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Dec. 27—ATLANTA — The morning after Penn State’s 24-15 loss to Michigan in November was difficult for everyone inside Lasch Building.
If a third straight defeat to the Wolverines wasn’t hard enough to digest, Nittany Lions coach James Franklin also fired Mike Yurcich as offensive coordinator.
Franklin then appointed interim co-offensive coordinators, running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle. They spoke to the offensive players at a meeting that day, tried to restore confidence and encouraged them to finish the season strongly.
“Coach Seider and Coach Howle rallied the troops in a sense,” quarterback Drew Allar said, “and did a great job of that.”
Strategically, Seider and Howle aimed to put Penn State’s best offensive players in their best positions. They sought to make things less complicated.
“Our motto since we took over is: simplicity equals speed,” Seider said Wednesday. “We don’t want guys thinking. We want them to go play. We’ve recruited well. We’ve got great talent.
“The worst thing they can do is go into a game thinking what they could or should be doing instead of just reacting to what the defense is doing and taking advantage of our skill.”
The Lions defeated Rutgers 27-6 by rushing for 234 yards and then pulverized Michigan State 42-0 by gaining a season-high 586 total yards.
Seider and Howle hope to continue their success when No. 10 Penn State (10-2) meets No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2) in the Peach Bowl Saturday at noon (TV-ESPN) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“We’ve done a great job of playing to our strengths,” Seider said, “and making sure the right guys get the right touches, giving guys confidence.”
Seider and Howle played high school football for their fathers, Seider in Belle Glade, Fla., and Howle in Raleigh, N.C., so it’s no coincidence that they chose coaching as their…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-interim-co-offensive-045000086.html
Author : Reading Eagle, Pa.
Publish date : 2023-12-28 04:50:00
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