.
Because it has been so long since either has happened, each might be equally surprising.
The estimated crowd of 47,000, enjoying the first Blue-White game without rain since 2000, saw a group of Penn State wide receivers looking much more disciplined and confident than they did throughout all of last season. Catching passes was the main focus of the off-season and one of the key elements of Saturday's annual open scrimmage, making it no surprise that the Blue team cruised to a 24-7 victory while throwing for 301 yards and two touchdown passes.
It was obvious early on that the fan-friendly gala would be a high-fly event. On its second possession of the game, the White team made things interesting for the crowd, running two straight trick plays in the passing game.
On the first play, rising senior quarterback Zack Mills got the snap, took a quick drop and slung the ball slightly backward to Gerald Smith, who was lined up in the slot. Smith took the lateral and lofted a pass downfield to a wide-open Gio Vendemia for what would have been at least a 30-yard gain. However, the sensational play was called back by a penalty on tackle Levi Brown, who was called for being downfield illegally. The next play was a flea flicker, but Mills' pass fell incomplete.
"That was my doing; I put those in," said Mills, who was 7 for 11 passing with 118 yards and one touchdown. "When we all came over here, I called them into the meeting room to draw up the play. I told the lineman, specifically, do not go downfield on that one, and sure enough, Levi goes downfield."
Though both plays proved to be unsuccessful, they set the tone for the remainder of the afternoon as playmaking in the passing game was a common theme. At least a more common theme than it was all last fall.
"We obviously have a lot of work ahead of us, but we have what it takes," said Ryan Scott, who had five catches for 101 yards.
Scott, who considered leaving the team prior to spring practice, could be a big part of what it takes if Saturday's game is any indication. In the first quarter, the rising fifth-year senior set up the game's first touchdown with a 41-yard pass and catch on a crossing pattern. Two plays later, after an acrobatic catch by Vendemia was called out of bounds, Mills found him in bounds this time and wide open after he had smoked cornerback Donnie Johnson with a double-move route to the corner of the end zone.
Though Scott would make more plays, it would be the last time White would score, as Blue would reel off 24 unanswered points.
On the subsequent Blue possession, the passing game took a back seat to the stellar play of tailback Austin Scott, who touched the ball five times on the 11-play drive, capped by a twisting and turning eight-yard touchdown run for the rising sophomore.
The second score for Blue came out of the two-minute drill. Blue quarterback Michael Robinson, whose accuracy looked deplorable early in the game, found his touch when he let his instincts take over in the no-huddle offense. Blue added the go-ahead touchdown when Robinson hit Terrell Golden in the corner of the end zone, running the same route Vendemia had scored on earlier. Golden was just as wide open, and the route was run just as well.
"They're running crisp routes, and Joe [Paterno's] really emphasizing that this spring," Phillips said. "He told the defense to really hold and do what ever you have to stop them."
The wide receivers' inability to catch passes and run the right routes was addressed as one of the main priorities for this spring by Paterno in his pre-spring-practice press conference, saying he would attack the problem with a renewed commitment. And it seems the coaching staff has followed through on that pledge. The new coaches -- assistant coach in charge of offense Galen Hall and wide receivers coach Mike McQueary -- have apparently put their stamp on Penn State's offensive system, attempting to improve communication between the receiver and quarterback by having the two units study film in the same room. There also seems to be a new, steadier form of motivation behind the Lions' wideouts.
After the game, McQueary was seen gathering his receivers around him near mid-field. He looked animated and encouraging as he left his troops with a final message to take with them as another spring practice filled with hope comes to a close.
"He was just saying don't stop working and stay out of trouble," Scott said. "We have a long way to go."
