The chilly, steady rains that plagued the early part of Senior Bowl week returned for Saturday’s game, and for the San Francisco 49ers-led South team, they were an apt metaphor in a 27-0 loss that sent much of the fans scurrying for warmth and a roof by the third quarter.

Notes from the game …

… All week, we watched the North team work on the reverse with a myriad of wideouts serving as the ballcarrier. Less than two minutes into Saturday’s game, it was Washington State’s Jason Hill who pulled it off, sprinting 35 yards up the left sideline to set up the North’s first touchdown. Click here to watch the play …

… Hill was one of the stars of the day, snaring a 7-yard touchdown pass from Troy Smith 8:17 into the third quarter to turn the game into a rout …

… The reverse met with much less success in the third quarter; Brandon Myles lost 12 yards after failing to secure the handoff; he would eventually fall on the errant football.

… Alabama State cornerback Michael Coe showed up on Thursday was beaten for and intercepted a Drew Stanton pass in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter, but was also left lunging after East Carolina’s Aundrae Allison when the receiver grabbed a touchdown reception that put the North up 17-0 …

… Adam Carriker was the Nebraska defensive lineman who had onlookers buzzing this week, but it was fellow Cornhusker Jay Moore who had a game-leading three sacks, two of which caused Chris Leak to fumble. The North team defense logged eight sacks — all by defensive linemen (three for Moore, two for Kenny Patterson, one each for Quinn Pitcock, Amobi Akoye and Brandon Mebane) …

…MVPs:
Game MVP: RB Tony Hunt, Penn State — 39 yards on eight carries and a touchdown; 13 yards on two receptions.
North Offensive MVP: QB Drew Stanton, Michigan State — 8-of-12 for 53 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
North Defensive MVP: DB Leon Hall, Michigan — Four tackles and a pass defensed.
South Offensive MVP: OL Ben Grubbs, Auburn.
South Defensive MVP: LB Patrick Willis, Mississippi — A game-leading 11 total tackles (seven solo) and a forced fumble.

And with that, a soggy au revoir from the home of the nation’s original Mardi Gras celebration.

Director of player personnel Jim Goodman has been coming to the Senior Bowl every year since he joined the Broncos in 1998. He watches all the practices and disseminates the games, but one area that pays close attention to is special teams.

“For some of these guys, it’s their first time playing on special teams in a while,” Goodman said.

The more you can do as a player, the better — and the greater your chances of contributing are. And Brian Leonard, one of the sparkplugs behind Rutgers’ recent football revival, has already figured this out, working at tailback, fullback and on special teams.

“I’m just thinking versatility,” Leonard said.

To that end, Leonard dropped 14 pounds from his playing weight last year, checking into Mobile at a fighting-trim 224 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame. Such a rapid decrease led to questions when NFL teams cornered him throughout the week.

“They always ask about my weight, why I dropped so much weight,” Leonard said. “It’s because I wanted to show how versatile I am.

I figured if I came in at 238, I’d play fullback and I’d be lead-blocking every play. But now (at 224 pounds) they gave me a chance at tailback.”

Leonard took on a secondary ball-carrying role as a senior, ceding primary duties to Ray Rice as the Scarlet Knights completed their finest season in decades. Leonard sacrificed his own statistics for the betterment of the team; his 717 yards from scrimmage last fall were the fewest of his career, as he’d notched at least 1,250 yards from scrimmage in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 campaigns. But when Rice rampaged through defenses for 1,794 rushing yards and Rutgers earned its highest-ever season-ending ranking (No. 12), Leonard’s move was justified. Now, he’s finding out that his year as primarily a blocking fullback could make him a finer NFL tailback.

“It’s made me a better tailback, because the power, strength and center of gravity you (develop) can be used to block people — and make powerful runs, too,” Leonard said. “Short-yardage, goal-line — you’ve got to get underneath the defender.”

And in what is sure to be music to the ears of NFL teams, Leonard has no preference which backfield slot he plays. The weight can go back on just as it came off.

“If a team wants me to play fullback in the NFL, I’ll bulk up to 238, 242 (pounds),” Leonard said. ” Wherever they need me, I’ll play.”

All that’s missing from the Senior Bowl is, well, the top members of the junior class, 40 of whom chose to declare for the NFL Draft this month.

A year ago, that group could have included Virginia Tech wide receiver David Clowney.

Wednesday morning, Clowney drew notice in his work for the North team with some acrobatic receptions in one-on-one work, catching “every ball that came my way,” he said after the practice. But had he decided differently when he investigated the early-entry possibilities a year earlier, he might already be in his first full NFL offseason.

The NFL offers such players a chance for feedback before they make their decision, consulting with a panel of scouts to determine where each player might be drafted were they to declare early eligibility. That word was promising for Clowney, but he still opted to stay as Tech broke in a new quarterback in Sean Glennon.

“They had me late second, early third (round),” Clowney recalled. “In the preseason, they had me (on the) borderline between the first and second rounds.

“I knew I had the speed and athletic ability to *turn pro early), but I wanted to be mentally ready. I was well-prepared for the draft, but I wanted to also get my degree.”

His choice underscores a curious dichotomy of the pre-draft process, particularly at the Senior Bowl, where 50 players work together as teammates for a week. While they go through the process of preparing for their final game in collegiate headgear, they bond as teammates, but foremost in many minds is the impression each can make as individuals upon the scouts and coaches that encircle the practice field.

From here, the process is strictly individual — 40-yard dashes, short shuttles, squats, bench presses and so on. Being a good teammate is part of the equation each team takes into account, but when Saturday’s game is complete, it becomes all about the individual until draft weekend arrives.

Clowney made his choice, and with his studies complete and the draft approaching, he has no regrets about his extra year. But after playing the dutiful role of the good teammate throughout his four years with the Hokies, now he — and the hundreds of other draft prospects — must show their wares as individuals before ensconcing themselves in a team environment once again after they learn their NFL destinations.