The return of Mike Yurcich
Before Mike Yurcich was working as a passing game coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, he was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. Yurcich joined Mike Gundy’s staff in 2013 and remained until the 2019 season. The former Cal quarterback heads back to the place where he got his big break in the coaching industry.
On the other side, Yurcich will face off with Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Knowles joined the staff during Yurcich’s final season in Stillwater. During the 2018 season, he got him accustomed to just how they play football in the Big 12 Conference. He spent time at Duke in the same role before joining Gundy.
In the two-plus seasons in Stillwater, Knowles built one of the better defenses in the Big 12. On Saturday, it will be a game of chess. Can Yurcich find a way to beat his old colleague as their units face each other — just as they did for an entire season in practice and scrimmages. This is a tough test for Yurcich. His offense is averaging 45 points per game and that is tops in the Big 12. Knowles’ defense gives up 12 points per game. It is strength vs strength.