Villanova is rolling on offense because linemen are rocking

When a team is clicking on offense the way that Villanova has been, it's only natural to look at the play of the skill-position players, and to be sure, there has been a lot to see.

Quarterback Zach Bednarczyk is ranked among the FCS leaders in passing yards (1,139), passing touchdowns (11), and efficiency (170.23). Led by senior Aaron Forbes, the rushing attack has piled up 868 yards and eight touchdowns in four games.

Still, as every coach says, nothing on offense works without the offensive linemen who do the work in the trenches, and Villanova coach Mark Ferrante is no different.

"The guys are doing a good job," Ferrante said. "We have some good maturity there with [seniors Ethan Greenidge and Louie Csaszar] being four-year starters who played as true freshmen and not redshirts.

"We have a fifth-year senior in Brandon Hitner, and [offensive line coach Sean Devine] has done a good job pulling them all together."

In 2017, when Villanova suffered season-ending injuries to players all over the field, the offensive line was the one unit that was not affected. Greenidge, Hitner, Csaszar, and sophomore center Paul Grattan all started at least 10 games last season, and sophomore guard MJ Dumas saw action. They have experience as a group.

"I think cohesion is everything," said Greenidge, a preseason FCS first-team all-American who is viewed as a legitimate 2019 NFL draft candidate. "Communication and trust are the cornerstones of playing on the O-line.

"You want to know what the guy next to you is going to do and trust that he can get it done. We're the only unit on the field that has five guys working in unison.

"If you have that connection with all five guys across the line, you can really get things done. The experience we have from last year to this year is showing."

There are no real statistics for offensive linemen, but that doesn't mean the numbers don't have a story to tell.

If Bednarczyk doesn't have adequate protection, there isn't time for receivers to run routes and get open. If the holes aren't created in the trenches, there aren't places for running backs to go.

'Nova is ranked 16th in FCS with 477.3 yards per game and in the top 10 with 19 touchdowns on offense.

"I love seeing when [the skill-position players] get big numbers because that means we're doing our job up front," said Greenidge, who checks in at 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds. "We've had a little change in coaching and are told to really attack. That has helped us to really get that O-line mind-set that you have to have to win in the trenches.

"We've got a lot of experience on the line, and I think we've definitely improved and are getting it done up front. Obviously, there are always things to improve on, but as a unit, we're off to a good start and playing well."

Saturday at 6 p.m.

Records: Villanova, 3-1, 0-1 in CAA; Stony Brook, 3-1, 1-0.

Coaches: Mark Ferrante, 8-7 in second season at Villanova; Chuck Priore, 119-71 overall; 33-28 in sixth season at Stony Brook.

Radio: 610 ESPN; Live audio: www.villanova.com.

History: The all-time series is 1-1. The Seawolves and Wildcats are playing for just the second time since Stony Brook joined the CAA in 2013. Villanova won, 35-6, in 2013.