A lot of people are wondering what happened to the Penn State offense.
A unit that helped Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season is now 99th overall in total offense out of 136 teams.
That’s not acceptable, and second-year coordinator Andy Kotelnicki knows that.
Wednesday was the first opportunity the media had to talk with Kotelnicki since fall camp, and he was asked if he could put a finger on why things are how they are.
WHAT KOTELNICKI SAID
“I don’t know,” Kotelnicki said. “You know what I mean? That answer could be so, so long and into stuff, but the reality is it hasn’t gone like we’re hoping. And what do you do? You go to the next play. You go to the next game. You go to the next moment and opportunity. But I don’t really have a good explanation for where it is. You know what I’m saying? Or where it was, I should say. I’m more focused on what it has to be by next week. Do you know what I mean? So there’s not a lot to say. You can point out stats, you can talk about this or that, and those are all accurate. They are what they are. So you have to just go out there and work on getting better. That’s probably not the profound answer that you’re looking for. But you watch tape, and those are things you think about all the time. You try not to make comparisons all the time because that’s the thief.
For Kotelnicki, it’s all about moving on.
“I think one thing I’ve learned in this process is no matter who you have coming back or what, you’re identity or what you are is always going to evolve or change,” he said. “It’s never going to be the same, and that’s week to week and that’s year to year, regardless of the amount of people you have coming back.”
IT DOESN’T GET EASIER
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Andy Kotelnicki
The good news for Kotelnicki and company is that Penn State has five regular-season games left. The bad news is that the first one is against the best defensive unit in the land. Ohio State is giving up fewer than six points per game.
Penn State will have to face that unit on the road with a backup QB. So, it will be pretty difficult.
Penn State-Ohio State is scheduled for noon on FOX.
