Traditionally Iowa State has fielded a solid offensive line. In years past, this has been a position of more strength and depth than any other, besides perhaps running back.

With names such as Tim Kohn, Pat Augafa and Oliver Ross in the past, it’s easy to see why the Cyclones would come to expect success from the boys in the trenches.

Unfortunately, this season many of those big names are gone and a band of mostly untested, though highly-touted, young players will try to step in and replace them.

Ross is one of the big names that needs replacing this season. He started all 11 games at left tackle last year, and his hard work paid off when he was drafted this spring by the Dallas Cowboys.

Another name that will be hard to top is Matt Rahfaldt. The recent graduate started 34 games in four years, mostly at left guard. He was a captain last season and earned the Arthur Floyd Scott Award for the team’s outstanding lineman.

Matt Rysavy and Kurt Levetzow will also be missing this year. Levetzow started all 11 games last season at right tackle.

Fortunately for head coach Dan McCarney’s troops, the replacements should be up to the task.

The 1998 Cyclone line will be anchored at right tackle by last season’s Durwood “Dury” Moss Award-winner, Ben Beaudet.

Recognized as 1998’s outstanding newcomer to the team, Beaudet will move from guard to the tackle position for ’98.

The Minnesota native was optimistic about his crew, despite a lack of past playing time.

“We’ve got a lot of young players out there without much experience,” Beaudet explained, “but we’re looking real good. We had a real good spring, real good two-a-days and we just continue to improve.”

Beaudet, who earned unanimous all-conference and all-state honors in high school, will be backed up by redshirt freshman Marcel Howard.

The massive 6-foot-6, 324-pound lineman is a former walk-on whose size could not be ignored by the ISU coaching staff.

This season’s Cyclone center will be senior Charley Bogwill.

Bogwill, despite a number of injuries last season, started most of the year at center but sat out Spring ball. Bogwill’s recovery was one of the highlights of Fall two-a-days.

“Bogwill and [fellow lineman Marc] Cortez are both back in the lineup,” Offensive Coordinator Pete Hoener said. “They were hurt during spring ball, so it was a pleasure to get them fully recovered and competing for spots.”

Behind Bogwill at center will be true freshman Zach Butler of Iowa City.

Marc Cortez will start next to Bogwill at the right guard position after injury-plagued freshman and sophomore seasons.

Cortez sat out the 1996 season with a knee injury and spent most of ’97 recovering, though he started several games at center despite being less than 100 percent.

The 6-2 junior has shown a great deal of promise — if he can avoid injury.

Starting opposite Cortez at left guard is Eugene Bernal, a Juco Gridwire first-team all-American while at Los Angeles Valley College. Bernal transferred to ISU in 1996.

After redshirting his first season here, Eugene performed as a backup last year. He has as much college game experience as anyone else on the line, though most of it was at the J.C. level.

Backing up Bernal and Cortez at guard are sophomores Ben Bruns and Josh Rank.

Bruns was the Des Moines Register’s Class 1-A Player of the Year as a prep, and Rank performed well on last season’s squad team after earning all-district honors as a tight end in high school.

Brian Donahue and Scott Davis both boast decent size as freshmen and will look to start at guard in the future.

Opposite Beaudet at left tackle this season is junior Bill Marsau.

Marsau moved to the offensive line in 1997 after making 25 tackles as a defender in ’96. He brings a combination of intelligence, size and desperately-needed experience to the Cyclone line this year.

“Through spring ball, all expectations have been exceeded,” Marsau said. “We have a ways to go, but we continue to improve. Good things will happen this year.”

The first-team academic all-Big 12 selection was a two-way all-stater in high school and is very comfortable on either side of the ball.

Behind Marsau is redshirt freshman Cory Hannen. The 300-pounder boasts great size, especially for a freshman, and was highly regarded out of high school.

The line this year has a number of things to work on, not the least of which is the 46 sacks surrendered last season.

Some said the inflated numbers were the fault of the line, while others pointed to a quarterback that didn’t get rid of the ball when he needed to. Beaudet isn’t one to place the blame, though.

“I’m not about to point the finger at anybody,” Beaudet said. “It happened and it’s over and we’re moving on. I do think we’ll give up fewer this season, though.”

As Beaudet explains, getting the ground game on track is of primary concern.

“The most important thing that we need to do is run the ball, and that’s an area we need to improve on from last year.”

As Marsau points out, though, playing the line isn’t rocket science.

“It’s coming off the ball and blowing your opponent away. That’s it.”

The line this year combines a number of talented individuals who are just beginning to gel as a team. The goals they’ve set for themselves are simple.

“Win,” Beaudet says. “Just win.”

If the Cyclones are going to win this year, much of that responsibility will rest with the five guys up front.