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When Cal has the ball 

The ground game 

Tailback Joe Igber ran for a season-high 108 yards against Michigan State last week, a sign that the Bears’ running game might be coming around. Igber actually gained some yardage up the middle for the first time this season rather than bouncing everything outside, a good philosophy to follow against the undersized, speedy Air Force defense. Don’t expect head coach Jeff Tedford to use much of the option attack he pulled out of his hat in the second half, as the Falcons are good at defending the edges, but there should be plenty of holes up the middle for Igber to run through. 

In the trenches 

Air Force only uses three defensive linemen, but they blitz linebackers from all over. That means the Cal offensive line will have to move around and communicate efficiently, keeping blitzers off of quarterback Kyle Boller. One missed assignment can mean disaster against the opportunistic Air Force defense. The small Falcon defensive line shouldn’t pose much of a challenge, as they all give up more than 30 pounds to their Cal opponents. 

Taking to the air 

Boller should be able to continue his outstanding season against the Falcons, who haven’t faced a passing attack like Cal’s yet this season. Watch for some three-receiver sets from the Bears as Tedford takes advantage of size mismatches against the Air Force secondary. When’s the last time you heard that about Cal’s wide receivers? 

When Michigan State has the ball 

The ground game 

The Falcons are leading the nation in rushing yards per game, and the Bears looked vulnerable to the option against New Mexico State, a much less efficient option team. The key will be the Cal linebackers – if they can flow to the ball and swarm Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge quickly, they can stop plays before they start. But if Harridge can get to the outside and get the ball to halfback Leotis Palmer, who is averaging more than eight yards per carry, watch out. The Falcons are perfectly happy marching up the field without using big plays, as their discipline and fitness are unmatched. 

In the trenches 

Air Force is relatively small up front, but they do a good job holding their blocks while Harridge creates chaos. They also don’t have to worry much about pass-blocking, which makes them more aggressive. They also do a lot of cut blocking, which brings defenders to the ground and makes them worry about protecting their legs instead of tackling the ball-carrier. If the offensive line can get to Cal’s linebackers it will mean big plays for the Falcons. 

Taking to the air 

The only way the Falcons will beat anyone with the pass is if the opposition falls asleep. Harridge has completed just eight passes in two games and doesn’t have much talent to work with at receiver. As long as the Cal cornerbacks don’t get fooled, Harridge won’t hurt them with his arm.