Shippensburg welcomed a departure from the Wing-T attack that had been successful in the past but stagnated late in Rees' run. So it was time for Yurcich and the spread, and he turned to a former high school spread QB named Zach Zulli to run it. When Zulli couldn't get on the field ahead of more experienced passers, he worked as a punt returner and backup running back and receiver. With the arrival of the spread, Zulli returned to quarterback.
It didn't take long for Zulli to develop a comfort with the new offense, and it eventually progressed to mastery. The playbook checked in at around 500 pages and 250 plays, but in action, it was simple to learn. Yurcich would teach by playing every position on the field, demonstrating to his players exactly what he wanted. Sometimes it was showing the quarterbacks the right footwork on a drop-back, teaching a running back how to make a jump cut more lethal, sharpening a receiver's dull route or even refining his offensive linemen's kick slides.