Trimming down of Husker O-line may have temporary side effects in ‘08

By Marc Hudgens  |   Thursday, July 31, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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A recent Omaha World-Herald column from two Sundays ago talked about the Nebraska offensive line and its weight loss goals, stating that nine big uglies began spring drills at 300-plus pounds. The first reaction to that was quizzical; after all, the unwritten code is that most linemen, whether they're in college or the pros, must exceed 300 pounds.

The average height of Nebraska's O-linemen is 6-foot-5, while the mean weight is 310 pounds. As far as size averages go, that's not bad; however, the Huskers’ offense finished last season just seventh in the Big XII in rushing and only sixth in sacks allowed. Apparently, then, size isn’t everything.

Over at HuskerPedia, the main message board for the team, fan comments regarding last year’s line largely included the words "fat," "slow", and one even said "weak." That perception seemingly paralleled that of the coaching staff, because new Huskers skipper Bo Pelini & Co. have their front five on a strict weight loss regimen to improve quickness and agility. Nothing wrong with that, but one possible consequence is -- dare it be said -- sluggishness or weakness because of the group's new slim look. After all, with most weight loss programs -- especially those that are designed for fast results -- strength may be temporarily sacrificed while stamina builds.

Take last season's Florida State team, for instance. Last year welcomed some coaching upgrades in Tallahassee -- most notably offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, who is the heir apparent to longtime Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden. Along with Fisher came Rick Trickett, West Virginia’s offensive line coach in 2006. One of the first things noticed by Fisher and Trickett was that the Florida State offensive line appeared fat and slow. Sound familiar? So, just as Pelini is doing now, Trickett embarked on a strict weight loss program for the Seminole linemen during the preseason of 2007. The result was a line that, despite its leanness, wasn’t as strong as needed. Once the linemen got to a healthy weight, though, a muscle building program was implemented to bring them back to size but in a much leaner and better way, thus avoiding the sacrifices of speed and agility.

Admittedly, it’s likely FSU’s line won’t be great this year simply because it's lost a lot of talent and will largely be playing freshmen and sophomores. So, the experience factor in this analogy is in Nebraska’s favor. Nonetheless, depending on how much weight needs to be lost will determine productivity.

In a roundabout way, the World-Herald column gave readers a glimpse as to the ideal weight range for Nebraska's linemen when it mentioned guard Mike Huff -- who has lost enough weight and can now concentrate more on agility. It states he hovered between 305 and 310 pounds, which is apparently a suitable size for the coaches. If that’s the case, only the right side of the line (Matt Slauson, Jaivorio Burkes) has the most weight to lose -- about 15 pounds worth each player -- but Slauson has already dropped quite a bit. If the line has already met its weight loss goals, then there is plenty of time to build up strength by the season premiere against Western Michigan.

It will be interesting to see how this program affects the play in the trenches. Come Aug. 30, Nebraska followers will find out.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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