HARRISONBURG — James Madison is prepping its defense to see two different offensive schemes on Saturday against Central Connecticut State.

JMU coach Mike Houston said the Dukes will be ready for both.

“We’ll be prepared for [the triple option], but against Lafayette we didn’t see quite as much of it,” Houston said. “It was more typical spread with throwing the ball and zone-run game.”

Houston said the Blue Devils — a Northeast Conference team — ran a different style of offense in last week’s 24-10 loss to Lafayette than they used last fall.

Central Connecticut State head coach Pete Rossomando and offensive coordinator Ryan McCarthy held the same roles last year but their offensive personnel has changed. After platooning two quarterbacks in 2015. sophomore signal-caller Tavion Pauldo left the team after the season, leaving second-year quarterback Jacob Dolegala in charge of the offense.

“Last year, they ran aspects of the triple option out of the shotgun, but I don’t know how much we’ll see of it Saturday,” Houston said.

So what’s a coach to do?

For JMU, the triple option will be no stranger. Morehead State ran a version of the option at Bridgeforth Stadium last week, said Madison defensive coordinator Bob Trott.

“They will run the zone read like Morehead State, except at times they have a pitch man,” Trott said. “We just have to adjust to what they do.”

The key to stopping an option attack isn’t much different from the principles of Trott’s 4-2-5 base defense. Trott said as long as JMU’s defensive players follow their responsibilities, the unit would have success.

“Everyone has to do their job and there are some offenses that force you to do [your] job correctly, and that’s what a little bit of zone read and option can do,” Trott said. “It’s no different than last week.”

JMU’s sophomore linebacker Dimitri Holloway said the unit understands its responsiblities.

Against Morehead State, Holloway said he was so focused on his assignments that he didn’t realize he forced a fumble.

“[Defensive tackle] Simeyon [Robinson] was in the A gap and I saw my gap open wide. I hit my gap like I was supposed to and I forced the fumble,” Holloway said. “I was just playing ball.”

Central Connecticut State rushed for 85 yards against Lafayette with running backs Drew Jean-Guillaume and Cameron Nash.

If the Blue Devils go with the spread offense against James Madison, Trott’s defense has plenty of practice against it.

“They’re in a spread no-huddle offense like us,” Houston said.

In three weeks of preseason camp, Trott’s first-team defense saw it daily.

“If you run a spread, you run these types of plays,” Trott said.