Penn State, Jahan Dotson aside, no-shows All-Big Ten Offense: Analysis

Speaking last spring, Penn State head coach James Franklin explained Jahan Dotson’s decision to return as a senior. 

Noting the necessity of individual goals aligning with those of a team, the Nittany Lions’ leader again laid out an oft-repeated point.

In football, he said, a team game unlike many others in its breadth, the opportunity for special achievement works hand-in-hand between individuals and the team.

“With team success comes individual recognition,” Franklin said. “And typically, the best players from the best teams get the most recognition.”

Tuesday, Penn State’s defense demonstrated as much in sending 10 performers to All-Big Ten teams. Wednesday, Penn State’s offense demonstrated the same in the other direction.

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— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 1, 2021

Penn State All-Big Ten honorees

A struggle for the duration of the 2021 season, the Nittany Lions landed just six players on All-Big Ten teams. Specifically, only Dotson and media third-team left tackle Rasheed Walker earned first, second, or third-team recognition.

Quarterback Sean Clifford and offensive linemen Juice Scruggs earned coach and media honorable mentions. Offensive lineman Mike Miranda and tight end Brenton Strange earned media honorable mention nods.

A disappointment by nearly any measure, individual recognition mirrored that of their team’s success, or lack thereof.

(Even the superb Dotson, a first-team selection by conference media and second-team pick by coaches, wasn’t a unanimous choice. Just six catches shy of Allen Robinson’s 97 in 2013, Dotson could set a single-season mark if he plays in the bowl.)

Beyond Dotson’s standout season, Penn State could hardly argue against any of the other designations. Finishing the regular season averaging just 26.2 points per game, the Nittany Lions produced the 82nd-ranked total offense (382.0 ypg), 118th-ranked rushing offense (107.6 ypg), and a 22nd-ranked passing offense (274.4 ypg) offset by a 71st-ranked team passing efficiency (136.54). 

Even past the pure statistical analysis, the Nittany Lions’ offense finished 83rd with an overall grade of 74.6 according to Pro Football Focus. 

Mike Yurcich’s challenge

The debut season of new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich with the Nittany Lions, but his 16th as an OC at the collegiate level, Penn State’s shortcomings were plentiful.

Already in at the bottom for red-zone scoring, that Penn State scored just 20 touchdowns on 39 trips was troubling. Worse, in nine Big Ten games, the Nittany Lions finished 10th in the conference scoring just 22 total offensive touchdowns. 

And those struggles, beginning with the ineffectiveness of run-blocking and running the ball, stemmed from there. A concept traced back to Yurcich’s preseason press conference, the results worked to the opposite of his intended effect.

“Anything in football is relative,” he said. “Success with the deep ball, if you’re able to throw it vertically, it means that you’ve got the defense to respect your run game. And so I think that’s a very important aspect of that, not to be overlooked. 

“This is a very humbling game, and once you think you’ve arrived… you’re going to get caught from behind. So we’re going to continue to drive our fundamentals, our skillset, our mental approach, our psychology, our nutrition, our strength. It’s everything. It takes a village. And we have that support all around these players and we have to continue to have that attitude and work.”

In a season gone sideways offensively, Wednesday’s dearth of All-Big Ten performers serves as another stark reminder of what’s next.

Needing to make those improvements in the days, weeks, and months ahead, the Nittany Lions’ workload will be heavy.