UNI football preparing for Air Force’s triple-option attack

CEDAR FALLS — Preparing for a season opener always comes with its share of anxiety and question marks.

However, for Northern Iowa’s football team entering 2022, its season opener at Air Force this Saturday comes with more than the usual.

The Falcons’ uncommon flexbone offense — more commonly known as the triple option — is a scheme designed to level the playing field against its college football peers that recruit football players rather than servicemen.

The scheme is utilized by all three Division I service academy teams and Air Force is boasting the most success among its military peers, coming off a 10-3 2021 season that included an impressive mark of 328.2 rushing yards per game.

The Falcons also boast the return of their top two rushers — running back Brad Roberts and quarterback Haaziq Daniels.

“Once school started, now you start preparing for an opponent, and this one being the flexbone now it’s like all the work that you did (you) put on the shelf,” UNI Coach Mark Farley said Monday. “It’s definitely changed the demeanor of practice and hopefully this week we’ll smooth it out and get more normal because everything is installed again.”

While Air Force enters Saturday’s game with no questions surrounding its offensive identity, UNI is hoping to begin forging one in Colorado Springs for its new offense.

Co-offensive coordinators Bodie Reeder and Ryan Clanton will collaborate for the first time in-game against the Falcons with an offense that’s been built to simplify its terminology for the players while at the same time being multiple enough to stress opposing defenses.

“It’ll be interesting to see what the offense does. I feel good about the offense,” Farley said. “I think (quarterback) Theo (Day) is confident, I think our offense is confident, I think we have the experience that we need and now it comes down to do we have the rhythm that we need with coaches, players, alike.”

Farley acknowledged redshirt freshman Cael Loecher has won the starting job at punter.

Sixth-year senior Nick Ellis has continued to ramp up his practice workload and is in line to start at right tackle. However, it sounds likely Ellis’ snap count will be managed, so look for sophomore Tristan Roper to rotate in at the position.

Wide receiver Logan Wolf is in a similar situation as Ellis, according to Farley, ramping up his practice workload and in position to play Saturday on a snap count.

“Both (Wolf) and Ellis are critical to our team,” Farley said.