Defensive line has valuable experience

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 14, 2008 | by JAKE SCHALLER

Air Force defensive linemen Ryan Kemp, Ben Garland and Jared Marvin weren't supposed to see much, if any, playing time in 2006.

Kemp and Marvin were sophomores -- recruited for offensive p o s i t i o n s -- and had played on the junior varsity the previous year. Garland was a 17-year-old freshman. All three, essentially, were projects.

But when the defensive line was decimated by a series of injuries, the players were forced into action. They were undersized and overwhelmed.

"We'd put them in two plays, then take them off and coach them, put them back in for another two plays, take them back off and coach them," defensive line coach Ron Burton said. "But they were eager, as I recall." Along with another sophomore, Jake Paulson -- who was expected to play heading into the season and sandwiched five starts around an injury -- the defensive linemen took their lumps as the Falcons sank to a 4-8 record.

But, as Burton said earlier this week, "It's paying off now."

In Paulson, Garland and Kemp -- who will start at left end, nose guard and right end, respectively -- and Marvin, who is recovering from offseason knee surgery, Air Force has the makings of the best defensive line of Burton's six seasons at the academy.

"We've got a chance to do some special things this year," Paulson said.

It's just about the biggest line Burton's had. Paulson is listed at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, Garland is 6-5 and 270 (up from 240 in 2006), Kemp is 6-5 and 255 (up from 230 in 2006) and Marvin is 5-11 and 265 (up from 230 in 2006).

"Looking back on (2006), it was tough to do anything" at 230 pounds, Kemp said. "Now you're able to be more physical and maybe throw off a block or take on a double-team.... We're all big, we're all strong, and it's exciting, because that's always been a problem in the past."

This also might be the quickest line across the board that Burton's had at Air Force. Kemp, a preseason all-Mountain West Conference selection, had four sacks last year. Paulson, whose production has been affected by injuries, has recorded 3.5 sacks the past two seasons. Both can explode off the ball. And Garland, originally a defensive end, has moved to nose guard because of Marvin's injury, "which gives us better quickness inside."

The line also should have quality depth -- as long as junior nose guard Stephen Larson's knee injury is not serious and Marvin returns in mid-to-late September as expected.

But most importantly, thanks to the trial by fire of 2006, the starting linemen have valuable game experience.

"The key to those guys was being on the field" early in their careers, Burton said. "Getting the speed of the game, understanding exactly what we want to get done."

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