[tps_title]Has Arizona ever used the triple-option?[/tps_title]
Headline in Tucson Citizen on Nov. 17, 1973
Yes, Arizona has used the triple-option like New Mexico does now, and did it quite well, as a matter of fact.
The above headlines indicates that as first-year coach Jim Young, coming from three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust Michigan, went to a variation of the veer offense and triple option in 1974.
Young turned around an Arizona program that went 4-7 the season before his arrival by using the offense, which placed the Wildcats atop the WAC in rushing yards (294.4 a game). Quarterback Bruce Hill and running backs Jim Upchurch and Willie Hamilton — the “1-2-3” backfield with their jersey numbers — were dynamic with the triple-option threat.
The late Upchurch, who passed away at 65 almost two months ago, rushed for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons as the fullback.
“Well, you know, I never thought the triple-option could work,” Young told the Citizen late in the 1973 season with Arizona at 8-1 before it lost its last two games. “I became interested in it when I saw Stanford in the Rose Bowl (a 27-17 victory over Ohio State in 1971), and I liked the way you could pass from it.
“I still didn’t believe you could run the triple-option and do it successfully, though. Then when I was with Michigan last year (as the defensive coordinator) we played Minnesota, and I liked the way they could put pressure on our defense with the triple option.”
Hill, a heady, athletic quarterback, was masterful with the offense as a freshman, connecting often with receivers “T” Bell and Mark Neal.
Many teams were run-oriented back then, unlike the wide-open read-option attacks like Arizona’s and the Air Raid offense Mike Leach and Sonny Dykes run now.
Arizona’s split backfield of Hamilton and Upchurch was difficult to defend, especially with the dive man (Upchurch) driving inside tackle in the triple-option. The Wildcats gained an incredible 8.6 yards a carry on that very play according to the Citizen report.
