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✦ on paper ranked pass defense should receive a statistical boost from playing Air Force and Navy in consecutive weeks. Advantage: Notre Dame By andrew owens Air Force Running Game Vs. Notre Dame Run Defense If there's one thing this Air Force squad does well — and traditionally succeeds at — it's running the football. While the rest of the Falcons' offensive and defensive statistics linger in the 100s of college football, the school ranks 12th nationally in rushing yards per game with 268.6. Air Force boasts a balanced rushing attack in the triple option under seventh-year head coach Troy Calhoun. Seven players on the roster enter the home contest against Notre Dame with more than 100 rushing yards this season. Junior fullback Broam Hart leads the way with 386 yards and three touchdowns while receiving the most carries of any Falcon (89, with 59 as the next highest total). In the triple-option offense, the quarterback position also produces a significant amount of rushing yards. Sophomore quarterback Jaleel Awini rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns in four games before the academy announced he was no longer a cadet in good standing in late September. Not only do the Falcons run effectively, but they also run a lot. In fact, only Army, Georgia Tech and BYU have rushed the ball more times than Air Force's 379 attempts. While the Irish offense experienced difficulties containing the triple option early under head coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, Notre Dame has since stifled that type of offense. Advantage: Even Air Force Passing Game Vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense As is usually the case, Air Force does not pass the ball often or with much success. Entering the clash with Notre Dame, only New Mexico and Army produce fewer yards through the air than the Falcons (102.3 yards per contest). Three of the team's four passing touchdowns have come from sophomore Karson Roberts, who replaced Awini in late September and is one of four signalcallers to see action for Air Force this fall. To date, Roberts has completed 14 of 30 passes for 207 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Only one Air Force player has caught more than 10 passes (junior Sam Gagliano has 11 for 215 yards and two scores in seven games), but freshman wide receiver Jalen Robinette makes them count when he does haul Notre Dame Running Game Vs. Air Force Run Defense Air Force ranks 111th in rushing defense while allowing 221.3 yards on the ground per contest. That total is a large factor in the Falcons' 1-6 record to begin the season. Junior linebacker Joey Nichol — one of five new starters on the Air Force defense — has burst onto the scene to lead the team in tackles (68) and tackles for loss (6.5). Notre Dame's rushing attack continues to be a mystery in not only production, but also in personnel. The Irish enter the weekend as the 96th-ranked rushing offense and with little identity on the ground. Juniors George Atkinson III, Cam McDaniel and Amir Carlisle have all led the way in different games, with some assistance from freshman Tarean Folston, but fans clamoring for one undisputed leader at the position seem unlikely to get their wish in 2013. Notre Dame is preparing for its eighth game, the two-thirds mark of the season, and if no one has emerged yet it is unlikely to happen. After three consecutive sub-100 rushing outputs in September, the unit produced 220 yards against Oklahoma, 145 against Arizona State and 129 versus USC. Regardless of the back(s) Kelly and offensive coordinator Chuck Martin call upon the most against Air Force, the Irish should have no trouble overpowering the Falcons defense. Advantage: Notre Dame Sophomore Karson Roberts, one of four quarterbacks to see action for Air Force this season, has completed 14 of 30 passes for 207 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in seven appearances. photo courtesy air force in a pass: Two of his seven receptions have resulted in a touchdown. Notre Dame's at-times-maligned 2013 secondary has shown signs of coming together in recent games and will in many ways be tasked with containing the Falcons' rushing attack from producing big plays more than covering imposing receiving threats. Notre Dame's 84th✦ Page 3 Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. Air Force Pass Defense One of senior quarterback Tommy Rees' top performances in an Irish uniform came at Notre Dame Stadium against Air Force in October 2011. He completed 23 of 32 passes for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 59-33 blowout victory. Two years later, Rees is again the team's full-time signal-caller and could produce similar numbers against the 102nd-ranked Falcons pass defense, which has yielded 267.4 yards per game. After leaving the USC game with a neck strain in the third quarter last week, Rees is expected to play against the Falcons. Air Force returned three starters (seniors Chris Miller and Steffon Batts, and junior Christian Spears) in a sec-