How Penn State football OC Mike Yurcich is impacting offense with development, creativity
Penn State head coach James Franklin paused for a moment when he was asked Wednesday evening what impresses him the most about offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.
Yurcich was hired by Franklin on Jan. 8 and has been tasked with bringing the Nittany Lions’ offense back to where it was in previous seasons. So, five games in — and five wins in — what is one of the things that’s impressed the head coach the most?
“He’s a creative guy and loves plays.”
What?
“I know that sounds somewhat ridiculous as an offensive coordinator,” Franklin said. “But he loves plays. I think his creativity and his ability to complement and set up one play to the next, I think has been really good.”
Yurcich’s love of plays has stood out so far this season and has been part of the reason the offense is in the position its in.
The Nittany Lions are undefeated and look like a much-improved offense under Yurcich in his first year at the helm of the unit. The success is thanks, in part, to what he’s drawn up schematically and how he’s called games, but more importantly for the impact he’s had on redshirt senior starting quarterback Sean Clifford.
So where does that come from and why does Yurcich utilize so many unique formations? The answer for him is simple.
“Well, my wife, she loves trick plays. She inspires me,” Yurcich said with a laugh. “No, I’m just kidding. But she does. Who doesn’t? But they gotta be effective. ...The creativity and that sort of thing, you’re just trying to create space. It’s not about sex appeal, it’s about efficiency. That’s all we’re trying to do. We’re trying to disguise, free guys up and put our best players in space. If that takes me standing on my head, then I’m gonna stand on my head. It doesn’t really matter how we get there, as long as we do it.”
Yurcich’s love of designing an offense has created an excitement with his players, as well. Players like Noah Cain, Brenton Strange and Jahan Dotson haven’t been able to contain their smiles when they’ve been asked about what’s to come from the offense and the creativity involved. Clifford has even made note in the past about the possibilities in the various alignments.
The offensive coordinator said that’s the other part of the appeal of drawing things up creatively.
“I think one thing about a little innovation in your offense is that the players really enjoy it,” Yurcich said. “They love it. They embrace it. ... That’s what it takes. We can all sit here and think of a really cool play, but if the players don’t own it, then it won’t matter what the design is. So, really the players get the credit.”
While players like Clifford and his offensive teammates have enjoyed the creativity, it’s Yurcich’s impact on the starting quarterback specifically that may have had the biggest impact on the team this season. Clifford struggled with turnovers last season — including throwing a career-high nine interceptions in only nine games played — and questions remained about his ability to protect the football.
Through the team’s first five games, which included difficult matchups against strong defenses such as Auburn and Wisconsin, the redshirt senior has put those questions to bed for the most part. He’s thrown three interceptions with only one of those really being his fault. One of the other two was a heave late in the first half against Auburn and the other was a pass that hit wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith squarely in the hands before deflecting into the air against VIllanova.
Clifford gave plenty of credit to Yurcich for his ability to hang onto the football and listed that first among things the offensive coordinator has helped him with.
“I think that starts with respecting the football and protecting the football,” Clifford said. “Making sure that I’m making decisions in a timely manner and being confident with what I see. He’s done a lot of different things for me.”
The quarterback and the offensive coordinator will both need to be at the top of their games this weekend. Penn State is traveling to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in front of hostile crowd in Kinnick Stadium.
Not to mention, the opposing defense leads the nation in turnovers and interceptions this year, while still stymieing their opponents in other situations.
This task will be near the same level of the one the team faced when it took on Wisconsin in the season opener on the road, with the added obstacle of the high number of turnovers Iowa has been able to generate.
That hasn’t changed much for Penn State, however, as it prepares for the game. Clifford and his teammates always practice protecting the football and this week is no different.
“(Turnovers are) extremely critical,” Clifford said. “But I mean it’s critical every single week. We talk about the turnover battle all the time, so it’s nothing new. I think, obviously, maybe emphasized just because of how well they’ve been doing, 16 turnovers leading the country — it’s definitely a stat that pops out. But, yeah, it doesn’t change our philosophy. We’re a take care of the ball type team anyway, so it goes right along with what we do.”
Practice can help. but few things can replicate just how swarming the Hawkeyes have been this year and there won’t be any way to know the impact that practice has had until the team takes the field in Kinnick Stadium.
Yurcich has helped Clifford take a major step forward this season, but Saturday’s test is the mid-term. It’s time for both teacher and student to prove they’re ready for the moment against one of the biggest challenges they’ll face all season.
This story was originally published October 7, 2021 at 3:21 PM.
