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CHALK TALK BRYAN DRISKELL 2. WIN THE EARLY DOWNS Option offenses are not the least bit worried about running the football on third-and-short or third-and-medium situations. When such an attack is put in a passing situation it is not nearly as effective, so getting that offense into third-and-long as often as possible is imperative. With regards to Georgia Tech spe- cifically, quarterback Justin Thomas is an effective passer when the offense is passing on its own terms. He is not as efficient throwing the football when the offense is throwing out of situ- ational necessity. 3. DON'T GET OUT-LEVERAGED One of the key coaching points for triple-option offensive coaches is fig- uring out ways to out-leverage and out-number a defensive look. Getting good angles to make option blocks is vitally important. Both Georgia Tech and Navy will use unbalanced offensive alignments as well as pre-snap shifts and motions in an attempt to gain leverage and number advantages. Having a plan in place to guard against both is crucial to success against an option offense. A defense cannot allow itself to get pinned inside against the perimeter runs and must be in position to guard against inte- rior seal blocks, which are designed to open up vertical run lanes for the quarterback and fullback. 4. MIX UP THE DEFENSIVE LOOKS A defense will rarely have success against an option offense by just lining up in one or two looks and running to the football. Option offenses are far too diverse and complex for that. Prior to the snap, an option quar- terback and the offensive line must get a count of the defense. The goal is identifying which player is the dive key and which is the pitch key. The dive key is the player the quar- terback will read to determine if he is handing the ball off to the fullback or pulling it in. The pitch key is the player he will read to determine if he is pitching the ball or tucking it and running. For the linemen, it tells them who they are blocking and who they are leaving untouched. Being able to throw off that count or making the offense adjust to different looks throughout the game can create confusion, resulting in positive plays for the defense. Mixing up the looks but also remaining basic enough to give the defensive players a package they can execute at a high level is also important. If the looks are so complex that defenders make mistakes, the positives gained from confusing the offense are negated by big plays that come from defensive miscues. It's a hard balance, but finding it is vital to success against an option of- fense. 5. BE DISRUPTIVE UP FRONT Teams take a number of different approaches to defending the option. Some choose to blitz, some choose to play passively up front in hopes of stringing the option out, and others take a stance of controlled aggres- sion.

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