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Unless you've been traveling in the far reaches of the world without wifi, you know by now that Penn State has named Fordham head coach, Joe Moorhead, its new offensive coordinator. It's a brilliant move and we will do our best to continue to convey its brilliance in the coming weeks, but for today, let's think about what to expect in year one.
In 2015, Joe Moorhead's Fordham Rams were an offensive juggernaut. Just for comparison's sake, and ignoring that they play in very different conferences, let's compare Penn State's 2015 offensive stats with those of Fordham.
| Penn State | Fordham | |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 23.7 | 36.8 |
| Yards per game | 344.0 | 453.2 |
| Passing yards per game | 208.9 | 272.3 |
| Rushing yards per game | 135.1 | 180.9 |
| Passing efficiency | 123.8 | 168.3 |
| First downs per game | 16.5 | 21.8 |
| Third down percentage | 28% | 45.6% |
Yes, the difference in the quality of opponents is massive between the Patriot League and the Big Ten, but at a certain point, the disparity between the numbers becomes too great to ignore.
However, it's not really fair to expect Moorhead to be able to come in and implement his system to the fullest extent in one season, and expect Penn State's offensive numbers to rise to the level of 2015 Fordham's, not right away. A lot of it could depend on who is playing quaterback next season, whether it's Christian Hackenberg, Trace McSorley, Tommy Stevens, Jake Zembiec, or someone yet to be committed (Brandon McIlwain?).
Penn State should certainly be expected to improve offensively in 2016, but what should those realistic expectations be? What are you expecting from Joe Moorhead's offense in year one of his Penn State tenure?