Notre Dame Football: Irish Will Struggle Against Dynamic Air Force Falcons

The Air Force Falcons will be invading South Bend this Saturday in what is sure to be a very tough matchup for the Fighting Irish.

After a disappointing 0-2 start, head coach Brain Kelly is seemingly getting his team back on the same page, and could be perhaps turning the ship around.

He made a brash move right off the bat to switch from Dayne Crist under center to Tommy Rees, and after a few weeks that seems to be paying dividends.

Not only that, but after being lit up by South Florida and Michigan, the Notre Dame defense has seemingly calmed down. They've only given up 35 points in the past three games, which equals the amount of points that Michigan put up on them in that epic night loss.

Things are looking up for the Irish, there is no doubt about it. That being said, the Falcons are their triple-option offense are going to be quite a task, and it's going to cause Notre Dame some problems.

Air Force is putting up 38.5 points per game compared to only 27 for the Irish, and much of that can be attributed to Falcons' quarterback Tim Jefferson.

Bob Wieneke of The South Bend Tribune writes more on the Falcons' offense and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly's thoughts on their opponent:

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Statistically, Air Force looks like a typical military academy school in that its offensive balance tips heavily toward the run. The Falcons this season rank third nationally in rushing offense and 112th in passing efficiency. 

Don't, however, let that fool you. Air Force has had success throwing the ball, with senior quarterback Tim Jefferson having completed 33 of his 47 passes with five touchdowns.

"The balance they have," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday, "creates havoc for everyone across the country." 

This week it's ND's turn to deal with that havoc. The 3-2 Irish, who have won three in a row, host the 3-1 Falcons Saturday at 3:40 (Eastern) at Notre Dame Stadium. ND leads the all-time series 22-6, including 10-4 at home. Air Force, however, won the most recent meeting, 41-24, at Notre Dame in 2007. 

The Irish played their first turnover-free game of the season last Saturday at Purdue, a 38-10 victory. While pleased with winning on the road for the second consecutive week, Kelly knew a quality opponent was up next.

"That's why we were quick to get our attention to Air Force," Kelly said. "We're going to have to play very well to beat Air Force."

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There is no doubt that this is going to be a tough game for the Irish, and they are no doubt going to present a challenge for the defense.

Quarterback Tim Jefferson has thrown for 493 yards and five touchdowns so far, but even more impressive is the way he handles the triple-option.

While it's been around for a long time, it is still a very complex system that takes a solid mind to run, and Jefferson is the guy for the job.

The Falcons are dynamic on offense, which means that Notre Dame's defense is going to have to step up.

They've only given up 18.6 points a game so far.

That's a number they are going to have to duplicate or better if they want to continue their winning streak.