What Went Wrong With Penn State's Offense? Andy Kotelnicki Answers

Penn State's offensive coordinator discusses the Nittany Lions' offensive struggles this season.

Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki watches a Nittany Lions practice session outside Holuba Hall. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State's second-year offensive coordinator, brought a cheerful mood to the inquisition. Kotelnicki on Wednesday conducted his first media call of the regular season, and a lot has happened since the last one.

Penn State has lost four straight games, its starting quarterback and its head coach since Kotelnicki last met the media in early August. Meanwhile, Kotelnicki's offense, which had expectations of being among country's most explosive, ranks 54th in efficiency, according to ESPN's FPI, and 99th in total offense. So what happened?

"I don't know, you know what I mean?" Kotelnicki said.

Kotelnicki covered a variety of offensive topics on the Zoom call, including whether he plans to give up play-calling duties for the season's final five regular-season games. "I haven't had that thought," he said. "... I haven't thought about retiring as a play-caller or giving it up."

Here's what else Kotelnicki said about Penn State's offense in what has proven to be a surprising 2025 season.

“What happened?” Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki was asked about his offense this season. His summary:

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RELATED: Penn State's offense finds more issues after loss to Iowa

Kotelnicki on what happened this year

Iowa Hawkeyes defensive linemen Bryce Hawthorne (96) and Brian Allen (90) tackle Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13). | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I don't know, you know what I mean? That answer could be so, so long and into stuff, but the reality is, it hasn't gone like we're hoping. And what do you do? You go to the next play, you go to the next game, you go to the next moment and opportunity. But I don't really have a good explanation for where it is or what it was. I'm more focused on what it's got to be by next week. So there really is not a lot to say. You can point out stats, you can talk about this or that, and those are all accurate. So you've got to just go out there and work on getting better.

That's probably not the profound answer that you're looking for, but you watch tape, and those are things you think about all the time. You try not to make comparisons all the time, because that is the thief. One thing I've learned in this process is, no matter who you have coming back, what you are is always going to evolve or change. It's never going to be the same, and that's week to week and year to year, regardless of the amount of the people you have coming back.

Kotelnicki on the passing game

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

It's fundamentally this, it's three things: protect well enough to throw it, throw it accurately and catch it. That's it. And there's a whole bunch of little sub-bullets in each of those three categories. But if you want to be good at throwing the football, do those three things. And typically, if you're only doing two of those three things, or one of those three things, it's probably not going to be a completion.

So we've got to do a great job protecting, we've got to do a great job of throwing catchable footballs and we've got to do a great job of catching them when they are catchable. And there's a bunch of things in each of those areas that you do to develop those things. So that's what we focus on, that's what we have been focused on, that's what we focus on every week in making sure that those things occur and giving guys opportunities to make a play. So that's about as succinct as I can answer that without getting into film and every specific play about how it broke down and why.

Kotelnicki on whether he's "job-hunting"

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki walks on the field prior to a 2024 game against the Bowling Green Falcons at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

That's a good question, that's a real question. Here's the unique thing. As different as we all are on a college football team — coaches at different points of their career, players at different points of their career — ... the one thing that we all have very in common now is the uncertainty of the future. Now, the future is always uncertain, we all know that. But when something like this happens, the uncertainty is magnified. And we're all in this. So the message is, and our players have done a great job with it, whatever you want for your future as a player or a coach, the best thing you can do is be very present and do a hell of a job with what you're doing today.

... It's hard not to think about those kinds of things, the future and what it holds. But I love our guys and I have an obligation to do the best job I possibly can to help them achieve all their goals individually and then as a football team. So I'm not distracted by it, but I just have my head down working.

Kotelnicki on getting running back Nicholas Singleton on track

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton breaks a tackle to score a touchdown during the second quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

It's about putting him in opportunities to make sure he can showcase what he does well. He's got great speed, and we need to do a good job of getting him on the perimeter, allowing him to get some edges where his speed can show up. His super power has been, when he finds the windows, you hit them full speed and hit them fast.

Those opportunities to hit those windows haven't quite been there maybe as much as they were last year. So it's just about continued reps, opportunities, and then making sure that those opportunities are ones where he's going to have a chance to do what he does well, and that's utilize his speed.