Perhaps no position group has experienced more fluctuations in its play this season than the offensive line. The boys up front are coming off of one of their better performances vs. Cal. We checked in with O-line coach Bob Connelly to inquire about how his unit is progressing.
Is there any adjustment for the line to block for three different tailbacks as oppose to one feature back?
BC: “The scheme takes care of itself. We’ve got a job to do structurally, as far as how we’re going to attack. We don’t make too many adjustments. There are subtle things that you can talk, just as coaching points, generalities. But as far as a scheme-based thing, no. We wouldn’t’ block it any different for Ronald Jones.”
Is it harder for the guards to pull when they’re as big as they are?
BC: “It’s not harder. They reworking hard. We’re continually working on getting their weight down and we want them to be hostile, mobile and agile. The quicker they are on their feet, the easier it is for them to get to where we need them to go, not necessarily easier for them to pull. But they’re going to get their quicker, obviously, if they’re lighter on their feet and quicker on their feet.”
Does that make you less inclined to pull?
BC: “No, they’re athletic enough. I’ll never put them in a position that they can’t do. If we’ve got a scheme designed to attack a defense with a pull, it’s something that we’ve thought through and feel good about them being able to execute their assignment.”
What did you make of running the ball about twice as much as throwing it last week?
BC: “I’m a whatever-it-takes kind of guy. As an offensive line coach and/or a former offensive lineman, the mentality of an offensive lineman is we love to run the football and embrace the physicality of the game. It’s something that we embrace, I as a coach and we as a position. It’s good. It’s great. Whatever it takes to win a football game, to keep a high-powered offense like Cal off the field. Us being able to sustain drives and running the football efficiently is a feather in our cap. The kids executed the game plan very well.”
Does running more make you more productive when you run?
BC: “Not necessarily. When you practice and get a lot of reps, then you obviously gain confidence and you play better. That’s a game plan by game plan and or personnel situation, more than just the simple fact of running more, you get better running. If you’re running the ball effectively and you can continue to run the ball throughout the course of a game, then that obviously helps our confidence and it’ll break the defense’s confidence. We were able to do that this week.”
Do you see a personality taking shape with this offensive line?
BC: “That’s what I said earlier. As a coach and as a position player, you’re always going to embrace the physicality of the game. Pass protecting is not an easy, natural thing for an offensive lineman. Anytime you can run the ball and be efficient running it and have success running it, that’s a plus. That’s a great thing. As an offensive lineman, you’d much rather run block than pass block given the two opportunities. When you’re passing in an obvious passing situation, that’s a very difficult situation (for the O-line). When you can mix the run and pass on early downs, and the defense doesn’t know if you’re running or passing, the offense is always at an advantage in those situations.”
Is there any adjustment for the line to block for three different tailbacks as oppose to one feature back?
BC: “The scheme takes care of itself. We’ve got a job to do structurally, as far as how we’re going to attack. We don’t make too many adjustments. There are subtle things that you can talk, just as coaching points, generalities. But as far as a scheme-based thing, no. We wouldn’t’ block it any different for Ronald Jones.”
Is it harder for the guards to pull when they’re as big as they are?
BC: “It’s not harder. They reworking hard. We’re continually working on getting their weight down and we want them to be hostile, mobile and agile. The quicker they are on their feet, the easier it is for them to get to where we need them to go, not necessarily easier for them to pull. But they’re going to get their quicker, obviously, if they’re lighter on their feet and quicker on their feet.”
Does that make you less inclined to pull?
BC: “No, they’re athletic enough. I’ll never put them in a position that they can’t do. If we’ve got a scheme designed to attack a defense with a pull, it’s something that we’ve thought through and feel good about them being able to execute their assignment.”
What did you make of running the ball about twice as much as throwing it last week?
BC: “I’m a whatever-it-takes kind of guy. As an offensive line coach and/or a former offensive lineman, the mentality of an offensive lineman is we love to run the football and embrace the physicality of the game. It’s something that we embrace, I as a coach and we as a position. It’s good. It’s great. Whatever it takes to win a football game, to keep a high-powered offense like Cal off the field. Us being able to sustain drives and running the football efficiently is a feather in our cap. The kids executed the game plan very well.”
Does running more make you more productive when you run?
BC: “Not necessarily. When you practice and get a lot of reps, then you obviously gain confidence and you play better. That’s a game plan by game plan and or personnel situation, more than just the simple fact of running more, you get better running. If you’re running the ball effectively and you can continue to run the ball throughout the course of a game, then that obviously helps our confidence and it’ll break the defense’s confidence. We were able to do that this week.”
Do you see a personality taking shape with this offensive line?
BC: “That’s what I said earlier. As a coach and as a position player, you’re always going to embrace the physicality of the game. Pass protecting is not an easy, natural thing for an offensive lineman. Anytime you can run the ball and be efficient running it and have success running it, that’s a plus. That’s a great thing. As an offensive lineman, you’d much rather run block than pass block given the two opportunities. When you’re passing in an obvious passing situation, that’s a very difficult situation (for the O-line). When you can mix the run and pass on early downs, and the defense doesn’t know if you’re running or passing, the offense is always at an advantage in those situations.”
