As Penn State heads toward its first game post-Mike Yurcich, coach James Franklin continues to offer some insight as to how the Nittany Lions will look different after the firing of the third-year offensive coordinator Sunday. After practice Wednesday, Franklin discussed which members of his staff will step up, how the group has responded to Yurcich’s dismissal and what’s different as the team prepares for its home finale against Rutgers on Saturday.
“It’s been very collaborative with everybody in the room, really all week long,” Franklin said. Wednesday. “I think that’s been a real positive. Players have been great, as well, not only from a game-planning perspective but also getting up in front of the team, whether it’s in a team meeting or post-practice. The guys have been great. I’ve been very pleased with how they’ve handled it.”
Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle, both of whom carried co-offensive coordinator titles under Yurcich, will be Penn State’s interim offensive coordinators. Franklin would not reveal which will be calling plays Saturday. Seider will be stationed on the sideline while Howle will be in the booth.
“We got two guys that will both be involved with calling the offense,” Franklin said.
Graduate assistant coach Danny O’Brien is taking the lead with the quarterback room, as expected. Franklin has been more of a presence in meetings in the quarterback room, and the 10th-year coach praised how O’Brien has handled his increased responsibilities.
O’Brien has connected with quarterbacks Drew Allar, Beau Pribula and Jaxon Smolik while serving as the liaison between the booth and the sideline when Yurcich was calling plays from the booth this season, and the quarterback room has strong feelings about him as a rising coach in the industry.
“I got a ton of respect for [O’Brien],” Franklin said. “And I’m biased because I’ve known him for a long time, but I think the staff feels in a similar way, and I know the players feel that way. Drew came to see me, specifically about him, when this all went down to make sure his feelings were crystal clear on Danny.”
Offensive analyst Robb Smith, a former defensive coordinator at a number of Power Five programs, will take over the headset vacated by Yurcich, and Smith will coach from the booth.
“Just one of our most experienced guys,” Franklin said. “He’s been a defensive coordinator at Duke, he’s been a defensive coordinator at Rutgers, he’s been a defensive coordinator at Minnesota. Just a very experienced guy that we think can bring a lot of value to us.”
During his post-practice media session Wednesday, Franklin was asked a couple times how the week was different in terms of game-planning and the approach. On Monday, when he discussed Yurcich’s firing publicly for the first time, Franklin said there was already increased collaboration among the coaching staff as preparations for Rutgers began.
With kickoff for the home finale and Senior Day at Beaver Stadium approaching, Franklin reiterated that point.
“I’ve been pleased with the process and how the coaches have approached it throughout the week and all the voices in the room speaking up and giving opinions,” Franklin said. “You bring an idea up and everybody kind of thoroughly investigates it and checks the film to see if it makes sense, and then we move forward or not. I think it’s been a real healthy dialogue in there and we’ll see what that equates to on Saturday. But I’ve been pleased with the process. I’ve felt good about the process and the prep.”
Franklin’s involvement was noted by one of the veterans on the offensive side of the ball.
“I’ve noticed it, and it’s a lot of yelling,” offensive lineman Caedan Wallace said Wednesday night. “That’s just Franklin. He’s driving stuff. He’s pointing guys in the right direction and has definitely taken a step up from the weeks past.
“It’s not like he’s been quiet before,” Wallace added. “He’s always been with the offense throughout practice. But I’d say this week, just his ability to add extra, I don’t even know how to put it, maybe like pressure for certain guys that he’s yelling at — that makes the offense better. Just his presence, it’s driving us.”
During Wednesday evening’s practice, Franklin kept a close eye as Howle and O’Brien oversaw the quarterbacks and pass-catchers and Seider continued to drill his running backs during the media’s practice viewing window. How this offense looks for the final two regular season games, plus a bowl, remains to be seen.
But the returns behind the scenes have been good in Franklin’s view.
“I think it’s been more collaborative,” Franklin said. “There’s a lot of different ways to do it. Some people break up into separate rooms, so you don’t get group think, get different ideas. There’s a lot of ways to do it. A lot of people do it different ways. We’ve done it different, obviously, since the change, and I do think it’s been really collaborative and been really good discussions and healthy dialogue and healthy confrontations about different ideas and subjects. I think it’s been good, and there’s been hours put on. We’re obviously down a man, so there’s been a lot of hours put in, guys [are] here early and staying till late. Ja’Juan and Ty have just done a really good job. There’s been some adjustments and things that have been made. They’ve been organized. They’ve done a really good job.”
What will that yield Saturday? Time will tell.
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