The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, September 14, 2017 — 5A

Big Ten Breakdown: Week Two

No. 5 Penn State
Previous result: W, 33-14 vs. 

Pittsburgh

Top performer: Quarterback 

Trace McSorley — 15-of-28, 164 
yards, three touchdowns, one 
interception

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Georgia State

No. 8 Ohio State
Previous result: L, 31-16 vs. 

Oklahoma

Top 
performer: 
Running 

back J.K. Dobbins — 13 carries, 
72 yards, one touchdown

Upcoming matchup: vs. Army
No. 10 Wisconsin
Previous result: W, 31-14 vs. 

Florida Atlantic

Top performer: Running back 

Jonathan Taylor — 26 carries, 
223 yards, three touchdowns

Upcoming 
matchup: 
at 

Brigham Young

Illinois
Previous result: W, 20-7 vs. 

Western Kentucky

Top 
performer: 
Running 

back Mike Epstein — 21 carries, 
111 yards

Upcoming matchup: vs. No. 

22 South Florida

Indiana
Previous result: W, 34-17 at 

Virginia

Top performer: Quarterback 

Peyton Ramsey — 16-of-20, 173 
yards, two touchdowns

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Georgia Southern

Iowa
Previous result: W, 44-41 at 

Iowa State

Top performer: Quarterback 

Nathan Stanley — 27-of-41, 333 
yards, five touchdowns

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

North Texas

Maryland
Previous result: W, 51-41 vs. 

Towson

Top 
performer: 
Running 

back Ty Johnson — five carries, 
124 yards, two touchdowns

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Central Florida

Michigan State
Previous result: W, 28-14 vs. 

Western Michigan

Top performer: Quarterback 

Brian Lewerke — 13-of-21, 161 
yards, one passing touchdown, 
two rushing touchdowns, one 
interception

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Notre Dame

Minnesota
Previous result: W, 48-14 at 

Oregon State

Top performer: Running back 

Shannon Brooks – 17 carries, 91 
yards, three touchdowns

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

MTSU

Nebraska
Previous result: L, 42-35 at 

Oregon

Top 
performer: 
Wide 

receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. – 
seven receptions, 103 yards, two 
touchdowns

Upcoming matchup: vs. NIU
Northwestern
Previous result: L, 41-17 at 

Duke

Top performer: Linebacker 

Paddy Fisher – 18 tackles

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Bowling Green

Purdue
Previous result: W, 44-21 vs. 

Ohio

Top performer: Quarterback 

David Blough – 11-of-13, 235 
yards, three touchdowns

Upcoming 
matchup: 
at 

Missouri

Rutgers
Previous result: L, 16-13 vs. 

Eastern Michigan

Top performer – Janarion 

Grant, 
eight 
receptions, 
91 

yards

Upcoming 
matchup: 
vs. 

Morgan State

Bush, defense preparing for Air Force’s unique offense

The No. 7 Michigan football 

team (2-0) won’t see an offense 
like Air Force’s every week. 
For the most part, it’s an 
opportunity for the Wolverines 
to 
face 
an 
out-of-the-box 

scheme. 

Michigan’s 
upcoming 

opponent presents a unique 
challenge. The Falcons (1-0) 
run a triple-option style offense 
that is full of deceit, trick plays 
and 
an 
ever-changing 
run 

game.

Air Force had the third-

ranked rushing offense last 
season, averaging 317 rushing 
yards per game. In the Falcons’ 
season-opening 
win 
against 

Virginia 
Military 
Institute, 

they rushed for 473.

“It’s a well-run offense,” said 

sophomore linebacker Devin 
Bush Jr. “They’ve been running 
it for (11) years. … They know it 
down to the T, and they’re going 
to run it to their best ability.”

The Wolverines are 24-point 

favorites over Air Force, but in 
order to pick up a third straight 
win, they’ll need to stop an 
Air Force attack that is one of 
the best in the nation on the 
ground.

Bush 
and 

other members 
of the defense 
mentioned 
that 
staying 

disciplined 
was the most 
important 
factor. 
With 

so 
many 

different looks, 
the 
Falcons’ 

offense can lead 
defensive players into trying to 
make plays they shouldn’t. The 
Wolverines can’t afford to jump 
at the quarterback when he 
could toss a quick lateral pass to 
the trailing running back, who 

could beat them as well.

