ZACH LINE: Back on the run

[PonyPride]

One of the more important observers at the SMU football team's spring workouts was running back Zach Line, who was held out while to allow a broken bone in his lower back to heal. Following the spring semester, Line went home to Michigan to spend time with his family, missing the first round of optional conditioning workouts with his teammates.

Line now is back in Dallas, and said his injury is a thing of the past. Line and his brother, Prescott, drove 22 hours over two days; Zach said he drove the whole way, adding that even being confined to the driver's seat for that long didn't make his back act up.

"I feel good," he said. "I drove the whole way, and it didn't bother me."

This summer was the second in as many years that Line spent some of the summer at home, but he returned from last year's trip in excellent condition, and appears to have done so again.

"I worked out with the same strength coaches as I did last summer," Line said. "I worked out at a place called Athletic Republic in Auburn Hills — it's about 20 miles from home.

"A lot of professional athletes work out there. LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers (and formerly of the University of Michigan) used to work out there, but I didn't see him this summer. I saw (Detroit Red Wings star) Pavel Datsyuk in there, and a lot of the Lions work out there."

Line said he was "pretty much cleared" before he left town, and that his offseason workout regimen didn't really differ from what he had done in years past, a routine that included extensive treadmill work and a lot of plyometric lifts (which are designed to produce fast, powerful movements).

Line said he feels good enough that if the Ponies' season opener against Texas A&M were today, he would be ready to play. He also said he is looking forward to running behind SMU's experienced offensive line, a unit that will feature six seniors with extensive starting experience, although he said he doesn't expect head coach June Jones to abandon the passing element in his Run-and-Shoot offense.

"I expect us to be pretty balanced on offense," Line said. "He (Jones) is known as a coach who likes to pass a lot, but we ran the ball last year, and we'll do it again.

"Those guys up front are the key to the offense. They know the offense and the blocking schemes so well, they can pick up blitzes ... it's going to be sweet running behind those guys."

[cutter]

excellent news.
thanks.

[Silk]

Good stuff as always, PP. Thanks.

So the great Eric Dickerson has the all-time SMU rushing record with 4,450 yards in his career. Line has 1,683. But 1,494 of those came last year. If he can repeat what he did as a sophomore for the next two seasons, that would be 2,988 more yards and would break Dickerson's mark by giving Line 4,671 career yards.

Before anyone says it: no, I am not saying Line is "The Next Dickerson" or better than Dickerson or anything like that. The game is different, the offenses clearly are different and the level of opposition is different. Those things all are true, but until I looked at the numbers, I never would have thought he would be within sniffing distance of Dickerson's career record. Now, I won't predict it happens, but it's not as crazy an idea as I once thought.

A lot of things need to go right. SMU has to lead in games so we're not throwing the entire second half. He probably has to put up more of the yardage this year, because his senior year will be harder with five new starters on the offensive line. Line has to remain the primary runner. More than anything, he has to stay healthy. But it's possible.

[soccermom]

This is wonderful news. Hope he stays healthy!

[Big Easy Pony]

We need you healthy, Zach.

Those are some interesting numbers Silk brings up. I had no idea that Zach was anywhere near a pace to catch up to Dickerson, and if you average his first two seasons, he's not. But he showed last year what he can do. If he even gets close to the record, what a career he will have had.

[westexSMU]

I think our Senior OL will be outstanding this year and depth will be better also.

[ponyscott]

Good story PP am glad Zach is back on track. I sure hope his brother Prescott is working out at this Auburn Hills facility as well and is working on his speed and quickness, as he will need better than that recorded 4.9 at the next level. But knowing Prescott has a big brother with a great work ethic, I am certain we will see some good 40 times coming up from little bro.

[Junior]

Sounds like he's ready to put the O on his back yet again this year.

Hoping our DL's shoulders are good to go as well.

[Pony Up]

Sounds like he's ready to put the O on his back yet again this year.

Hoping our DL's shoulders are good to go as well.

Hopefully he's right about finding a good balance between the run and the pass. It's not abnormal for QBs to take a step back, or at least slow their progress, as they get into their second year in an offense as they start to think more, and then really take off in the third. Hope that's the case this year for Padron.