How Penn State's Mike Yurcich Helped Ohio State Land CJ Stroud

The Lions' offensive coordinator spent a season at Ohio State, where he helped recruit the Buckeyes' quarterback.

Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich spent just one season on Ohio State's coaching staff, but it certainly was eventful. He helped the Buckeyes to the 2019 Big Ten title, coached quarterback Justin Fields to third in the Heisman Trophy voting and helped recruit CJ Stroud.

In fact, as Ohio State coach Ryan Day recalled Tuesday, Yurcich joined him on an in-home recruiting visit in California when Day was supposed to be in Atlanta. It's a good story and segue into this week's Penn State-Ohio State game at Beaver Stadium.

Yurcich, whose Penn State offense rebounded strongly in a 45-17 win over Minnesota last week, gets another creative challenge Saturday vs. No. 2 Ohio State. The Buckeyes ranks among the nation's best in total defense (No. 2), scoring defense (No. 5) and fewest third-down conversions allowed (No. 2). It's led by Jim Knowles, another coach quite familiar with Yurcich. The two spent a year together on Oklahoma State's staff in 2018.

After that, Yurcich left for Ohio State, where he spent the 2019 season as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. That year Yurcich guided Fields to a season in which the quarterback threw 40 touchdown passes, totaled 3,273 passing yards and recorded the nation's third-highest efficiency rating (181.4). What happened after the season will impact Penn State directly Saturday.

As Day said, five days after winning the 2019 Big Ten title game, he was supposed to be in Atlanta for the Home Depot College Football Awards Show. Instead, he and Yurcich were in California meeting with Stroud and his family. Day said he was fined for missing the show.

"We were doing a home visit with CJ Stroud, so they can fine us whatever they want," Day said.

Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud leads the nation in efficiency and touchdown passes this season :: Joseph Maiorana/USA Today Sports

Stroud, who joined Ohio State's 2020 recruiting class, leads the nation this season in efficiency rating (203.85) and touchdown passes (28) and ranks second in yards per attempt (10.8). Franklin called Stroud the "trigger man" of Ohio State's offense.

"He's the one that distributes the ball to all those different playmakers and does a really good job doing it," Franklin said. "He throws on the run as well as he throws from the pocket, which is somewhat unusual. He's leading the Heisman race for a reason."

And Penn State fans can thank their offensive coordinator in part for that.

"He was a big hand in that [recruiting process]," Day said of Yurcich, who added that the coordinator has "a very good mind, is very sharp, always creative and a very good playcaller."

No. 13 Penn State hosts No. 2 Ohio State at noon ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium. FOX will televise.

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