The Union coming together for Pack

RENO - One constant in Nevada's 1-2 start has been the play of the Wolf Pack offensive line.

The group had its best effort last week in the 28-10 win over Colorado State, rushing for 171 yards against the then No.1-ranked defense in the nation. Two weeks ago, Nevada ran for 168 yards in the 28-19 loss to Fresno State. Overall, Nevada is averaging 158 yards a game on the ground.

The group, which calls itself "The Union," will get another stiff test on Friday when Northwestern comes to town. Kick-off is 5 p.m. against the Wildcats, who are 2-1.

"They (Northwestern) run very well," Nevada line coach Chris Klenakis said. "They run like Arizona State. They're tough. The name of the game is speed. That's the hardest thing for an offensive line (playing against speedy defenses). The offensive line really has to be ready and moving their feet is very important.

"Against Colorado State they played hard. It's the first time all year they played with emotion. That goes a long way."

The aforementioned numbers are impressive when you consider that of the five starters, only two, guard Barrett Reznick and center Jimmy Wadhams, are playing the same positions they played last year.

Charles Manu has moved from guard to tackle and Dominic Green, who played guard and center last year, was moved to tackle. The fifth starter, sophomore guard Greg Hall, played sparingly as a redshirt freshman last season.

"I feel the offensive line is starting to jell," Wadhams said. "We're starting to come together.

"Last year we didn't start to jell until the fourth game of the season. The Colorado State game was the best game we've had as a group. We still have a lot of work to do, though."

That's certainly what Klenakis, the Pack's veteran line coach, likes to hear. Klenakis is a perfectionist and strict as a Catholic nun when it comes to techniques.

"They are getting better," Klenakis said. "They are definitely getting better, but we're not where we need to be yet.

"It does take time. The offensive line is all about working together. It's tough. They all have to be on the same page. It does take longer."

Any problems the unit has had is more due to technique and not missed assignments. The latter is the least of Klenakis' worries.

"It's more technique and consistency," Klenakis said. "Playing at a high level all the time and doing it consistently."

Klenakis said that Dominic Green has graded out well in all three games. That's not surprising because the sophomore is the most versatile and arguably the best lineman on the team. Head coach Chris Ault said several times that Green was good enough to play as a true freshman, but the Pack were playing so poorly that he didn't want to waste a year when the team was going nowhere.

The 6-3 280-pound Hall, the newcomer of the group, has played well.

"He's doing great," Wadhams said. "He's big, strong and athletic."

"I'm pleased," Klenakis said. "He's getting better. He really picked things up very quickly."

With Green, Hall and Manu all returning next year, the future up front looks bright for the Pack. Waiting in the wings are guys like 6-8 Jon Bender and Kyle Robertson, who got some snaps at Arizona State.