Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M The first objective was to improve on the ground, with Yurcich acknowledg- ing that yards per carry were crucial to offensive success. Tempering any over- excitement, his post-spring evaluation was that the Nittany Lions "got better running the football this spring. We feel that way as a staff and we feel that way as a football program." The second requires a similar im- provement out of Clifford in his healthy return for a sixth season. Everything is on the table after a sea- son in which he finished with 261 com- pletions on 428 attempts (61 percent) for 3,107 yards, 21 touchdowns and 8 in- terceptions. But the optimism shared by both Clifford and Yurcich ahead of the 2022 season is rooted in mental develop- ment. For Clifford, the opportunity to carry over what he'd learned from Yurcich in Year 1 isn't a talking point. For the first time in his career as a starter, he has an offensive coordinator for two consecu- tive seasons, and Clifford doesn't hesi- tate to hail its benefit. "The excitement for me is second- year OC. That's it," he said. "The stress of learning all the way up to the season, that is all gone and it's all about mastery. It's not, what can Coach Yurcich put on my plate? It's, what can I take off Coach Yurcich's plate?" Clifford proved his preparedness and breadth of knowledge through the spring, showing that his improvements weren't anecdotal. Rather, translating the countless hours of film study, reps and game experience to the practice field, the data confirmed what Yurcich expected. "On the field, it just feels like there's more consistency. When we grade the tape, there's more efficiency. There are more completions statistically. The data- driven information shows us there's been an improvement there," Yurcich said. "And then I think as a quarterback coach, you get a feel and a sense of how guys are reacting, how their demeanor is on the field, how quickly they get through certain things, how comfortable they are in the pocket and navigating and know- ing where some answers are to a problem coverage. Being able to see the field and scanning quicker is something that you go by as a gauge as well." Meeting those aims, with continued development expected for both through the summer months, what's left is a mar- riage of the two. An improved, physical offensive line should help everyone meet their goals. In addition, there's been an injection of talent and competition amongst the running backs, with heralded freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen vy- ing to shake up a veteran core helmed by third-year sophomore Keyvone Lee and fourth-year junior Devyn Ford. The same is true of Penn State's wide- outs, and at tight end, a versatile com- bination of experienced returning play- ers has the Nittany Lions again boasting high expectations for the group's po- tential. With a foundation intact, one that Yurcich and the Nittany Lions have worked to strengthen with the benefit of time, what's next is still to be deter- mined. But, in holding onto optimism that the run and pass are primed to work in concert with one another, creating op- tions that answer the best opponents have to offer defensively, Penn State is eager for its next opportunity. ■