Steve Sarkisian doesn't like to use the words "simple" or "simplify" or "simplistic" when describing what the team has done behind an offensive line that is composed of three freshmen.
Whatever his choice of words, he knows that as the season progresses he's going to have to feed his young linemen more information and hope that it doesn't hinder their play.
Sarkisian says his young offensive linemen have seen "a lot of defense" in the first two games of their respective careers and he's pleased with the way they've responded.
"We've tried not to put too much on their plate where they're thinking too much at the line of scrimmage. We're trying to allow them to play to their strengths," Sarkisian said. "We're utilizing the same schemes we're just trying to mask those schemes with different formations and different personnel groupings so that they're continually doing the things that they do well."
It would be easy to say freshman Toa Lobendahn had a head start, arriving in time for spring ball, and that contributed to him inserting himself into the starting lineup at guard. But the truth is, during spring drills Sarkisian couldn't keep Lobendahn with the second unit for long.
Like the coach's son that he is, mentally he was strong enough to grasp the concepts and he took off from there.
However, Lobendahn's freshmen counterparts, Viane Talamaivao and Damien Mama, didn't step onto campus until the summer. But quickly they inserted themselves into the mix -- Mama as a starter after Khaliel Rodgers went down with an injury and Talamaivao heavy in the rotation.
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Perhaps Sarkisian doesn't like to use the word "simple" because the veterans didn't take it easy on the freshmen just because they were freshmen.
Sarkisian talks about how the veterans have had a huge role in the development of the freshmen because it was explained to them by the coaching staff that the freshmen would be needed if the team was going to be able to attain a high level of success.
That was prevalent in the film room during the summer. Mama says he would be contacted by veterans such as center Max Tuerk, right tackle Zach Banner, as well as guard Jordan Simmons to study film. The sessions were intense.
"If I get something wrong they'd yell at me like crazy but I just had to take that and just use it to get better and just not get it wrong next time." Mama said.
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Some say anywhere on the offensive line can be deemed the hardest position on the field to pickup as a true freshman. Mama doesn't discount that. However, he won't let his youth be a reason for he or his teammates to not produce.
"We have to go into every game thinking we're a vet," Mama said. "Before every game all the older guys come up to me (and say) 'You're not a freshman. That ended (in) fall camp. You already proved yourself. You just got to go out there and compete.'"
