Penn State Spring Game 2012: Reaction, Grades and Analysis

After months of tragedy and turmoil, Penn State football fans were finally greeted with a welcome sight: the annual Blue vs. White spring scrimmage.

There was definitely an odd vibe in Happy Valley, as it was only the second spring game in school history without the iconic Joe Paterno roaming the sidelines.

While nobody wants to be the guy to replace a legend, new head coach Bill O'Brien seems to be ushering in an exciting era. The former New England Patriots offensive coordinator brought a high-powered offensive system to State College, which will be a stark contrast to what we're used to seeing from the Nittany Lions.

Roughly 60,000 fans were in attendance on Saturday to check out their new-look team. Afterwards, Bleacher Report's own Kevin McGuire reported that O'Brien said only about 10 percent of the new offense was on display.

Penn State likely won't contend for the Big Ten title this season, and they'll have plenty of distractions during the year as well. Whatever happens, though, it sure as hell won't be boring.

Here are the grades for the key players from Saturday's scrimmage.

Matt McGloin, QB: C

McGloin wasn't overly impressive, but he rebounded well after a rough opening drive.

He missed three throws on the first drive, including a deep bomb on the very first play. But he settled down as the game went on, proving to be Penn State's most consistent quarterback.

He won't dazzle this fall, but he should be the starter, because the Nittany Lions simply don't have anyone better right now.

Rob Bolden, QB: D-

Bolden said after the game that he thinks he should be the starting quarterback. Unfortunately for him, his performance disagreed.

Bolden routinely missed throws and was careless with the football. He threw three interceptions on the day, including a failed screen pass that was picked off by defensive tackle Jordan Hill. In an exhibition game against your own defense, that is just unacceptable.

Secondary: B+

Penn State got some encouraging play from their defensive backs, most notably Jesse Della Valle and Adrian Amos.

Della Valle, a redshirt sophomore, impressed with his physicality and technique in the open field. The cornerback also intercepted a pass and made a nice return.

Meanwhile, Amos threw his name into the starting safety conversation with some strong play. He excelled in both run and pass coverage, and the Nittany Lions defense was at its best with him roaming the secondary.

Don't be surprised if these two guys have breakout seasons this year.