Search
Despite solid start, O-line seeking more
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-09-17
If the Iowa State offensive line is taken for its words, it sounds like the unit hasn’t done much right this season.
“We have a long way to go with some young kids on the offense line,” offensive line coach Bill Bleil said. “We’ve got to eliminate our mistakes.”
Said center Reggie Stephens: “There are a lot of things we can work out and a lot of things we will get better at.”
But there is also a lot the front five has already done.
Through two games ISU is averaging 5.3 yards a rush, and things are going so well with the rushing game that offensive coordinator Tom Herman calls it the strength of the offense.
“We ran the ball effectively, and we’ve protected the passer,” Herman said. “Those guys up front have played their butts off and deserve a lot of credit.”
The offensive line has opened up sizeable holes as the Cyclones have gained 394 yards on the ground. In the season opener, ISU churned out 204 rushing yards.
This past week, running back Alexander Robinson had his fourth career 100-yard game.
“The offensive line played the best of anybody,” quarterback Austen Arnaud said of the Iowa game.
Herman said left tackle Kelechi Osemele and Stephens stood out in the loss to the Hawkeyes. Osemele, who has started six games, is a sophomore the coaching staff is high on.
Stephens started the last two years at guard before sliding over to center this fall.
“He is the quarterback on the O-line and he directs the traffic,” Bleil said. “He keeps them going in the right direction. We very rarely get into something that we don’t want to be in.”
The offensive line hesitates to say it’s off to a fantastic start, Bleil and Stephens describe it as solid, because the Cyclones have yet to break a run of more than 18 yards.
Both say the 5-yard rushing average is a good thing, but Bleil gives part of the credit to Robinson, who he believes has been grinding out yards after contact.
For the offensive line to live up to its own expectations, it will have to finish off more blocks and do a better job of sealing off linebackers and safeties.
“We are moving the ball pretty efficiently,” Stephens said. “But if you continue to put people on the ground, we will turn those arm tackles into no tackles, and one of those runs will break.”
First-year head coach Paul Rhoads isn’t complaining about what the rushing game has done so far, but he’s not satisfied either.
“They can do better,” Rhoads said. “Again, it comes down to bending your knees a little bit more and keeping your pad level a little bit lower and taking that extra step so you can finish off a block and not let a guy escape you and get hands on Alexander …
“That’s the difference between a 4- and 5-yard run, which is good, we’ll take it, but those runs can turn into 15 really easy, and that’s how you win games really easy.”
Kent State to start freshman quarterback
Kent State football coach Doug Martin told the Ohio media on Wednesday that freshman Spencer Keith will start against ISU in place of Giorgio Martin, who has an ankle injury.
Coming off the bench, Keith threw for 71 yards and a touchdown last week at Boston College.
The Golden Flashes also will play without starting running back Eugene Jarvis on Saturday. He is out for the season with a kidney injury.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-09-17
Left tackle Kelechi Osemele and center Reggie Stephens are offensive linemen who coaches said stood out in Saturday's loss to Iowa.
Tribune photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar
Tribune photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar
If the Iowa State offensive line is taken for its words, it sounds like the unit hasn’t done much right this season.
“We have a long way to go with some young kids on the offense line,” offensive line coach Bill Bleil said. “We’ve got to eliminate our mistakes.”
Said center Reggie Stephens: “There are a lot of things we can work out and a lot of things we will get better at.”
But there is also a lot the front five has already done.
Through two games ISU is averaging 5.3 yards a rush, and things are going so well with the rushing game that offensive coordinator Tom Herman calls it the strength of the offense.
“We ran the ball effectively, and we’ve protected the passer,” Herman said. “Those guys up front have played their butts off and deserve a lot of credit.”
The offensive line has opened up sizeable holes as the Cyclones have gained 394 yards on the ground. In the season opener, ISU churned out 204 rushing yards.
This past week, running back Alexander Robinson had his fourth career 100-yard game.
“The offensive line played the best of anybody,” quarterback Austen Arnaud said of the Iowa game.
Herman said left tackle Kelechi Osemele and Stephens stood out in the loss to the Hawkeyes. Osemele, who has started six games, is a sophomore the coaching staff is high on.
Stephens started the last two years at guard before sliding over to center this fall.
“He is the quarterback on the O-line and he directs the traffic,” Bleil said. “He keeps them going in the right direction. We very rarely get into something that we don’t want to be in.”
The offensive line hesitates to say it’s off to a fantastic start, Bleil and Stephens describe it as solid, because the Cyclones have yet to break a run of more than 18 yards.
Both say the 5-yard rushing average is a good thing, but Bleil gives part of the credit to Robinson, who he believes has been grinding out yards after contact.
For the offensive line to live up to its own expectations, it will have to finish off more blocks and do a better job of sealing off linebackers and safeties.
“We are moving the ball pretty efficiently,” Stephens said. “But if you continue to put people on the ground, we will turn those arm tackles into no tackles, and one of those runs will break.”
First-year head coach Paul Rhoads isn’t complaining about what the rushing game has done so far, but he’s not satisfied either.
“They can do better,” Rhoads said. “Again, it comes down to bending your knees a little bit more and keeping your pad level a little bit lower and taking that extra step so you can finish off a block and not let a guy escape you and get hands on Alexander …
“That’s the difference between a 4- and 5-yard run, which is good, we’ll take it, but those runs can turn into 15 really easy, and that’s how you win games really easy.”
Kent State to start freshman quarterback
Kent State football coach Doug Martin told the Ohio media on Wednesday that freshman Spencer Keith will start against ISU in place of Giorgio Martin, who has an ankle injury.
Coming off the bench, Keith threw for 71 yards and a touchdown last week at Boston College.
The Golden Flashes also will play without starting running back Eugene Jarvis on Saturday. He is out for the season with a kidney injury.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929 or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
| Comments |
|
We welcome comments on all sides of all issues. We want our comment forums to be a respectful, comfortable place for people of all opinions to discuss topics of interest. Toward that end, we will not approve comments that contain profanity, obscenity, libel, name-calling, or personal attack. We reserve the right to disapprove any comment for any reason.
|