Penn State’s offense has struggled to stretch the field vertically this season, and the downfield passing game has only become more futile after Drew Allar’s season-ending injury. In the last two games against Iowa and Ohio State, the Nittany Lions only completed one pass over 20 yards. Backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer is averaging just 4.25 yards per completion.
The Nittany Lion passing game over the past two weeks has mostly been limited to screens and short passing concepts. While the strategy helps keep plays simple for a young quarterback like Grunkemeyer, it also makes the plays predictable for opposing defenses. Interim head coach Terry Smith said he’s talking with the offensive staff about moving the ball more vertically, rather than horizontally.
“We have to develop the play-action, we have to develop the intermediate game, which is that 12- to 18-yard range, and just take more shots there,” Smith said during Monday’s press conference. “And then obviously you got to take selective five, six, seven shots vertically down the field. I have to get it fixed. We will throw the ball down the field this week.”
Smith made similar remarks last week leading into the Ohio State game, stating that he told offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, “we don’t want to throw the ball so much horizontally, but we want to throw it vertically.”
Penn State’s passing offense has been criticized for several seasons now. It started with a call for the Nittany Lions to get more talented wide receivers via the transfer portal, which they did by adding Kyron Hudson, Trebor Peña and Devonte Ross. Those players have shown flashes, but they haven’t been a consistent solution. Now, the focus has shifted more toward the play-calling and specific personnel usage.
One player who’s shown potential this season is true freshman Koby Howard, who…
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