Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
M A R C H 2 0 2 6 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / N E W O F F E N S E / / / / / / / O n the surface, most offenses look the same. Almost all run-game concepts have the same gen- eral structure and flow. Passing-game concepts are built from common route combinations, and everyone steals from everyone else when a good idea presents itself. The factors that separate offenses come down to the hidden aspects that fans and other outside observers can't know. How does the offensive line coach set the protections or teach the blocking on run plays? How does the quarterback read the defense? Where do his eyes go first, and how much freedom do the re- ceivers have? Most of the time, we try to learn about new Penn State coaches through virtual clinics they've given over the years. However, new PSU head coach Matt Campbell has assembled a staff full of young coaches who haven't given a lot of talks that have been archived and released to a wider public. Camp- bell himself has not really gotten into any lengthy public discussions of his philosophies beyond outlining the big picture. Luckily, new Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser is not the first person to serve in that capac- ity under Campbell. Mouser was Iowa State's offensive coordinator the past two seasons. He had been coaching the Cyclones' tight ends since 2021 and continued to oversee that position group even after taking charge of the offense ahead of the 2024 season. Mouser's predecessor as offensive co- ordinator was Nathan Scheelhaase, a former All-Big Ten quarterback at Illi- nois who got his start in coaching at his alma mater. Scheelhaase spent six sea- sons on Campbell's staff at Iowa State, serving as the Cyclones' offensive coor- dinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023 before leaving to become passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. A few years after the 2020 pandemic season, Scheelhaase gave a clinic about the Cyclones' passing game philoso- phies and how he viewed and con- structed them. Mouser was on the staff throughout Scheelhaase's tenure in Iowa State provides a blueprint for what the Nittany Lions hope to accomplish this fall Offensive Origins T H O M A S F R A N K CA R R | T F R A N K . C A R R @ O N 3 . C O M During Taylor Mouser's two seasons as offensive coordinator at Iowa State, the Cyclones averaged 29.4 points and 406.8 yards per game. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS