Hindsight 2022: Penn State Offense vs. Central Michigan

Who The Heck is Calling Plays for the Nittany Lions Offense…And What Has He Done With Mike Yurcich?!?!

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BOX SCORE   FTB CHARTING

Tsk, Tsk, Mr. BTN TV Truck director guy. Surely, you’ve heard that wise ol’ saying about ASSUMING, right? How it makes a four-legged perissodactyla mammal that’s smaller than a horse with long ears and a braying call of you and me?

Well, not me.

Just you.

I know better than to try and squeeze-in an RPO instant replay while Penn State OC Mike Yurcich – a guy who made his mark (and his millions) igniting a Highway-To-The-Danger Zone, All-Gas-No-Brakes, Meep-Meep up-tempo offense that constantly stresses not only defensive coordinators’ aptitude to think on the fly, but also the cardiovascular capacity of gooey 300-pound DTs — mans the sticks.

Ouch, you missed a touchdown, sir. Prayers up for the poor, underpaid, pockmarked 20-something production assistant who had to absorb a nasty barrage of four-letter words and flying spittle when the referee put his arms skyward on this play. Hey, It’s not his fault. It’s yours, director dude.

You ASSUMED…but for good reason.

Um, where the heck was Penn State’s quick-to-snap, fast-paced offense this game?!?! Yurcich lured the BTN TV Truck into a false sense of security all day by completely abandoning tempo prior to this go-fast QB sneak for 6. Clifford’s TD mush was the only play snapped with more than 20 seconds left on the playclock the entire game. That’s very un-Yurcich-y. For context, on Penn State’s 8-play, game-winning TD drive vs. Purdue, the Nittany Lions snapped the ball with 17, 31, 15, 28, 26, 17, 22, and 27 seconds remaining on the playclock, respectively.

Perhaps this isn’t a big deal. Perhaps the tortoise tempo used vs. Central Michigan is a one-off — nothing more than a lethargic Red Herring put on tape to dupe the DCs at Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio State, the scheduling trinity of pain on the horizon. Or maybe Franklin wants to veer toward the clock-control, hold-the-ball offensive philosophy that he unceremoniously kicked to the curb 20 months ago. Who knows? But, for now, Yurcich’s sudden departure from dashing to the line and stacking plays as defenders suck wind is yet another unexpected evolution of his Year 2 offense at Penn State. 

Formations

All those “zigs” from last week – the compressed sets, the use of not-on-film formations like I-form and Pistol — graduated into “zags” this week vs. Central Michigan, as Yurcich pulled the rug out from under the Chippewas eager-to-stop-the-run second-level defenders by unveiling a ton of play-action passes from the same under center sets that terrorized Auburn on the ground.

Play 1: Pre-snap, 3-Parker Washington motions toward the formation – like he did multiple times on the Plains – providing the same 8-man blocking wall used to gash Auburn. Mediocre run fake by Clifford (could have sold this more) but it doesn’t really matter. After seeing this over and over on tape during the week, the Chippewas LBs flock toward the LOS like ants on Ambrosia at a picnic. 14-Sean Clifford pulls, boots, and has receivers running routes at 3 levels – short, intermediate, deep. CMU WILL 45-Justin Whiteside rallies nicely to cover the tight end, taking away Clifford’s safest throw, 86-Brenton Strange. The corner bailing into Cover 3 caps the deep option (1-KLS) but the in-between choice, 3-Washington, is WIDE OPEN.

Play 2: It’s cutoff, but pre-snap 3-Washington motions to a wing back position, mirroring 86-Strange lined up on the boundary. Again, 8 potential run blockers in tight quarters. And again, low-medium-high read for Clifford. CMU DB 29-Jayden Davis takes a few false steps to assist in the run, enough hesitation for 6-Harrison Wallace to wiggle free downfield. Perfect tougher-than-it-looks throw from Clifford allows the second-year receiver from Alabama to tack on some YAC.

Next zag:

Penn State showed this exact 6 OL, offset I-formation last week against Auburn. According to our charting, that particular play vs. the Tigers marked the first time Yurcich had featured a jumbo-sized, I-formation since he took over for Kirk Ciarrocca. For those who didn’t re-watch that glorious, titillating 60-minute SEC snuff film on loop this past week like we did, here’s a replay of the debut of this beefy alignment:

Pre-Snap, the two plays are identical. Honestly, kudos for how well Central Michigan defended this play-action fake. Coverage was decent…they just got out-athlete’d. CMU’s sub-200 pound Davis can’t stay sticky once 86-Strange bumps him before the break, creating juuust enough separation for the score.

Finally, IDK if this was a personnel mistake or what, but for the first in the 17-game-long Mike Yurcich era, Penn State went 4-wide with 4 actual WRs – not a flexed out TE or RB. And frankly, we’re here for it!

Spewers of hateful, anti-TE rhetoric since the spring, we felt that swapping Strange/Warren/Theo for a speedier, shiftier, 4^th receiver would create more opportunities for vertical mismatches downfield AND unclutter running lanes for PSU’s RBs. Then, Auburn happened… (insert zipperlip emoji)

…but still, we wonder whether slimming personnel on certain plays and stretching defenses out more horizontally with wider splits (a Yurcich signature at Okie State) will accelerate 10-Nicholas Singleton’s impact vs. the 3 or 4 big boy teams looming on Penn State’s schedule. Less of a mess to sift through, more space to freelance, like we witnessed in the clip above where Singleton bounced to the boundary and leaned on his lottery-ticket athleticism to turn up in time to get the first down.

Substitutions

Sorry to all the moms rocking sweatshirts pinned with oversized picture buttons of their 3^rd- and 4^th-string sons, roster bulimia will have to wait another week.

A pesky but non-threatening Central Michigan squad kept Penn State from purging its sideline late like it did vs. fellow MAC marshmallow Ohio two weeks earlier. True freshman OT 66-Drew Shelton and backup TE 16-Khalil Dinkins each received a single snap of action…if you wanna call lining up for the final kneel down “action.” Kinda cruel to throw them in like that, if you ask us…which no one ever does.

For those tracking these sorts of things, Penn State ‘yellow-light’ newcomers WR 7-Kaden Saunders, 56-JB Nelson, and 66-Shelton have burned 2 of 4 allotted game appearances if they hope to redeem redshirt status at the end of the year. True freshman OG 71-Vega Ioane has only appeared in one game this season. Oh, and the fact that 56-Nelson, not 71-Ioane, filled in for a surprisingly absent 64-Hunter Nourzad on Saturday helps clear up where each young big-eater currently resides on James Franklin’s Invisible Ink depth chart.

Portaler-In-Waiting 24-Keyvone Lee stayed on the shelf as freshmen phenoms 10-Singleton (12 carries) and 13-Kaytron Allen (13 carries) topped Penn State RBs in touches for the third week in a row. For those who thought Lee’s absence might shift work to the Nits’ other veteran ballcarrier, 28-Devyn Ford, well, it didn’t happen. In fact, Clifford/Allar didn’t hand off to the 4^th-year former Top 100 recruit once on Saturday (although Ford did haul in a pass). One-third of the way through the season, it’s clear PSU 2022 RBs = PSU 2005 WRs.

Run/Pass Blocking

Penn State OT 74-Olu Fashanu is a developing problem for Future James Franklin and Future Phil Trautwein.

Why?

Well, the penciled-in blind side cornerstone of Penn State’s 2023 and 2024 playoff runs might be too good to stick around that long. The 3-star from D.C. could very well be watching those games from the sideline in designer threads with a CFP lanyard and laminated pass around his neck. He’s THAT good, THAT soon. At least one respected football media outlet believes Fashanu could not only be a potential 1^st Rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft, but the first offensive tackle to shake Roger Goodell’s hand on stage.

Allow us to give ourselves a self-congratulatory pat on the back for featuring Fashanu in a stand-alone FTB Film Study this off-season. Coach Codutti even said that Fashanu’s Outback Bowl film was chock full of 1^st Round reps, as the long, athletic lineman showcased several traits worth millions on Sundays…as in Sundays two or three years from now, not next year!

A reliable ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ pass protector, Fashanu finally popped off the screen this past Saturday as a run blocker, displaying violent hands and a powerful, engaged lower-half while destroying the entire right side of the defensive line on multiple occasions.

Wanted to pull this play (below) from the montage pile and single it out. Fashanu is blocking CMU DT 94-Jason Williams. According to CMU’s roster, Mr. Williams weighs 293 pounds. Whether that’s totally accurate or whether those measurements were recorded after shoveling and swallowing seconds and thirds at dinner is irrelevant – he’s big. But, boy, he sure doesn’t look like it, does he? Not on this play. Fashanu moves the squatty sophomore 2 or 3 gaps down the line, opening a can’t-miss cutback lane for 10-Singleton.

Can’t quite figure out why normally blocky TE 44-Tyler Warren has regressed so much from 2021 to 2022. PFF graded Warren as an 82.0 run blocker last season, which was the highest score of any tight end in the James Franklin era. Through 4 games this year, the Cup-O-Noodles-eating basement trolls at PFF have Warren as the second-worst run blocker on team (48.3), besting only undersized true freshman speedster WR 18-Omari Evans’ 38.2 grade.

For those seeking proof of Warren’s decline, Exhibit A:

Duo. To Warren’s credit, his main duty is to run interference at the second level and not get beat inside. He does that…sort of. But, had Warren stayed on his block a beat longer, Singleton wouldn’t have had to flatten his bounce as much as he did here, providing a solid two-way-go against a 2-star DB. Had Warren stayed sticky, Singleton probably would have added to his already-impressive collection of 50-yard runs.

On the flip side, 84-Theo Johnson – a normally non-blocky tight end – has steadily improved on running downs in limited action thus far.

