7 TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com Behind Enemy Lines To gain an inside perspective on the Michigan football team’s upcoming matchup against Air Force, the Daily reached out to Brent Briggeman — the Falcons beat writer for the Colorado Springs Gazette. On Wednesday night, we spoke on the phone with Brent to discuss Air Force’s triple option, Falcons running back Tim McVey and what needs to happen to put Michigan on upset alert. Here’s a look into our conversation: The Michigan Daily: The big talk around here is the triple option. How do you think it could fare against this defensive line that Michigan has? Brent Briggeman: I think it’s proven over the years that it can work against any defense, you know what I mean? It’s so hard to stop just because it doesn’t matter how big you are. It’s just a matter of picking up the ball. The deception and quickness in it is really difficult for a team that doesn’t see it very often. Also, it allows Air Force to leave a man unblocked on every play, and they don’t have to sustain blocks very long. That really helps them being undersized. It eliminates a lot of the disadvantages that come with being undersized. And Arion Worthman at quarterback is the fastest quarterback I’ve seen operate this system. And since he’s been in, that’s why they’ve won seven in a row. It’s hard to understand what that looks like until you’ve actually played against it or seen it in person. They know where they’re going and the defense doesn’t, and they get there quickly. It’s such a different game for defenders to play. TMD: Along those same lines, do you think it’s even further of an advantage for Air Force that — as talented as Michigan’s defense is — they don’t have a lot of college snaps? BB: It sort of puts them at a disadvantage I would think. It’s just not a natural way to defend. Talking to Air Force defenders — seniors who have played against this in practice for years, and then play against New Mexico, Army and Navy every year who run a variation of the triple option — they’re still picking up nuances of how to defend it. To think that a team could learn it over spring practice and then in the week leading up — you’re not gonna learn it. You’re just gonna have to learn enough of it to try to get by. It’s not like Air Force is gonna bust every play. Michigan’s gonna make plays. But Air Force hasn’t been shut out in something like 30 years — maybe 20 years, it’s been a long time — and there’s a reason. It’s really hard to stop this. And the minds that go into creating this offense, you know, (Air Force coach) Troy Calhoun was an NFL offensive coordinator, so it’s not like he only uses the triple option. And Mike Theissen, who’s the offensive coordinator, was an academy graduate, played quarterback here and was a professor for a little while in mathematics. So obviously, these are some pretty bright minds. It’s not like these are guys who just run it because they don’t know anything else. They run it because they understand that it works here. And if you’re a defender getting your third college start, it’s gonna be eye opening. TMD: Is there any chance that Air Force could air it out more often than they normally would, given that Michigan’s secondary hasn’t really been tested at all in the air yet? BB: I would think. I wouldn’t expect them to throw more than 12 to 15 times. They pick their spots well, because obviously they have to get that ground game established. Once guys are starting to cheat a little bit … suddenly a back is running loose Michigan. Here’s why. The triple-option playbook Air Force utilizes is full of trick plays and deception. The Wolverines haven’t faced an opponent like that this year, or any year recently. Against VMI, the Falcons’ unconventional system managed to run for 473 positive yards, had seven different players score rushing touchdowns and had 11 players rush for over 20 yards. The Wolverines have talked about prepping for this scheme since last spring, though. Michigan’s defensive line should power through the Falcons’ front five. When the likes of Gary and veteran linemen Maurice Hurst and Chase Winovich come crashing on the Falcons’ door, the triple-option won’t have so much flexibility. Edge: Michigan Special teams The Wolverines undoubtedly have the better talent on special teams, but they have yet to prove it. Freshman Donovan Peoples-Jones was benched as the punt returner because he was making risky decisions. His replacement, junior Grant Perry, only called for fair catches — something Peoples-Jones never did. Michigan redshirt freshman kicker Quinn Nordin had an eye for the field goals against Florida, hitting four-for-six with two for over 50 yards. Air Force hasn’t kicked a field goal yet this season — it scored touchdowns on most of its drives against VMI. Edge: Michigan Intangibles Speight is out to prove himself. While he’s not in any danger of losing his starting spot, the criticism around his two interceptions week one and his two fumbles week two has been growing. If he cleans up those mistakes, Speight could be primed for a dominant performance Saturday. Leading the Wolverines into the Big Ten season undefeated, and throwing a few more touchdowns in the process, would get everyone back on Speight’s side. Edge: Michigan The Wolverines have the edge in every category, but don’t count Air Force out with its tricky, fast offense. Cincinnati gave Michigan a scare, so there is no reason to think the Falcons can’t either. On the scoreboard, this Saturday could look a lot like the last. Prediction: Michigan 38, Air Force 13 BREAKDOWN From Page 6 AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily Junior safety Tyree Kinnel is living up to the expectation that he would lead Michigan’s secondary, as he has a team-high 15 tackles through two games. The Daily spoke with Brent Briggeman of the Colorado Springs Gazette about the upcoming Air Force contest. KEVIN SANTO Managing Sports Editor See BRENT, Page 8