Dick Harmon: Mark Weber distances BYU OL from 'hog badge'

Weber saw better movement, more explosive and more sustained power.His crew looked better at the end of the scrimmage. There's greater endurance. When his guys walked off the field after practice, having just finished a 20-minute team segment, they had more in the tank. Players who went out recovered quicker and returned.

"Like I say, we've got a long way to go — we are not perfect — but if we sustain this, we have a chance to be pretty good," he said. "Right now, we finish a lot better at this point in the season than a year ago."

None of this is lost on Doman, who desires a fast-paced offense.

He calls it "functional movement improvement" and says having linemen with body fat percentages in the 20s instead of 30s enables them to be stronger, faster and better in the long haul.

"They're more mentally sharp. We weren't able to go this long in the spring or fall before this," Doman said, who then proclaimed, "We want our linemen to return to their glory days."

So, what nickname does Weber have for his guys?

"It's not going to be hogs," he said.

"Maybe after a game or two we'll know, but right now we're still settling on a starting lineup."

We shall see. Without this crew stepping up, the Cougars will be in for a long year.

And they know it.

EMAIL: dharmon@desnews.com

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