Penn State Football: Yurcich Looking to Get Tight Ends Involved, but That’s Easier Said Than Done

Penn State football is looking to get its tight ends more involved in the offense as the season rolls along but scheme and game plans might get in a way of that group becoming a much bigger piece of the Nittany Lions’ offensive attack.

“We can get it to him a little bit more, I think for sure,” Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said on Thursday of tight end Brenton Strange in particular. “… We have a plan every week to get our tight ends touches and need to continue to build on that and make them a big part of this offense. They’re very talented group.”

To his credit, so far this season Strange has, in fact, been part of Penn State’s passing attack with fairly high efficiency, his 15 catches for 231 yards and four touchdowns, third-best on the team as one of just three Nittany Lions with more than 200 yards receiving. Strange sits just behind Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington in total receiving yardage, although his touchdowns are the most among his fellow teammates.

There is, of course, a schematic challenge when it comes to getting Strange, and fellow tight ends Tyler Warren and Theo Johnson, involved in the offense: they need to block. Penn State’s play-action attack and increasingly run-heavy style has made Strange and Warren in particular a key piece of the ground game in the trenches. Simply put, it’s hard to get tight ends the ball if the tight ends are busy blocking.

“The thing about tight end touches and some of the things that are challenging, sometimes you’d like to chip tight ends, especially in a drop-back pass game so you can help the tackle out,” Yurcich added. “Well, if you’re chipping it’s hard for them to be primary receivers, so they’re typically checked on that situation. And then furthermore, if you’re running play-action pass, a lot of times they’re involved in the the run action as well. So to be able to get the tight ends a lot of times you have to drop-back pass. And we’re in that area where play-action pass is really important for selling the run. And so therefore, you’re a little conflicted. [However] it is very important we get them the ball, but those are the things that maybe a layperson really doesn’t fully understand. Yeah, we want to throw it but we want to also help our offensive line. And yes, we also want to play-action pass, and then you have to find creative ways in order to get those tight ends freed up and make them primary receivers without risking the loss of yards that can happen on drop-back passes.”

Whatever the case might be, Strange is certainly ready to make his hands available for pass catching as much as blocking. The rising star in Penn State’s offense has logged just two catches the past two weeks after picking up 11 against Central Michigan and Auburn. Scheme, weather and Michigan’s defensive line played a big part in this swing, but Strange is still hoping all the offseason work can turn him into a more consistent weapon.

“I think I prepared myself,” Strange said earlier this week. “I think all the tight ends pushed each other a lot this off-season. We knew we were going to have a bigger role this season. We had a big role last year, too, but it’s different this year. We’re leaders for this team and we want to be there to execute when our numbers are called and be a leader for our team.”