In 1995 and ’96, Troy Davis rushed for 2,010 and 2,185 yards, respectively.

In ’97 and ’98, younger brother Darren carried the ball for 1,005 and 1,166 yards.

Now according to at least one school of thought, the Davis family can take credit for a little over 2,000 of those yards.

The other 4,000+ are due in large part,to a herd of hard-nosed, no-glory brutes that opened holes for the dynamic duo.

The Iowa State superstars of the present may largely be in the backfield, but ISU’s tradition has gone with the front line.

Guys like Keith Sims, Oliver Ross, Gene Williams and Tim Kohn excelled at their positions in the past and, by most accounts, their 1999 counterparts will uphold that tradition.

The Cyclones return eight offensive linemen this season with experience and five that have started in the past. With solid athletes in key roles and no shortage of experience, ISU will look to build on the major strides they made last season.

In ’98, the line opened up over 1,400 yards worth of holes for ISU backs, permitted only nine quarterback sacks and lost just one senior in center Charley Bogwill.

Returning to anchor the ’99 line is senior left tackle Bill Marsau.

“Billy is going into his last lear,” head coach Dan McCarney said, “and nobody’s been more solid and more consistent than he has on and off the field.”

After converting from his defensive tackle position in 1997, Marsau has played extensively the last two years, starting every contest last season.

“Last year was a learning experience for a lot of guys,” Marsau said. “Now we’ve seen what it takes to put together a full season of four-quarter games. Now we just have to get it done.”

Lining up next to Marsau at the other tackle position this season will be 6′ 4″ sophomore Cory Hannen.

The 300-pounder will be closely pressed for playing time by sophomore Marcel Howard who missed spring ball recovering from concussion complications.

Between the tackles, ISU will feature center Josh Rank and guards Ben Bruns and Ryan Gerke. The trio combined for 15 starts last season in the trenches.

“We all complement each other very well,” Gerke said of the line. “We all know what each other’s capabilities are, and we know we can trust each other.”

Versatile junior Ben Beaudet, the team’s top newcomer in ’97 and a concussion victim last season, will also compete for a starting spot at either center or guard.

“Our offensive line can play,” McCarney said. “They can block in this league, they can give our backs a chance and they can protect our quarterbacks.”

Of course, McCarney realizes one obvious limitation.

“They can’t do any of those things standing on the sideline,” he said.

In ’98, the line suffered a series a debilitating injuries. In addition to the Howard and Beaudet concussions — injuries said to be healed at this point — the Cyclones lost junior guard Marc Cortez to a career-ending injury in the first game.

This year, McCarney hopes the team can avoid such luck.

“Basically, we just say some prayers and cross our fingers and hope God is watching over them,” McCarney said. “We know there have been problems in the past, but [Beaudet and Howard] have complete clearance from the doctors and everyone’s looking strong.”

Should injuries present themselves again, the Cyclones will be more prepared in ’99.

With a full battery of reserves waiting in the wings, ISU will look to take advantage of its depth on the line this year.

Senior T.J. Tuetken, junior Scott Rickard and freshman Zach Butler will all compete for roles on the two-deep, as will an extensive sophomore roster. Jared Bucksa, Scott Davis, Brian Donahue, Andy Kelley, Vince Kelly and Adam Sansale all return for their second seasons of play.

“We have a great offensive line,” junior quarterback Sage Rosenfels said. “They have a lot of experience — seven, eight, nine guys that played last year. They’ve put on some weight and gained some strength, but they’ve kept their athleticism.”

Rosenfels isn’t the only player impressed with the line. Quarterback Derrick Walker and tailback Ennis Haywood have also enjoyed what they’ve seen early on.

“I feel like we’ve got as much talent on the offensive line as anybody else in college football,” Walker said.

“They’re coming along real good,” Haywood added. “I’m just anxious to see how we’re all going to come together as a team.”

As the new season gets under way, ISU fans will have to hope the line comes together in a hurry and maintains its solid tradition.

Games are fought and won in the trenches, and if the Cyclones hope to improve upon ’98, they’ll have to ride 1,500 pounds of offensive lineman to each and every victory.