When Mike Yurcich was hired to be Penn State’s offensive coordinator before the 2021 season, there was a lot of optimism and a high level of expectation surrounding the program. Yurcich had a proven track record of success and his style and scheme seemed to fit perfectly in State College.

Things didn’t quite go as planned, though. Penn State’s rushing attack struggled and the Nittany Lions closed the year with a 7-6 record despite owning one of the top defenses in the B1G.

Penn State fell well short of expectations — which was to compete for a B1G title last fall.

On Monday, James Franklin talked about Penn State’s offensive struggles last season, Yurcich’s first running the show on that side of the ball. There’s certainly room for improvement moving forward.

“I think Mike would be the first one to tell you that he had greater expectations than the way things played out,” Franklin said, per Onward Sports. “Moving forward, I am comfortable and confident that we can make significant strides this year.”

Penn State concluded the season ranking ninth in the B1G in scoring (25 points per game), seventh in total offense (376.5 yards per game) and 13th in rushing production (108 yards per game).

Those numbers aren’t good enough to win a conference title, especially the rushing offense. This spring, it’s going to be a focus for the Nittany Lions.

“It needs to be something we make sure we get enough reps on this spring,” Franklin said. “Making sure these 15 practices that we’re getting enough reps there from a scheme perspective, from a technique perspective.”