When IU football’s Sept. 16 game against Florida International was canceled early last week, the Hoosiers instantly shifted into bye-week mode by adjusting practice schedules for players and recruiting trips for coaches.
It could have thrown the 1-1 Hoosiers into a bit of disarray, with a previously scheduled opponent now off the schedule entirely and a new opponent – Charleston Southern on Oct. 7 – added to the mix.
Coach Tom Allen, however, sees the bright side. The unexpected week off gave his team a few extra days to prepare for the triple option offense utilized by Georgia Southern (0-2), this weekend’s opponent for IU.
“I think there's an advantage for sure,” Allen said. “If you have a normal week, you really have just two days, so you can buy a few extra days of work to get ready.”
Georgia Southern does not exactly boast the most potent triple option attack in the country. Its run-heavy system produced just 70 rushing yards on 47 attempts in a loss to then-No. 12 Auburn to begin the season. Even in a loss to FCS opponent New Hampshire in week two, Georgia Southern’s three leading rushers averaged less than four yards per carry.
Nonetheless, the sheer rarity of facing a triple option offense forced Allen and his coaching staff to begin preparing for the Eagles back in spring camp. Allen said his team renewed its planning for the triple option, and the distinctive spin Georgia Southern puts on it, when summer camp began.
In a typical triple option offense, the quarterback has one running back he can hand off to and one running back he can pitch the ball to, in addition to the option of keeping it himself. Georgia Southern has this general setup, but unlike most triple options, the Eagles often use a shotgun formation with their freshman quarterback Shai Werts placed a few yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Allen said the shotgun formation can disrupt the defense’s timing when guarding against the triple option, but it generally doesn’t present much difference from a triple option attack where the quarterback snaps from under center.
"It creates similar challenges,” Allen said. “The cutting, you know, on the perimeter is probably the biggest challenge.”
Werts drew praise from Allen for his speed and athleticism, two traits commonly possessed by triple option quarterbacks. The freshman is Georgia Southern’s leading rusher, with 138 yards on the ground through two games. Werts has only thrown the ball 30 times this season with 15 completions for 101 yards and a pair of interceptions.
As a defensive coach with Ole Miss and South Florida the past few years, Allen has faced off against two of the country’s premier triple option attacks in Georgia Tech and Navy.
While serving as linebackers’ coach for Ole Miss in 2013, Allen was part of a 25-17 win against Georgia Tech in the Music City Bowl. As defensive coordinator for South Florida in 2015, Allen’s unit allowed Navy to rack up over 400 rushing yards as South Florida lost, 29-17.
Drawing on his experience preparing for and coaching against the triple option, Allen said the most difficult aspect is having his scout team offense replicate the system in practice.
IU, obviously, doesn’t practice the triple option with its offense normally. The extra few days of practice before taking on Georgia Southern have helped, but Allen said it’s impossible to recreate the speed and skill IU will face come Saturday.
“It always is going to take a series or two to get used to that speed of it,” Allen said. “I just think that, you know, that's why people run it. It creates challenges, and they will be difficult to stop.”
