Penn State's 'Abysmal' Play-Calling Draws Scathing Criticism From Former NFL Star Brady Quinn After Ohio State Defeat
Former NFL quarterback Brady Quinn ripped into Penn State's play-calling following the Nittany Lions' embarrassing 44-31 loss to Ohio State on Saturday.
Quinn, now an analyst for Fox Sports, called the play-calling by offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich "abysmal" and said it was "one of the worst" he's ever seen.
"I've never seen play-calling that bad," Quinn said during the Fox broadcast. "It was like they were trying to lose the game."
Quinn's criticism was echoed by several other analysts, including former Penn State quarterback Kerry Collins.
"The play-calling was atrocious," Collins said on Twitter. "I've never seen anything like it."
The Nittany Lions' offense was inept throughout the game, managing just 275 total yards. Quarterback Sean Clifford was sacked eight times and threw two interceptions.
Yurcich's play-calling was particularly puzzling in the second half. After falling behind 24-14, the Nittany Lions had a chance to drive for a touchdown and cut the lead to three points. However, Yurcich called three consecutive pass plays, all of which were incomplete.
Penn State eventually punted the ball away, and Ohio State went on to score a touchdown to make it 31-14.
The Nittany Lions never recovered, and the Buckeyes cruised to a comfortable victory.
After the game, Penn State coach James Franklin defended Yurcich's play-calling.
"I thought Mike did a good job," Franklin said. "We just didn't execute."
However, it's clear that Franklin is going to have to make some changes to his offensive staff if the Nittany Lions want to compete for a Big Ten championship this season.