Replacing one starter is tough enough, but replacing an entire unit of five players is a recipe for disaster. And that potential nightmare is exactly what the Penn football team must cope with this year.
After having little to worry about the past two seasons with offensive linemen Ben Noll, now with the Dallas Cowboys, Chris Clark, Michael Powers, Matt Dukes and Chris Kupchik cemented as starters, Penn coach Al Bagnoli may sweat it out as he tries to replace the dominant offensive line that was a staple on the Quakers' back-to-back Ivy League championship teams.
"Last year's group was not only talented and experienced, but they were together for a long time and had a lot of cohesion," said Bagnoli, who is entering his 13th season as the Quakers' head man.
The line is the gateway to everything involved in the offense. It must give new quarterback Pat McDermott time to throw the ball to an outstanding receiving core. Once the ball gets to the receivers, there is no question about their ability to rack up yards after the catch.
However, McDermott, just like projected offensive line starters Mike Pierce, Greg Williams, Keith Walewski, Erik Curtis and Don Snyder, will be learning on the fly. The five men must find some way to give McDermott good looks at his receivers without consistently being flushed out of the pocket and forced to throw on the run.
It is also essential that the line provides at least some semblance of support for junior Sam Mathews, the Quakers' 1,000-yard rusher last season. Mathews is good enough to carry the team, but will be unable to take over a game without help from the men up front. The line does not have to provide the support that Mathews received last season, but it can not expect him to do everything on his own.
With two seniors and three juniors, this year's offensive line is neither a young group nor one that lacks any playing experience. But its biggest challenge will be learning the nuances of each other's games that can only come with time and practice. It must be able to recognize stunts, blitzes and double-teams. And even though the linemen have been working together for weeks, nothing can replace the speed they will see when the Quakers open at San Diego this weekend.
"They know what to do, they're capable of doing it, they've shown tremendous improvement," Bagnoli observed. "But now it's just the case of getting cohesion."
With the excellence in recruiting that Penn has established over the past decade, there are few question marks about the individual abilities of the linemen. The only question is whether the abilities of Pierce, Williams, Walewski, Curtis and Snyder can mesh together to form one unit.
"We do a lot of work against our defense, which is great work for us because I think our defense is one of the best defenses we play against all year," Penn offensive line coach Andy Coen said. "So if we can get proficient out here against our guys, I think we will have a great chance for the season."
The Quakers' offensive line does not have to be perfect this season. In fact, with the talent of the defense and skill positions on offense, it does not even have to be good. The linemen just have to be average, blue-collar, get-the-job-done type of guys.
However, if the line breaks down, McDermott will have to scramble, which is unsettling for a quarterback who has only started one game in his career. Mathews will press and be unable to do it all by himself. And Penn may find itself in a very deep hole.
