Penn State fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on Sunday, one day after their 24-15 loss to rival Michigan on Saturday. Penn State said running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle will serve as interim offensive coordinators for the final two games against Rutgers and Michigan State. Yurcich has been with Penn State since 2021 as quarterbacks and offensive coordinator. He had stints as quarterbacks coach and coordinator at Texas, Ohio State and Oklahoma State before landing at Penn State.
The Nittany Lions managed just 238 total yards and two touchdowns, and scored just 27 points combined in their two losses against Michigan and No. 3 Ohio State. Coach James Franklin said on Sunday: “We’ve got to do a better job of calling a game to allow a quarterback to get into a rhythm … We thank Mike for his contributions over the last three years but feel it is in our program’s best interest to make a change at this time. We wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.”
Quarterback Drew Allar has also had an inconsistent first season as a starter; he said on Saturday: “I’m not the type of guy that’s going to put the blame on anybody else. To me, it’s always looking yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and seeing what you did good and bad and just learning from it. It is what it is. I personally feel like I didn’t play well enough to win the game today so that’s what it is.”
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