LINCOLN — Nebraska's offensive line coach doesn't want his players thinking that they can be leaders at their own convenience.

Either you set the example all the time, or you don't do it at all.

That's Barney Cotton's message. And for the entire NU offense to make the improvements most are expecting from a now-seasoned unit, Cotton knows that its big-bodied enforcers up front have to set a standard of tenacity from the start.

“You have a chance to lead your offense if you're physical,” Cotton said. “We have this talk all the time. Guys will follow you if you're playing at a high level and you're physical all the time. … But nobody's going to follow a roller coaster.”

Last year, injuries stripped NU's offensive line of depth and hampered the ailing players who weren't hurt enough to sit. But oddly enough, it was last November — the season's most grueling point — when the offensive line began to assert itself.

Nebraska's run-heavy offense wasn't prolific, but given its predictability, it still managed to produce. The Huskers ran for 145 yards against Baylor. Just four fewer at home against OU a week later. They tallied 214 on the ground at Kansas.

A banged-up offensive line led the way.

“We had guys practicing full speed when we really didn't have anybody left,” Cotton said. “They didn't give in, they kept playing. Nobody raised his hand and said, ‘I can't go anymore.'”

The linemen shouldn't be forced to do that this fall.

Cotton's goal is to establish an eight-man rotation on the line, but if things work out in his favor, he might end up with nine or 10 capable contributors.

Mike Caputo has taken over at center. Ricky Henry and Keith Williams are the two top guards, with redshirt freshman Brent Qvale behind them. Marcel Jones and D.J. Jones are operating at right tackle, but both could help out Jermarcus Hardrick and Jeremiah Sirles on the left side. Other young guys, like Andrew Rodriguez and Jesse Coffey, are in the mix.

No matter what lineup is chosen, none of the Huskers expect this unit to resemble the mistake-prone group that began the 2009 season.

Nebraska's line was called for 16 penalties, including nine false starts, during a four-game stretch that ended with a loss to Texas Tech. In that game against the Red Raiders, the Huskers allowed five sacks and gained just 70 rushing yards.

“I think we were (physical enough) at times,” Henry said, “but I don't think we were as much as we needed to be.”

They had it figured out by the Holiday Bowl.

Nebraska controlled the line of scrimmage against Arizona, utilizing both power and spread formations. But Cotton said the key component in the approach was physicality.

Now the players just have to maintain it.

“We're trying to be a proud unit,” Cotton said. “If we want to be a proud unit, we've got to go out and do it every day in practice. It's an everything-counts deal.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com

« Sports - Big Red Today

Share