Offensive line is difference-maker for UNLV football

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Thursday, March 2, 2017 | 2 a.m.

For a program still in rebuilding mode in Year 3 under Tony Sanchez, the Rebels have their share of stars on offense.

Freshman Armani Rogers is making a bid to become the franchise quarterback. Senior Devonte Boyd is the explosive No. 1 receiver. Junior running back Lexington Thomas is the home-run hitter in the backfield. And sophomore back Charles Williams is a potential 1,000-yard rusher.

It’s a diversity of riches, but UNLV’s biggest difference-maker isn’t any of those guys — in fact, it’s not any one guy. Despite all the flash and firepower, the Rebels’ greatest strength is still the offensive line.

UNLV returns four starters up front from a group that paved the way for 238 rushing yards per game in 2016 (16th in the nation), and the Rebels are going to lean hard on the ground game again this season, partially to insulate Rogers and partially to take pressure off a young defense.

Fifth-year senior Kyle Saxelid, the starting left tackle and leader of the O-line, is fine with shouldering that kind of responsibility.

“As offensive linemen, we don’t expect much attention,” Saxelid said. “So when people say we lead this team into battle, we take huge pride in that. It really gets us going during games and practices to know that we’re making a difference on this team.”

Saxelid is the anchor of the unit, but like all offensive lines, the group is only as strong as its weakest link. For the Rebels right now, the top priority up front is identifying someone to step in and replace former center Will Kreitler, the lone starter to graduate after last season.

The favorite to earn the job is junior Sid Acosta, a 6-foot-1, 305-pound juco transfer from Riverside CC. Sanchez praised him as a “plug-and-play” option on signing day, and after watching him rotate in with the first and second teams during the first spring practice session on Wednesday, Saxelid was impressed with the newcomer, praising his strength in run blocking.

Center is a cerebral position in Sanchez’s system, and Acosta is focusing on getting the playbook down and gaining a command of the offense during spring practice.

“The center is definitely the head job for the O-linemen,” Acosta said. “I’ve got to be the one to see and recognize everything and make the calls for everyone else, so being able to get it all down and being able to get it quick is a big job … [The other linemen] are honestly all great guys. They’ve all given me tips and helped me out this last month, month-and-a-half I’ve been here. Coming out here on the first day of practice, I’m getting a lot of help from the first [team], second [team], everyone on the field.”

The sooner Acosta gets acclimated, the sooner the Rebels can start revving up the offense. Sanchez is a big believer in continuity along the offensive line, and he wants Acosta and the rest of the blockers to get their chemistry right, start mauling and let the team’s talented backs run over opponents.

“[Continuity] is huge,” Sanchez said. “We’ve been very effective running the football, and adding in a guy like Sid, getting that continuity is good. The good thing is, we’re not adding a bunch of new guys into that group, it’s really one new insertion … We have a great group of guys right now that we feel we can lean on. And Sid’s an older guy, too. It’s not like he’s a freshman being inserted into it, he’s a junior college transfer just like Will Kreitler was, and Will was our best lineman for two straight years.”

Though the depth chart isn’t set yet — it’s just the first day of spring practice, after all — senior left guard Michael Chevalier, sophomore right guard Justin Polu and junior right tackle Nathan Jacobson also return from last year’s starting line. That familiarity gives a runner like Williams, who relies on anticipating and reading blocks, a little more peace of mind in the backfield.

“It makes you feel more comfortable back there, knowing you’ve got a deep line like that,” Williams said. “As a back, our job is to set up the blocks, so if their chemistry is not there yet, we can still help them out by being patient, not rushing in, not panicking and just trusting them. But I’m not worried about the chemistry in the line, because I’ve seen them working their butts off in the offseason. I’m proud of how hard they’ve been working.”

At some point during the 2017 season, UNLV is going to be nursing a late lead and trying to run out the clock to seal a victory. That’s when Sanchez will call on his experienced blockers to open a hole and give Williams or Thomas enough space to pick up a key first down and clinch the win.

Acosta and the rest of the offensive linemen are looking forward to it.

“This is a running team,” he said. “They have a big emphasis on the run game, so I enjoy that. The guys on the opposite side of us know we’re going to run the ball, and us knowing they know that and they still can’t stop us — that’s a great feeling.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.