Football: Returning starters and depth have offensive line ready to protect

With the departures of impact skill players such as LeSean McCoy, LaRod Stephens-Howling and… With the departures of impact skill players such as LeSean McCoy, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Derek Kinder, many have already begun to question the Pitt football team’s offensive capabilities for the upcoming season.

Yet, the one thing that many skeptics seem to overlook is that the Panthers’ offensive line is beginning to shape up as one of the strongest in the Big East.

Because of the potential, players on the offensive line know how much pressure falls on them this season to guide the offense.

“You can have a great quarterback, running back and wide receiver, but if the lineman can’t protect, then it doesn’t matter,” senior center Robb Houser said. “If the offensive line plays well, then the offense will probably play well, too.”

Houser is one of four returning starters from the line last season. Junior left tackle Jason Pinkston and senior right guard John Malecki will retain their starting spots from last year, while it appears that highly touted sophomore Lucas Nix will beat out last year’s starter, Joe Thomas, at right tackle. Chris Jacobson assumes the starting role at left guard.

The emergence of Nix passing a former starter — and a good one at that — on the depth chart speaks volumes of the talent that coach Dave Wannstedt has recruited onto the offensive line, and if it hasn’t yet, then it will certainly pay dividends in 2009.

“Lucas has gotten a lot better since the fall,” Malecki said. “He’s really been taking pride in his play.”

Malecki was last season’s most improved player after moving across the line of scrimmage from defensive tackle and should only continue to improve with more experience at what is still a fairly new position for him.

For Jacobson, he will have to fill the only void in the line left by the graduation of C.J. Davis, who is now with the Carolina Panthers.

But the coaches said they are confident in Jacobson, as he is another former highly coveted recruit and a stellar run-blocker.

As new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti takes over for the departed Matt Cavanaugh, the offense will undergo some changes.

Cignetti’s style is similar to Cavanaugh’s, but the linemen said they feel he will add a few new dimensions to help in protection.

“We’ve had a good spring to get used to the new offense,” Houser said. “Nothing much has changed except a couple new wrinkles that allows us to be more flexible and to pick up more blitzes.”

While the Panthers struggled at times with pass protection last season, they led the way for McCoy in his stellar sophomore season in which he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and they’re continuing to improve with both blocking aspects.

“Personally, I like the smash mouth style of run-blocking more,” Malecki said. “But as linemen, we’re comfortable blocking either way.”

The line also credits the work of the coaching staff in helping it continue to improve on last season, as offensive line coach Tony Wise and strength and conditioning coach Buddy Morris have meshed the work in the weight room with the technique on the field.

“Coach Wise is transitioning what Coach Morris teaches us in the weight room onto the field,” Houser said. “We’re videotaped during our workouts so we can see how each workout incorporates to the drills.”

While the offensive line will be the first to admit that McCoy’s dazzling moves in the open field made it look good during the last two seasons, it must continue to help the running game now that McCoy is gone.

“We feel as an offensive line that we have pressure to perform and make holes to run through,” Malecki said. “Shady made us look good last season, but we’re just trying to get better week to week, regardless of who’s in the backfield.”

Whoever does end up starting in the backfield this season just might have more success than most anticipate. If the line blocks like it’s shown, the running backs will find success and Bill Stull should have plenty of time to hit receivers.

The old football adage that “the game is won and lost in the trenches” will surely apply to the Panthers this season. And the linemen fully embrace it.