Defense tops offense 17-13 in Blue-White game

Penn State's annual Blue-White game returned to Beaver Stadium on Saturday for the first time since 2019.

It did so in a modified format, as injuries along the offensive line led to an offensive vs. defense format that was split into eight segments, some of which featured live tackling, some thud. Some of which featured 7-on-7 play, some 11-on-11.

In the end, it was the defense coming out with a 17-13 victory thanks to an impressive play by safety Zakee Wheatley to push wideout Omari Evans out of the back of the end zone on a pass from freshman quarterback Beau Pribula.

The unique format made it difficult to truly assess how players stack up, but starting quarterback Sean Clifford and returning backup Christian Veilleux clearly looked more comfortable than true freshmen Drew Allar and Pribula.

Penn State's focus on the run game and offensive line in the spring were evident in the game, as returning running backs Keyvone Lee and Devyn Ford combined for 60 yards on 13 carries. True freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who often ran behind the second offensive line, found sledding a little tougher, racking up 29 yards on 12 carries.

Leading returning wide receiver Parker Washington did not play, which opened up an opportunity for transfer Mitchell Tinsley who caught two balls for 23 yards, including the game's first touchdown. In somewhat of a surprise, redshirt sophomore Jaden Dottin led all receivers with 45 yards on three catches.

Defensively, Adisa Isaac made his return from an achilles injury and registered a sack, while middle linebacker Kobe King led all tackles with five stops. King is competing with redshirt sophomore Tyler Elsdon for the starting spot at the position and both are ahead of schedule according to comments from James Franklin after the game.

Walk-ons Dom DeLuca and Bobby Walchak each had an interception of Allar, though the first came via a drop from true freshman wideout Omari Evans. Allar showed flashes of his physical prowess, but struggled throughout much of the contest.

In the defensive backfield, redshirt freshman Zakee Wheatley continued his standout spring after switching from corner to safety. Wheatley led all defenders with three pass breakups.

After the contest, Franklin said that he was happy to see his team get through the spring mostly in good health, but that in the future he hopes to be able to return to more tradition Blue-White game format.

Stay turned to Nittany Nation for additional coverage from Saturday's Blue-White game.