“It’s hard,” Bush said. “That’s 

one of the biggest things we’re 
gonna have to focus on — not 

doing too much. 
Not 
trying 
to 

always make that 
play. 
You 
have 

to 
trust 
your 

teammates.

“Do your job. 

Don’t try to do 
the next man’s 
job.”

Added 

sophomore safety 
Josh 
Metellus: 

“The triple-option offense is a 
lot. There’s a lot of deceiving 
plays; people going one way, 
and the ball going completely 
the other way.”

Playing in the secondary, the 

safeties aren’t as concerned 
with 
the 
triple 
option 
as 

some of the linebackers are, 
but Metellus noted that they 
have 
seen 
Air 

Force 
run 
a 

slew 
of 
play-

action 
passes. 

If the safeties 
and 
defensive 

backs get caught 
sleeping, 
the 

Falcons are well 
positioned 
to 

attack 
through 

the air as well.

Nonetheless, 

amidst all the triple-option 
talk, the Wolverines’ defense is 
still exceedingly confident.

“They’re not going to pass the 

ball too many times,” Bush said. 
“If they do, we got something 

for ‘em.”

So far, Michigan’s defense 

has scored more points than it 
has allowed.

The 
young 

guns like Bush 
and 
Metellus, 

as 
well 
as 

sophomores 
Lavert Hill and 
Khaleke Hudson, 
are 
breaking 

down opponents. 
And 
‘veterans’ 

like junior safety 
Tyree 
Kinnel 

and 
senior 

cornerback 
Brandon 
Watson 

are making the transition from 
last year’s star-studded defense 
practically seamless.

No matter how well the 

defense fared against Florida 

and Cincinnati, though, they 
admit that preparing for Air 
Force presents an entirely new 
challenge.

Defensive coordinator Don 

Brown 
has 
been 
preparing 

for this game since last April. 
The coaches talked about this 
game with players all offseason 
to make sure that they knew 
what to expect when this week 
arrived. Preparing for almost 
any other opponent wouldn’t 
call for a change in the game 
plan, and that’s why the Falcons 
are so dangerous.

“(Air Force) is just a different 

deal,” said Michigan secondary 
coach Mike Zordich. “What 
we have worked on from April 
through now, you just put that 
all aside, and you’re doing 
something totally different.”

Zordich also praised the 

scout team, as emulating Air 
Force’s running game is no easy 
task.

“Hats off to all our (graduate 

assistants) 
and 
analysts,” 

Zordich said. “… Every week 
they study the film of the 
opponent for the scout team, 
but there’s a bigger emphasis on 
it this week because it is such a 
different offense.”

The 
hardest 
challenge 

for 
Michigan, 
as 
Zordich 

discussed, will be all of the 
misdirection and deception.

In the Wolverines’ offense — 

which the defense faces every 
day in practice — there might 
a trick play here and there. But 
Michigan’s offense isn’t based 
around trick plays. Air Force is 
the opposite.

“Now,” Zordich said, “(We) 

have to be ready for it just about 
on every down.”

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Sophomore linebacker Devin Bush Jr. and the Wolverines’ defense has been heavily tested by the scout team in anticipation of the challenge Air Force will present.

TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

“Do your job. 
Don’t try to do 
the next man’s 

job.”

Want to watch Jim 

Harbaugh throw his 

clipboard in real time?

Then join the 

Daily’s sports 

section!

Contact

 kmsanto@umich.edu and 

ashabete@umich.edu

OR come to either of our 

remaining mass meetings 

at 420 Maynard St.:

Monday, September 18

Tuesday, September 19

Both are at 7 p.m.

BY THE NUMBERS

Michigan vs Air Force outlook

24

Point favorites the Wolverines are 

over the Falcons

11

Years Air Force has been running its 

triple-option offense

317

Rushing yards Air Force averaged 

per game last season

21

Points scored by Michigan’s defense 

in two games this year

“(We) have to 
be ready for it 
just about on 
every down.”

The Daily provides a brief overview of the Big Ten landscape

KEVIN SANTO

Managing Sports Editor

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Coach Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan football team are one of the four Big Ten teams ranked in the top ten of the AP Top 25 two weeks into the 2017 season.

