Coincidence or Culture ?

[ChandlerPearce58]

Do you remember the infamous 2021 Iowa game when Sean Clifford got hurt? Mike Yurich was our new OC....Clifford could do wrong and PSU was shredding Iowa up 21-3 as we were running thru there defense. Suddenly Clifford gets hurt and everything stopped. Ta' Quan Roberson enters the game and looks like a deer in headlights. From that day forward that offense gone!
Yurich becomes ultra conservative and finally fired. Enter Andy Kotelnicki with great schemes and playcalling....so we were told....and the sun came out and all of Happy Valley rejoiced.
After a good first season....something changed....suddenly the OL forgot assignments, RBs couldn't find daylight to run thru, and our QB shows no sign of improvement. I find it interesting how twice now the PSU offense has started strong under new guidance to tease "It's Alive" only to suddenly regressed into their shell. Different coordinaters...different players of high quality....yet same dysfunctional execution. So I ask....think this is simply a coincidence or is this more a culture, scheme, or a coaching preference ?

 

[BobPSU92]

Need more EXPLOSIVE. PLAYS. .

 

[Erial_Lion]

So I ask....think this is simply a coincidence or is this more a culture, scheme, or a coaching preference ?

The other potentially obvious answer...teams got tape on what we wanted to do in the new schemes and found ways to take it away (and we didn't/haven't unlocked the key to countering that).

 

[BobPSU92]

The other potentially obvious answer...teams got tape on what we wanted to do in the new schemes and found ways to take it away (and we didn't/haven't unlocked the key to countering that).

Could opponents be on to the Wildcat?

 

[ApexLion]

As TFrank said the Oregon defense watched all of the motion and never moved. They just stayed in their lanes or twisted up front, the LBs stayed in the middle of the field and the DBs pushed around the wideouts. You can motion all you want but if everyone plays their assignment, nobody gets fooled.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Could opponents be on to the Wildcat?

They might be surprised to even see Kaytron on the field.

 

[CDLionFL]

Many OCs nowadays think they have all the shiny bells and whistles to show off and they'll be damned that their plays are gonna work no matter how long it takes. Meanwhile, a simple off-tackle run where the blocking is straightforward or a toss sweep to the wide side of the field with a pulling guard can be more effective. There's a lot to be said for basic football but many of today's coordinators don't believe in it. Couple that with a head coach who is obsessed with explosive plays and you have a toxic mixture of failed first downs and 3rd and longs. It's easy to scout PSU's passing game now as the majority of the time they'll use the middle of the field is to the tight end only. Everything else is horizontal or toward a sideline. And whatever was working up front with the blocking schemes last year has been a horrific failure this year with virtually the same personnel.

 

[Psu00]

Many OCs nowadays think they have all the shiny bells and whistles to show off and they'll be damned that their plays are gonna work no matter how long it takes. Meanwhile, a simple off-tackle run where the blocking is straightforward or a toss sweep to the wide side of the field with a pulling guard can be more effective. There's a lot to be said for basic football but many of today's coordinators don't believe in it. Couple that with a head coach who is obsessed with explosive plays and you have a toxic mixture of failed first downs and 3rd and longs. It's easy to scout PSU's passing game now as the majority of the time they'll use the middle of the field is to the tight end only. Everything else is horizontal or toward a sideline. And whatever was working up front with the blocking schemes last year has been a horrific failure this year with virtually the same personnel.

I agree. There appears to be minimal focus on fundamentals of football and an over focus on explosive plays and bells and whistles/ wildcat etc.

Over the past decade plus, it seems the fundamentals have significantly declined. Instead, analytics and explosive plays are the measure used to run the program. That and a focus on “1-0, Indiana, Indiana, Indiana” type stuff.

After watching this for so long, I really wonder if Franklin and company really do a post mortem on each game or just quickly look at stats and general overview before moving on to the next game. It would explain why the same problems never get fixed over multiple years.

Tackling has been subpar at best for years. O line blocking has generally been a mess. Lack of discipline with penalties, giving up 3rd and long, etc. They never really get fixed. Instead of addressing these issues it seems like PSU automatically turns the page to the next game.

I think PSU overcomes these issues and wins most games based on talent differential- until they hit a team with a pulse where it becomes fatal.

 

[PrtLng Lion]

I agree. There appears to be minimal focus on fundamentals of football and an over focus on explosive plays and bells and whistles/ wildcat etc.

