Idaho State's O-line falling into place

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dthompson@journalnet.com

POCATELLO -- Idaho State's offensive linemen gathered before practice on Tuesday and watched snips of film from the 2007 season.

Much of it -- the early part, especially -- wasn't pretty.

"We were watching a five-man protection," said Mike Orthmann, ISU's offensive coordinator and line coach, "and one of them says, 'Skip the first half of the season so we get to where we knew what we were doing.'"

Bengals players hiked steep learning curves at every position last season, but perhaps no group had as tough a go of it as the offensive linemen. They played hurt. At times, they played confused.

But they played, and this year, with almost twice as many linemen and a season's worth of knowledge, they are confident they can cut their sacks allowed total in half and be the foundation of a much-improved Idaho State football team.

"Last year was kind of a debacle around this time in camp," said senior tackle and captain Evan Dietrich-Smith. "We didn't really get it together until the third or fourth game. ... Everything was so new."

Indeed, Orthmann prides himself on not being a "keep-it-simple-stupid" kind of guy, so Year 1 tested the Bengals mentally. With just eight players in the rotation, everyone of them also had to play hurt, Orthmann said, and there was just nothing they could do about it.

Remarkably, though, none of the five starters missed a game.

"We were real lucky, but even if we did get injured, I know all five of us would have played," junior Lance Cartwright said. "As long as it's not coming through the skin I would've played."

But after two recruiting seasons, there were at least a dozen offensive linemen in pads Tuesday, and each veteran has been assigned a freshman to mentor so as to hasten his improvement. Dietrich-Smith is helping Kyle Whimpey, and Cartwright has taken Burley graduate Braeden Clayson under his wing -- about as much as a 6-foot-6, 318-pound man can fit under his wing, anyway.

That has made practices less tedious for Orthmann, who can now rely on the veterans to shepherd along the first-year players.

"By getting coached by three guys instead of getting coached by one guy, less things get overlooked," Orthmann said. "You've got to coach so many guys, you never see it all. Now, less things slip through the hat."

Last season, plenty of defenders slipped through Idaho State's depleted offensive line. The team allowed 30 sacks, second most in the conference and 18 more than leader Weber State.

Orthmann, though, expects Idaho State to allow about half as many sacks this year because the line is deeper and more talented and Russel Hill is making better decisions in the pocket.

Dietrich-Smith and Cartwright were blocking the sophomore quarterback's blindside during first-unit drills Tuesday. Newcomers Ryan Henry and Mitch Rudder filled in at center and right guard, respectively, and at right tackle, senior Aaron Klovas and redshirt freshman Brad Shedd are competing for time with the first team.

Bryce Metcalf, who started all 11 games at right guard last year, has not been in camp due to unfulfilled academic requirements. Gone also is three-year starter George Yarno, who graduated in May. But teammates said Henry, a JUCO transfer, and Rudder, a sophomore transfer from Boise State, have filled in well.

Dietrich-Smith said during film study, teaching terminology to the freshmen has been "like we're teaching French to them."

But last year, it was French to all of the linemen. Not so this fall.

"In a college class last year, we were in a 100-level," Dietrich-Smith said. "This year we're doing graduate classes. It's a big leap, but it's a luxury to be comfortable in the system finally and not have to think about it so much."

By Dan Thompson

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