Another Triple Option Attack? Charleston Southern Will Try and Trick The Hoosiers
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Written By Alex Compton (@alencompton)
Head Coach: Mark Tucker 1st Season at CSU
Overall: 2-2
At CSU 2-2
Bowl Appearances at CSU: 0
2017 Record: 2-2 Last Game: Won 58-7 vs. Mississippi Valley State
Bowl Appearances Since 2000: 2 FCS Playoff Appearances (1-2 Record)
Mascot: Buccaneers
Colors: Blue and Gold
Outfitter: Nike
National Titles: 0
Conference Titles: 3 (Big South Conference)
TALKING POINTS
1. Which team shows up on Saturday?
Obviously, there is a steep upgrade in the level of talent when you go from FCS to FBS, but it appears as though CSU hasn’t been very consistent this season. In week one against SEC foe Mississippi State, they lost 49-0 and had just 33 yards of total offense. 33! After a cancelled game in week two, they went back on the road to play Elon and lost 19-17, even after playing as the better team for most of the game. The next two weeks saw them flex their muscles a bit, as they won 66-0 and 58-7 against Point University and Mississippi Valley State respectively. These are obviously not great measuring sticks, but the Bucs do at least have some momentum coming into Bloomington this week, in what is as much of a trap game as you can get before Michigan comes to town for Homecoming the following week.
2. Is a banged-up defense ready for the triple option again?
Much like Georgia Southern, the Bucs run a modified triple option set out of the shotgun instead of under center like a traditional option attack does. With this in mind, they are probably looking at a 75-25 run/ pass blend in their play calling, with a heavy emphasis on getting the ball outside on those carries. Through four games, they are averaging 131.8 yards through the air and 227 yards on the ground, which are good numbers when you consider they had 33 yards of total offense week one. While IU should be fine without starters and key depth pieces on Saturday, staying focused and motivated will be the keys to ending this contest early.
3. Can IU take the ball away?
Coach Allen preaches takeaways all day every day, and they’re finally starting to come for the Hoosiers. After being held without one in the first two weeks, IU has had three fumble recoveries and a pick in the last two games, and they should be ready to get some more this Saturday. CSU has fumbled the ball thirteen times so far this year (lost three), and thrown a pick. Thirteen fumbles in four games is a lot, and you would figure that past performance would predict future behavior, especially in a road matchup against one of the Big Ten’s best defenses. Guys will be flying to the ball on Saturday like they were in Happy Valley, and I’d expect to see at least a few takeaways this weekend.
4. Well Peyton, whatcha got?
Just like that, the Richard Lagow era is over, at least for the foreseeable future. Redshirt freshman Peyton Ramsey was named the full-time starter on Monday, and he will make his first career start against the Bucs. It should be a great tune-up for the Michigan game, which will have one of the nation’s best defenses coming after him for 60 minutes instead of a feisty FCS squad. The mobility is the key here, and I would expect him to get comfortable early with some easy throws and runs and then let him flash his skill for a bit. I doubt they will give Michigan anything on film, so the playbook will be very vanilla. Don’t be alarmed if you’re watching the game and the offense just doesn’t look “sexy”, that’s probably by design. #3 is the QB1 now, let’s see what he’s got.