LU lines up pieces to offensive puzzle

By Chris Lang

Published: April 12, 2008

Liberty offensive line coach Scott Wachenheim rushed down the field like a proud father during Thursday night’s practice at Williams Stadium.
“That’s it Justin! That’s it Justin!” he shouted, pounding offensive tackle Justin Vargas on the shoulder pads.
It was a revelatory moment. Vargas executed a downfield block perfectly, springing tailback Rashad Jennings for a big gain down the left side of the field.
In 2007, such a moment might not have been a cause for celebration. They were expected, which is generally the case when you’re working with an offensive line featuring three seniors, each of whom has a chance to land in an NFL camp this summer.
With guard Marshal Ausberry and tackles Eddie Pinigis and Stephen Sene gone, rebuilding the offensive line has been one of coach Danny Rocco’s most crucial projects in the spring.
The results so far: Mixed.
Key returners, including right tackle Josh Weaver (who was slated to start in 2006 before Pinigis transferred from Virginia), have had excellent springs. Others, such as redshirt freshman Spencer Hodges, have been up and down.
Injuries have stalled the progress of others. Zach Davis, the presumptive starter at left tackle, broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot after stepping on linebacker Nick Hursky’s foot during a play at practice earlier this week.
Alabama transfer Alex Stadler, who was battling Bryan Mosier for time at right guard, tore the medial collateral ligament in his knee, ending his spring.
“With Alex, we were kind of starting from scratch,” Rocco said. “Those were the first practices we’d seen of him. So there are some fundamental things, some footwork things that he needs to work on.
“We’ve got a pretty good idea of what we’ve got with Zach. We don’t really know right now what we have with Alex.”
What’s not in question is the determination of the two returning starters from last year’s line to prove that the group won’t fall apart without the departed seniors.
Center Mike Godsil, who broke his right leg in the season finale at Gardner-Webb, is fully healed and running full-speed at practice. Left guard Britt Stone is another three-year starter.
“The guys coming up like Vargas, Weaver and Davis, they get after it, they’re tough,” Godsil said. “They’re very hard workers. They want to make every play count. We may not have the big NFL prospect guys that we had last year, but I promise you we’ll be just as tough, if not tougher.”
Davis, who transferred from East Carolina two years ago and is the son of former major league pitcher Storm Davis, moved from guard to tackle this season, opening the door for Mosier and Stadler to get reps.
Davis has experience, playing 200-plus snaps in his first two years at Liberty in a reserve role. The move to tackle suits Davis’ skills, he said.
“I have pretty good feet, and I’m a little better out in space than I am condensed up at guard,” Davis said.
Rocco likes the seven-man line nucleus of Godsil, Stone, Weaver, Davis, Mosier, Stadler and Vargas. Behind them, several redshirts are pressing for time as well, including Hodges, Toney White, Mario Cosby (E.C. Glass) and Chase Harrington.
“The young guys are all coming around,” Godsil said. “They’re starting to realize that when we get on this field, it’s go time.
“We want to be physical, we want to be dominant — in running and in pass blocking.
“Just because it’s a pass play doesn’t mean you can’t pancake somebody. That’s kind of the philosophy we try to get across.”
Rocco’s style is to control the clock by dominating the line of scrimmage, something the Flames did quite well last season. Liberty ranked 16th in FCS in rushing offense, and Rocco has a plan to make sure the new linemen remember the precedent set by last year’s departed seniors.
Outside the LU locker room, a mural depicting the last year’s five starting linemen with the words “one heartbeat” will soon be painted. It’s a philosophy he’s pushing the younger players to adopt.
“We think we’re going to be pretty good,” Davis said. “We take (the talk that it will be a down year for the o-line) as a huge challenge.”