Gophers offensive line continues to bond as a unit with room to grow

John Michael Schmitz heard the stats and let a small smile creep in for a moment before remembering the big picture.

Nearly 300 rushing yards, more than 5 yards per carry and a quarterback who was not sacked.

"When you give up no sacks and run the ball how you did, it's a great day, but the standard's high for our unit,'' Schmitz, the Gophers standout center, said Tuesday of the team's season-opening, 38-0 win over New Mexico State. "We know we've got a lot to get better at, and we will.''

Less than an hour earlier, Gophers coach P.J. Fleck had a similar assessment of his offensive line.

"I think they can play better, and if they sat right in front of you, they'd say the same thing,'' Fleck said during his KFXN-FM radio show. "There's a lot of good things on film, and there's some things we need to be able to clean up.''

In the Gophers' world, comfort leads to complacency, and the aim is to be better tomorrow than you were today. That next chance for improvement comes Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium against Western Illinois, another overmatched opponent that's expected to give the Gophers a chance to fine-tune their game before stiffer tests come later in the season.

Schmitz, in his fourth season as a starter, is the undisputed leader of an offensive line that has four new starters, including a pair of transfers. He's charged to build chemistry and camaraderie along the line, and he's been impressed with the professional nature of his teammates.

"There's guys that want to be there, want to be with each other,'' Schmitz said. "That's what it's all about — the connectivity of the room. I'm definitely excited to continue to grow with these guys and see where it goes.''

That connectivity, Fleck believes, doesn't happen only when the Gophers are on the practice field or in the football facility. Rather, offensive lines develop wherever they gather.

"One of the biggest things is hanging out away from the field,'' Fleck said during his radio show. "That group, more than anybody, has to be able to form an identity together, not as individuals. To me, it's about having camaraderie outside the football field.''

That's no problem for a ringleader like Schmitz, a gregarious 320-pounder who ranks among the top centers in the country. Schmitz brings the substance to go along with the style needed for his role.

"As an offensive line, you like to do little gatherings here and there. Of course, you need some sort of food there, so it's either a grill-out or pizza or something like that,'' Schmitz said. "Just hanging out, watching some games or watching a couple movies, or even if it's a bags tournament.''

The offensive linemen got to hang out together quite a bit on the field on Thursday, with the Gophers keeping the ball for 44 minutes, 30 seconds to New Mexico State's 15:30. That stat had Schmitz smiling again.

"We just love each and every play that we've got control of the ball and we're going to run it,'' he said. "Try and stop it, basically. It's an offensive line's pride to truly dominate whoever's across from you. I wouldn't have it any other way.''