Penn State stays positive after Blue-White scrimmage, even as O-line concerns remain

STATE COLLEGE -- Positivity.

That word has been the motto of Penn State’s offensive line room throughout the 15 spring practices.

While questions remain on the line, the message in the room has stayed the same.

“We were able to use that word, apply it out, and practice it every day,” tackle Olu Fashanu said following Saturday’s annual Blue-White event at Beaver Stadium.

Quarterback Sean Clifford was sharp in the 11-on-11 segment. He went 4-for-7 for 41 yards and tossed a touchdown pass of 13 yards.

James Franklin mentioned the situation up front as “challenging” and even had to switch up the format of the game to an offense versus defense scrimmage as opposed to two full teams because of the lack of linemen.

But Franklin has been pleased with how his starters have looked for the most part, noting that linemen Fashanu, Caedan Wallace, and Sal Wormley have all impressed him in the early goings of 2022.

Given the lack of depth on the O-line, the starters got plenty of reps all spring long, and they viewed it as an opportunity to get better every day, once again mentioning positivity in the process.

The linemen have also been working on their communication skills with each other, as well as with their quarterback.

“You’re going to see me at the O-linemen a lot more, making sure we’re in the right play,” Clifford said.

The communication between the linemen themselves, though, is a more intricate part of the game, which Fashanu mentioned fans don’t often notice, but it’s a big reason why he and the other four guys protecting Clifford are confident heading into the summer.

“On the field, [communication] instills a certain level of confidence in us that the guy next to you knows exactly what he’s going to do and he has your back,” the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Fashanu said.

It all bleeds from the positive mindset that the line has instilled in each member, though. When Wallace coined the term positivity, they didn’t question it, they just applied it and lived it, and it’s gotten them through the challenges they’ve faced since then.

Undoubtedly, there will be more challenges ahead with a daunting start to the season awaiting that includes a Big Ten road game (Thursday, Sept. 1 at Purdue) to kick things off, followed by a trip to the SEC (at Auburn on Sept. 17) just two weeks later. But one thing’s certain, positivity will be on the linemen’s minds.

“Just thinking about staying positive through the tough times,” Fashanu said. “We’ve been able to do that during spring ball and I think we were able to learn a lot about ourselves because of that.”