Over the past decade plus, it seems the fundamentals have significantly declined. Instead, analytics and explosive plays are the measure used to run the program. That and a focus on “1-0, Indiana, Indiana, Indiana” type stuff.

After watching this for so long, I really wonder if Franklin and company really do a post mortem on each game or just quickly look at stats and general overview before moving on to the next game. It would explain why the same problems never get fixed over multiple years.

Tackling has been subpar at best for years. O line blocking has generally been a mess. Lack of discipline with penalties, giving up 3rd and long, etc. They never really get fixed. Instead of addressing these issues it seems like PSU automatically turns the page to the next game.

I think PSU overcomes these issues and wins most games based on talent differential- until they hit a team with a pulse where it becomes fatal.

^^^ Nailed it. Every. Damn. Game. I have been unable to explain why these things don't seem to get fixed.

 

[BobPSU92]

I agree. There appears to be minimal focus on fundamentals of football and an over focus on explosive plays and bells and whistles/ wildcat etc.

Over the past decade plus, it seems the fundamentals have significantly declined. Instead, analytics and explosive plays are the measure used to run the program. That and a focus on “1-0, Indiana, Indiana, Indiana” type stuff.

After watching this for so long, I really wonder if Franklin and company really do a post mortem on each game or just quickly look at stats and general overview before moving on to the next game. It would explain why the same problems never get fixed over multiple years.

Tackling has been subpar at best for years. O line blocking has generally been a mess. Lack of discipline with penalties, giving up 3rd and long, etc. They never really get fixed. Instead of addressing these issues it seems like PSU automatically turns the page to the next game.

I think PSU overcomes these issues and wins most games based on talent differential- until they hit a team with a pulse where it becomes fatal.

But you have to like our chances.

 

[Woodpecker]

Run the SpreadHD!

 

[Erial_Lion]

Tackling has been subpar at best for years. O line blocking has generally been a mess. Lack of discipline with penalties, giving up 3rd and long, etc. They never really get fixed. Instead of addressing these issues it seems like PSU automatically turns the page to the next game.

FWIW...In the podcast with Sickles that was posted elsewhere, he said "it's really hard for me to kind of sit here and watch what happened on Saturday, because I know coach's mentality...it's always on to the next one, clean up the mistakes, finish strong. Because we know how his practices are. They are to a T, you know, do the fundamentals. Like we know how much time we would spend on tackling. That's what's tough because I know what he does on the script during the week with practice and everything."

As for "lack of discipline with penalties"...we're currently the 5th least penalized team in the country.

 

[DaytonRickster]

I agree. There appears to be minimal focus on fundamentals of football and an over focus on explosive plays and bells and whistles/ wildcat etc.

Over the past decade plus, it seems the fundamentals have significantly declined. Instead, analytics and explosive plays are the measure used to run the program. That and a focus on “1-0, Indiana, Indiana, Indiana” type stuff.

After watching this for so long, I really wonder if Franklin and company really do a post mortem on each game or just quickly look at stats and general overview before moving on to the next game. It would explain why the same problems never get fixed over multiple years.

Tackling has been subpar at best for years. O line blocking has generally been a mess. Lack of discipline with penalties, giving up 3rd and long, etc. They never really get fixed. Instead of addressing these issues it seems like PSU automatically turns the page to the next game.

I think PSU overcomes these issues and wins most games based on talent differential- until they hit a team with a pulse where it becomes fatal.

Listen to the CJF post-game presser. They're all about stats. We blah, blah, blah, they blah, blah, blah.

 

[ApexLion]

But you have to love our chances.

And our mascot.

 

[leinbacker]

You know, I don't think I've seen us run the corner fade this season. Maybe we need to find a short receiver on the portal to bring in and return that to our playbook.

 

[leinbacker]

FWIW...In the podcast with Sickles that was posted elsewhere, he said "it's really hard for me to kind of sit here and watch what happened on Saturday, because I know coach's mentality...it's always on to the next one, clean up the mistakes, finish strong. Because we know how his practices are. They are to a T, you know, do the fundamentals. Like we know how much time we would spend on tackling. That's what's tough because I know what he does on the script during the week with practice and everything."

As for "lack of discipline with penalties"...we're currently the 5th least penalized team in the country.

which could indicate a lack of aggressiveness.

 

[BobPSU92]

which could indicate a lack of aggressiveness.

