The challenge with trying to answer the overarching question “Is Andy Kotelnicki doing a better job than Mike Yuricch?” is that much of the data is similar.
Consider this:
In the 36 games Yurcich was with the program, Penn State scored 28 or more points on 26 occasions. Through nine games on campus, Kotelnicki has done the same six times.
Yurcich helped guide Penn State to scoring a notable 31 points in State College [yes, in a loss] while Kotelnicki has seen his offense score at least 28 points in all three road games so far this season.
In 2023 Penn State was ranked 29th in rushing offense. In 2024 Penn State is ranked 30th.
The comparisons continue, but the overarching vibe is the same - they both have largely done good things, but they’ve both come up short too. So the answer isn’t cut and dry.
But there are three interesting stats to keep in mind.
Penn State has run 581 offensive plays this season, 103rd least in the nation. Meanwhile the Nittany Lions average 6.89 yards per play, the eighth-best per play average in the country. The mark of 6.89 yards per play is the best Penn State has posted over the previous eight seasons. [For some arbitrary comparison, Ohio State is 108th in offensive plays run, but 47th in yards per play.]
Penn State is ranked fifth in the nation in completion percentage after finishing last season ranked 82nd. Since 2016, Penn State had finished in the Top 50 of completion percentage just twice: 2017 (9th) and 2022 (37th).
A similar aside - Penn State averaged 5.09 yards per play against Ohio State this year after averaging 3.53 yards per play against the Buckeyes in 2023. In fact, Penn State has averaged more than five yards per play against Ohio State just three times in the past nine meetings.
There is obviously no award for gaining yards in a game that you still lose, but in the continued unpacking of Penn State’s offense, there’s something to be said for Kotelnicki here. That’s maybe hard to write with a straight face when talking about a game where Penn State didn’t score an offensive touchdown, even so, there was a lot to like about certain aspects of the Nittany Lions’ offensive performance.
Moving on to Allar, it’s hard to argue that he has been anything but the best version of himself while at Penn State this season. He’s confident, throwing the ball well and Penn State is reaping the benefits. The split on this being Allar or Kotelnicki is somewhere in the 50/50 range.
And of course, until Penn State starts winning against the very top of the conference - or in the playoffs - at a more frequent rate this will sound like a pitch for moral victories, but there’s something to be said for a team finding its way to 8-1 behind higher level of efficiency from its offense. If nothing else it starts to help us answer the original question.
PSU scored 31 at home if you are referring to the 2022 matchup.