Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
M A R C H 2 0 2 6 3 9 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 / / / / / / / short. Big crossers are front-side shot plays with a deep crossing route built in. If the defense takes away a wheel, post or go route on the front side, there will be a secondary deep shot coming into the quarterback's field of vision as a second or third route. The quarterback looks for the first concept before check- ing the ball down. Intermediate and short crossers work the same way and are usually part of a five-man route progression with a full- field read on the play. Play-action/movement: Scheel- haase used play-action to dial up shot plays. He would find the matchup he wanted, set the formation to give that player a one-on-one, and then use play-action to draw safeties down near the box, further separating his targeted receiver from extra help. Beyond those shot plays, the Cyclones used run-pass options and play-action to target tight ends on concepts that played off the run game. Shot plays: Iowa State's offensive philosophy under Campbell was very aggressive. Quick-game concepts had augmentations like sluggo (slant and go) that were aimed at taking shots. The Cyclones' "big crosser" concept was a shot play, and play-action shot plays were part of the play-calling repertoire, too. Scheelhaase said that Iowa State liked to have two to three unique shot plays each game to attack the defense. That differs from the approach Andy Kotel- nicki used during his two seasons as of- fensive coordinator at Penn State. Ko- telnicki had a set number of shot plays in the playbook to attack coverage. What Can We Expect? It's no coincidence that Campbell brought Mouser and most of his of- fensive coaching staff from Ames with him, along with Becht to orchestrate the show. This group should hit the ground running in 2026 as long as the Nittany Lions can integrate the new transfers with the players who were retained from the 2025 roster. From that perspective, we can begin to outline what the offense might look like this coming fall. Crossing routes should be a big part of the new playbook. Becht is an aggres- sive quarterback, and Penn State im- ported a pair of big, explosive receivers from Iowa State in redshirt senior Chase Sowell and junior Brett Eskildsen. That explosive athleticism is helpful when running 25 yards downfield from the opposite hash and getting there on time. It's another reason why the new staff wants their receivers to have elite speed and size. However, the Nittany Lions' recon- figured tight ends room suggests that play-action and movement plays will also be a big part of the passing game. While the run game doesn't feature any obvious gamebreakers right now, it should be a stable and dependable part of the offense. Redshirt junior tight end Andrew Rappleyea was a top priority for the staff in the team's retention efforts this past December. He, along with Iowa State senior imports Gabe Burkle and Ben Brahmer, will be a big part of the team's quick-game and play-action concepts. While I've expressed reservations about their blocking, there's no question that the Lions will use three tight ends at times, giving them an advantage when throwing to those big-bodied receivers. One other factor to take into account is that Becht is a mobile quarterback. Mouser often used him on play-action bootlegs and moving pockets last sea- son. Mouser has invested more of his time in the tight ends room than in three-re- ceiver sets. It's a pivot Iowa State made under Scheelhaase and that Mouser continued. Scheelhaase also helped craft one of the best passing attacks in the NFL this past season with a high amount of 13 personnel looks (one run- ning back, three tight ends). The Rams used 13 personnel looks on 30 percent of their plays in 2025, by far the highest amount in the NFL. The next-closest team was at 13 percent. Similarly, Iowa State used 13 person- nel 15 percent of the time in 2025. Penn State was the next-closest at 9 percent. Mouser's offense mirrors a new NFL trend of using tight ends in a much more prolific manner. Good or bad, the Nit- tany Lions will be on the edge of a new appoach in 2026. ■ Redshirt junior tight end Andrew Rappleyea figures to be a big part of Penn State's new-look offense after coming on strong late in the 2025 season. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT