Analysis
Given the option, expect a shootout

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Tonight's college football opponents — Hawai'i and Rice — offer different offensive styles. But which one has more substance?

Is it UH's run-and-shoot offense, featuring the nation's most statistically productive player, quarterback Tim Chang (348 yards per game in total offense)?

Or Rice's triple-option offense, which has finished among the top 10 nationally in rushing in four of the past five years?

Here's a closer look:

• When Hawai'i has the ball: Today's geometry lesson focuses on the Owls' pass coverage. Imagine there is a protractor in the defensive secondary, with bandit Dan Dawson at the 135-degree point, free safety Jason Hebert at 90 degrees and strong safety Greg Gatlin at 45 degrees.

If the play goes to the weak side, Dawson charges in, Hebert goes to the spot vacated by Dawson and Gatlin becomes the free safety. On plays to the strong side, Gatlin attacks the ballcarrier, Hebert takes over Gatlin's old spot and Dawson becomes the free safety.

The scheme is a twirling umbrella designed to prevent passes from raining into the secondary. Last year, it confused Chang into throwing five interceptions, including three by the deceptive Dawson, who, at 6 feet and 210 pounds, can run 40 yards in a hand-time 4.38 seconds and bench press 400 pounds .

The Owls' advertise their basic alignment as a 4-3 front, but that's a bait-and-switch. Offenses often arrive at the line of scrimmage to find the Owls aligned with five defensive linemen, or three down linemen with either two or three linebackers.

The linebackers will simultaneously storm the A gaps (between the center and guard) and B gaps (between the guard and tackle) to create a jail-break frenzy.

Other times, the Owls attack with "overload dogs," in which four defensive players will attack from one side.

Because the secondary hinders the deep routes, Chang most likely will have to find wideouts Ashley Lelie and Justin Colbert on crossing patterns or inside screens.

Most of all, the Warriors, who relinquished six sacks last week (they allowed 10 in 12 games last year), will need to communicate better. The offensive linemen spent the week working on yelling out blocking assignments.

• When Rice has the ball: This season, the Owls often line up without a huddle to keep defenses from making situational substitutions, and they are throwing more passes (18.3 per game compared to 14.1 in 2000), usually to split end Gavin Boothe.

But the Owls are creatures of habit, and their offense is rooted in the run-oriented, triple option, even if they are not aligned in a wishbone (which employs a halfback on each side of the fullback).

The triple option usually consists of a fullback running up the middle, the quarterback keeping the ball on a run around the perimeter or a pitch to a trailing halfback.

But the Owls also run the "mid-line option," in which quarterback Kyle Herm will keep the ball and follow the lead blocking of fullback Jamie Tyler on a run up the middle. (Herm, a redshirt sophomore, earned the start after Jeremy Hurd suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp.)

Other times, the Owls will align with only Tyler and a halfback, the so-called "broken bone" formation, then motion a split end before the snap to form a wishbone.

But defenses can no longer assign as many as nine players to stop the Owls' running attack. Split ends Boothe and Gilbert Okoronkwo will run streaks, curls or lead-ins, in which they will take a step forward, then sprint across the field.

Tight end Brandon Manning, previously used as a blocker, often takes off on short routes.

And, to keep defenses off balance, flanker Matt Webber is an effective runner on reverses.

The Warriors most likely will have to scrap their special "Okie" scheme — which uses five defensive backs, three linebackers and middle linebacker Chris Brown at defensive end — in favor of their basic 4-3 alignment.