The battle isn't over yet, but it looked like it got a little closer to the end on Saturday afternoon.
Penn State football coaches lined up three different offensive units against three different defenses at Beaver Stadium, swapping players in and out with both first-team units -- except for the quarterbacks.
Daryll Clark took the majority of snaps with the first-team offense while Pat Devlin, a sophomore, was relegated to running the second unit during the full-contact scrimmage at the Coaches Clinic practice.
It was a much different situation from the last time Joe Paterno allowed reporters to watch the Nittany Lions practice.
Two weeks ago, when Clark and Devlin split equal snaps with the first stringers, Paterno said it was important that both quarterbacks "get an equal opportunity to show what they can do."
But now after Saturday's scrimmage, even though players and coaches weren't made available, it looks like the coaching staff is leaning toward the upperclassman Clark as the team's starter.
The shifty Clark led the first-team offense on two scoring drives against the second-team defense. Clark ran the offense efficiently, taking snaps out of the shotgun and from under center. He capped the squad's first drive when he passed to Evan Royster out of the backfield for 14 yards and a touchdown.
Devlin wasn't as fortunate when he led the second offense against the first defense. Bobbled snaps and heavy pressure bogged the Devlin-led unit. The defensive play of the afternoon came when linebacker Josh Hull dumped Devlin for a big loss.
The Downingtown-product got his only time with the first-team backs and receivers during 7-on-7 drills, in which he and Clark threw the ball equally. Maybe the coaches just wanted to see how Devlin would react in a pressure situation, against the first-team defense.
But, if that's the case, it would've been nice to see him get a few snaps with the first team Saturday. Devlin didn't get one snap with the offensive starters during the scrimmage.
Clark and Devlin will continue to "battle" for the starting spot, even if it doesn't really look like as much of an open competition as it once did.
This weekend's Blue-White game will be another chance for each one to compete -- that is, if Devlin gets some snaps with the first team.
Travis Johnson is a senior majoring in journalism and is a Collegian football and baseball writer. His e-mail is twj112@psu.edu.