As a kid, I played YMCA league basketball. After one game riding home with my dad, I said happily that I committed no fouls. My dad, in turn, said that I needed to “mix it up”. Get aggressive and have an impact. One of my earliest recollections of being such an a$$hole.

 

[PSUForever]

Listen to the CJF post-game presser. They're all about stats. We blah, blah, blah, they blah, blah, blah.

And miss the big picture like we win the sack battle but don't track opposing QB rush/scramble yards.

 

[PSUForever]

FWIW...In the podcast with Sickles that was posted elsewhere, he said "it's really hard for me to kind of sit here and watch what happened on Saturday, because I know coach's mentality...it's always on to the next one, clean up the mistakes, finish strong. Because we know how his practices are. They are to a T, you know, do the fundamentals. Like we know how much time we would spend on tackling. That's what's tough because I know what he does on the script during the week with practice and everything."

As for "lack of discipline with penalties"...we're currently the 5th least penalized team in the country.

I have no idea what this means. So they focus on tackling but still suck at it. Like we talk about getting Kaytron more carries but are too incompetent to actually do it

 

[Erial_Lion]

I have no idea what this means. So they focus on tackling but still suck at it. Like we talk about getting Kaytron more carries but are too incompetent to actually do it

It could mean many things...maybe we aren't as bad at it as you think (everyone is focused on their own team...when Kaytron makes someone miss, we think it's a good play by him, and don't think about it being a terrible play by the defender). Maybe guys are practicing it well but it isn't carrying over to games (I can make 20 five footers on the putting green then go out and push one on the 1st hole). Maybe we've got some guys that aren't naturally good tacklers, but don't have a better option behind them.

I don't know...I was just pointing out that it's likely not as simple as "wow, Franklin and all of our DCs are total idiots and they obviously spend time on practicing tackling since we're poor at it". I'm more of a basketball guy than a football guy, but I might liken it to all those that say "we should shoot FTs better, there is no reason that guys shouldn't practice more and shoot it at 90%" when FT shooting had never been better and guy spend ridiculous amounts of time practicing them. (or complaints that we play undisciplined and take too many penalties when we're one of the least penalized teams in the country)

 

[Blair10]

Do you remember the infamous 2021 Iowa game when Sean Clifford got hurt? Mike Yurich was our new OC....Clifford could do wrong and PSU was shredding Iowa up 21-3 as we were running thru there defense. Suddenly Clifford gets hurt and everything stopped. Ta' Quan Roberson enters the game and looks like a deer in headlights. From that day forward that offense gone!
Yurich becomes ultra conservative and finally fired. Enter Andy Kotelnicki with great schemes and playcalling....so we were told....and the sun came out and all of Happy Valley rejoiced.
After a good first season....something changed....suddenly the OL forgot assignments, RBs couldn't find daylight to run thru, and our QB shows no sign of improvement. I find it interesting how twice now the PSU offense has started strong under new guidance to tease "It's Alive" only to suddenly regressed into their shell. Different coordinaters...different players of high quality....yet same dysfunctional execution. So I ask....think this is simply a coincidence or is this more a culture, scheme, or a coaching preference ?

Kotelnicki play calling in game ending critical moments has been abysmal.

Examples:
1) The 4 consecutive running plays against Ohio State in 2024.
2)That ridiculous long jump ball pass intercepted by Oregon in the 2024 B1G championship.
3)The abominable 4th and 2 call against UCLA.

 

[Keyser Soze 16802]

Kotelnicki play calling in game ending critical moments has been abysmal.

Examples:
1) The 4 consecutive running plays against Ohio State in 2024.
2)That ridiculous long jump ball pass intercepted by Oregon in the 2024 B1G championship.
3)The abominable 4th and 2 call against UCLA.

Notre Dame ending......they can't stop our running game so we stop it with a pass play that gets picked off. Game over

 

[PSUForever]

It could mean many things...maybe we aren't as bad at it as you think (everyone is focused on their own team...when Kaytron makes someone miss, we think it's a good play by him, and don't think about it being a terrible play by the defender). Maybe guys are practicing it well but it isn't carrying over to games (I can make 20 five footers on the putting green then go out and push one on the 1st hole). Maybe we've got some guys that aren't naturally good tacklers, but don't have a better option behind them.

