At Georgia Tech, the spread option has sprouted more options
Ninety-five yards and a cloud of dust. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
We know Paul Johnson’s offense, right? A-backs go in motion. B-back gets the bulk of the carries. Quarterback throws passes that can’t be caught by man or bird.
OK, scratch that. We knew Paul Johnson’s offense. But the spread option as currently deployed by Georgia Tech is forcing us to reassess.
Option football is based on the triple option, wherein a quarterback keeps the ball and runs himself, hands it to the back bursting up the middle or pitches it to a man on the flank. With Joshua Nesbitt as on-field administrator, options were essentially reduced to two: He’d keep the ball or hand it to his up-the-gut B-back.
In 2009, Nesbitt and B-back Jonathan Dwyer carried 514 times; the top four A-backs carried 181 times. Last season Nesbitt and backup quarterback Tevin Washington — Nesbitt broke his arm in November, you’ll recall — and B-back Anthony Allen rushed 512 times; the top three A-backs rushed 151 times.
It’s not as if that way was a bust. In its first three seasons under Johnson, Tech finished fourth, second and first among FBS schools in rushing. But that was a different sort of rushing, and here’s how you can tell: The B-back has always been the featured ballcarrier in Johnson’s offense — Dwyer had consecutive 1,300-yard seasons, and Allen topped 1,200 last year — but in 2011 the starting B-back hasn’t yet had a 100-yard game. David Sims has carried 30 times, which matches the number of carries allotted to the A-back crew of Orwin Smith, Embry Peeples and Roddy Jones.
Granted, this could be a function of opposition. Western Carolina, Middle Tennessee and Kansas might not have had anybody capable of defending the perimeter. It could also be that, in Washington, Tech has a quarterback whose favored option isn’t to run it himself.
This isn’t a knock on Nesbitt. He was a tremendous college player who would take any dare. But Washington isn’t as powerful as Nesbitt, and the new man is less apt to carry four defenders five yards for a needed first down. When in doubt, Nesbitt trusted himself to make a play. Washington seems to trust his mates a bit more.
As a consequence, we’re seeing a rushing attack predicated less on power than on speed and deception, and the results have been breathtaking. (Indeed, Tech has trotted out a T-shirt bearing the pertinent numbers from the Jackets’ destruction of Kansas.) It’s tempting to call this a true triple option, except that Washington has added a viable fourth way.
The forward pass is no longer a forlorn hope. Nesbitt left Tech having completed 43.1 percent of his passes as a starting quarterback, and without Demaryius Thomas to outfight defenders that percentage would have been far worse. Washington completed four passes against Kansas — for a total of 164 yards.
The Jayhawks cheated toward the line to try to stop the run, and the A-backs ran past them. And — key difference — Washington hit them in stride. Said Johnson: “Those are the plays we haven’t completed the past couple of years. He’s throwing them where they can catch them. That’s the idea.”
Well, yes. And now a defense has to defend not only the keep and the handoff, but the pitch and the throw. In sum, it has become a spread option in the fullest sense.
On sheer talent, there’s no current Jacket who’s a match for Nesbitt or Dwyer or Allen or Thomas, but that’s not the point. This is a crew that fits a specific scheme — and the line, it must be noted, is doing some road-grading — and that scheme has worked wherever Johnson has taken it.
We shouldn’t expect it to keep working quite so well. (Through three games, Tech leads the nation in total offense – by 74 yards a game over No. 2 Oklahoma State.) Neither should we expect it to stop working. Johnson knows his business, and he recruited these players for a specific purpose. Tech’s not going to average 675 yards over 12 games, but it’s clear the Jackets are onto something. And that something, if not exactly new, is more than a bit different.
