SHOWING PROMISE

Backup QBs quell depth question in annual scrimmage

Vinny Pezzimenti

UNIVERSITY PARK — Matt McGloin isn’t nearly blessed with the type of natural athleticism that Daryll Clark and Kevin Newsome possess.

It just looked like it during one rousing scoring pass.

McGloin dropped back, evaded pressure with a spinning pirouette, stepped up in the pocket, and threaded a pass to a tightly covered J.D. Mason in the back of the end zone.

The 17-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter turned out to be the difference in the White team’s 21-16 victory over the Blue in Penn State’s spring game on Saturday in front of 76,500 at Beaver Stadium.

It and several other plays also demonstrated that McGloin is a real contender to earn the job of backing up Clark in the fall.

McGloin, a redshirt freshman from Scranton, completed 9 of 13 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns and added a 28-yard run that set up the winning score.

Newsome, the player Penn State fans were most looking forward to seeing, wasn’t bad either.

The true freshman who joined the Nittany Lions this spring went 9 of 13 for 71 yards and a score.

As promised, Clark, who wore a non-contact red jersey, played little, engineering a scoring drive on the first of two series he led the offense.

Clark has been donning the red through spring drills. The senior has vowed to be more cautious with his body when running outside the pocket.

The thought is to protect from injury the only quarterback on the roster who has ever thrown a pass in a real college game. But that perceived trouble spot behind Clark might not be as much of a concern as initially believed.

“When you don’t get many reps you usually feel a little nervous and it’s tough to get the other guys behind you,” wide receiver Graham Zug said. “I think (McGloin and Newsome) did a good job today of getting the receivers behind them and the offensive line behind them.”

Preseason practices in August will provide further audition opportunities for McGloin and Newsome, who each spent time Saturday playing for both the Blue and White teams.

For now, Newsome has a slight edge.

“Newsome would be two if we were to play tomorrow and McGloin would be two-A,” quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said. “They’re both competing. There’s nothing set in stone.”

Newsome, who is in the same dual-threat mold as Clark and former Nittany Lion Michael Robinson, was highly touted coming out of Hargrave Millitary Academy in Virginia. He is Clark’s heir apparent.

McGloin, meanwhile, is a virtual unknown. His advantage, however, is that he is familiar with Penn State’s Spread HD offense, having practiced with the team all last season.

“I was really excited to get out here and showcase my abilities, show everybody what I can do,” McGloin said. “I’m glad I made the most of my opportunity.”

McGloin raised his arms in the air and then pumped his right arm in excitement after his escape and subsequent touchdown throw to Mason, the former standout at Philipsburg- Osceola. The play came on third-and-goal from the 17.

“I stepped up and J.D. was smart enough to cut across (the field),” McGloin said. “I threw the pass and he made a great catch.”

Newsome’s highlight came on a 14-yard scoring strike to Brett Brackett in the second quarter.

Clark and Paterno say they are constantly on Newsome, who wasn’t asked to throw much as a high schooler, about studying the playbook and film, though Paterno mentioned that he has only fed the quarterback small doses of the Spread HD.

“What we’re asking him to do is real demanding for an 18- year old,” Clark said. “We want him to grow faster than he’s naturally supposed to. Coaches are really depending on him.”

Clark finished 10 of 13 for 123 yards and orchestrated a 65-yard scoring drive on the game’s first series.

He scrambled to his left and hit Derek Moye on the sideline for a 28-yard gain that set up Joe Suhey’s 2-yard scoring run.

Clark quickly drove the Blue team from its own 8 on the next possession, but a 23-yard pass to Moye to the 7 was negated by a 15-yard illegal block foul. A holding penalty then took the team out of field goal range.

McGloin followed with a 19-yard touchdown throw to Zug, who had four catches for 62 yards.

Shane McGregor, a redshirt freshman who played at Central Cambria, hit Gino Raneri for a 3-yard score to give the White team a 14-13 lead late in the third quarter.

The first half featured four touchdowns and just two punts. The defense, which utilized basic alignments, was without talented linebackers Sean Lee (injury) and Navorro Bowman (suspended) and features an entirely new cast in the secondary.

Still, the offense, which must replace three wide receivers and three lineman, showed promise that the Nittany Lions can continue to build on the prosperity they enjoyed last season.

“I think we have enough talent in place to do some things offensively at a high level,” Paterno said.

Clark, an all-Big Ten selection last season, backed that comment up.

“Someone asked me if this was a rebuilding year or a reloading year. I said this is a reloading year,” Clark said. “We just lost some seniors and what not, but when guys need to step, will step up. Guaranteed.”