Hoosiers prepare for Navy's triple option

In the final 12 minutes and 18 seconds of the fourth quarter against Navy last season, the Hoosiers had the ball a total of one minute and six seconds.

IU saw its nine-point lead evaporate after Navy had drives of 74 and 72 yards. The Midshipmen’s option offense dominated the Hoosier defense.

“We have to focus on getting three and outs,” sophomore cornerback Michael Hunter said. “They’re a team that likes to go for it on fourth down. So time of possession is going to play a big part in this game.”

As IU (1-0) prepares for Navy (0-0), they will have to defeat Navy’s unique style of offense: the triple option.

The scheme is so unique, the Hoosiers requested the opener against Indiana State to be on a Thursday so they could get a few extra days of preparation for Navy, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.

“I think they’ve been to bowls nine in the last 10 years,” he said. “They won the Commander in Chief trophy eight of the last 10, so it’s a quality team, winning team.”

The Midshipmen averaged 278 yards on the ground last season, the sixth highest figure in college football.

They also averaged 5.17 yards a carry. Last season the Hoosier defense was the worst in the Big Ten against the run.

IU allowed 231 rushing yards per game, the only conference team to give up more than 200 rushing yards per game on average.

Navy had a balanced rushing attack last year with no one player sticking out. Five Midshipmen had between 23 and 89 rushing yards against the Hoosiers.

Navy’s then true-freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds added 96 yards through the air and contributed 66 yards on the ground himself.

“They’re led by the quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who’s awesome,” Wilson said. “You look at last year, he comes in, I know before we played them, the quarterback, the starter gets injured and he wins the Air Force game on the road.”

Reynolds was the first Navy true-freshman to start at quarterback since 1991. His poise impressed Wilson, who said for a freshman he was “very calm.”

Hunter said the danger of defending the option is that you are always expecting the run, and when they do pass it, your guard can be down as a defensive back.

“It would be easy to fall asleep back there,” he said. “They’re going to pound, pound, run, run, run and you never know when they’re going to hit us with a play action, so you got to be ready.”

Hunter’s fellow cornerback and junior Tim Bennett stressed the importance of having razor sharp focus against the option.

“You just got to train your mind and be focused,” he said. “You got to be focused every play whether you’re getting blocked or covering a route.”

To be prepared for such a mobile quarterback, the Hoosiers are using third and fourth string running backs at practice to play the part of the Navy quarterback, Hunter said.
“It’s going to be a big challenge for us,” Wilson said.

Follow football reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.