Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsTuesday, June 23, 2026

2012 Penn State Spring Game Results: First Spring Game Without Paterno Goes Off Without Hitch

Emotions were running high in State College for the first Blue-White spring football game in nearly a half-century without the late Joe Paterno stalking the sidelines in his traditional khakis-and-black-sneakers garb. Instead, first-year head coach Bill O'Brien, the former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, was wearing sweats, a headset and was holding on tightly to his playsheet, and it was kind of weird for everybody. From the AP report:

The day started with a local florist delivering 409 bouquets of blue and white carnations to the statue - one for each of Paterno’s career victories. Emotions among some fans are still raw after Paterno was ousted by school trustees in the aftermath of child sexual abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

...

But most fans also say they’re looking forward to the future under O’Brien, the former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots.

The Penn St. Nittany Lions used three quarterbacks — senior Matt McGloin started, as expected — and each one threw an interception as they continue to learn O'Brien's pro-style offense. Starting running back Silas Redd didn't play much, and his backups, Zack Zwinak and Bill Belton, carried most of the load.

For more on everything Penn State, check out Black Shoe Diaries and visit Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire.

See More:

More in General

GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
An SB Nation New Yorker needs our helpAn SB Nation New Yorker needs our help
GeneralFromPosting and Toasting
General
Sabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world recordSabastian Sawe breaks 2-hour barrier, shatters marathon world record
General

The mythical two-hour mark was broken at the London Marathon.

By Bernd Buchmasser
A Huge Dog
THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 1
Play
General
Super Bowl 60 coin toss resultsSuper Bowl 60 coin toss results
General

The Seahawks and Patriots will open the Super Bowl with the coin toss to determine who starts with the ball. We have the full coin toss results for Super Bowl 60.

By David Fucillo
General
Marc Marquez completes a comeback for the agesMarc Marquez completes a comeback for the ages
General

MotoGP’s Marc Marquez completed a comeback for the ages with his 2025 title

By Mark Schofield
General
How to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search resultsHow to make sure SBNation.com appears in your Google search results