Falcons hoping to ace Navy test

In classrooms and dorm rooms during the past two weeks, Air Force players have been getting ready for midterm exams.

And on practice fields during the past two weeks, the Falcons' defensive players have been cramming for another challenging test: defending Navy's triple-option.

Throughout the season, Air Force plays teams that sprinkle some option in their game plans. But players and coaches said that's nothing compared to what they'll face at 2 p.m. Saturday when Navy visits Falcon Stadium.

"It's definitely different because they major in it, and there's a lot of nuance to what they do," defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said of the Midshipmen, who have led the nation in rushing the past three seasons. "But the thing I think they probably do as well as anybody in the country is they execute their offense to a ‘T.'"

The triple-option - which Air Force ran with great success in the glory years of the Fisher DeBerry Era - gets its name from the three choices a quarterback has on running plays.

He can hand the ball to the fullback on a dive up the middle, keep it himself or pitch it to a back who is trailing him.

To defend it, defenses typically assign players to the fullback, quarterback and pitch man.

Thus, the buzz-phrases at the academy this week have been "assignment football," "execution" and "discipline." If a player is assigned to the pitch man, he worries only about the pitch man.

Which sounds simple enough.

It's not.

In recent years Navy's fullbacks have had great success, so a prolonged fake handoff to a fullback can suck in players assigned to the perimeter.

And a fake pitch by a quarterback can cause the player assigned to him to gamble.

"It can be tempting at times, as far as, ‘I'm going to go make a play on the pitch,'" outside linebackers coach Matt Weikert said. "But you've got to be able to take your assignments and make sure you don't miss on them."

DeRuyter said most of his schemes have "overlap," so more than one player can make a play.

And senior outside linebacker Hunter Altman said backside defenders have to fly to the football to help.

But if players blow assignments, the results can be catastrophic.

Navy has fast, talented skill players, and "if you make a screw up they can go 80 (yards) on you," DeRuyter said.

See last season, when busted assignments led to several big plays, including a 78-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada that was the key play in a 31-20 Air Force loss.

Players focusing too much on the run also opened up some plays in the passing game.
The Midshipmen hit a 53-yard reception that set up another score.

"If somebody breaks down on their role or isn't disciplined," senior inside linebacker Brandon Reeves said, "they can bust a big one."

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Contact the Writer: 636-0365 or jake.schaller@gazette.com. Check out our Air Force blog at gazetteafasports.freedomblogger.com