Practice Report #6: A Look at the Offensive Line

Coach Mike Bloesch Interview

TULSA, Okla. –– The Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team was back on the practice field Monday morning at Harwell Field.

"We had another good day," said Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery. "Overall, we had a nice cool breeze which allows you to work a little longer and harder. For fall camp, having some days like this is great, but on the flipside of it, as a coach, you want some hot days so we can get ready for the upcoming season –– you get into September and those games will be warm, so we have to be prepared and in shape for that heat."

"Offensively, we're progressing a little bit each and every day, and that's what we've wanted to do. We've been effective in both our run and pass game, trying to expand on some things, guys have been able to grasp the new things we've plugged in," said Montgomery.

Tulsa will be back on the practice field Tuesday morning.

A LOOK AT THE OFFENSIVE LINE
The numbers that the Tulsa offense produced in the 2016 season were undoubtedly the result of a gigantic team effort, and the offensive line was an integral part in leading the Golden Hurricane to a school record eight 300-yard rushing games.

Four of those starters return to anchor the offensive front in 2017, including the left side of the line with senior tackle Evan Plagg and junior left guard Tyler Bowling, as well as junior offensive center Chandler Miller and junior right tackle Willie Wright.

Zac Uhles, who has played in 31 career games with four starts coming at center, right tackle and left tackle, is locked in at the starting right guard spot.

Six days into preseason camp, the continuity and improvement of the starting lineup and the development of depth on the front line has been the focus.

"Coach Bloesch has done a great job with the guys up front. They play with the right mindset and attitude, and they know how important they are to our football team. They lead the charge for us, and they'll always be like that," said Montgomery.

With a different face quarterbacking the Hurricane in 2017, a veteran offensive line is certainly a plus for whichever quarterback takes the snaps from center. Coach Montgomery has seen both signal-callers, Chad President and Luke Skipper, become more comfortable as camp has progressed.

"Our quarterbacks are becoming more comfortable each practice with those guys in front of them, and I think our D-line is pretty good this year. We're getting a lot of different looks from a pressure standpoint, and those guys up front offensively have to be on their 'Ps' and 'Qs' when it comes to pass protection. The competition from the defense is really good, but I think our quarterbacks understand that those guys up front know what they're doing and have a ton of confidence in those guys to get the job done," said Montgomery.

Montgomery discussed how the depth on the offensive line has progressed in the first six days of fall camp.

"We're not there yet, but we're probably as good as we've ever been from a depth standpoint. When we arrived here, the depth upfront was an issue for us. We played a bunch of young guys and we didn't have many from a backup standpoint that were ready to plug in. I feel like we've really improved in that area," said Montgomery. "Mike has done a really good job with them, but also just the way we've approached the recruiting side of it and trying to build our numbers back to where they need to be."

The names in those backup roles include junior Isaac Johnson, sophomores Chris Ivy Jr. and Tristan Wyatt, while red-shirt freshmen Clay Greathouse at center, guard Tiller Bucktrot and tackle Waahid Muhammad have made steady progress as well.

With a healthy starting five and continued improvement behind them, the offensive front again is expected to be a strength for the Hurricane

Practice Report #6: A Look at the Offensive Line

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Bowling

Tiller Bucktrot

Clay Greathouse

Chris Ivy Jr.

Isaac Johnson

Chandler Miller

Waahid Muhammad

Evan Plagg

Chad President

Luke Skipper

Zac Uhles

Willie Wright

Tristan Wyatt

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