Triple Option

[Henny]

I was reading an article in the Delaware paper that Del. State will be playing BCC a triple option team. Delaware played Rhody two weeks ago who also runs it. At the I-A level I know its down to Navy and Air Force. What I-AA teams are left after GSU stopped running it.

It is fun to watch when clicking and im a big fan of the offense.

[I Bleed Purple]

Well, Urban Meyer's spread offense will run the triple option play occasionally. Usually it's either one part of the triple or the other, but it does sometimes have the triple.

[vmisport]

I was reading an article in the Delaware paper that Del. State will be playing BCC a triple option team. Delaware played Rhody two weeks ago who also runs it. At the I-A level I know its down to Navy and Air Force. What I-AA teams are left after GSU stopped running it.

It is fun to watch when clicking and im a big fan of the offense.
VMI is just starting and has a lot of work to do over the next couple of year to make it effective.

[MR. CHICKEN]

AH BELIEVE SOME TEAMS...DAT RUN UH VERSION O' DUH OPTION:

NICHOLLS STATE
CAL-POLY
BUCKNELL

BUK!...BUK!...BUK!.......BRRAAAWWWWKKKKK!:p

[Umass74]

I thought Georgetown runs the Navy option.

[MR. CHICKEN]

I thought Georgetown runs the Navy option.

PILGRIM....ALTHOUGH GEORGETOWN HEAD MAN...KEVIN KELLY.....IS UH FORMER NAVY ASSISTANT.........THE STATS FROM THE BOX SCORE......O' GEORGETOWN-
COLGATE......SUGGESTS.......DUH BULLDOGS........ARE NOT AN OPTION ATTACK:

16 FIRST DOWNS
5 RUSHIN'
10 PASSIN'
1 PENALTY

TOTAL PLAYS 58
28 RUSHES
30 PASSES

COLGATE WON 31-14........DON'T KNOW THAT AN OPTION ATTACK WOULD CHUCK DUH PIGGY DIS MUCHO.....EVEN IN UH LOSIN' CAUSE....:D...AWK!

[89Hen]

I thought Georgetown runs the Navy option.
Not in the game I went to.

[kats89]

We will it next week vs Nicholls St. who has been successful with it over the years. Not many teams left that run this offense.

[Umass74]

16 FIRST DOWNS
5 RUSHIN'

Looks like my bad. :)

[ErkPeterson]

I thought Georgetown runs the Navy option.
You mean the Georgia Southern option? Or the "PJ" option will suffice as well
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f352/ErkPeterson/GSU/chaz.jpg

[slostang]

AH BELIEVE SOME TEAMS...DAT RUN UH VERSION O' DUH OPTION:

NICHOLLS STATE
CAL-POLY
BUCKNELL

BUK!...BUK!...BUK!.......BRRAAAWWWWKKKKK!:p
Cal Poly does run an option offense, but it is more of a spread offense that will run the option play to the outside. I would like to see them run the triple option out of it though.

[Umass74]

You mean the Georgia Southern option? Or the "PJ" option will suffice as well

You mean the Rhode Island option (http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1585181986/ref=sib_dp_pt/002-2446754-5564864#reader-link), of course.

[MrTitleist]

I personally love the triple option. It's a really intricate offense that has to be executed to perfection or it won't work. Air Force is probably the most noted team that runs it, but the problem is that their QB is basically a glorified running back with an arm.. so if a team stops Air Force on the run, the chances of them winning are slim to none. They have no vertical game. The triple option can be really effective if a QB can get vertical with his receivers on the natural bootleg that occurs with the triple option.

I watch Air Force whenever I get the chance just to see the offense. Urban Meyer's offense is a spread option.. not really even close to the triple option. A lot more shotgun formations are run from Urban's offense. It was a very well run offense when he was at Utah with a mobile QB like Alex Smith. Now in Florida I don't know that it's quite as effective (even though the offense is still good) since Leak isn't quite as mobile as Alex Smith.

But it is becoming a rarity in college football.. it's a real complicated offense and has to be executed VERY perfectly for it to be successful. The day that Fisher DeBerry retires... I think that's when it probably dies.

