Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is searching for answers to what has gone wrong with his offense this season.
A year ago, Kotelnicki engineered one of the nation’s most productive attacks, ranking in the top 10 nationally at 6.4 yards per play.
This fall, Penn State’s offense has fallen to 79th in that same category, with overall production down nearly 18%.
A reason for the decline has been the regression of senior running back Nick Singleton.
Singleton’s rushing production has been nearly cut in half from last season, dropping from 6.4 yards per carry to just 3.6.
During his media availability this week, Kotelnicki was asked what can be done to help Singleton return to his 2024 form.
“It’s about putting him in opportunities where he can showcase what he does well,” Kotelnicki said. “He’s got great speed, and we need to do a good job of getting him on the perimeter—allowing him to get some edges where his speed can show up. His superpower has been that when he finds the windows, he hits them full speed. Those windows just haven’t quite been there.”
Last season, Singleton’s most explosive runs came off the left end, where tight ends Tyler Warren and Khalil Dinkins consistently set the edge, helping him average 9.5 yards per carry.
This season, Singleton is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry on those same plays.
His second-best rushing lane a year ago came off the right tackle, where he averaged 8.7 yards per carry. That number has plummeted to 2.3 this season.
Kotelnicki believes the key to reviving Singleton’s effectiveness is continued repetition and confidence.
“It’s about continued reps and opportunities,” Kotelnicki said. “We’ve got to make sure those opportunities allow him to do what he does best—and that’s utilize his speed.”
