Senior quarterback Yale Vannoy has quite a bit to think about when he lines the Colonels up in their triple option offense. Recognizing what the tackles, ends and safeties are doing while also putting his team in the right play are all things he has to do before the ball is even snapped.

But it is not anything new to Vannoy though, as he is in his seventh year running this offense-five years with the Colonels and two at H.M. King High School in Kingsville, Texas.

The triple option offense that Vannoy and the Colonels have run full-fledged since the beginning of the 2001 season is not commonly used in collegiate football, according to head football coach Jay Thomas. Besides the Colonels, the military academies and Georgia Southern and Wofford, both I-AA schools, are a few of the schools that still run the triple option.

“You don’t see a lot of option football any more,” Thomas said. “That’s not the way the game’s played.”

Operating the option

Offensive coordinator H.T. Kinney said the triple option is just what the name suggests because there is no plan on who carries the ball. He said the quarterback, fullback or halfback could run the ball.

Thomas said the center makes all the offensive line’s calls to put them in the correct blocking schemes.

Once the ball is snapped, Kinney said the ball and the decisions are passed to the quarterback.

“He makes the decisions on whether he’s going to keep it or give it to the fullback,” Kinney said. “After that, if he pulls (keeps) it, it’s a decision whether he’s going to keep it or pitch it to the halfback, and it’s just something you have to repeat over and over and over.”

Thomas said the offense gets all kinds of defensive looks to try to defend this offense.

Because not many teams run the triple option, Thomas said the offensive coaches have no film to watch to see how opponents defend this offense, so they are left guessing what they will be facing on the other side of the ball each week.

“Sometimes we have a slow start (in games),” Thomas said. “That’s because we have to go out, see what they’re going to line up in, come to the sideline and make adjustments. (We do the) same thing at halftime.”

Defending the option

A former defensive coordinator himself, Thomas said when facing this offense, a player has to make some decisions.

“You kind of have to choose your medicine of what you want to take away,” Thomas said. “There’s obviously some things you can take away, but you can’t take everything away. It really puts a coordinator in a predicament of what he’s going to decide and what he’s going to line up in.”

Thomas said with the different offenses collegiate teams run that spread the field, the triple option gives opposing defenses something they are not accustomed to.

“It’s tough to get ready for in three or four days,” Thomas said. “That’s been the advantage of being able to run the option.”

Learning the option

Thomas said this offense is especially hard for the quarterback and the two running backs because they are so involved in it.

Vannoy said as with any offense, things develop over time.

“You can’t really run it until you actually get in the game and get the feel for it or get in scrimmages and get the feel for it,” Vannoy said. “Once you get the game experience everything starts to slow down, and that’s when you start doing well.”

Reaping the benefits

Since getting their feet wet in the offense in 2000, the Colonels have made strides in their running game in the last five years. In 2000, the Colonels finished sixth in the Southland Conference and 67th overall in I-AA with 152.55 yards per game rushing, according to 2000 NCAA statistics.

In 2001, the Colonels jumped to second in the SLC in rushing yardage per game and 28th nationally. The Colonels continued their climb in 2002, finishing first in the SLC in rushing offense and eighth.

The Colonels enjoyed their most successful year running the ball in 2003. During that season, the team finished first in the conference in rushing offense and third in the nation with 312.64 yards per game.

The Colonels finished first in rushing offense in 2004 and 10th overall in I-AA. This year they are currently ranked second in rushing, 16th in total offense and 24th in scoring offense.