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
GT
September 22nd, 2011
8:51 am
Nice article, I think you get it; few people do on Paul Johnson. I heard someone the other day in the Kansas broadcast call CPJ cocky. I don’t think it is cocky as much as the world keeps trying to tell a great coach he doesn’t know what he is doing. It makes them mad when they are so wrong. Spurrier gets a lot more of this and there are people and writers that actually hate the man. In Johnson’s case you have a man that has kind of reinvented football. He can take the humble football player and win with him. He plays against what you give him, including recruits you don’t want, like a marshal arts fighter. Your aggressiveness is his advantage, your cheating on defense for a pass or a run will get you burned. He got humbled last year but never lost his faith in himself. His players appreciate the chance to play college football at this level and never lost faith in him either. NCAA probation for something that is right about college football, like I say most people just don’t get Johnson or Tech. Maybe that too is Johnson’s competitive advantage. Maybe winning that ACC Championship two years ago made people and players forget who they were. I think the problem is fixed this year.
GT
September 22nd, 2011
8:52 am
The less respect Johnson gets the better team Tech has, so lay low on the compliments, the results will speak for themselves.
Nativebird
September 22nd, 2011
9:18 am
So it takes losing seasons and abject failure for this “offensive genius” to realize one must pass as well as run in big time college football? and us Jackets fans are supposed to now be thrilled about this revelation?
GaTerrier
September 22nd, 2011
9:28 am
Wofford (FCS, Southern Conference) has been running the option long before Johnson did at Ga Southern, and more effectively. In recent years, they have gashed South Carolina and recently ran all over Clemson. Based on Fisher DeBerry’s old Air Force base option.
Buzz Belle
September 22nd, 2011
9:39 am
Will be at the game Saturday – should be a great day weather wise – low 70’s. I do think his will be our biggest test so far this season but I also think we will win this one bigger than most think.
gtfanfrom1951
September 22nd, 2011
9:40 am
UGA fired Donnan because he could not beat Tech now the want to fire CMR because he can not win SEC East. Coach D would not last now at UGA. Dodd, Bear, and Coach D had bad years.
cabbage10101
September 22nd, 2011
9:47 am
No doubt that Georgia gets great atheletes each year, but CMR does not coach them up. Tech recruits as a whole may not match UGA”s, but CPJ has recruited to meet his needs and coaches all players up. Anyone who can establish a desire to block in a young man that is used to being the feature back is a heck of a coach. The defense will get better as the year progresses, but I worry about the special teams not being so special. If we can get special teams that do not turn the ball over and not make critical mistakes, this team could be special.
NCDawg
September 22nd, 2011
10:04 am
Good article, Mark. It will be interesting to see how things go this weekend against UNC. They have the best defense (by far) that Tech will have faced yet. But they have had some great defenders in the previous years, and Tech has still found a way to run the ball successfully on them. The key will be if Tech can complete the passes they have been — if they are successful with that, it will make them hard for anyone to stop. It all boils down to execution. And with Tech’s defense still a bit suspect, they will need to have some long drives to shorten the game as well and keep their defense off the field.
Golden Tornado
September 22nd, 2011
10:32 am
Thanks for the nice and insightful article, Mark. For me, the awful question is, will the triple option work against North Carolina’s big and strong athletes ? We’ll see at noon Saturday.
David
September 22nd, 2011
10:44 am
It’s not a “spread” option. Just saying.
CRO-MAGNON MAN
September 22nd, 2011
10:46 am
Matt Ryan’s Dad:
1 OUT OF 10 DREAMER….IT COULD HAPPEN, IT DOES ONCE ABOUT EVERY 10 YEARS….
Mel
September 22nd, 2011
10:55 am
Why so many Dawg trolls?
Tech '10
September 22nd, 2011
11:12 am
Why do so many people have the caps lock on today..
http://fatkidatcamp.com/2010/08/17/tuesday-funny-71/suddenly-caps-lock/
Tech '10
September 22nd, 2011
11:13 am
with a *?* at the end.
techfan
September 22nd, 2011
11:23 am
will the triple option work against North Carolina’s big and strong athletes ?
