Offensive Line ‘Dialed In’ for Turnaround Season
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Mike Katic can’t wait -- for Indiana’s football season, for Ohio State, for the chance to prove that the Hoosier offensive line means business.
Two years of criticism over sub-par play and eight months of work under new offensive line coach Bob Bostad has Katic and his fellow linemen ready to make their mark.
It starts Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium against the No. 3 Buckeyes.
“You work so long in the offseason for this moment,” Katic says. “I’m so pumped that the Buckeyes are coming to town.
“I’m excited to see what we do this season.”
The 6-4, 315-pound Katic is a fifth-year senior with 25 starts in 27 career games. Add team captain responsibilities and you have a veteran who leads as he never has before.
One big message to his younger teammates -- don’t let a mistake rattle you.
“With the younger guys, keep them calm and level-headed,” Katic says. “If they mess up a play, flush it and move on.”
It all starts with Bostad, whose extensive coaching background includes NFL and major college experience. He has made a major impact since his off-season hiring.
“He brings a lot of intensity,” Katic says. “He’s a very dialed-in guy. When we’re on the field, it’s time to work. That’s what we need.”
IU has struggled to pass protect and run block over the past two seasons. Head coach Tom Allen hired Bostad to turn that around.
So far, so good.
“Our O-line has improved,” Allen says, “but at the same time, they've got to show it on game day. It's got to be a consistent thing we see every week.
“I know the work they put in. I know the work our coaching staff has put in. It's a huge part of the game to be able to run and protect the quarterback.”
Every offensive line coach emphasizes repetition. Few do it like Bostad, who works his guys hard even before practice begins.
“Pre-practice is one of the hardest parts of practice,” Katic says. “We are getting so many reps. One of Coach Bostad’s main things is repetition. It’s good for us. You can’t master something unless you take thousands and thousands of reps.”
Offensive coordinator Walt Bell likes what he’s seen.
“It’s the amount of repetition and time on task,” he says. “How many reps each player gets. Those drills on a daily basis. When they are out there, they are working.
“You are starting to see technical proficiency. You are starting to see guys from a marking standpoint, from a technique and fundamental standpoint. They are understanding what we’re trying to get done.”
That will be crucial against an Ohio State defense loaded with so much talent, Bell suggests the starting 11 will end up in the NFL.
“I feel like we've made progress,” Allen says, “but I guess we'll know for sure on Saturday.
“It's a tremendous test. This is going on my eighth season overall here and running against these guys has never been easy. It’s been a challenge every year.”
One thing helping the Hoosiers is the return of All-Big Ten-caliber offensive lineman Matthew Bedford. The 6-6, 305-pounder basically missed all of last season with a knee injury.
“Having Matt back is great,” Katic says. “He’s a fantastic player physically and mentally. He’s so talented. He brings so much to the (offensive line) room.”
The Hoosiers have four redshirt senior offensive linemen in Katic, Bedford, Zach Carpenter and Max Longman, a transfer from the University of Massachusetts. They also have redshirt junior Kahlil Benson, and redshirt sophomores Joshua Sales Jr., Cooper Jones, Noah Bolticoff (a transfer from national runner-up TCU) and Vince Fiacable.
Longman is actually one of IU’s most experienced offensive lineman with 24 starts in 27 career games at UMass.
“A bunch of young guys played last year,” Bell says, “so we have a pretty experienced group. You are starting to see technical proficiency. You’re starting to see an edge. That’s earned. It’s not a fake edge. They earn it in practice every day.
“No position on our team devotes more time on task than the offensive line. Early in the year, it will be important for those guys to build some confidence and have success.”
IU doesn’t lack for size. It has 19 offensive linemen on the roster and only two weigh less than 300 pounds. Fourteen are between 305 and 315. They all range from 6-3 to 6-6.
Still, as Katic says, “The improvement is mainly on the mental side. People are grasping plays a lot more.”
An improved running game, and an overall better offense, could follow.
“Our ability to run the ball, stay on the field, and put ourselves in manageable third downs are the keys,” Bell says. “In terms of pace of play, we have the ability to go as fast as we want or as slow as we want.
“We want to make sure our run game is explosive. We have to stay on schedule, be productive and efficient."