[gsuwinsudont]

When Meyer was putting together his spread O he came down to Statesboro to talk with Paul johnson. His objective was to encorperate option plays to his passing attack. While he does not run exclusive triple option like navy or airforce the TO (from the shotgun) is present in the playbook. The slot WRs will act like the slot or "A" backs in the flex bone version of the play and be in motion prior to the ball being snapped. Chris Leak's successor Tim tebow at UF has run the play about 3 times this season that i could see, and i know that Alex Smith ran the play alot at Utah with Meyer.

[Tailbone]

Montana ran a version of the triple option last year.
Based on UMeyer's spread, the QB would hand the ball (from shotgun, seven yards deep) to Lex Hilliard and run him right into a 9 man box, time after time after time (three times per series, thus triple option):bang: . If they would have run this year's offense last year.....Hilliard would have run for 15,000 yards (yes, that was fifteen thousand, folks)

Glad we don't run it anymore.xsmileyclapx

[UNHWildCats]

Montana ran a version of the triple option last year.
Based on UMeyer's spread, the QB would hand the ball (from shotgun, seven yards deep) to Lex Hilliard and run him right into a 9 man box, time after time after time (three times per series, thus triple option):bang: . If they would have run this year's offense last year.....Hilliard would have run for 15,000 yards (yes, that was fifteen thousand, folks)

Glad we don't run it anymore.xsmileyclapx
1,000 rushing yards per game?? xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xidiotx xidiotx xcoffeex

[Tailbone]

1,000 rushing yards per game?? xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xidiotx xidiotx xcoffeex

Minimum!:smiley_wi

And, if UNH played the MSU bobcat defense every week this season.....Santos would complete 100% of his passes for 75,000 yards.

Oh, and I never exaggerate!

[GannonFan]

I personally love the triple option. It's a really intricate offense that has to be executed to perfection or it won't work. Air Force is probably the most noted team that runs it, but the problem is that their QB is basically a glorified running back with an arm.. so if a team stops Air Force on the run, the chances of them winning are slim to none. They have no vertical game. The triple option can be really effective if a QB can get vertical with his receivers on the natural bootleg that occurs with the triple option.

I watch Air Force whenever I get the chance just to see the offense. Urban Meyer's offense is a spread option.. not really even close to the triple option. A lot more shotgun formations are run from Urban's offense. It was a very well run offense when he was at Utah with a mobile QB like Alex Smith. Now in Florida I don't know that it's quite as effective (even though the offense is still good) since Leak isn't quite as mobile as Alex Smith.

But it is becoming a rarity in college football.. it's a real complicated offense and has to be executed VERY perfectly for it to be successful. The day that Fisher DeBerry retires... I think that's when it probably dies.

There will always be some teams that run it, but it's clear that if you want to watch old-style option, triple option, spread option, or Wing T, then you have to watch high school. A lot of those offenses work great at that level because you don't need huge hulking linemen to run it and your running backs don't need to be incredible either - it is more about execution more often than it is talent.

[AggiePride]

From a defensive perspective, I find assignment football boring.

I also think it only really works these days because it is not as common. Once a defense has some experience with it, it can be stuffed. It can become pretty ugly for a team that relies on it when facing an experienced defense. You can really just start pounding on each of the options, and then come the turnovers.. etc..

But then, if you have the athletic talent like GSU.. etc.., you can make it work in many situations. But I still think it is a poor choice against good defenses that have experience with it. You could find better ways to use that talent when there is no real "shock" value to it...

[fuEMO]

Furman has ran the triple option since Art Baker days. IMO we still haven't seen all the wrinkles BL has planned with Gray at the helm. I think Gray is the best passer Furman has ever had at rolling out of the option and passing. The guy can fling it on the run.

This photo shows Gray after making the pitch to Gipson on the edge.
http://static.flickr.com/86/246515083_92ac649108.jpg?v=0

[dungeonjoe]

There will always be some teams that run it, but it's clear that if you want to watch old-style option, triple option, spread option, or Wing T, then you have to watch high school. A lot of those offenses work great at that level because you don't need huge hulking linemen to run it and your running backs don't need to be incredible either - it is more about execution more often than it is talent.