By Mark Bradley
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296 comments Add your comment
mike
September 21st, 2011
3:23 pm
Chan, the fact that CMR has beat GT 9 of 10 and is on the hot seat just speaks volumes about GT.
reebok
September 21st, 2011
3:23 pm
regarding the dogs versus ole miss, i have a friend who is a serious ole miss alum, he says the team has basically quit on nutt and he’s just playing out the season…i expect the team from athens to roll over the rebels.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 21st, 2011
3:23 pm
JB, I DID read somewhere a couple of years ago that the UGA powers said that they would not schedule a Thursday night game in Athens.
tony martin
September 21st, 2011
3:24 pm
Enter your comments her
When the dirt dobbers play a team coached by someone who knows how to defend the option game whether closed or spread you will see that the high risk of this offense is still not like power football, and the ability to score in the 2 minute drill.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 21st, 2011
3:25 pm
JB??? We had a SPECIAL MOMENT??? Remind me. I have obviously forgotten
And I DID read a few years ago where the UGA AD said no Thursday games in Athens
Tommy
September 21st, 2011
3:25 pm
Purdue needed a blocked fg to beat mid tenn and they were losing most of the game. I believe they are in the big 10. yep they are.
JB
September 21st, 2011
3:25 pm
reebok, I’m hearing the same thing. We got big problems in Athens ourselves. You guys look like you’ve got a pretty good team, all school yard stuff aside. Good luck Saturday.
Stinger2
September 21st, 2011
3:25 pm
How did this blog which was intended to describle the GT offense variations turn into a silly back and forth over why UGA does not play Thursday night games?
JB
September 21st, 2011
3:27 pm
Yea Super, we were just talking football, and you said it sure is nice to have a conversation without all that crap. Yea, it was a special moment……
JB
September 21st, 2011
3:28 pm
I’m gone. Good luck Saturday against Carolina.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 21st, 2011
3:28 pm
tony martin, can you name me one coach who “knows how” to defend the option? It’s not in “knowing how”, it’s in execution. Iowa is the only team a CPJ coached Tech team has faced that actually executed what they knew. But even then, IF Nesbitt could have passed, it MIGHT have turned out differently. After all Tech still had a CHANCE to tie it up with 6 minutes left in the game, and then Nesbitt threw the ball to the ground. Regardless of that, no other team other than Iowa has played disciplined enough defense to actually contain the option.
PerimeterCenterJacket
September 21st, 2011
3:29 pm
The Dawgs had BETTER roll over the Rebels…if Vandy very nearly shuts a team out 30-0 then stinkin’ Shorter College had better be able to down ‘em! Going .500 after the win in Oxford will feel really good and then we’ll hear how the Dawgs are “back.” Meanwhile Tech will be on ESPN without a loss yet and putting up impressive yardage on UNC and NCSU getting respect everywhere but our home state. This won’t be over until November, but there’s more than enough Hate to last until then!
Supersize that order, mutt
September 21st, 2011
3:29 pm
awww, JB, how sweet of you to remember. LOL
Buck Belue
September 21st, 2011
3:30 pm
I am the greatest UGA QB ever.
Stinger2
September 21st, 2011
3:33 pm
This blog has turned from GT option offense to a UGA blog.
Who cares why UGA will not play Thursday night games and the UGA Ole Miss game.
Baldb
September 21st, 2011
3:34 pm
Not to shabby for a high school offense.
ATLER (Ramblin Wreck)
September 21st, 2011
3:34 pm
Where’s Ken’s post. Mark Bradley belongs on the ugag blogs!!!!!!
Ol'JacketFan
September 21st, 2011
3:36 pm
and that Iowa team had 3 d linemen who are now in the NFL. Every d coordinator knows how to defend ANY offense, carrying it out in the field for 60 minutes is another story. I don’t care if it is the Pro Set, I formation, Spread, Wishbone, Veer, Wing T or Spread Option in order to stop an offense you have to maintain gap control and leverage at the point of attack. All offenses have the advantage simply because they know what play is called and where the play is designed to go. The defense has to read and react so it has to be a step behind. If the offensive players handle their responsibilities the play will be sucessful, if there is a breakdown then it won’t.
