The Midline Triple Option at Ripon College (Part I)
By Rick Coles
Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach
I have been an under-center triple option offensive coordinator since 1990. I still believe the best way to run triple option is from under center. It is my opinion but I know others disagree. I think under center gives the sharpest angle between the LOS, mesh, and dive read, forcing the dive read to have to commit quicker and flatter, making the read easier for the QB. Until 2006 we were predominately an inside veer, traditional midline, counter option system, complimented with play-action and sprint-out passes.
In the spring of 2006, I made a trip to Bucknell University under then head coach Tim Landis. At that time Bucknell was a triple option program. I spent a great deal of time with offensive coordinator/line coach Ashley Ingram (current run game coordinator/line coach at Navy) and QB/FB coach Brent Thompson (current head coach at The Citadel). They, along with Slots Coach Matt Lintal and offensive assistant Steve Hayes, were very generous with their time and knowledge.
That trip proved to be a game changer for Ripon College as they taught me the midline triple. Because of the “twirl” motion of the playside Slot, there is a misdirection flavor to the play. This misdirection freezes the FS for an instant, slowing down his alley fill. The FS will also, then, slow down on inside veer because with the quick Slot motion prior to the snap, the FS doesn’t know if the play is going the direction of the motion (inside veer) or coming back the other way (midline triple). The FS must now sit for an instant and determine which direction the play is going AFTER the snap before he can fill. The same concept also prevents the linebackers from “leaning” before the snap, slowing their flow, and helping to open up inside veer.
Midline triple is an excellent play vs. an even front. If their front four is better than your offensive line, midline triple gives you an answer. If your guard can’t handle their DT on inside veer, and/or your tackle can’t turn out the 5 tech on traditional midline, run midline triple and don’t block either one of them.
Vs. a 3-4 slant nose, midline allows the center to come off the ball and take the nose where he wants to go, faster than he wants to get there, and have the FB cut off the center’s block. If the 3-4 4I/5 techs and OLBs are coming hard inside on a double fire in an attempt to disrupt inside veer by giving the QB a quick pull-pitch read, run midline triple. The dive and pitch reads are the same vs. a 3-4 for both inside veer and midline triple. However, midline triple meshes further inside (behind the center) than inside veer, giving the QB more time to make the reads vs. double fire.
We feel that inside veer and midline complement each other very well. Once you have taught inside veer and traditional midline, midline triple is easy to teach. The O-Line blocking rules from the playside guard to backside tackle are the same for midline triple as they are for traditional midline. The playside tackle’s midline triple rule is the same as it is for inside veer, with one “except-for” (vs. a 4-3). The QB-FB mesh and dive read are the same for both midlines. The playside Slot’s blocking techniques and rules are basically the same, after twirl motion, as they are for inside veer. So, once you’ve taught inside veer and traditional midline, there is very little new teaching for midline triple…just adaptation.