Which I think is one reason that Wofford still runs a variation of it. At this year's game with South Carolina, I think it helped. I remember reading the defensive coordinator's quote earlier in the week of the game saying he would make no special adjustments in Carolina's defense for Wofford; it almost cost them the game.

[Mr. C]

From a defensive perspective, I find assignment football boring.

I also think it only really works these days because it is not as common. Once a defense has some experience with it, it can be stuffed.

But then, if you have the athletic talent like GSU.. etc.., you can make it work in many situations. But I still think it is a poor choice against good defenses that have experience with it. You could find better ways to use that talent when there is no real "shock" value to it...
A poor choice against good defenses? When run correctly, the Georgia Southern/Erk Russell/Paul Johnson spread option (they were the ones who originally named the their offense the SPREAD OPTION, Urban Meyer can go jump in a creek) is as tough to beat as any offense. I've seen it bring many great defenses to their knees. Georgia Southern won SIX I-AA titles with it in 25 years. The reason they switched has NOTHING to do with a drop in effectiveness. Teams like Georgia Southern and Nicholls State have been on the top of the national rushing stats and total offense stats for years. Just because you don't like defending it doesn't mean it isn't a great offense. Southern Conference schools saw it every year and it didn't make Georgia Southern any easier to stop. Just ask the defensive coordinators at Appalachian State and Furman.

Teams that still run the Georgia Southern option are:
Rhode Island (Tim Stowers ex-Georgia Southern head coach).
Nicholls State
Bucknell
Central Connecticut State (coach Jeff McInerney is a former Georgia Southern and Rhode Island assistant).
Georgia Southern is still running it in goal line situations, with dynamic Jayson Foster back at QB.

Wofford runs the wing bone, which is based on the Jim Brakefield versions of the wishbone (former brialliantly innovative Wofford and Appalachian State head coach from the 1960s and 70s), with a dash of Wing T thrown in.

VMI coach Jim Reid is an old wishbone coach. He told me this summer that he still believes in the option (which has been a great offense for military schools through the years, remember Charlie Taffe's Citadel teams?). Reid just needs to have the right personel recruited to bring it back.

Alvin Wyatt's offense at Bethune-Cookman is another hybrid option, which has elements of the Georgia Southern in it. He has said that there is Georgia Southern influence in his attack.

[dungeonjoe]

I'll take effective over flashy any day.

[Baldy]

Alvin Wyatt's offense at Bethune-Cookman is another hybrid option, which has elements of the Georgia Southern in it. He has said that there is Georgia Southern influence in his attack.
Being Brad Bernard, B-CC's Offensive Coordinator, played for Georgia Southern from 86-89, it makes perfect sense to me. :nod:

[AggiePride]

A poor choice against good defenses? When run correctly, the Georgia Southern/Erk Russell/Paul Johnson spread option (they were the ones who originally named the their offense the SPREAD OPTION, Urban Meyer can go jump in a creek) is as tough to beat as any offense. I've seen it bring many great defenses to their knees. Georgia Southern won SIX I-AA titles with it in 25 years. The reason they switched has NOTHING to do with a drop in effectiveness. Teams like Georgia Southern and Nicholls State have been on the top of the national rushing stats and total offense stats for years. Just because you don't like defending it doesn't mean it isn't a great offense. Southern Conference schools saw it every year and it didn't make Georgia Southern any easier to stop. Just ask the defensive coordinators at Appalachian State and Furman.

Teams that still run the Georgia Southern option are:
Rhode Island (Tim Stowers ex-Georgia Southern head coach).
Nicholls State
Bucknell
Central Connecticut State (coach Jeff McInerney is a former Georgia Southern and Rhode Island assistant).
Georgia Southern is still running it in goal line situations, with dynamic Jayson Foster back at QB.

Wofford runs the wing bone, which is based on the Jim Brakefield versions of the wishbone (former brialliantly innovative Wofford and Appalachian State head coach from the 1960s and 70s), with a dash of Wing T thrown in.

VMI coach Jim Reid is an old wishbone coach. He told me this summer that he still believes in the option (which has been a great offense for military schools through the years, remember Charlie Taffe's Citadel teams?). Reid just needs to have the right personel recruited to bring it back.

Alvin Wyatt's offense at Bethune-Cookman is another hybrid option, which has elements of the Georgia Southern in it. He has said that there is Georgia Southern influence in his attack.

Run correctly, to me, means having the athletes to do so.

I never said it can't be effective, I said that with the same personel (or quality of personal) I think there are better offensive schemes. Who's to say that any of those teams could not be more effective with a different scheme and the same players. One exception (which is why I pointed out quality of personal) could be recruiting a QB with the right skill set, but then that is a question of recuiting towards your particular scheme.

At some point the high quality talent you bring in will make almost any offensive scheme effective. Good players make plays. i.e. GSU.

That's just my opinion. There is no denying that GSU made it effective or had a great offense. But could it have been better?

And yes, I think if you do not have the athletes it is a poor choice against good defenses.

[bobbythekidd]

LOVE the Option Attack. That being said there are weaknesses.
1. A team is compelled to stack a bulk of the talent on one side of the ball.
2. It leaves little room for depth because of the time it takes to learn (to do well).
3. It is hard to make a comeback against a better team, both offence and defence.

[bobbythekidd]

You mean the Georgia Southern option? Or the "PJ" option will suffice as well
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f352/ErkPeterson/GSU/chaz.jpg
I also love this picture. It is a testiment to how it works.

[GeauxColonels]

We're definitely a triple-option team. We average around 50 passing yards a GAME. We threw the ball 3 times against Nebraska...not because they kept us from throwing, but because we just don't throw too often.

We ran it VERY well last year and it worked GREAT for the majority of the first half of the Nicholls State/Louisiana Tech game earlier this season. The offense really hasn't been clicking so far this year, however.

[I Bleed Purple]

When Meyer was putting together his spread O he came down to Statesboro to talk with Paul johnson. His objective was to encorperate option plays to his passing attack. While he does not run exclusive triple option like navy or airforce the TO (from the shotgun) is present in the playbook. The slot WRs will act like the slot or "A" backs in the flex bone version of the play and be in motion prior to the ball being snapped. Chris Leak's successor Tim tebow at UF has run the play about 3 times this season that i could see, and i know that Alex Smith ran the play alot at Utah with Meyer.

Explained better than I could have.

Most of the time I see either side of the option. They'll either run the slot option, or the H-back option that the Atlanta Falcons are running with Vick and Dunn. Then a few times they'll run both options on the same play, making it a triple option.

[BULLDOG8180]

I personally think there are two reasons why we don't see more of the triple option (true triple- reading the dive, keeper, and the pitch)

1. finding true option QB's. Why can't they be found- high schools don't run it as much. Finding QB's that are smart enough and durable enough. QBs in the triple option take a beating.

2. Defenses more complex, and the defenders have gotten so big and so fast, DEs and DTs can run as fast as the RBs.

[Mr. C]

I personally think there are two reasons why we don't see more of the triple option (true triple- reading the dive, keeper, and the pitch)

1. finding true option QB's. Why can't they be found- high schools don't run it as much. Finding QB's that are smart enough and durable enough. QBs in the triple option take a beating.

2. Defenses more complex, and the defenders have gotten so big and so fast, DEs and DTs can run as fast as the RBs.
I would love to see The Citadel back in Charlie Taffe's wishbone. On point one, the FB takes more punishment than anyone else in the PJ option. Adrian Peterson used to get hit on virtually every play. Point two, speed helps a lot on combating the option, but you can get stopped and stopped and stopped and then break one play for a TD. It's still one of the toughest offenses to defend and is a great equalizer for less talented teams and a great distancer for teams with a lot of talent. I've seen Georgia Southern blow out a lot of good teams over the years.