PerimeterCenterJacket
September 21st, 2011
3:41 pm
So….there’s a triple option song now: http://retwedia.com/tape/ehhoxg
mike
September 21st, 2011
3:44 pm
can you ever imagine in a milion years a GT coach beating UGA 9 of 10 and about to get shown the door???
joe hamilton
September 21st, 2011
3:46 pm
man, this years offense be better than a cold heiniken and a little weed.
Billy
September 21st, 2011
3:49 pm
I love this high school offense…it will kick your A@@…….
Billy
September 21st, 2011
3:53 pm
What High School Offense? Go Jackets!!!!!
Chan Gailey
September 21st, 2011
3:55 pm
Mike, I don’t know how long a “milion” is
kelly campbell
September 21st, 2011
3:56 pm
Joe. I know man…..those were the days…
RT in NC
September 21st, 2011
3:56 pm
Those numbers surprised me. Nesbitt was a beast when he ran, but I remember seeing dozens of smart pitches over the past couple of years. The point about the quadruple option is well taken. I guess CPJ wasn’t too dumb or stubborn to pass, he was just to smart and flexible to call BAD passes.
Dawglasville
September 21st, 2011
3:56 pm
GT – On your 2:47 post: I have nothing to say. Enjoy your season.
Jackets 2011
September 21st, 2011
3:57 pm
@mike
Richt’s record vs Tech is the only thing that has saved him since he sold himself as the FSU guy who knew how to beat Florida.
Great sales job.
Lousy execution job once hired.
TD TED
September 21st, 2011
4:01 pm
Wow the dow is falling like obuma’s approval
NOLA GT fan
September 21st, 2011
4:04 pm
How ’bout some fans show up this weekend. It was disgraceful last weekend.
Dawglasville
September 21st, 2011
4:09 pm
Jackets 2011 – Johnson has done less in his first 3 years than Richt did in his first 3 years at UGA. It took Richt 9 years to have a losing season. I know that I’m going to get the “more talent” blog but Richt is competing against teams with more talent.
Billy – your “high school offense” doesn’t get you in trouble. Your hgh school defense does.
Supersize – don’t kid yourself that Athens is the only place where optimism flows. Read the first three pages of this blog and see if you don’t see the same pattern.
GT81
September 21st, 2011
4:16 pm
3-0 vs 1-2… hmmmm which would I rather have,,, regardless of opponents
RamboDog
September 21st, 2011
4:20 pm
@Ol Jacket fan…”I’m sitting here with the replay of the SC/Navy game on, it’s fun to watch a “High School” offense against a SEC defense”
Don’t worry old man, you’ll get to see it again at Bobby Dodd in November! Same results, lot of yards for Tech, another loss to UGA…more excuses from Paul Johnson “they haven’t stopped us yet”, etc,etc.
And of course, the silence from all you losers after the game, I always love that!
Ol'JacketFan
September 21st, 2011
4:23 pm
@Rambo, we’ll see, that’s whay the game is played
.
September 21st, 2011
4:37 pm
Mark — You clearly do not understand what a spread offense is. CPJ has just pre-fixed option with “spread” so as to sound like he has modernized the attack to something beyond 1968. Just mixing in spread doesn’t make it spread. This is a triple option that throws every now again, not unlike what Texas was doing in 1970, Oklahoma in 1978 or Nebraska in 1994. You don’t have to appolgize for running the triple-option, it is what it is. But anyone who understands how a spread offense, at a technical level will understand that calling this a ‘Spread Option’ is total BS.
techfan
September 21st, 2011
4:56 pm
I know that I’m going to get the “more talent” blog but Richt is competing against teams with more talent.
Nobody in the SEC has recruited better then UGA since Richt has been there. Several ACC teams have recruited better then GT since Johnson has been there. It’s not exactly comparable.
T3
September 21st, 2011
4:57 pm
@dawglasville: “…Richt is competing against teams with more talent…”
So, the teams Richt is playing…including:
U-LALA
Idaho State
Central Michigan
Troy
Coastal Carolina
Western Carolina
Vandy
Kentucky
All these have more talent than teams GT plays ?
