Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M O P I N I O N THOMAS FRANK CARR TFRANK.CARR@ON3.COM T he Penn State offense wasn't click- ing in early October. That much was clear for all to see. After the defense set the offense up to score 33 points against Central Michigan, the offense produced 17 and 10 points in the next two games. Yes, one game was played in the remnants of a hurricane, but teams have played in the rain before and still scored points. So, what was the issue? "I think when [a team's identity] be- comes legitimate is probably by Game 4, because most people are doing a four- game breakdown of who they're play- ing," coach James Franklin said prior to the Nittany Lions' game against North- western on Oct. 1. "That's when you have enough of a sample size to say, 'OK, they have a legit- imate tendency.' And again, tendencies aren't always a bad thing. That means you're usually pretty good at something." By early October, the book was out on Penn State's "balanced" approach this year, and the Lions weren't able to adjust to the way that opponents were defend- ing them. Every offensive coordinator has a "system" that he runs in a loose sense. At its most basic, a system is a collection of plays and concepts that a team runs, but a true system is a connected thread of play-calling consciousness that spans from play to play and game to game. If we were talking about music, it would be less like jazz improvisation than a fully formed song with lyrics, melody and chord progressions. Improv is based on a set of understood rules that give a structure to the music, while still allowing the soloist to embel- lish and create on the spot. It's free to change and morph. Neither is more cor- rect than the other, but they are distinct. For most of his career, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has been a songwriter. He's used cornerstone phi- losophies of outside and inside zone, paired with quick passes and a heavy dose of deep passing to create an offense that challenges the defense laterally and vertically. The result has been explosive plays on the ground and through the air. The push and pull of Yurcich's time with Penn State centers around this idea: He wants to play his songs, and Franklin wants him to play jazz. "We have in-depth conversations in the offseason," Franklin said during pre- season camp. "What do we do well, and what can we build on up front? Are we a zone scheme? Are we a gap scheme in terms of the running game and the play- action pass off of it?" After Penn State scored 27 points in eight quarters, alarm bells went off outside the program. How do you know when things truly aren't working and it's time to pivot in a new direction? "In 2016, we were 2-2 and lost to Michigan in a similar type of game, and things went well," Frank- lin recalled. "I'm not go- ing to look too far ahead; I'm not going to look too far behind. It's hard for me to insulate the players and the staff from it. "What we want to do is watch the tape. Let's make the corrections, let's learn from it, and find a way to be 1-0 this week. "What I'm trying to do everything I possibly can to control the Lasch Building and the mes- sages and the vibe that's in that building so that the Lasch practice fields are the way they need to be. And then Beaver Sta- dium is the way it needs to be so that the 107,000 fans coming out of that Stadium are happy." Against Minnesota, Franklin's patience paid off. During the White Out game, Penn State's offense finally clicked. After a slow first quar- ter, Yurcich found a way to get the ball to the tight ends, and they finished the game with 117 yards and 2 touchdowns, lifting the Nittany Lions to a 45-17 win. By the second half, the passing attack had opened up holes for the running game, and Yurcich found a way to blend his two offenses together, net- ting 175 yards rushing and 304 passing. The key was that Yurich didn't try to establish the run as a threat, but instead used the receivers. The second tight end hadn't been a viable threat as a run blocker or a receiver before Minnesota. Before that Saturday, third-year sophomore Theo Johnson had 3 targets in four games. He finished the White Out with 5 targets for 75 yards. By hav- ing him on the field, PSU finally had the run-pass balance it was looking for. The Lions' ability to create offensive space hinges on this going forward. ■ Third-year sophomore tight end Theo Johnson was Penn State's leading receiver in its 45-17 victory over Minnesota. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE Penn State Seeks A Harmonious Philosophical Approach Upon Further Review