Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
2 8 A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / 2 0 2 3 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / M ike Yurcich doesn't fuss with the details when he previews Penn State's offensive personnel. In- stead, ahead of a 2023 season in which expectations are soaring for the Nit- tany Lions, the offensive coordinator is blunt. The strengths, weaknesses and ques- tions being debated externally this summer match Yurcich's. And he's here for all of it. "You have a relatively young quarter- back who's never started a game. Or, a roomful of quarterbacks who have never started a game," Yurcich said. "You have an experienced offensive line. You have a new center who has a lot of game ex- perience. "You have wideouts who haven't been the premier guy, who are looking to emerge into that premier role. You've got two well-established tailbacks, and you have well-established tight ends. So, it's kind of a mixed bag. That's a work in progress. We are going to find out." Last season, faced with a different set of questions, Yurcich helped orchestrate affirmative answers to the unknowns. With Sean Clifford leading the way at quarterback, Penn State improved in most of the areas where it had struggled in 2021. Transformed by the addition of then-freshman running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the Nit- tany Lions surged from 118th to 44th nationally in rushing output. They im- proved by nearly 60 yards per game in total offense. And, most important, the team saw its scoring average go from 25.0 points per game to 35.8, with the latter total ranking 20th in the FBS. Singleton and Allen are both back for their sophomore seasons in the back- field, a unit Yurcich describes as "the heart and soul of the offense." Junior tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler War- ren return as reliable targets in the pass- ing game. And, along the offensive line, projected first-round NFL draft pick Olumuyiwa Fashanu is back for his ju- nior year, anchoring a group that boasts extensive starting experience. The return of those players allows Penn State to build on a foundation that was established last season. But with a new starting quarterback set to take over in sophomore Drew Allar and tal- ented but unproven targets manning the receiver positions, plenty of work remains to be done. "I think now more than ever, you're challenged to find ways to improve," Yurcich said. "In my role as a coordina- tor, I'm trying to do whatever I can to help this team, to just point this offense in the right direction, and give them all the information they need so they can maximize who they are. "I want to maximize our personnel, to get them to play tough, to get them to understand and be a smart unit, to be really good with ball security, have re- ally good fundamentals and play to our strengths. At the same time, I want to be hard to defend." Yurcich said he believes Penn State has the personnel to achieve those aims this season, adding that it's crucial to F A S T F A C T S : O F F E N S E Coordinator: Mike Yurcich (3rd season) Starters returning (6): G Landon Tengwall, G Sal Wormley, OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT Caedan Wallace, RB Nicholas Singleton, WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith Other returnees with starting experience (5): C Hunter Nourzad, RB Kaytron Allen, OT Drew Shelton, TE Theo Johnson, TE Tyler Warren Starters lost (5): C Juice Scruggs, QB Sean Clif- ford, TE Brenton Strange, WR Mitchell Tinsley, WR Parker Washington NAT E BAU E R | NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM Known Unknowns In the second year of Yurcich's tenure as offensive coordinator, the Nittany Lions improved their scor- ing average by nearly 11 points per game. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE Mike Yurcich's unit looks to have plenty of firepower, but it also has a few pressing questions to answer in the weeks and months ahead