UNI offensive line showing ‘steady progression’

CEDAR FALLS - Whenever a quarterback or running back gives credit to their offensive line, there's a large percentage of those listening who let that compliment go in one ear and out the other.

The group of guys who take the punishment every day - taking hits and ending up bruised and bloodied on every play - are very rarely in the spotlight. In fact, most often when they are it's because the quarterback has been sacked or the run game has flatlined.

But the spotlight shines brightest heading into a season when key members are being replaced. Such is the case for Northern Iowa football, having lost key members Jack Rummells and Ryan Bingaman to graduation. Oh, and not to mention they have a new position coach in Ben Barkema.

So far, at least, Coach Mark Farley likes what he sees from the rebuilt offensive line.

'I think that group has come along nicely. It's a steady progression. There's a lot of change in that group in terms of players and coaches, but it's probably the group that's made the most consistent progress,” Farley said. 'It isn't like they have a real bad day or a real good day. They just have continued progress.”

Though the group lost its two leaders and its security blanket in Rummells at left tackle, it's not as if there's nothing left behind.

Junior center Robert Rathje is back and has both the game experience and years under his belt. Senior Jacob Rathmacher is now fully integrated into being an offensive lineman after making the switch from blocking tight end to lineman last season. They were both named team captains and have tried to use their experience and what they were taught by Rummells and Bingaman to become leaders themselves.

That effort is going to be vital as they represent two of just five upperclassmen in a position group of 16 offensive linemen. But even the remaining upperclassmen don't have a ton of game time, and will need to hit the ground running. The final five starters have not been selected yet, so there's time for newcomers to be noticed.

'We've been working hard together. We've been out here from Day 1 working on our assignments, trying to get better to make sure we're successful,” Rathje said. 'The freshmen, sophomores - everyone has been taking their cues from that and working towards that.

'It's just making sure they've got the right footwork and have the right blocking assignments. We do live reps all the time so we make sure we're getting the physicality down in game reps.”

And that's where the steady progression comes in. Farley got the most excited in talking offensive line when he dug deeper into why consistent improvement is so important.

Those dreaded peaks and valleys are nowhere to be found, he said.

'It's when you have the highs and lows where one day you look all-world and the next day look like they've never practiced, that's when you have issues,” Farley said. 'That group, if they can (continue to) get groomed - whether it's in protections or run game, I think we'll be pretty good as we go through the season.”

How good they get and what they'll excel at remains to be seen.

Last week at practice, the consensus seemed to be run blocking was the strength of the group right now, which would be consistent with the last several years - in which the UNI run game either approached or eclipsed 2,000 yards. It's pass protection that needs more work.

Obviously now the runners the line are blocking for are different, but the group isn't worried. Even without No. 7 back there, Rathje and Rathmacher said they are confident. It's not like Darrian Miller and Savon Huggins don't know what they're doing, they said.

'If you would've asked me last January or February, yeah, I'd have been a little nervous. But seeing how Darrian and Savon have been practicing, I have no worries right now,” Rathmacher said. 'They have just as much experience as David ever did. They know how to run the ball, they've played in big games. No worries.

'Our running backs make us right. They make us look better sometimes. Even if we make a mistake, they make cuts and make us look right.”

How right they look will be on display when the Panthers take the field at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames against Iowa State on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

TAILGATE GUIDELINES SET

The UNI Athletics Department set its tailgate and re-entry policies for the 2015 football season this week, bringing back the six-hour before kickoff time-period that was so popular with fans from last season.

They did make one addition for tailgaters who aren't coming into the game.

'Panther Scholarship Club members tailgating in the West Dome Lot and the McLeod Center Lot are now permitted to tailgate during the game, if they choose to,” the department said in a news release. 'Tailgaters in these lots must still cease tailgating no later than one hour after the end of the event.”

Additionally, in the news release, the department announced no re-entry for fans once admitted into the game for all of 2015 and beyond.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com