Sean Fitz on changes for Penn State with new offensive coordinators | 14.11.23
In a recent episode of Andy Staples Podcast on3the college football expert brought a State of Pennsylvania inside Blue White Illustrated man Sean Fitz. The two discussed several key storylines surrounding the program. But the most important topic Fitz and Staples discussed was Penn State’s recent decision to move to offensive coordinator.
Penn State head coach James Franklin offensive coordinator fired Mike Yurich following another dreadful performance by the Nittany Lions against a top opponent. In his place, the running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Screams will assume play-calling duties. But what exactly was Penn State’s motivation for making this decision with only two games left in the season? According to Fitz, a number of things were at stake when this decision was made.
“Rutgers has a good defense. I think the flip side of what we just saw with Michigan is I don’t know if Penn State is worried that Rutgers is going to score a ton of points,” Fitz said. “But you never know what can happen; It’s November in the Big Ten.
“It’s a situation where you’re not going to change the offense in two weeks or whatever they have. But I think you feel like they made that decision because you just have to get a good start on the next guy, but also because these next two defenses aren’t going to threaten you in the sense that Michigan and Ohio State will.
With Penn State’s final two games of the season coming against opponents that are nowhere near as threatening or difficult as Michigan and Ohio State, the two best teams in the Big Ten this season, this move allows them to get a head start on their offensive coordinator. search without significant risk of suffering another loss.
So, what can fans expect from the Nittany Lions’ new playing duo in their final two games? A return to Big Ten-style football is what Fitz envisions for Penn State’s final two games with the regular. That and perhaps more opportunities for star quarterback Drew Allar to show what he can really do.
“So I expect more of the same, but you have a running backs coach running the plays; you have a tight ends coach calling the play. Penn State has good tight ends. We think they have good running backs; they have not fulfilled what we think is their potential. So a lot of running, a lot of November Big Ten football coming up with running backs and tight ends and things like that because I just don’t know they have the ability to kill you on the outside.
“I expect them to try to get Drew Allar into a rhythm, make a few short throws to start the game, get him a little more comfortable, and then maybe give him a little more lease long,” Fitz said.
For Penn State fans hoping to see an exciting new brand of offense, that will likely have to wait until next season. For now, expect the Nittany Lions to lean heavily on two positions that are well-recruited and contain a ton of talent: running back and tight end. It may not be the mini offense I’m hoping for, but getting back to basics could be just what Penn State needs to reset the program ahead of the 2024 offseason.
