The spread offense is all the rage in college football. Teams of all shapes and sizes have found success in passing the ball all over the field and “creating space.” For a select few teams, however, a completely different type of offense drives their success. One of these teams is Georgia Tech, Elon University’s opponent for Saturday’s season-opening game.

The Yellow Jackets and head coach Paul Johnson utilize the triple option offense, a scheme that emphasizes the run and confusing defenses.

Three of Elon’s conference opponents — The Citadel, Georgia Southern University and Wofford College — run the triple option, so Elon is no stranger to defending it. The major difference of this week is that the Yellow Jackets are arguably the highest profile team to run the scheme, so the speed and strength is unprecedented.

The basic idea of the triple option, or flexbone offense as Georgia Tech calls it, is as follows:

The traditional running back and tight end positions are replaced by a fullback and a pair of “slotbacks,” who line up just behind the offensive tackles. There are still two wide receivers, but they are used far less frequently than in a spread or pro-style offense.

On every play, the quarterback has the ability to judge the defense’s alignment. If he sees a hole straight ahead, he will hand off to his fullback (the first option), who powers through the line. This concept allowed Wofford fullback Eric Breitenstein to rush for a Southern Conference record 321 yards in a game at Elon last year.

If the quarterback decides that the defense would easily stop a run up the middle, he will roll out to one side of the field. If the coast is clear, he will take off and run himself (the second option) behind his blockers.

Now, suppose the quarterback sees a better running lane further outside and a tackler is approaching him. The quarterback has the option of pitching or shoveling the ball off to one of his slotbacks (the third option). The slotbacks are typically smaller and speedier, and can be dangerous when in the open field.  

On occasion, a passing play can replace one of the options or be called outright, typically in a third-down-and-long situation.

So, what’s the next result of running the triple option? Rushing yards, and lots of them. Georgia Tech ran the ball 808 times in 14 games last year for 4,357 yards; good for second in the nation behind Army, another triple option team. The Yellow Jackets gained an average of 311.2 yards per game on the ground, which ranked them fourth in Division I-FBS. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech’s passing offense only mustered 129.9 yards per game, which was still best among the four triple option teams at the FBS level.

Saturday’s game is a true contrast of styles, as Elon is a pass friendly spread team. Let’s take a look at some keys to the game:

Elon Offensive X-Factor: QB Mike Quinn

Elon junior quarterback Mike Quinn will be making his first collegiate start on Saturday in a hostile environment against a tough team. The key for Quinn will be to step up and show some of the leadership that head coach Jason Swepson has praised him for. Saturday’s game will not be easy, so it is up to Quinn to make big plays when he can and realize that whatever happens, there are still 11 more games on the schedule. This X-factor is more about the “intangibles” of quarterback play than the actual physical skill.

Georgia Tech Offensive X-Factor: QB Vad Lee

Another quarterback? Yes, another quarterback.

Sophomore Vad Lee out of nearby Durham, will be making his first career start on Saturday as well. Lee played in 12 of 14 games last year for the Yellow Jackets, but this will be his first time in the spotlight leading the Yellow Jackets and their complicated offense. The triple option takes smarts and skill to be run effectively. Lee seems to have them, but only time can tell.

Elon Defensive X-Factor: The front seven

Last year, Elon’s run defense was nothing short of abysmal. The Phoenix gave up 229.5 yards per game; good for eighth in the Southern Conference. Playing Georgia Tech in week one allows new Defensive Coordinator Brad Sherrod the opportunity to test his veteran defense. Many of last year’s players have returned, such as senior defensive linemen Tony Thompson and Jordan Jones — both of whom are captains. Elon will see very early just how effective the defense will be in 2013.

Georgia Tech Defensive X-Factor: DE Jeremiah Attaochu

Attaochu, an NFL draft prospect for 2014, will get to face a young Elon right tackle in redshirt freshman Gordon Acha. If Attaochu can get his way, it will be a long day for Quinn and the Elon offense.

Analysis

Elon has struggled to defend the triple option in the past, and there is no indication that the ability will improve against an FBS team such as Georgia Tech. What Elon can do, however, is take positive gains away from this game to prepare for conference games down the road. Last year’s FBS game, a 62-0 pasting by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was ugly for Elon. An improvement over that should be considered a moral victory.

Prediction: Georgia Tech 49, Elon 13.

For more about Georgia Tech's triple option offense, see this video of Johnson talking about a few of the Yellow Jackets' offensive schemes.