As football has evolved to a pass-heavy game, Taylor football stands out.
On Saturday at Saint Francis, Taylor ran the ball 50 times for 258 yards while only attempting 27 total passes. Such a commitment to the run is rare in modern football, where many teams strongly favor passing.
In Saturday’s game, for example, St. Francis attempted 40 passes to only 33 runs.
How is Taylor able to run the ball so successfully? During his first year as offensive coordinator at Walker College, Taylor head coach Aaron Mingo studied under the tutelage of Wade Lang. Lang ran the triple option offense, operating it successfully enough to qualify for the playoffs, and giving Mingo firsthand experience with the system.
The triple option is an offense that allows three potential things to happen over the course of a play. As soon as the quarterback takes the snap, he extends the ball to the running back while also locking eyes with the defensive end. The quarterback must make a split-second decision to hand the ball off or keep it. If he keeps, the QB runs at the line and can pitch to a trailing receiver if defenders get close. Three options. One play. Running the triple option makes the Trojan offense extremely difficult to defend, as it allows the offense to dictate how the game is played.
Rather than guard all of a team’s best players, said Mingo, Taylor can “read some of them and option off of them.” To put it another way, Taylor can identify the opposing team’s best players and totally nullify them.
Star sophomore running back Nathan Parker echoed similar sentiments.
“It’s just so multiple,” said Parker. “You can always scheme up a way to outnumber the defense.”
Despite the run-first nature of the offense, coach Mingo has expressed a desire to throw the ball, saying, “Well, I still want to throw the ball all over the field, and I want to attack all areas of the field.”
These statements by Mingo show themselves on the field. Senior quarterback Damon Hockett has enjoyed a strong start to his third year as the starter, throwing for 301 yards and four touchdowns, and adding 48 yards on the ground.
The unique offense requires every member of the team to buy in for it to function, from the running backs, receivers, coaching staff and offensive line.
Both running backs, Parker and junior Kyle Turanchick, credited the offensive line, with Parker saying, “They’re just incredible to run behind, the running back can’t do anything without the offensive line.”
The triple option is a style predicated on timing. The running back must get to the ball at the correct time for the quarterback to read the defense, while the wide receiver has to stay behind the quarterback, but always in range to catch a pitch.
The play requires perfect timing and strong team chemistry. For Taylor, however, this seems to be no problem for the two-headed monster in the backfield.
“Me and Nathan have a really good relationship,” said Turanchick. “Playing the same position is gonna drive both of us to want to be better.”
The Trojan offense enjoyed great success last season, setting new single-season program records for scoring average, total yards and rushing yards per game, as well as total and rushing touchdowns and total points. In 2024, they finished 22nd in the NAIA Top-25 Poll. This season, Taylor is poised to build on their success in their own unique way.
Taylor’s next contest comes on Saturday, Sept. 27, when the Trojans travel to Judson University to take on the Eagles.