UNC hasn’t held Techs triple option to less then 400 yds in three tries. Why do you think they are suddenly going to start stopping it when it seems to be working better then ever?
Rafe Hollister
September 22nd, 2011
11:33 am
What happens when you don’t play Bambi U.?
GT Alum #27
September 22nd, 2011
11:43 am
I’m sure most of our opponents YTD didn’t spend much time working on the PJ spread option. ACC teams already have an idea of what to expect and will be better prepared. However, the addition of a formidable passing game will give them something more to think about this year. I think our main concern as tech fans should be on the defensive side of the ball where I’m not too impressed.
Mark
September 22nd, 2011
11:45 am
Just wait nerds. We know CPJ cannot recruit. When Gaily’s players are gone, Tech is going to crumble. Who wants to play in a high school offense? He’ll never be able to get super stars to play for him, so he won’t ever do squat.
Oh how do I love recalling what the mutts were saying about the tipple option a few years ago.
indigo
September 22nd, 2011
11:52 am
Considering the opposition so far, all of this is premature
beebee
September 22nd, 2011
12:22 pm
Jacket fans out there: If you can make the game, please do and cheer them on!
Wretched UGA fans are all over this thing with there being 10,000 tickets available. As if those sorry guys have NOTHING more football important (1-2) to be concerned with.
Police Blotter
September 22nd, 2011
12:50 pm
Looks like the natives will be ready to rob you on Saturday.
coolbreeze
September 22nd, 2011
2:17 pm
The next TWO games will tell us a lot. Synjyn Days is a better runner than Tevin. And the QB makes the decision whether to keep it or pitch it. If I were CPJ, I’d tell Days to make some tosses in real games, because if anything happens to Tevin, just keepers won’t win anything. And, yeah, the passing D better improve quickly.
Not Disappointed
September 22nd, 2011
3:06 pm
I just want to win! Go Jackets!
William Casey
September 22nd, 2011
4:35 pm
I was at the Kansas game sitting on the goal line at the North endzone. It was apparent on the first play, even before Orrin Smith caught the pitch, that the play was going for a long gain. CPJ is doing something right. I suppose we won’t know if his offense really works until GT schedules an NFL team. Can we agree that it works if it produces 450+ yards and 35 points against UNC? Or will it be, “Oh, UNC is just an ACC team.” GO JACKETS!
threetrone
September 22nd, 2011
6:03 pm
Re: Wreck ‘Em’s comment on p.1…yes, Tev can throw, good on QB draws; finaly QB draw used, never saw it w/Nez; Hamilton use to run those for big gains; finally passes since Demarius Thomas left; Tech finaly has recalled how they used to run offenses since Hamilton, and really since Eddie McAshan when I was a Tech- Tev drops back in pocket real quick, gets OL protection from white OL uch as Finch, just like Eddie in pocket got protection from white OL such as Rick Lantz and Scott Engel during ‘71-’72 seasons
threetrone
September 22nd, 2011
6:05 pm
“Hamilton used”, not use; my computer is not typing all keys I’m typing, I have to proofread more
threetrone
September 22nd, 2011
6:07 pm
and again, “white OL such as Finch”, not “uch as Finch”; I knew I should not have clicked on an mail button that said “Click Here”; I believe I might have gotten hacked
threetrone
September 22nd, 2011
6:11 pm
“on an email button”; I believe I’m in store for a reboot all the way back to factory settings for a new IP address to lose these hacker jerks..”Oh goody for me?” wondered Ziggy
threetrone
September 22nd, 2011
6:15 pm
these hacker jerks are pretty rough white collar keyboard sadists who must love to play roughouse sitting on soft seats as bookworm bullies
threetrone
September 22nd, 2011
6:18 pm
I’m glad I don’t keep hardly anything at all on my computer in the event I have to reboot. Damn bastards.
