Coach ,

Andy Kotelnicki made an impact for Penn State in helping them get to the new College Football Playoff in 2024. Post-Spring, ESPN ranked them #1 going into the 2025 season. With Drew Aller back and added weapons at receiver on offense, the Nittany Lions look loaded.

There’s two things that stick out in how Coach Kotelnicki runs offense. His organization and how he thinks about handling a plus one box. Let’s take a look at each of those aspects and how Coach Kotelnicki does it.

Quantifying the Call Sheet

One of the key factors in effective play calling is understanding down and distance statistics. Coach Kotelnicki pointed out the results of their study and what they know will come up on average per game.  

By meticulously evaluating game averages over the years, you can determine the frequency of various down and distance situations you will encounter during a game. Armed with this knowledge, you can develop a comprehensive call sheet that covers all possible scenarios. 

This analysis helps you allocate practice time efficiently, ensuring that your team is well-prepared for the most common down and distance calls you are likely to face.

To cover all situations Coach Kotelnicki and his staff will put together 90-105 calls each week.  This covers all situations that they might encounter. He explains it in this video.

Video: Situational Call Sheet

What to do with a +1 Box

Coach Kotelnicki points out the are four primary approaches that can be adopted to neutralize the plus one box. The first strategy involves opting for a pass play, exploiting the defensive focus on stopping the run. However, it is important to acknowledge situations where throwing the ball may not be the most suitable choice, such as when time management or personnel limitations come into play.

Another effective approach is to read the extra defender in the box, which is where the Run-Pass Option (RPO) concept becomes critical. By analyzing the movements and positioning of the additional defender, quarterbacks can make quick decisions to either hand off the ball or execute a pass play. This reading ability allows offenses to keep the defense guessing and opens up opportunities for successful plays.

Running away from the extra defender is another viable strategy to counter the plus one box. By implementing well-designed perimeter run plays, such as outside zone plays or sweeps, offenses can exploit the defensive alignment and create mismatches. The objective is to force the extra defender to chase the play away from their positioning, thereby nullifying their impact on the play. 

Additionally, challenging the defender to make the tackle becomes the fourth strategy. This approach requires confidence in the offensive line's ability to create running lanes and the ball carrier's ability to break tackles. By daring the extra defender to make the play, offenses can apply pressure and potentially gain significant yardage.

“Arrow” RPO - to Read the Extra Defender

The extra defender can come from each level. In this example, Coach Kotelnicki explains the read off of the linebacker. The way the play is set up and the keys are pretty simple for the quarterback allowing for a quick decision and an easy throw. He illustrates several examples in this video:

Video: Arrow

This team should be fun to watch with a multi-dimensional offense. Coach Kotelnicki has no shortage of weapons in 2025.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. Get both of Coach Kotelnicki's presentations here and save over 50%: