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Posted by ChrisApplewhite on September 24th, 2007 under Uncategorized
The triple option. No, not 1995 Nebraska triple option, the more modern, spread type. Line up with two backs like this:

Now that is explosiveness. Two speedy, tough runners, a WR playing TE and whichever two WRs we want on the field. Everybody is a threat. Plus, by playing Finley in the slot, we have an excellent blocker out there to use in a couple ways.

This is the option I’m talking about. McGee gets the dive, or zone, or whatever play you want to run here. He is a decisive, strong runner who can handle running between the tackles. We also don’t need to waste a spot on a fullback, using it instead on someone who can hit a homerun on occasion. Knowing that, the end will likely want to pinch down and make Colt keep the ball. Colt reads the end and does so.
But alas! He is not alone anymore. Now instead of having Colt try his hand at running into Big 12 LBs, he can pitch to one of the fastest players in the country in space. It’s basically a zone read with a trailing option. A&M does it really well, WVU does it really well, pretty much any run based shotgun team worth a damn runs it. We don’t. I don’t know why. It puts the pressure on the backside of the defense that we have been missing. It also gives us the numbers advantage the defense usually has. We have 5 blockers, two fake runners and a runner. That’s 8 people to worry about for a 7 man front. And if they are really concerned with Charles and Colt, we hit them with McGee right up the gut:

Now McGee can find space and cut upfield, which is what he does really well. This picture really illustrates what it is this play creates: a 3 on 2 on the edge. We have three options, and they only have two guys to stop it; the linebacker and the end. And if they want to bring an 8th man in the box, not only do we now have one on one matchups outside, but on run downs it lends really well to our WR screen that we run:

Two plays to complement what we already do, put our best players in positions to run and put pressure on the defense. It’s one tiny change that would take us from stagnant to fairly powerful again in the run game.
No, really Evil Greg. It will help us because we can move away from just running the zone play that teams have caught on to and are shutting down. We can once again hit the backside of a defense with speed instead of Colt’s plodding ass.
“You are right, my son.”
Thanks, Angel Greg. I knew you’d listen.
DrkBgrk said:
September 24th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
I want those things too, now, though lil colt running an option sounds like a hurry up plan to get chiles on the field.
ChrisApplewhite said:
September 24th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
He’s there more to distract the DE, more than anything else. You don’t actually want him running.
Rimbo said:
September 24th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
ChrisApplewhite — what the hell’s the Strong Safety doing in the last picture?
ChrisApplewhite said:
September 25th, 2007 at 12:10 am
Falling for the play fake.
Flamingmonkeyass said:
September 25th, 2007 at 12:22 am
Here’s and idea. Replace Finley with Charles. Put Vondrell to the right of Colt, and Chris O. to the left. Now run a zone read to McGee with C.O. leading between the LG and C. Colt then reads the DE as normal. If the DE pinches down he keeps, only now he has Charles on an option pitch. Did I just blow your mind? No? Well I would have just blown G.D.’s. Unlike our offensive coordinator, you’ve got the mental capacity to understand the beauty of what a true running spread game has to offer. Hell a monkey should be able to watch West Virgina and come away with more than what we run. Our bastardized verzion is like adopting the wishbone to run fullback dives. The fact that our athletes are such beasts that they can manufacture this into the occassional big play is enough to make me weep. The subsequent shoveling of praise upon GD for contsrtucting such and offensive machine is enough to make me go George C. Scott at the Oscars batshit crazy.
13evO said:
September 25th, 2007 at 5:26 am
This would be really good package for Chiles to work in. Executed properly, it’s nearly impossible to stop.
Rimbo said:
September 25th, 2007 at 9:42 am
And what happens if he doesn’t fall for the play fake?
Redfoot said:
September 25th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Rimbo, please see “six, pick.”
McLovin said:
September 25th, 2007 at 10:11 am
There is no Angel Greg.
Huckleberry said:
September 25th, 2007 at 11:01 am
If he doesn’t fall for the play fake then we end up with a short completion that goes for a 2-yard gain.
Which would be just devastating to our offense what with our lack of experience dealing with such plays.
Rimbo said:
September 25th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
I think Redfoot’s on the right track.
ChrisApplewhite said:
September 25th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
OK, you don’t understand the play. We’ve run it about 5,000 times and at the most it gets knocked down on a blitz once every two or three dozen times. That’s why we run it so much, it’s safe. Like Huck said, if he doesn’t fall for it, he turns to pursue and catches up with the receiver a few yards down field.
Rimbo said:
September 26th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Why wouldn’t he cover the receiver?
Rimbo said:
September 26th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I’m sorry, I should be more specific — I don’t mean the receiver who catches the ball (at least, not at first), but rather the guy in the slot.
Beergut said:
September 26th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
I’d love to see texas run this series, especially against OU. It’s basically guaranteeing you’ll get your fragile QB killed.
Now, put Chiles at QB, and assuming he actually makes the right read and KNOWS THE PLAYS (something I wonder about after watching him against Rice), you’ve got yourself a nice robust series.
Which means, of course, that Davis will never go for it.
Having Chiles run a little Wildcat/Wildhog series with either Charles or Quan Cosby as the motion back would also be a nice, effective series, especially with your WRs, but Davis will never do it.
MYOB said:
September 27th, 2007 at 5:30 am
Isn’t this essentially what A&M has been running for the past five years?
Trips Right said:
September 27th, 2007 at 6:07 am
CA, I love it. Why not force DC’s to use limited time and resources preparing for two completely different offensive packages? Then, let matchups determine when and how much of the Chiles set to use in a given game.
Eberhart said:
September 27th, 2007 at 8:15 am
Since K-State apparently runs a 3-4, how would this be affected ?
Beergut said:
September 27th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
MYOB:
Davis has taken stuff from A&M before. When A&M had Steve Kragthorpe and Ray Dorr running their offense from 1997-2000, texas would often have a play in their arsenl in the second half of the season that A&M had been running since the beginning of the year.
Eberhart:
Assuming you’re looking at a 4-0-4 or 4-1-4 alignment on the defensive front, you leave the backside OLB unblocked, and zone/double the backside DE, with the LG mving to the second level to block Will, zone/double the NG, with the RG moving to the second level to block Mike, and the LT would reach/seal the platside DE inside. The dive read would be right off the double-team of the NG, pulling Mike to play flow, while the QB and pitch man option the playside OLB. Both WRs go deep/stalk block; TE runs cross/stalks to take SS out of the play. Put Limas Sweed or Billy Pittman at flanker on the weakside, to draw deep cover from the FS.