What the other guys are saying – ACC Insider - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC - Archive
September 22nd, 2011
10:28 pm
[...] Mark Bradley of the AJC takes a look at the Yellow Jackets’ surprising numbers through the air this season and says that quarterback Tevin Washington’s success is anything [...]
wreckmaniac
September 22nd, 2011
11:58 pm
Can we get “High School Offense” T shirts for Saturday ?
wreckmaniac
September 23rd, 2011
12:08 am
When you’re in the SEC one TD pass is equivalent to 1000 yards on the ground.
Obee
September 23rd, 2011
7:48 am
Bradley: Question
I seem to remember back in the days of Pepper Rodgers that there was a running back named David Sims. Is this kid his son?
gtne80
September 23rd, 2011
10:58 am
3-0 on the way to 6-6
Ernest T. Bass
September 23rd, 2011
2:12 pm
UNC hasn’t held Techs triple option to less then 400 yds in three tries. Why do you think they are suddenly going to start stopping it when it seems to be working better then ever?
Because you dont have the athletes on that side of the ball you used to have.
Not even close.
run Forrest run. LOL
Ernest T. Bass
September 23rd, 2011
2:14 pm
I suppose we won’t know if his offense really works until GT schedules an NFL team.
Not really.
Its a gimmick offense that will work some of the time.
Unless the other team has proper time to prepare and then the surprise factor is gone and it gets totally shut down.
Stinger
September 23rd, 2011
8:39 pm
We’re talking National Championship Baby !!! National Championship !!! This team can not be stopped. We can score at will on any team in the country and YES, that included Oklahoma. The ony way we can be stopped is if we stop ourselves. That is not likely with the discipline and execution this team has.
Brent
September 23rd, 2011
10:02 pm
Slight correction, Mark Bradley. Anthony Allen actually had over 1,300 rushing yards last year. Georgia Tech is the only team in the country to have produced a 1,300-yard rusher each of the past 5 seasons.
Brent
September 23rd, 2011
10:07 pm
Ernest T. Bass – You’re an idiot. The offense is not gimmicky, it’s actually quite mainstream when you look at football at every level around the country. Preparation time really has nothing to do with it, but the lack of time to ready a team for an offense they don’t normally see does make up for even large gaps in talent, given that the offense executes extremely well. In reality, it comes down to talent, and, if GT has superior talent compared to another team, they’ll win. If they don’t, they still might win based on their discipline and execution. Can the same be said about U(sic)GA?
jacket
September 24th, 2011
8:12 am
GIVE ME A BREAK,
I hope you are right, and I think a 45-17 win is quite possible. If so, Tech should be ranked in the top 10 – without question.
I’ll be there today to watch. Can’t wait!
If do right, no can defense
September 24th, 2011
8:24 am
I think it will be a good day for Washington. Carolina may over-commit to the dive and pitch options (they have a great defensive line & fast LBs), allowing Washington to hit them with the keeper, as well as with his passing.
Plays which could work: Veer (keeper), Midline/Iso, Toss sweeps, Draw plays, vertical passes, etc.
Plays which may or may not work: HB dive, Rocket tosses/passes, screen passes, counter plays, etc.
Go Jackets!
Darian
September 24th, 2011
11:36 pm
I gotta say this. Those the hat GT at the end of the year you will see. Coastal division champion. Acc champion. Orange bowl champion. Hmm be careful and we might make it higher. Never know LSU might slip along with others with that SEC schedule. Be very afraid Georgia fans be very afraid.
Darian
September 24th, 2011
11:45 pm
Bye dawg fans.
Darian
September 24th, 2011
11:48 pm
Coastal Division champs. Acc champs. Orange bowl champs. And if you SEC peeps ain’t careful maybe even more. Be very afraid Georgia fans be very afraid.
Buzzman
September 26th, 2011
12:56 pm
The only problem with the triple option is , when a team has time to prepare for it, then they stop us. Look at the last two bowl games, Iowa killed us. Maybe we can sneak up on a bowl game and just show up, that way the other team doesn’t know how to defend us. I live in Clemson, and there already talk about playing Tech. Kevin Steele the D coach has already started preparing to play Tech. The way they are playing know, they will kill us if they stop us. I might have to move.