Concordia College’s Triple Option (Part I)
By Aaron Willits, Offensive Coordinator
Concordia College (MN)
Using Numbers to Understand
At Concordia College we have ran a variation of the triple option for almost twenty years. I joined the staff in 2011 as the Fullback Coach and have since been promoted to Offensive Coordinator. Having previously played and coached in a Triple Option scheme prior to Concordia College, I was able to bring a new perspective to a traditional concept.
Everything we coach is centered on efficiency and execution. We expect our young men to be accountable and engaged with an understanding to change both offensive line and perimeter blocking schemes at the line of scrimmage to put us in favorable scenarios on the field. Our quarterback has to be well versed in every call that can be made in front of him as they all have a chance to impact his two reads.
The beauty of the Triple Option is you don’t have to block two defenders, which can be read. The hard part is making sure that an extra defender doesn’t make his way to the quarterback’s face. Our primary concern is where that third guy in the face can come from. Most often it is an inside defender scraping over the top. Having run this for an extended period of time we often see changes in defenses in an attempt to stop us. Rather than to focus or describe set rules for each individual defense we took a step back and analyzed our entire scheme to find the base rules that give our young men an opportunity regardless of what they see. Every player on our offense must make the same pre snap read and be able to properly identify the defense for us to be effective. Below are a few defensive schemes with what we label as the pre snap dive and pitch read as well as the #1, #2, and #3 defender counting from the outside in.
Along with numbering our defenders for blocking assignments our quarterback has to be able to count defenders to find the advantage for the play to the left or the right. If the numbers are equal, we work to the side with the best angles for the offensive line and perimeter blockers. Everything being equal, we would as a Triple Option team obviously prefer to work to the wide side of the field.
As we install the Triple Option, our rule for the play side OT and OG is to work a blocking scheme that handles the play side B Gap to the #3 defender. We use multiple schemes depending on if the B Gap is open (no pre-aligned B Gap defender) or closed (a B Gap shaded player or hard slanting defender to it). Which scheme is used on the L.O.S. is determined on field by my play- side OT and echoed down to the backside. On the perimeter, our playside WR and Slot are responsible for blocking the #1 and #2 defender, again with an on field, player determined
blocking scheme. Our playside Slot has the ability to go inside to a #2 defender if he has only one unblocked defender besides the CB outside of him. That one unblocked defender, again not including the CB, is the assumed pre snap pitch read. If I want a particular blocking scheme on any given Triple Option play, I can tag a particular OL call in the huddle, as well as give a perimeter blocking number, 12 or 21, in the examples below. The first number in the sequence corresponds to the WR and his assigned defender number. The second number corresponds to the Slot and his assigned defender number.
Triple Option Defender Recognition vs. 3-4
Pre snap we identify the playside 5T DE as the assumed dive player and the strong side OLB as the pitch. Things are subject to change post snap. As we count from the outside in, we identify the CB as the #1 defender, the Rover as the #2 defender, and the strong side ILB as the #3 defender as designated above. The playside OT and OG will work a blocking scheme to ensure the strong side ILB does not become a third player in the quarterback’s face.
As the QB works down the line we read an area rather than a man: the first defender outside the B Gap for the dive read and the next to show for the pitch read. That teaching allows us to read and react to stunts. On the perimeter we have the ability to block things straight up, WR on CB and Slot on Rover or a 12, or we can cross block it, a 21. We want the Slot always on the force player and the WR on the soft defender. We can signal this, but as we gain experience we read it post snap. This allows the WR to attack the CB and the Slot to release horizontal eyeing the WR block to identify potential CB force before turning vertical to block the Rover force.
Triple Option Defender Recognition vs. 5-2
Pre snap we identify the playside 5T DE as the assumed dive player and the strong side Rover as the pitch. As we count from the outside in, we identify the CB as the #1 defender. The Slot has only one unblocked defender, the Rover, outside of him so he can identify the strong side ILB as the #2 defender. Because of the reduced front there is no playside #3 defender for the OT and OG to work toward so they can stay on the 3T with a true double team. When there is complete understanding of the defender recognition we can make a scheme adjustment on the sideline against this front to change who we identify as the pitch read which changes who we identify as the #2 defender.
For instance, we could identify the strong side ILB as the pitch read which would in turn make the Rover the #2 defender for the Slot to block. This would be a calculated move that the QB would need to have a strong understanding of because now his pitch read is inside of him as he works down the line rather than attacking him from outside in.
Triple Option Defender Recognition vs. 4-3
to be continued …part II will be posted tomorrow.
