BWI Live: Penn State mid-season review
Penn State football is 5-0 through roughly the first half of the 2023 season. We’re checking in on the Nittany Lions midway through their run at a Big Ten title to see how they’re progressing on both sides of the ball. Join the Keystone Kickoff Show on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube to join the discussion about the Nittany Lion’s progress so far.
As always, join the show live at 10 a.m. and subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel so you don’t miss any of our Penn State Football content!
Penn State offense self-assessment
KSN on BWI Quarter 2
Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich spoke with the media during the bye week and addressed several issues on the offensive side of the ball. Despite scoring over 30 points per game this season, there are elements of the passing game that Yurcich isn’t pleased with, namely, wide receiver communication with the quarterback.
“Yeah, it’s a big concern with me right now and to us as an entire staff and we’ve got to remedy that fast. And we got to be on point with our landmarks and our depths of routes and our timing. That is something that we’re going to address, and that is a big issue. We have to clean up.”
KSN on BWI Quarter 3
However, the nature of the offense comes down to the quarterback and how he sees the field. issues with route timing and communication don’t matter unless the signal caller can process the information and make decisions. So far, Allar has been a by-the-book quarterback in his first season. He’s building plenty of trust with the offensive staff, says Yurcich.
“I think Drew has a really good feel for seeing the field. He does a great job of going where he needs to go with the ball and where he should go with the ball based on what the defense has given us. So it’s not a freelance type deal. When the ball snapped, they do whatever.
Top 10
- 1
Rick Pitino
New sheriff in Big Ten?
- 2
Ryan Day
Buyout revealed from new contract
- 3
UNC president
Belichick hire fall out
- 4
'I'm 1-0 vs. PETA'
La. Gov. defends LSU live tiger
- 5
2025 CFB odds
Key game point spreads
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Obviously, there’s things that we go through and progressions and rules. And the more we have trust that he’s going to follow those rules and when certain times come where he sees certain things and gets to a particular route or progression. There’s thoughtfulness behind it,” Yurcich said.
Defense benefitting from the offensive style
KSN on BWI Quarter 4
Part of Penn State’s dominance over the last several weeks has been the team’s ability to rest. The Nittany Lions are playing fewer snaps and have greater depth than in past years. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz sees a fresh team when they step on the field.
“We are playing less snaps. Our offense has had a big help in that with the way that they possess the football. And ideally, that just keeps us fresher for the second half of the season. We’ve got some guys who have played 75 percent fewer stamps than they played this time last year. So there’s a real added benefit to that,” Diaz said.
On today’s show, we’ll discuss elements of these topics, including the nature of the quarterback, the issues in the run game, and the offense’s explosiveness. Defensively, we’ll focus on areas that the team has improved through five weeks and discuss the nature of the defense and how it aims to dictate terms to the offense.