I don't know...I was just pointing out that it's likely not as simple as "wow, Franklin and all of our DCs are total idiots and they obviously spend time on practicing tackling since we're poor at it". I'm more of a basketball guy than a football guy, but I might liken it to all those that say "we should shoot FTs better, there is no reason that guys shouldn't practice more and shoot it at 90%" when FT shooting had never been better and guy spend ridiculous amounts of time practicing them. (or complaints that we play undisciplined and take too many penalties when we're one of the least penalized teams in the country)

There is no way Franklin can wiggle out of this dumpster fire he has created. This is on him and he has to take accountability. Hopefully after the third loss, Kraft then lowers the boom meaning, "James, you don't have the support of me nor the university anymore" and that triggers his exit stage left.

 

[Erial_Lion]

There is no way Franklin can wiggle out of this dumpster fire he has created. This is on him and he has to take accountability. Hopefully after the third loss, Kraft then lowers the boom meaning, "James, you don't have the support of me nor the university anymore" and that triggers his exit stage left.

And maybe Saquon is granted another year of eligibility and comes back to help us at RB next year...it's about as likely as Kraft "lowering the boom" on a coach with a 50+ million buyout that was in the semifinal 9 months ago.

 

[Nits1989]

And maybe Saquon is granted another year of eligibility and comes back to help us at RB next year...it's about as likely as Kraft "lowering the boom" on a coach with a 50+ million buyout that was in the semifinal 9 months ago.

I also didn’t expect that Allar, Singleton and Allen would return; that PSU would pay 2 million for an OC and 3 million for a DC from OSU; and spend 700 million on Beaver Stadium, but somehow they pulled it off. People want PSU to be number 1.

 

[Psu00]

I have no idea what this means. So they focus on tackling but still suck at it. Like we talk about getting Kaytron more carries but are too incompetent to actually do it

Yeah. I didn’t see the podcast they were talking about but if they’re allegedly working on it weekly then that’s almost worse. There’s a coaching failure correcting the problem (1 of many). To suggest we may be just imagining it and that the tackling is actually good or that players just aren’t good at it and can’t improve is nonsense.

 

[PSUForever]

And maybe Saquon is granted another year of eligibility and comes back to help us at RB next year...it's about as likely as Kraft "lowering the boom" on a coach with a 50+ million buyout that was in the semifinal 9 months ago.

What support does James have, genius? So you actually have confidence in him after his atrocious record versus top ten opponents plus this horrible dumpster fire of a year? So when we go 7-5 are you still a big Fan boy?

 

[PSUForever]

Yeah. I didn’t see the podcast they were talking about but if they’re allegedly working on it weekly then that’s almost worse. There’s a coaching failure correcting the problem (1 of many). To suggest we may be just imagining it and that the tackling is actually good or that players just aren’t good at it and can’t improve is nonsense.

The excuse makers are unbelievable. Kaytron is not that good as people think so James is the know it all expert here and he doesn't deserve more carries. We practice tackling so stop complaining. We put a spy on Nico but he just outplayed us, blah, blah, blah.....

 

[Erial_Lion]

What support does James have, genius? So you actually have confidence in him after his atrocious record versus top ten opponents plus this horrible dumpster fire of a year? So when we go 7-5 are you still a big Fan boy?

It really doesn't matter if I have any confidence in him, since I'm not giving any $ to the football program or making any decisions. But if we're living in reality, then we're living in a world where we'd owe him $50 million dollars to can him, and that's certainly not happening in the current financial state of the University (and the debt that ICA is already taking on) if it can be avoided.

I've never been the biggest Franklin fan from a coaching standpoint...but he did take this team to a semifinal game 9 months ago, does continue to run a clean program, has the respect of his players and those that make decisions, etc. He's in a lot more danger of getting fired this offseason for stuff off the field (ie, anything more blowing up with the medical lawsuit) than he is for getting fired for a 7-5 season.

 

[PSUForever]

It really doesn't matter if I have any confidence in him, since I'm not giving any $ to the football program or making any decisions. But if we're living in reality, then we're living in a world where we'd owe him $50 million dollars to can him, and that's certainly not happening in the current financial state of the University (and the debt that ICA is already taking on) if it can be avoided.

I've never been the biggest Franklin fan from a coaching standpoint...but he did take this team to a semifinal game 9 months ago, does continue to run a clean program, has the respect of his players and those that make decisions, etc. He's in a lot more danger of getting fired this offseason for stuff off the field (ie, anything more blowing up with the medical lawsuit) than he is for getting fired for a 7-5 season.

