Big men up front handling business

Posted Sep 20, 2010 by Adam Adkins

Updated Sep 20, 2010 at 08:12 PM

The offensive line was arguably the most experienced unit on the USF football team entering this season, and the group has played just like it through the season’s first two games.

The big men up front pace the nation’s 24th-best ground attack – USF is averaging 212 rushing yards per game – and has allowed just one sack entering Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky.

“They’ve been healthy, they’ve gotten a lot of work together, they’ve really bought in, there’s an awful lot of pride in that group and they’re really playing well together,” USF coach Skip Holtz said. “I think it’s been nice to watch that group gel and come together, but I think a big part of it being in our first year and how hard it is to put that position together is that they’ve all been able to stay very healthy and we’ve had some good work with them since spring of last year.”

Holtz said four of the five starters – center Sampson Genus, left guard Jeremiah Warren, right guard Chaz Hine and right tackle Jacob Sims – graded out as winners against Florida, when the Bulls racked up 244 yards on the ground. And Holtz was still more pleased than not with the way the fifth starter, left tackle Jamar Bass, handled himself in that game as well.

“He played well and did some good things, it’s just that there’s a grade sheet on it, a line on it. It’s not that it’s a thing where you go, “Ah, he played (poorly).’ He did an awful lot of good things, he just made a couple mistakes that were costly on a couple of plays,” the coach said.