After turning on a Wisconsin football game, it won’t take long to hear the commentators marvel at UW’s massive offensive line.
But the burly Badgers on the line of scrimmage — averaging 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds across the board — aren’t just a bunch of big bodies. In fact, sophomore center Pete Konz insists he and his fellow linemen are using their minds to dominate opposing defenses.
“We love to play head games,” Konz said. “If you go to Madison you have got to be a smart kid, and I know a lot of people don’t think football players are that smart, but I have some tough classes so I’ll use my mental abilities to play games with the defense.”
So what mind games are they playing?
Konz explained that the linemen call out defenders’ numbers instead of making line calls to point out blocking assignments. And to throw the opposition off, the Badgers often times deliberately call out the wrong numbers.
“A lot of times when we call a number they think that is the side the play is going to,” Konz said, smiling. “So we will call the wrong side and then the linebackers start going the wrong way.”
With the line returning seven starters, the Badgers have reached a comfort level with each other that has fostered tremendous chemistry.
“We all know what’s going on; there is no break in the communication,” senior captain John Moffitt said. “Me and Gabe (Carimi) are at the point where we don’t make line calls anymore, we just say numbers to point numbers and set up combination blocks. We don’t let the defensive line pick up anything.”
Even if the defense knew where the play was going, it would be hard to break through the Wisconsin offensive line. UW has two all-conference performers in Gabe Carimi and Moffitt on the left side, and numerous experts from across the country consider UW’s group to be one of the best in college football. In the season opening win over UNLV, the offensive line lived up to the billing, as they paved the way for over 275 yards on the ground and didn’t allow a single sack.
Still, Moffitt sees plenty of room for improvement.
“We left a lot of yards out on the field,” Moffitt said. “We could have had an even better game. There is room to get better, and we have to get better.”
But with a lethal combination of brains and brawn, Konz knows this group of linemen could live up to those high expectations.
“The potential is there to be great,” Konz said. “Now we have to go out and prove it week in and week out.”
Battle for playing time continues
While Carimi, Moffitt and Konz have cemented themselves as starters on the offensive line, the right guard and right tackle spot are still up for grabs.
A starting spot on this deep, talented line is hard to come by and even harder to keep.
Bill Nagy is currently the starter at the guard spot, but Kevin Zeitler, who started last season, is recovering from a foot injury and is pushing the senior for playing time.
At right tackle redshirt junior, Josh Oglesby and redshirt sophomore, Ricky Wagner, are listed as co-starters in the latest depth chart. Oglesby, a former five-star prospect, was the starter against UNLV, but mental errors and inconsistency have opened the door for Wagner.
Competition for playing time is something the UW O-linemen are used to, but Konz, who battled Travis Frederick last season for the starting center position, admitted it takes its toll on a player.
“It’s stressful. A lot of people won’t say that but you know the kind of talent that’s behind you and almost feel like you’re easily replaceable,” Konz said. “But it makes you step up, and if you aren’t doing well you know someone else is going to go in.”
No one appreciates the work the offensive line puts in more than quarterback Scott Tolzien, and the senior knows the competition to protect his right side is heated.
“[The competition] is a good thing because it means we have depth and the guys are pushing each other and the competition brings out the best in you,” Tolzien said. “Competition pushes you to play at your best, and in the end it makes the team better.”
While Tolzien and the skill players receive the attention for scoring touchdowns, the offensive line will continue to outwork and outsmart defenses, regardless of who wins the starting jobs, and it’s that effort in the trenches that will determine the success of the UW offense.
“They are not going to get too much credit for what they do,” Tolzien said of his offensive line. “But they just go about their business and they keep grinding.”
