Triple Option

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

(was also in the ODAC in the late 90s and never lost to W&L even though they were never the worst team we played either)

Very true about Kehres. From Ballard, Borchert & Smeck through the latest incarnations, they've always done what they have the players to do.

The '05 championship season was one of the most impressive too because I think that was not only the first without Montgomery, but I think like Matt Campbell or somebody was calling the plays and Zac Bruney maybe was in on it, and Vince had the D ... someone correct me if I'm sketchy on the details. (I'm sure I wrote about it and could look them up on this here site). But basically many of the key assistant coaching spots turned over and Larry let them grow into their roles during the course of the season with just enough hands-on and just enough hands-off.

I seem to remember Coach Kehres taking over the offensive play calling duties in the Stagg bowl that year though...

Who called the plays during the 2003 Stagg?

Come on, a Johnnie has to cling to that.

Speaking of the Johnnies, they ran a "quadruple option" in the late '70s, including during their 1976 title. Set a bunch of rushing records and Gagliardi basically installed it after first using his kids as guinea pigs in the backyard during the summer.

Probably LK, but who called the SJU plays in 1993?

[sfury]

I don't recall that game. The teams met that year? 

Actually, per SJU tradition, and especially since the guy was a senior that year, the QB probably called the plays.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

That was the year we left the sprinklers on all night and flooded the field.

[K-Mack]

I know you were kidding, but LK took the blame for the Burghardt pick to Zauhar.

That '03 St. John's team is a great example though of what makes Mount Union and now UWW so great. SJU has many of the same advantages -- going on the recruiting trail able to tout great coaching, great tradition, championships -- yet they are not able to sustain the same level of dominance. St. John's is frequently highly ranked and ends up in the playoffs, but they stumble every now and again.

Mount Union and UWW over six seasons have never stumbled (in the playoffs anyway). That's remarkable and speaks more to how good they are than how bad everyone else is or how weighted the system is. They can be beaten. They trail or are within one score in the second half of a lot of these games ... and they keep pulling them out.

Anyway, here's '05 as recapped in that year's YIR. Item 29:

Found what I was talking about re: Kehres. Just occurred to me that wasn't on this thread, but HSCoach it was item 29.

Candle and Campbell called plays, and Bruney coached QBs.

http://archive.d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/2006-01-27/105+ways+to+remember+2005

And yes, somehow this all relates to the triple option. lol

[dlippiel]

dlip must say he loves him some triple option! 

To dlip, for the most part, it seems as if teams running the TO have not really made deep runs into the playoffs at any college level (for the most part). You have Springfield and Salisbury among other respected programs that run this O, that are usually in the top 25 discussion, and have success within their respective leagues but overall these teams are few and far between.

Do you build a team around your O or your O around your team? To dlip buidling your offense around the talent and ability you have makes the most sense and seems to be most effective.

We have seen, at certain levels, the TO helping teams with size/skill disadvantages (ex. military academys) play up to higher competition with some success. We have also seen some teams with top level talent/size etc (Georgia Tech) struggle to break a plateau and reach a certainn level of success that is expected from them.

The triple option is beautiful when run well but just to one dimensional in the end for dlip to really put any worth behind it. he will always love watching teams run it though.

[etbu27]

dlip must say he loves him some triple option! 

To dlip, for the most part, it seems as if teams running the TO have not really made deep runs into the playoffs at any college level (for the most part).

Ok I realize you said (for the most part) but check this. Navy and GT both got their offence from Georgia Southern...A team that was started in 82 and since won 6 National Championships, 2 national finalists, 8 Southern Conference championships an overall winning percentage of .721 and in the playoffs they boast a 41-10 record...Though I dont remember our all time playoff destinations I know we made it to the national semifinal again this season..The triple option works.

That being said I think its slightly ineffective at the FBS level because there the teams in bowl games have a month or moe straight to "relearn" defense. but when you have just a week in the playoff format....its unstopable if executed well.

[Ralph Turner]

From the ASC board

NY Times article

"My San Antonio" article

Creator of the Wishbone as a Darrell Royal assistant coach.

He coached the legendary Breckenridge Buckaroos to state championships in 1958 and 1959 and then the 1966 San Angelo Bobacats out of UIL 3-AAAA.  District 3-AAAA was known as the "Little Southwest Conference", when only the district champion made the playoffs.  That district had numerous state finalists from San Angelo Central, Abilene Cooper and Odessa Permian in those years from the mid 60's onward.

[frank uible]

The triple option reaches at least as far back as the late 30s with Don Faurot and the University of Missouri, the wishbone originating in the 70s being only one form of the triple option.

[Ralph Turner]

The triple option reaches at least as far back as the late 30s with Don Faurot and the University of Missouri, the wishbone originating in the 70s being only one form of the triple option.

Thanks for the info/leads, Frank.

I googled Don Faurot to find out more.

This was the webpage that gave the most info quickest.

http://www.mutigers.com/trads/miss-split-t.html

This article about the Split-T discusses how the Split-T came to Oklahoma U with Jim Tatum and Bid Wilkinson from Faurot's time coaching at Iowa Pre-Flight in World War II.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-T

[frank uible]

You are welcome.

[etbu27]

Im hoping the option makes a comeback. Im tired of the Spread, and Air Raid, and Pistol. Boring. IMHO

[02 Warhawk]

Im hoping the option makes a comeback. Im tired of the Spread, and Air Raid, and Pistol. Boring. IMHO

There's a reason why you don't see triple-option teams go deep into the playoffs anymore. They're too one demensional to succeed, especially against a quick defense.

Nothing boring about winning championships

[etbu27]

....definitely not trying to be THAT guy. But I disagree with that. See my previous comment. Its about an intelligent offense taking advantage of any and every defensive breakdown.

[doolittledog]

But, it's one dimentional.  You find a team that can shut it down and it becomes a boring game because you know that team has no other answer for the defense that can shut down the triple option.  Give me a team that can run and throw the ball in a balanced attack any day of the week. 

Georgia Tech has had an advantage recently because the other ACC teams have not seen other teams running the triple option.  Now that the othe ACC teams have had a few years to study Tech they will start figuring them out and shutting them down. 

[02 Warhawk]

....definitely not trying to be THAT guy. But I disagree with that. See my previous comment. Its about an intelligent offense taking advantage of any and every defensive breakdown.

rarely do you see it succeed....if it's so successful, then every offensive coordinator will be using it. That's why Army, Navy, etc resort to use this offense....these teams realize they don't have the offensive talent to compete with the bigs boys so they use the tiple option (smoke and mirrors) to try to win.

Very rarely do championship caliber teams (USC, Texas, Alabama, Auburn, Mount Union, UWW, etc...) utilize that style of offense....and there's a good reason for that.