Live updates: Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki meets with reporters
Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is kicking off an afternoon of media availabilities for next week’s Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions will meet Boise State in the second round of the College Football Playoff.
Follow Kotelnicki’s updates here:
Live updates: Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki zoom
(Press conference ended at 12:25 p.m.)
Challenges of being a college coach
12/26/2024 11:24:34 AMBalancing developing your current team, getting ready for new opponent, on-boarding new players to the program and recruiting other ones you want, juggling all of that is a challenge during a playoff run. But you have to be able to compartmentalize as best as you can. What he appreciates most about James is they fancy themselves a developmental program, so not compromising in that area. Developing the way they need and want it to be. But it’s as hard as ever to do it all. Game 15. But that’s what they signed up for. Competing for a national championship, one game at a time.
Practicing on Christmas, asked “where else would you rather be?” Others not practicing on Christmas and they would kill to be to have a chance to play for a national championship. It’s a challenge and it’s very professional, but want to keep the main thing people and not make it so transactional. Teaching, guiding, growing, having people achieve their goals. If you keep the main thing the main thing, you stay process oriented and you enjoy your job.
Adding to offense vs. relying on what has worked
12/26/2024 11:16:40 AMOffenses have to evolve all season. Doesn’t know if adding is the right word, but it’s more evolving. But you can’t lose sight of what you’ve trained your team to be. You have to evolve and grow and put stress on defenses without being repetitive and predictable. So will always grow from week to week.
Drew Allar progression:
12/26/2024 11:15:16 AMMuch greater understanding of what they’re doing offensively, and how fast and seamless that can go and be on a week to week basis. His mastery of the offense has grown every week and that has just continued. Always trying to get the QB involved in the game plan, what they like and don’t, quick to communicate with the coaches. What he thinks about what he sees, taking ownership in what they’re doing, hopefully can execute at a high level and getting a ton of ownership. You get a ton of buy-in, execution, meaningful reps. Don’t have a ton of “my bads” out on the field. He knows his reads, what the defense is doing. Just at a high level of understanding.
Working with James for a year:
12/26/2024 11:13:32 AMGoing way back, it has been 13 months now. Part of the reason to come here is Coach was very transparent and authentic, which matters. In conversations being had, it’s two very transparent and authentic people communicating. So there haven’t been surprises. Don’t want to have regret one way or the other and doesn’t because James was so authentic through the process. It’s exactly as they talked about. No surprises. Accurate description of how he wants things and to run the program. Have had a ton of fun in the 13 months he has been at Penn State.
Offensive line:
12/26/2024 11:11:45 AMIt’s consistency and physicality. The nastiness they are playing with. Understanding what they’re trying to do, there aren’t a lot of busts. The way they’ve embraced the idea of being the reason for how far they’ll go. Always challenges OLs that the team will go as far as they go. They love the idea of making that impact.
Nick/Kaytron running most effectively:
12/26/2024 11:10:16 AMBoth are back to full strength and you can see it the past few weeks how they’ve run the football. So complementary based on their skillsets. Part of his responsibility is making sure they get the ball. Affords him flexibility to utilize those guys to the best as they can. They are playing their best and that position is evident of their offensive philosophy and values.
Boise State defense:
12/26/2024 11:08:44 AMThey play great team defense. One of the top teams in creating disruption. Play complementary defense. Pressure package from base. Up front, that’s the battle. When you’re in playoff football, you need to be good on both sides of the ball. Disruptive DL, D making team earn points, and not giving up things. That’s what you expect from a team playing in the national playoffs.
How defenses defend Tyler Warren lately
12/26/2024 11:07:23 AMHave to be more creative than they’ve been. Moving him around makes it harder to double-team him, but that naturally happens with the tight end position to move him around making it harder to do for defenses. Isn’t sure anything unique the past couple of weeks, but everyone is aware of it. But they’re making sure that he is still impacting the game. The cool thing about him is that he impacts the game beyond catches. Nothing specific that people are doing, but heightened sense of awareness for where he is. But want to be diverse enough to make it hard to get a read on what he’s doing.