A+ pull block here to spring 13-Allen.

Quarterbacks

No jinx, but given the gradual growth (not exponential, unfortunately, but we’ll take gradual) and maturity Sean Clifford exudes week after week, we’d guess the 6^th-year senior is about one more global pandemic away – and one more NCAA eligibility BINGO Free Space away – from finally becoming the 2022 version (or 2023, technically) of Kenny Pickett.

*Does not include 2 Throwaway/Batted Ball. Does include plays negated by penalty and 2-pt play.

*Does not include 1 Throwaway/Batted Ball.

Drawing hearts around Clifford’s advanced reads and correct choices in Yurcich’s RPO system has been a staple of this segment for 3 weeks going on 4 now that we clipped this 15-yard triple-option QB keep from the 3rd Quarter.

Strong, decisive late pull from Fatman’s mid-section. Love that. Clifford could have flipped the ball wide to 3-Washington but instead opts for the safe route after noting he’s got 2 blockers vs. 2 DBs out on the edge. This rep probably won’t make it onto 86-Strange’s highlight reel as he fails to block anyone AND gets in Clifford’s way downfield. Regardless, it’s an easy first down.

A dozen or so paragraphs ago, we detailed Yurcich’s repeated use of play action passes from under-center formations. What we failed to mention was Clifford’s uncanny poise and accuracy when forced to turn his back to the defense for the run fake, then turn and locate receivers downfield. More than once, Clifford had unexpected company right in his face on bootlegs, but still managed to connect for big gains.

Clifford was also incredibly calm and in control when forced to throw off-platform in the Shotgun.

For instance (incredible accuracy):

Against a free rusher on an RPO:

Lastly, love the decision to “re-set” after avoiding danger. Clifford’s solid base allows him to throw with the needed velocity for 5-Mitchell Tinsley to goggle up extra yards after the reception. This ball is thrown so dang hard it looks like a javelin impaled Tinsley’s abdomen on impact, doesn’t it?

Oh, before we move on to the final segment, more beef with the PFF peeps…

One of the many fun stats the Collinsworth-captained company tracks are what they call “Big-Time Throws.” What’s a Big-Time Throw, exactly? Well, according to PFF’s stat glossary, a Big-Time Throw is “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.”

Got all that down? Good. Now prepared to be ticked off…

This perfectly placed rocket, right on 82-Liam Clifford’s gloves, slipped between 3 defenders, 20 yards on a rope from 15-Drew Allar — arguably the prettiest pass thrown by any PSU QB this entire season — was not considered a “Big-Time Throw.”

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 Pass Catchers

Receivers are a developing problem for Present Day James Franklin and Present Day Taylor Stubblefield.

Suppressed beneath an avalanche of good vibes surrounding the overall state of the PSU football program lies the nagging realization that the Nittany Lions lack speed, explosiveness and game-changing X-factors lined up from the hashes to the sidelines.

On Saturday, the majority of WR/TE separation occurred during aforementioned play-action passes, or when Clifford bought enough time in and out of the pocket for pass catchers to ad lib, off-schedule, beyond the construct of their original route.

Otherwise, not a lot of dudes got open.

*Does not include 8 Uncatchable passes. Does include plays negated by penalty and 2-pt. plays.

The obvious answer (and sadly, perhaps the only answer) to rectify this immediate need for speed is true freshman 18-Omari Evans. From all media reports, the newbie from Texas would be a 1^st Round Field Day pick, blessed with rare agility and top-popping acceleration. Problem solved, right? Ehhh…not quite.

It’s still early, but as of Week 4, all the traits that make Evans a gifted athlete are somewhat negated by his unrefined route running and overall limited knowledge of the position…which isn’t necessarily a knock, since Evans was a high school QB who probably wouldn’t be getting significant snaps like this on many other Top 25 squads. The fact that Clifford is eyeballing Evans on non-garbage time targets speaks volumes about Penn State’s deficiencies at receiver.

So this probably rings a bell. It’s the same corner-post route Evans cooked Ohio on when 15-Allar captured the fickle hearts and minds of Nittany Nation. Just like on that Allar TD, Evans is able to get the Central Michigan CB to flip his hips in the wrong direction – a false step(s) that should equate to a yard or 2 of separation…if Evans was crisper out of his break. Notice the lazy corner step, then the choppy feet and general hesitation at the top of the route? Advantage erased. Evans’ remedial route running shrinks Clifford’s landing pad tremendously, lessening the margin of error on the throw.

Now, can Evans improve throughout the season? Of course. So don’t lose hope just yet.

Another receiving Wild Card that raised our grossly unplucked, connected eyebrows this game because of his mismatch potential vs. LBs and safeties was third-year TE 84-Theo Johnson – specifically on this contested catch. Keep in mind, Johnson failed to bring in a single contested catch in 2021 or 2020, according to PFF….so this was kind of a big deal.