COLUMBUS, Ohio — James Franklin offered an answer to a question last week about Penn State’s offense that can make anyone shake their heads after Saturday.
“You have to understand and figure out what the identity of your team is,” the Nittany Lions coach said then, “and embrace that identity no matter what the outside world is saying.
“You have to be comfortable in your own skin and own who you are and how you have to play.”
They did not embrace their identity in a 20-12 loss at Ohio State, their seventh straight to the Buckeyes. They were not comfortable in their own skin.
Penn State abandoned its running game, even though it was a one-possession game or closer for the first 56 minutes, thanks mostly to its superb defense.
Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich called just 18 running plays and a mind-boggling 50 passing plays.
Even though their two best offensive skill players are running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, so we’ve been told. Even though their wide receivers have struggled to get open and did so again versus Ohio State.
The play-calling went against everything they had done to get to 6-0 and against what Franklin said last Tuesday.
Penn State averaged more than 44 running plays before Saturday, including 57 for 215 yards against Iowa when the Lions grinded out a 31-0 win.
“I felt like we could have run the ball a little more,” Franklin admitted Saturday.
Franklin, Yurcich and other staff members know that they lack an elite receiver like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. Their receivers struggle to create separation with defensive backs, and Saturday was no exception.
So then why put the offense completely on the shoulders of sophomore quarterback Drew Allar when Penn State hadn’t done so all season?
“We didn’t go out and execute like we were supposed to,” said Allar, who blamed himself for the Lions’ offensive woes. “Coach Yurcich did a great job dialing up some shots we had in our game plan. But we as players didn’t execute. We have to figure out why we didn’t.”
Yurcich deserves more blame than Allar. He was not patient like he was in the Iowa game.
In the first quarter, Singleton ran for 20 yards and then for 16 before Yurcich called back-to-back pass plays, which netted minus-3 yards. A series later, Allar lined up in the shotgun formation instead of under center on third-and-1 and threw an incompletion.
On third-and-1 from the Penn State 11 in the third quarter, Allar threw a pass under pressure that was behind Singleton, who couldn’t haul it in.
“We felt coming into this game this (Ohio State) was one of the better short-yardage defenses that we have seen on film,” Franklin said, perhaps explaining why Penn State didn’t run more.
The Lions went 1-for-16 on third down, their only conversion coming in the final minutes on their only touchdown drive. That poor percentage stemmed from being in too many third-and-long situations and from not having faster receivers.
“Drew needs some guys to make some plays for him on a more consistent basis,” Franklin said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
Ohio State had a balanced game plan even with Harrison, who had 11 receptions for 162 yards and one TD. Kyle McCord completed 22-of-35 passes for 286 yards, and the Buckeyes ran 41 times for just 79 yards. They were patient.
Singleton and Allen combined for 74 yards, yet only six running plays were called in the second half. Allar finished 18-for-42 passing for 191 yards and one TD.
It was the first time in at least six years that the Lions had fewer than 20 rushes and more than 40 passes. It was the first time this season they had more passes than runs.
“One of the big mistakes you can make is you get to certain games that some people say are this or that,” Franklin said last week, “and try to be something that you haven’t been.”
They lost track of who they are.
Source: Berkshire mont