AMHERST — There are different levels of experience when it comes to offensive lines.
It’s one thing to play in a lot of games for a team, but it’s another to appear alongside the same group of linemen for all of those contests. Across the board, there is plenty of experience on the UMass offensive line this season, but they have also had a full season in the trenches with each other.
That difference is what coach Mark Whipple said he thinks will be a difference this year.
“The big thing is experience, but not only that, they played with each other,” Whipple said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that know what’s going on and understand some things, so there’s nothing like experience, and that’s what we’ve got up front.”
Last season, two of the five starters were in their first year as a starter after appearing extensively the year before as a reserve. Now the fivesome will include just one new piece – sophomore Larnel Coleman, who appeared in all 12 games in 2017 – while also being backed up by two veterans who appeared in at least 11 games last season.
Running back Marquis Young said having so much experience has been a real asset for him in preseason camp.
“We always could be better, you don’t want to get content,” Young said. “Those big guys in the trenches, they’ve been working hard and emptying the tank every day. They’ve got a lot of power and a lot of heart, so I respect them for that.”
Among the biggest issue with the offensive line last year was protecting the quarterback, a multi-faceted problem that cannot be blamed solely on the linemen. One issue that both Whipple and quarterback Ross Comis said has been addressed is the missed assignments that let blitzers into the backfield untouched.
Comis said the unit has done a better job with its shift calls and making sure that every defender is marked every play.
“We have most of them back and a lot of that is knowing where to be and not missing assignments and then on the fly making the plays,” Comis said. “I think they’ve done a great job in running and in pass (protection), so hopefully it gets better as the season goes on.”
Fellow quarterback Andrew Ford said he’s been pleased with the cohesiveness of the line as well, complimenting the unit’s movement and communication to ensure no defender is blocked twice.
“They’re gelling together, they have a feel for where each other is going to be at,” Ford said. “Overall, I’m really, really happy with how they’re gelling, and I’m excited to see them get to work in a couple of days.”
Whipple said he expects to rotate his offensive linemen this season as he has done in the past to utilize the depth the Minutemen have at the position. Although the starting fivesome is set with Coleman taking over at right tackle for Jake Driscoll, the coach said several players will switch positions during games as the staff tries to use the players’ versatility to their advantage.
“We’re going to mix and match,” Whipple said. “We have enough to play eight, so we’ll mix and match packages and some things series wise. As we go, you’re going to get somebody nicked so we’ve got more good players than we’ve had.”
Josh Walfish can be reached at jwalfish@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshWalfishDHG. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.