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TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com
What to Watch For: Air Force
Coming off a scare against
Cincinnati, the No. 7 Michigan
football team has faced a fair
amount of criticism for allowing
the Bearcats to hang around late
into the game. Against Air Force
on Saturday, the Wolverines
have set their sights on putting
that performance firmly in the
past.
With
the
Falcons
rolling
into Ann Arbor this weekend,
Michigan has a chance to finish
its non-conference season on a
high note before Big Ten play
begins.
Here’s what to watch for when
the Wolverines take on Air Force:
1. Will Ty Isaac hit 100
again?
After
starting
behind
sophomore Chris Evans in the
season opener, the fifth-year
senior running back has emerged
as the leader of Michigan’s three-
man rotation in the backfield
with two consecutive games in
which he has run for over 100
yards.
In his fourth year in the
program
after
transferring
from
Southern
California,
Isaac has “capitalized on his
opportunities”
according
to
coach Jim Harbaugh. He rushed
for a game-high 114 yards on just
11 carries against Florida, and
in his second career start, he
rushed for 133 yards — a career
high — on 20 carries against
Cincinnati.
Rather
than
acting
as
a
complement to the shifty, speedy
Evans — who had been expected
to take over the lead rusher
role this year — Isaac has taken
over where last year’s starter
De’Veon Smith left off as the
power back of the Wolverines’
run game.
Isaac has yet to make his way
into the end zone, but with his
recent string of solid outings,
there is a high probability that
he will break that trend against
Air Force.
2. How many points will the
defense score?
21-17. The latter is the number
of points Michigan’s defense has
given up this season. The former
is the number of points the
Wolverine defense has scored.
Between
two
pick-sixes
against
the
Bearcats
and
a
fumble recovery in the end zone
against the Gators, Michigan
has not only played lockdown
defense, but has
turned
stops
into
scoring
opportunities as
well.
While
the
offense
and
special
teams
units have made
a
considerable
number
of
costly mistakes,
Michigan
defensive
coordinator
Don
Brown’s unit has avoided a
similar fate. Acting as the calm
within the storm, the defense
has provided a stabilizing force
so far this year.
Air Force might disrupt that
trend, though. With their triple-
option style offense, the Falcons
could pose a strong challenge to
the Wolverines’ defense. From
trick plays to deceptive schemes,
Air Force will throw its whole
playbook at Michigan. While
the Wolverines have said that
they have been preparing for
this game since the spring, their
defense will have a harder time
keeping up its scoring streak
against the Falcons.
3. Will Quinn
Nordin
have
another chance to
show off his leg?
The
redshirt
freshman
kicker
made
a
name
for
himself
after
nailing 4 of 6 field
goals,
including
two from more than 50 yards out,
against Florida. Of Michigan’s 33
total points, Nordin scored 12.
If he had made the other two
kicks, he would have outscored
Florida’s 17-point total all on his
own.
With the performance, Nordin
owns the record for the longest
field goal made at AT&T Stadium
(55 yards) and is the only
freshman Wolverine ever to hit
two 50-plus-yard field goals in
the same game.
Against Cincinnati, Nordin
had a noticeably less prominent
role, though that’s actually more
of a positive for the Wolverines’
offense as a whole than a negative
for him.
With
Air
Force’s
unpredictable
offense,
the
Falcons
could
end up scoring
more
than
expected
due
to trickery as
opposed to skill.
If that proves
to be the case
Saturday, Michigan may need
Nordin to provide a stable source
of points.
4. Can Speight avoid turning
the ball over?
After two games where his
position as the starter has been
called into question, the redshirt
junior quarterback has a chance
to silence his critics against an
Air Force team that leaves the
secondary vulnerable with a
blitz-heavy scheme.
Most of Speight’s wounds
have been self-inflicted — from
his
two
pick-sixes
against
Florida to his two fumbles
against Cincinnati
— so the onus is
on him. One of the
first lessons taught
to young players
learning the game
is to take care of the
football.
Speight
needs to heed that
lesson against the
Falcons.
Despite
his
mistakes,
Speight
has still completed 28 of 54
passes for 402 yards and three
touchdowns.
Throughout
the
week,
his
teammates
have
wholeheartedly defended their
quarterback, depicting him as
their unquestioned leader.
If Speight can just clean up
the errors, he can convince the
Wolverines’ supporters calling
for his job to see him in the same
light.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Fifth-year senior running back Ty Isaac is in pursuit of his third consecutive 100-yard game after claiming the starting job during week two against Cincinnati.
BETELHEM ASHAME
Managing Sports Editor
Michigan may
need Nordin to
provide a stable
source of points.
Most of Speight’s
wounds have
been self-
inflicted.