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight
Delbert D.
September 21st, 2011
4:57 pm
So, what is the spread option? Isn’t it technically called “zone read”? Lets look at the CPJ/Navy/Georgia Southern offense:
Spread – 2 WRs split out, 2 slotbacks – check
Option – RB dive, QB keep or pass, pitch to RB or quick pitch – check
Dawglasville
September 21st, 2011
5:05 pm
To my Tech friends – I will not comment on Tech football again until you lose and come back to earth. Please enjoy your pep rally.
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
September 21st, 2011
5:07 pm
There is really only one thing that concerns me about the rest of the season, and that’s the passing defense. As our offense scores more and more points, our opponents will almost be FORCED to go to the air in an effort to keep up or catch up. While Tech’s rushing defense has been fairly solid up to this point, I’ve not been particularly impressed with our passing defense. Granted, they have made adjustments or improved performance in the second halves of both the MTSU and the KU games, but they really need to perform better at the START of each game.
Barring significant injuries, I don’t expect us to have too many offensive problems this year. I just hope we can get more stops against our opponents than they get against us. Go Jackets!
duece coupe
September 21st, 2011
5:07 pm
`
The Ramblin Wreck is an “explosive” scoring machine.
Delbert D.
September 21st, 2011
5:07 pm
For neophytes, here is a decent site that covers many offensive sets and plays:
http://www.coachteed.com/freedl/offense.html
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Gorilla Biscuit
September 21st, 2011
5:09 pm
Corvette offense and a Pinto defense (just waiting to blow up).
Is Al Groh still alive?
Gorilla Biscuit
September 21st, 2011
5:11 pm
Georgia 48
Ol’ Miss 13
Gorilla Biscuit
September 21st, 2011
5:13 pm
GT 35
UNC ??
Mike
September 21st, 2011
5:13 pm
Western Carolina, MTSU, and Kansas, people. Should any team with aspirations for even a good season not expect to blow these teams off the ball? Could Tech be on to something? Sure. But we still dont know anything about this team yet, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. No one said Johnson couldn’t beat these teams. Johnson’s offense will always be a huge challenge for teams that do not have the talent or discipline on defense necessary to stop it. Let’s at least play some ACC games before crowning the achievements.
Mark, you have written these columns each year about Johnson like this, and they usually follow wins over inferior competition. Each year, Tech has hit a brick wall called “a talented defense” and done nothing against it. Even the 6 and 7 win variety UGA squads have figured it out. Miami has shut it down two years running. Clemson shut it down last year. Johnson has averaged 1 TD a game in his 3 bowls. As good as this offense looks, it still has a ceiling to it that will be too low for Tech fans sooner than later.
Gorilla Biscuit
September 21st, 2011
5:14 pm
Somebody wake Al up.
Mike
September 21st, 2011
5:24 pm
The ACC slate this year should help Tech a lot. If Johnson cant win on this slate, pack it in. 1) Most of the tough games are at home (UNC, Va Tech, Clemson, and UGA). 2) 3 teams are on new coaches (Maryland, UNC, and Miami), and only one seems to definitely be an improvement (Miami). The jury is out on the other two although neither had a bad start. 3) NC St. lost their QB to Wisconsin who lit Tech up badly last year. 4) no FSU on the schedule unless in the championship game.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 21st, 2011
5:26 pm
Mike, you’re a fool. Beating Tech and “shutting down” the offense are two totally different things, at least in Tech’s case. UGA hasn’t “shut down” Tech’s offense yet. The only reason they won two out of three was that Tech’s defense stunk and Tech turned the ball over (UNFORCED turnovers, I might add). The same with Clemson; they didn’t shut Tech down last year. Tech bumbled their way to defeat. Miami is debatable, but the first loss to Miami was a total breakdown on both sides of the ball by Tech after playing 2 other games in the previous 11 days. Last year, more of that poor execution, mostly on defense, but definitely not a shut down.