How to fix Penn State Football’s broken running game

How to fix Penn State Football’s broken running game

So, if I deemed the play calling to be a major issue of the run game from this past season, then clearly I have to blame Mike Yurcich, right?

Before I answer this question, I want to switch gears to something else.

Did anyone else sense a theme in James Franklin’s press conferences from this past season?

Here’s a snippet from The Athletic after the victory against Maryland.

"James Franklin said that, throughout Penn State’s 31-14 win against Maryland, he was on the headset reminding offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich that the Nittany Lions needed to mix in a run here and there."

Following the loss to Michigan State, James Franklin had this to say after being asked why the Nittany Lions went away from the pass game.

"We were trying to mix in the run game all day long, trying to help our offensive linemen in protection, but obviously we weren’t able to run the ball consistently enough like we needed to."

Later, when asked how important it is running the ball, James Franklin said this.

"It’s important. I want to be able to run the ball."

So let’s sum all of this up.

The 2021 Penn State squad had a group of talented running backs which were tasked with running behind a mediocre to below average Big Ten offensive line. The man tasked with calling the plays is an experienced offensive coordinator who knows how to control anything from an air raid offense, to a balanced offense, to a somewhat run-heavy offense.

But, it also has a head coach, who was previously an offensive coordinator with a mixed bag of results, who’s constantly in Yurcich’s ear telling him to run the ball.

Remember when I said it appeared this year’s team ran the ball simply for the sake of running the ball at times? This could possibly explain that.

And here’s my main point, Mike Yurcich understands offense in football.

If Yurcich wants to throw the ball 60 times a game and then sneak in 20 runs at the perfect time to catch the defense off guard and to maximize the effectiveness of the runs? Then let him do it.

The struggles from this season were the fact Penn State Football could not effectively run the ball when the defense either expected it or when the defense dared them to run it. I see you Sparty.

So I’ll answer the question from above. Do I blame Mike Yurcich for the poor running game this season? No.

For Penn State Football to fix its running game issues, James Franklin is going to have to keep his hands out of the offense. Period.

Oh, and for my personal preference I wouldn’t mind scraping all aspects of the RPO. But that’s just me.

So there it is. Let Mike Yurcich call the plays and let him properly evaluate when he feels it’s time for a running play.

Would you rather the team run the ball 20 times at 7 yards per carry or would you rather watch the running backs crash into the back of the offensive line 35 times a game at 3.1 yards per pop? Because I’m sure if Yurcich was making all of the calls he would have opted for the first option.

If you force your OC to randomly call dive plays because you feel the need to run the ball, then all that is going to do is give your team a single yard and stop the chains from moving. Thus killing drives and settling for field goals or punting.

And Penn State Football fans got to witness the latter two items way too much this past year.