Another week, another triple-option offense.
After falling 21-16 to Army Saturday in West Point, New York, the Blue Devils will face off against the same offensive style this week against Georgia Tech. The offensive system employed by both the Black Knights and the Yellow Jackets relies primarily on running the ball, with passing looks sprinkled in sparingly.
Through the first four weeks of the season, the then-undefeated Blue Devils’ rushing defense ranked second in the country, surrendering a meager 65.3 rushing yards per game. Since this early stretch, Duke’s attempts at stopping the run have been fruitless—the squad relinquished 207.3 rushing yards per game in its last six contests, which would amount to one of the twenty worst clips in the nation if extrapolated to the full season. The precipitous drop from elite to atrocious in run defense is one of the major factors behind the Blue Devils’ ongoing six-game skid.
The triple-option offense is keen on misdirection. Well-executed plays can exploit gaps with ease, especially if the quarterback is also capable of airing the ball out. Georgia Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall has excelled when opting to carry the ball this season—his marks of 934 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground rank third and second among quarterbacks in the country, respectively.
The Hamilton, Ga., native’s longest rushing gain on the season came during the Yellow Jackets’ recent contest against Virginia, in which they fell short 40-36. On Georgia Tech’s first play from scrimmage in the second half, Marshall sprinted for a touchdown dash of 78 yards.
Note the misdirection on the left side of the field that allowed Marshall to find a gaping hole to accelerate through. Before the snap, No. 28 J.J. Green motions to the left side. Marshall fakes a handoff to No. 30 KirVonte Benson, and No. 1 Qua Searcy accompanies Green to the left side of the field, bringing their assigned defenders with them.
Meanwhile, left guard No. 75 Parker Braun and left tackle No. 53 Jahaziel Lee pull and charge to the sparsely defended right side of the field, successfully blocking the only two Cavaliers between Marshall and the open field. This is a perfectly executed installment of the triple option and demonstrates the near impossibility of stopping a well-run misdirection play drawn up by the Yellow Jacket head coach Paul Johnson.
Georgia Tech rarely looks to throw the ball due to its offensive style. Marshall has completed just 4.2 passes per contest, a clip that seems more fitting for a 1917 offense rather than one in 2017. In last week’s 28-22 upset win against then-No. 17 Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech connected for just two passing completions. But these two plays culminated in touchdowns of 60 and 80 yards. Let’s take a look at Marshall’s game-winning touchdown pass of 80 yards to Ricky Jeune.
Hokie defensive back No. 6 Mook Reynolds is caught biting on the run and takes a quick step toward the line of scrimmage. This allows his Jeune to get a step behind Reynolds on his fly route. There is no safety helping deep, and the Yellow Jackets’ receiver is able to race into the end zone for a score.
With Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense coming to town, Duke needs to be alert on defense. Johnson’s offense thrives on deceit, so it will be key for the Blue Devils’ defenders stay true to their assignments, preventing big plays out of the Yellow Jackets.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.