Blue White Illustrated

Palmer said his workouts this year aren't totally different from the ones he was doing prior to the 2015 season, they're aimed at building the endurance that the new scheme will require of him. So while many of the lifts are the same, there's an emphasis on aerobic exercises, too, in order to help prepare the players, especially the lumbering linemen, for the grind that comes along with an up-tempo, no-hud- dle, O-line-friendly system. "Galt gave us the program," Palmer said, "and we ran with it – literally." They'll be asked to do a lot of it in order for PSU to continue tearing off 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drives like one the Blue team put together in the third quarter of the spring game. The Blue finished with five scoring drives on the afternoon, and those possessions averaged 74.4 yards. After seeing the fruits of their labor, the linemen are OK with a few extra wind sprints. "You definitely have to work on your conditioning more. It's definitely more emphasized than it was last year. When you huddle, you get that time to breathe," Palmer said, laughing. "Now it's like, OK, run a play. All right, boom. Run up to the line and get to the next play. So it's defi- nitely tiring. That's what the O-line is working on now, getting our conditioning up to the point where we can just run play after play after play to get the defense tired." Because that's really the foundation of this whole new concept. If the linemen aren't equipped to handle the rapidity of the play-calling, if they aren't able to maintain a feverish pace for significant stretches, then everything falls apart, not only by limiting the offense's output, but by also shortening the time that teammates on defense get to spend on the bench, resting up for the next series. Early indicators, however, suggest that upperclassmen such as Nelson, Palmer and Gaia are embracing the change and readying their bodies for the challenge that lies ahead. The other offensive contributors are do- ing that, too. While the linemen must make the more significant modifications, everyone has to be ready to set a brisk pace because, as tight end Mike Gesicki acknowledged, "It's definitely not slowing down." ■ Nelson said. "He knew that we need- ed him on the offensive line and he was going to have to step up, and he's done it. He's brought a lunch pail mentality every day, just coming to work." Nelson was speaking shortly after one of Penn State's practice sessions in late March, just minutes after Bates had appeared with the Nittany Lions' first-team offensive line at left guard in place of Brendan Mahon. Although the reason for Mahon's absence was unspecified, Bates' appearance with the top unit was a sign that the coach- ing staff continues to think highly of his potential. And when the Lions took the field for the Blue-White Game, their final scrimmage of the spring, Bates was still running with the first- team unit. Having worked primarily at center last season, Bates is playing guard this spring, a move that prompted Nelson to project bigger and better things for the redshirt freshman in the coming months. "Bates is a great player. He's going to be a great player here," Nelson said. "I'm very proud of Bates. I can't wait to see how he works his way [into the rotation]. He'll definitely be on the field this year for a lot of substantial playing time. He's a great competitor and he'll definitely help out with the offensive line this year." GUARDED OPTIMISM Bates was Penn State's starting left guard in the Blue-White Game. Pho- to by Steve Manuel

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