He is not as safe as you think. That semifinal game? Yeah the game we lost that we should have won. And we were only in the semifinals because we were gifted the easiest draw known to man.

 

[Ram20]

Some have mentioned it here and I have said it for a long time.....the obsession with "explosives" is *** backwards. Explosive plays are a byproduct of a lot of good, clean, fundamental plays that hurt the defense- we don't run or execute enough of these type of plays. Its like a jab in boxing, you keep throwing them, the other boxer gets worn down, concerned for yet another jab, then comes a haymaker. We instead plan for haymakers with jabs sprinkled in and it just doesnt work. Yes, Franklin is right, a lot of focus in football at the college and NFL level on explosive plays, but they are an outgrowth of running your bread and butter plays well, wearing the defense out, and taking shots that are unpredictable. We've had some years where we were built for big plays and we got a lot of them, but you'll remember, our defense was on the field to long and TOP become a huge problem. As others have mentioned, if I was Franklin, id commit to having 5-6 simple plays designed to get 4 yards and become really good at them, run some variations of these plays often, and then a few times....take some shots once the defense thinks they know whats coming. And something he doesnt seem to realize is plays like this can turn into explosive plays once a defense is tired. Its not all deception, rather repeated execution. His philosophy is that of a recent collage grad saying "I want to make sure im rich based on my W2" each year but not doing the integral little things daily that lead to success.

 

[WVilleLion23]

I have to laugh at all the time and energy many of you still are taking to argue about Franklin. He lost me with the UCLA loss.

He is our coach though until he isn’t and none of us have the power to make that change sooner, despite the fact that some of you think you can help influence that change.

Save your time and energy, and getting worked up over it.

 

[BobPSU92]

I have to laugh at all the time and energy many of you still are taking to argue about Franklin. He lost me with the UCLA loss.

He is our coach though until he isn’t and none of us have the power to make that change sooner, despite the fact that some of you think you can help influence that change.

Save your time and energy, and getting worked up over it.

We can’t change it? Was I misled?

 

[K-Live]

As TFrank said the Oregon defense watched all of the motion and never moved. They just stayed in their lanes or twisted up front, the LBs stayed in the middle of the field and the DBs pushed around the wideouts. You can motion all you want but if everyone plays their assignment, nobody gets fooled.

yea, and we have a completely gassed WR group by the end of the 1st quarter because of all the gd motionioning that fools nobody. No wonder they can't get separation, they are ******* spent!

 

[KingLando]

He is not as safe as you think. That semifinal game? Yeah the game we lost that we should have won. And we were only in the semifinals because we were gifted the easiest draw known to man.

We did have the easiest path to a title game anyone will ever have in a 12 team playoff.
To be fair; I also though the semifinal appearance bought him at least 3 years but not when you add Knowles then that defense fails to close out Oregon then no shows against UCLA.
Gotta win out which I dont think anyone believes we can or will do.

 

[Catch1lion]

Need more EXPLOSIVE. PLAYS. .

I think the Athletic had us 12th in the BIG 10 for the season.
AK has got this.

 

[BBHorn86]

Franklin is the one constant... take that for what it says... and he continues to recruit the wrong type of QBs to play the offense the OC he hires like to run. Give AK Beau and a year of reps with the first team and our offensive woes are history. DA is not a good fit for what AK runs. Period.

 

[Paws057]

Need more EXPLOSIVE. PLAYS. .

From watching the game last week it looked like a lot of plays 'blew' up!

 

[Paws057]

Could opponents be on to the Wildcat?

Not a chance! They also can't figure out the 'jet' sweep....

 

[BobPSU92]

Franklin is the one constant... take that for what it says... and he continues to recruit the wrong type of QBs to play the offense the OC he hires like to run. Give AK Beau and a year of reps with the first team and our offensive woes are history. DA is not a good fit for what AK runs. Period.

I would love to be a fly on the wall when Franklin brings in a new offensive coordinator. Franklin brings in guys who were successful elsewhere and who ran an offense he liked. To what extent does Franklin force that offense into his framework? When Franklin hired Kotelnicki, I recall Franklin saying something like they would blend Kotelnicki’s offense with “the things we like to do here”. Do offensive coordinators feel handcuffed? Kotelnicki’s offense at PSU does not look like his offense at ku. Consider Yurcich at osu vs. PSU. I doubt that PSU has inferior talent on the field.