Georgia Tech triple option a work in progress

Craig Candeto watched Georgia Tech beat Boston College from his home in Virginia Beach last Saturday.

Candeto is not simply a fan; he played quarterback at Navy during coach Paul Johnson’s first two seasons in Annapolis.

Candeto’s assessment of the offense?

“They kind of reminded me where we were in our first year when Coach Johnson came,” said Candeto, now a lieutenant flying Super Hornet fighters. “You can tell they’re still learning.”

In particular, Tech is still figuring out the triple-option play, a quick-hitting staple of Johnson’s offense that, when executed correctly, is nearly impossible to stop. After two games, in which the Jackets have run the triple option about 15 times, the play is very much a work in progress.

Nesbitt’s first job on the play is to make a split-second decision — hand off or keep the ball — based on the defense. Nesbitt, starting for the first time and playing a new offense, is typical of a beginner. Against Boston College, he had difficulty making the right decision, or “read.”

“I was disappointed in myself,” said quarterback Josh Nesbitt said of his performance on triple-option plays. “I got away from doing the basic things right. I messed up on a lot of reads.”

In the triple option, Nesbitt lines up under center with the B-back, Jonathan Dwyer, behind him and the two A-backs, at either end of the offensive line. Right after the snap, Nesbitt pivots and puts the ball in Dwyer’s stomach, a connection called the “mesh.”

Nesbitt has to decide, in an instant, whether to actually give Dwyer the ball, or pull it back and keep it himself. If he keeps, he sprints down the line and runs a standard option play with an A-back following behind.

Nesbitt’s read is based on the defensive end on the side (right or left) of the line where the play is going. If the end, who is unblocked, closes in on Dwyer, then Nesbitt pulls the ball out of the mesh. But if the end goes upfield or remains stationary in an attempt to stop Nesbitt, the end can’t get to Dwyer. In that case, Dwyer takes the handoff.

The decision and action must happen quickly, mind and body working in concert. Candeto said the quarterback may have to decide whether to keep or hand off after the end has only taken his first step.

Further, the end can attempt to disguise his intent to confuse the quarterback.

“You have to really watch what he does,” Nesbitt said.

Against Boston College, the Eagles’ strong defensive line complicated matters by pushing the Tech offensive line back into Nesbitt and Dwyer. The Jackets did nail the Eagles with a 21-yard Dwyer run in the second quarter on one triple-option play.

“The challenge [Nesbitt] had on Saturday was there was about four guys in his face,” Johnson said. “The (Boston College) guys inside got so much penetration, he couldn’t even see the read key.”

Nesbitt has Candeto’s empathy. He said at the start, Navy fumbled often and sometimes couldn’t move the ball. It was only toward the end of the first season that he understood the offense and could run the triple option well. And Candeto had the advantage, unlike Nesbitt, of having run the triple option in high school.

“Probably by midseason, he’s going to be improved over last game,” Candeto said of Nesbitt. “It’s just a learning curve.”

Brian Bohannon, Tech’s quarterbacks and B-backs coach, noted that Nesbitt has at least gotten to the point that when he makes an incorrect decision, he is aware of it.

The solution is a lot of repetition and watching film of games and practice. Bohannon said the team practices the triple option at least 25 times daily.

“I think he’s gotten a ton better from where we were in the spring,” Bohannon said.

The Jackets will likely run the play more as they gain proficiency in it. Candeto, for one, is optimistic.

“It’s obviously good enough now to win ballgames,” he said. “That bodes well for the future when they actually start clicking on all cylinders.”