Getting ready for Rhode Island means getting ready for Rhode Island’s Spread Option Offense.
This is a variation of the triple option offense and Rhode Island’s coach Tim Stowers wrote the book on it. Literally. His book is available here .
If you don’t have time to order the book, there is a crash course on the spread option (also by Coach Stowers) here.
Last year Rhode Island was fourth in the nation in 2004 with 3074 yards of rushing offense. They averaged 4.4 yards/carry.
This year, they’re even better. Rhody already has 1034 rushing yards in three games. They have averaged 343.7 yards/game and a mind boggling 5.8 yds/carry.
If you put eight men in the box to stop the option, then they’ll throw off it. Against William @ Mary they completed eight passes for 217 yards. The shortest reception was 20 yards.
Our old rivals Georgia Southern use the spread option and Coach Stowers won a National Championship there with it.
I-A uses the spread option too. The Utah spread option is hot in I-A.
The UMass Defense is leading the nation in total defense. Should be a great match-up between a unique offense and a superb defense.
How to stop it: SI says “How to stop it: Defenses have to master their assignments and exercise extreme patience so as not to fall for any of tricks and misdirection. The defense needs cornerbacks and safeties who can lock up the receivers, and the linebackers and safeties have to be "option-sound," particularly against the threat of the shovel pass.”
Good luck to the Minutemen this week.
