Nittany Lions offense still needs work
Penn State’s offense isn’t close to where new coordinator Mike Yurcich hoped it would be at this point.
The Nittany Lions sit in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten in scoring and total yards through five games. They rank near the bottom of the conference in third-down conversions and rushing.
Fourth-ranked Penn State (2-0 Big Ten, 5-0 overall) carries a perfect record into its Big Ten showdown at No. 3 Iowa (2-0, 5-0) Saturday at 4 p.m. at Iowa City (TV-FOX), but the offense still needs work.
“We’re scoring enough points to win games, and that’s the bottom line,” Yurcich said Thursday during a call with Penn State beat writers. “We need to become more explosive. We need to run the football better.
“For whatever reason, the rhythm hasn’t been where it needs to be to be elite . ... It’s a combination of things. We just have to put an entire game together for 60 minutes.”
Yurcich built a reputation for developing high-powered offenses at Oklahoma State from 2013-18 and then at Texas last year. In those years, his offenses scored 50 or more points 26 times and 40 or more points 51 times, or 50% of the games he coached.
In five games so far, Penn State has reached the 40-point plateau just once, a 44-13 romp past Ball State. The Lions are averaging 30.0 points per game, a tick better than the 29.8 they averaged last season under Kirk Ciarrocca, who was fired after his only season.
Penn State’s passing offense has been productive, ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 26th in the nation with 286.0 yards a game behind quarterback Sean Clifford. On the other hand, the Lions rank 11th in the conference and 92nd in the country with 132.6 rushing yards a game.
“Any successful offense is going to be effective on the ground and through the air,” Yurcich said. “The more effective our ground game is, the more effective our pass game’s going to be. We’re not the other way around.
“At the same time there needs to be a physical element and attitude about it [the running game], a mentality about it that we’re trying to establish.”
The Lions have rotated three backs — Noah Cain, John Lovett and Keyvone Lee — without much success. Cain’s 187 yards lead the team, but he’s averaging just 3.2 a carry. Lee’s averaging 6.2 an attempt, but he’s fumbled twice.
Yurcich and coach James Franklin have said this week that they will continue to alternate the three backs at Iowa.
“You’ll see a rotation,” Yurcich said, “and hopefully we can go with more of one particular running back than another because somebody gets hot or somebody’s in a groove and somebody emerges as a No. 1.”
The passing game has clicked.
Clifford has completed 67.3% of his attempts for 1,336 yards and 11 touchdowns with three interceptions.
Clifford has been effective being mobile in the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield and finding open receivers. He did that last week on a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brenton Strange in a 24-0 win over Indiana.
“I think he’s improved, but I think it’s so relative to what we’re doing up front and how we’re pass protecting,” Yurcich said. “I’m not going to sit here and take credit for it. The offensive line deserves a lot of credit. The receivers deserve a lot of credit. The tight ends and running backs, they’ve done a great job.
“I think Sean has made up his mind to be a tough SOB and to stand in there and keep his eyes
downfield on a consistent basis. That’s one of the things you have to have as a quarterback.”
No Big Ten wide receiver is playing better than Nazareth High grad Jahan Dotson, who leads the conference with 35 receptions and six touchdowns. He’s caught at least one pass in 34 consecutive games and at least one touchdown reception in six straight games.
“He’s a guy who’s really good with the ball in his hands,” Yurcich said. “He finishes his catches with tough runs. He lowers his pads. He brings a physical element and a finish. If you watch him, you’ll see that’s where the magic exists with him.”
Penn State faces a great challenge against Iowa, which ranks second in the country in scoring defense, seventh in total defense
and 11th against the run. The Hawkeyes are first with a plus12 turnover margin and have converted 16 takeaways into 75 of their 166 points.
The Lions, on the other hand, are protecting the football better than they did last season, when turnovers led to their 0-5 start. Their plus-6 turnover margin this year is a chief reason why they’re undefeated.
“What matters most is turnovers and securing the football,” Yurcich said. “The run game will help with that, so you’re not putting pressure on your quarterback. There’s an attitude about it. There’s a physical presence.
“It’s about ball security, being explosive and scoring points, however you gotta get that done.”