[Baldy]

I personally think there are two reasons why we don't see more of the triple option (true triple- reading the dive, keeper, and the pitch)

1. finding true option QB's. Why can't they be found- high schools don't run it as much. Finding QB's that are smart enough and durable enough. QBs in the triple option take a beating.

2. Defenses more complex, and the defenders have gotten so big and so fast, DEs and DTs can run as fast as the RBs.
I disagree....To me the #1 reason we don't see more TO is because the coaching pool is very shallow. There aren't many coaches who truly know how to run that offense.

Finding option QB's was never really a problem for GSU. If there was a problem it was teaching the QB how to effectively run the offense. What I mean is teaching the QB how to make the correct reads, and in the TO, there are tons of reads that have to be made. It's pretty easy to "fake it" in high school, but not in college.

IMO, the more complex the defense the more advantageous it is for the Triple.

[polyfanman]

run the triple option because they started realizing it doesnt work anymore..its too easy to defend...teams that run the option have switched to mainly the speed option with some form of mis direction happening....cal poly runs the double option out of a spread formation.. triple option doesnt even work that well in HS anymore

[Baldy]

I would love to see The Citadel back in Charlie Taffe's wishbone. On point one, the FB takes more punishment than anyone else in the PJ option. Adrian Peterson used to get hit on virtually every play. Point two, speed helps a lot on combating the option, but you can get stopped and stopped and stopped and then break one play for a TD. It's still one of the toughest offenses to defend and is a great equalizer for less talented teams and a great distancer for teams with a lot of talent. I've seen Georgia Southern blow out a lot of good teams over the years.
And in my opinion, AP was the beginning of the end of the TO at Georgia Southern. AP was, by far, the best FB ever to play in the TO, and he changed the way we ran the offense even after he left.

Pre-AP, 12-15 carries per game and 800-900 yards per year was considered optimal for a FB in the TO. AP set those averages on it's ear. AP averaged 24 carries per game and over 2000 yards per year. With production like that, the slotbacks became less involved in the offense, but it really didn't matter.

IMO, we tried to replace AP with Jermaine Austin, and it made us one dimentional by drifting further and further away from the true triple and into a more Veer/Midline option offense. Austin was great, but he was no AP. Instead of using Austin as the workhorse, we should have "went back" to the roots of the triple and gotten the Slotbacks more involved.

Just my humble, uneducated, but honest opinion. :)

[Baldy]

run the triple option because they started realizing it doesnt work anymore..its too easy to defend...teams that run the option have switched to mainly the speed option with some form of mis direction happening....cal poly runs the double option out of a spread formation.. triple option doesnt even work that well in HS anymore
The next time Navy plays on TV, watch. :nod:

[BULLDOG8180]

I disagree....To me the #1 reason we don't see more TO is because the coaching pool is very shallow. There aren't many coaches who truly know how to run that offense.

Finding option QB's was never really a problem for GSU. If there was a problem it was teaching the QB how to effectively run the offense. What I mean is teaching the QB how to make the correct reads, and in the TO, there are tons of reads that have to be made. It's pretty easy to "fake it" in high school, but not in college.

IMO, the more complex the defense the more advantageous it is for the Triple.

Bold above was exactly what I was speaking of.

However, I disagree, there aren't tons of reads, really only the possiblity of 3 or 4 per play. The tough thing about it is the speed that it has to be read. You can not be successful running it if there is any hesitation.

[BULLDOG8180]

I would love to see The Citadel back in Charlie Taffe's wishbone. On point one, the FB takes more punishment than anyone else in the PJ option. Adrian Peterson used to get hit on virtually every play. Point two, speed helps a lot on combating the option, but you can get stopped and stopped and stopped and then break one play for a TD. It's still one of the toughest offenses to defend and is a great equalizer for less talented teams and a great distancer for teams with a lot of talent. I've seen Georgia Southern blow out a lot of good teams over the years.

Yeah, I agree, the FBs take a lot of punishment, but he is usually in a good "football position" and delivers a blow also. The QB is often in postion to receive kill shots as he makes a last second pitch to the HB.