But the biggest single factor prodding Idaho State forward from a team that was outscored by a 692 combined points in head coach Mike Kramer’s first three seasons to one that outscored opponents by 107 points in 2014 was the offensive and defensive lines.ISU’s beef up front, particularly on offense, has allowed the Bengals to foster a potent running game to complement its deadly air attack. Idaho State’s ability to rely on either the run or pass left Big Sky defenses helpless a season ago.Ever since Kramer accepted the job at Idaho State in November 2010, he and his staff have focused on the offensive line and the need to recruit height.Whether Kramer was winning conference titles at Eastern Washington or Montana State, he’s had big, burly offensive lines with lanky left tackles and rangy right guards.“Height is the determinate factor whether you have a quality front or not,” Kramer said following ISU’s eighth practice of the spring Tuesday. “Short guys are just not playing anymore.”From left tackle Skyler Phillips to Terrence Carey at right tackle, ISU’s offensive line goes 6 foot 2, 6-4, 6-5, 6-4 and 6-1. Carey, listed at 6-1, 300 pounds, is the smallest one of the bunch.“A lot of teams are making a lot of noise about the quality of their offensive line,” Kramer said. “I’m pretty old. I’ve been around a lot of offensive lines, and I love our offensive front.”Carey, a senior, Phillips, a junior, senior center Christian Diehm and senior left guard Wesley Wingrove are all returning starters. Junior Thomas Vazorka is the one new starter up front, but he’s hardly “new.”Vazorka (6-4, 318) has started five career games, including filling in for an injured Phillips at Utah and Utah State last season. Vazorka is leaning on that background as he eases into a full-time starting role for the first time in his collegiate career.“Experience is everything,” Vazorka said. “The more experience you have, the better you’re going to be as a player.”Idaho State recruited Vazorka out of Bellingham, Washington. He was a multi-sport athlete who played hockey and rugby and wrestled. It wasn’t until middle school that Vazorka started to grow into a future offensive lineman’s body.As a senior, Vazorka was an all-state defensive lineman and threw the shot, discus and javelin in track. Despite getting involved in a variety of sports, though, football always took priority.“I love the game. It’s a lot of fun,” Vazorka said. “There’s a lot of tactics involved. There’s a lot of brainpower. You always have to be thinking, and I enjoy that aspect a lot. And then the teamwork, too. Track is a one-person sport, I feel like. And football is really a team, collaborative sport”TYLER KUDERWhile ISU’s offensive line is set for 2015 and the foreseeable future, the other side of the ball is in flux for the Bengals.Idaho State’s defensive line has one starter back from the 2014 season in nose guard Tyler Kuder. Finding talented, consistent defensive ends to slide in beside Kuder hasn’t been easy.It’s why the Bengals went after eight defensive linemen in the 2015 recruiting class.No matter who plays alongside Kuder this upcoming season, ISU coaches are confident the Payette-native is headed for a monster senior season.In 11 games last season, Kuder finished with 56 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He was constantly double and triple-teamed on the interior of the defensive line, which helped linebackers Mario Jenkins and Mitch Beckstead get after opposing running backs.Kuder was named to the all-Big Sky second team, but ISU expects him to be better this season.And one area where Kuder can have a major impact is by getting after the quarterback. He’s had a combined 3.5 sacks the past two seasons, mostly because he’s been stuck inside fighting off guards and centers.The Bengals have started to move Kuder around, lining him up against offensive tackles to create a one-on-one matchup.The hope is that Kuder, listed at 6-foot-3 and 311 pounds, will use his athleticism and start to wreak havoc.“He should have been first team all-conference. Anyone who didn’t vote for him, they’re going to pay for it this year,” Kramer said. “He’s strong, he’s fast, he’s vertical, he’s indestructible. You have to drop a bomb on him.”It’s players like Kuder and Vazorka who are leading the charge to Idaho State’s goal in 2015: Big Sky champs.
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
googletag.display(‘yup-rectangle-one’);
});