Penn State preps for Blue Out against Temple

Family Clothesline, the staple Penn State souvenir and clothing store in downtown State College, sells everything Nittany Lion football. Hats, t-shirts, hoodies, you name it. Slogans that say everything from, "O'Brien's Lions," to "Joe Knows Football."

But somewhere wedged in the middle is a display of royal blue shirts -- a bit brighter than the usual Nittany navy and white.

Large letters across the back read, "We Are," circling over a Nittany Lion logo. Then there are the words, "One team, one school, one heart, one promise." On the bottom is a website: www.pcar.org.

The front features a white outline of a ribbon.

It's the official 2012 Penn State blueout t-shirts, and they'll be seen everywhere at Beaver Stadium this Saturday as Penn State takes on Temple at 3:30 p.m.

"White-outs" have been common at Beaver Stadium for years. On the biggest home game of the season, fans are encouraged to wear all white to dominate the crowd.

This is something different. The blue-out debuted last year for Penn State vs Nebraska. It was the first home game after former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was arrested on child sex abuse charges.

The event was put together in six days and raised almost $50,000 for organizatoins to help victims of child abuse.

This year's blue out was planned a bit more in advance. Organizers created an official website and Facebook event, where more than 3,5000 people said they were "attending."

The idea was sparked by two graduate students, who hope to surpass last year's total -- and spread awareness.

The football team added blue ribbon decals to the back of their helmets this year. This is a way for fans to show support, too.

"I think it's going to be a great day," Penn State coach Bill O'Brien said. "I can't say enough about PCAR and what they do in Pennsylvania. We're just a small part of PCAR, just trying to help them put an end to child abuse."

Volunteers will be around Beaver Stadium on Saturday asking for donations. Proceeds from that -- and the t-shirts -- will benefit the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.

"I think the students will really acknowledge the fact that it is a blue out and understand the meaning behind it," Penn State senior Chris Hershey said. "It's a great way to bring awareness since the game will be nationally televised."

-Emily Kaplan