UNLV fronts familiar faces

ELY - The question pretty much stumped them.

UNLV football coach Bobby Hauck said he wasn't sure when he ever was part of a team that returned all five starters on the offensive line. Maybe the 2000 Washington team that made the Rose Bowl.

Offensive line coach Chad Germer said it might have happened once at Montana and once at Wyoming.

A college football team that returns every starter is rare. For the Rebels, such experience makes the line one of the few certainties as they prepare for the Aug. 30 season opener against Minnesota at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"I think it's huge," left tackle Brett Boyko said. "The thing about the O-line is you've got to work as a team, you've got to work as a unit. If you've got the same guys that you're used to practicing with a whole season and playing with a whole season, coming back for one more helps out everything."

Hauck has a theory he sticks to when building lines: Recruit tall linemen with big frames who have the ability to grow and improve. Four of the starters are at least 290 pounds, and two are at least 6 feet 6 inches tall.

Right tackle Yusef Rodgers (6-2, 265) is the notable exception, but he has become bigger and stronger and might be the line's best technical blocker.

He and right guard Doug Zismann (6-2, 300) are the two seniors on the line occupied by three sophomores.

Three sophomores who started as freshmen last season.

"There were some guys playing their first college football ever," Rodgers said. "Eyes were big. So we had to kind of calm them down. We had to take them by the shoulder pads and guide them a little more."

Now, Rodgers said, those young players don't need the help, saying, "Those guys can definitely handle themselves."

Now that they all have played together a season, the amount of teaching decreases, and the chemistry is strong. Four of the linemen started every game last season. Left guard Cameron Jefferson (6-6, 300) took over in Week 6, and the lineup has remained the same since.

"Things really started to come together for us," Zismann said. "We had a couple of good games rushing, and the young guys really began to pick it up and understand what they're doing."

That showed down the stretch as the Rebels got into the meat of their Mountain West Conference schedule. They averaged 4.3 yards per rush and 189.9 per game against league opponents.

Pass blocking was more of an issue. The Rebels allowed 35 sacks on the year, tied with Colorado State for last in the conference. Much of it was the line's fault, but UNLV's weak passing game allowed opponents to overwhelm the front.

The Rebels appear to have an even stronger running game this season, and they have the speed that could stretch the field and remove some of the burden on the line to pass protect.

"Now there are no excuses this year," Rodgers said. "We've got to come together and make it happen."

The Rebels have their chance beginning two weeks from today.

"Even though they're all returning, there are still some young guys out there," Germer cautioned. "Our chemistry's still brewing. It's not like you've got five seniors coming back. There's still some growing going on across the line."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@review
journal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.