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Stopping Nebraska's Option Attack
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have been running their option offense since the early '70s. Originally referred to as the "Triple Option" because the quarterback had three choices: hand off to the fullback, run the ball himself or pitch to the tailback. These options are still part of the attack.
This year's model of the Big Red Machine is again on the run -- literally. The option attack is rolling over opposing defenses as the top-ranked Cornhuskers continue their run for the Orange Bowl. To stop the option, Nebraska's opponents must know their responsibilities and have the discipline to stick to their assignments. |
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The Option: Offense
Nebraska runs their "dive option" out of an I-Right formation -- lining the tight end up on the right side. The first option is to hand off to the fullback (FB). If the quarterback (QB) fakes, he heads down the line and forces the defense to commit. Nebraska's option offense has the tight end sealing off the pursuit, leaving the strong-side linebacker, called the "option back," unblocked. The offense works when either of two things happens: 1) the quarterback beats the option back one-on-one or 2) the strong safety abandons his coverage of the tailback and attacks the quarterback. The quarterback then pitches to the tailback (TB), who can turn the corner and head up field. |
The Option: Defense
The option defense starts with an understanding of the offense. The offense wants the defense to overcommit to the quarterback, leaving the tailback open for the pitch. Preventing this takes a clear understanding of duties and the discipline to stay with the assignment. The key players are the strong-side linebacker (LB), whose responsibility is the quarterback (QB), and the strong safety (SS), who has the tailback (TB). These two must trust each other and not be tempted to help out prematurely. If the rest of the defense flows to the ball, the option can be stopped. |
Note: if you do not see a moving play diagram...
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