The offensive line has seen a lot of different changes this year.

The line only has two players returning from last season.

Seniors right tackle Anthony Rubican and offensive guard Drew Cairo-Gross are the veterans, and Cairo-Gross has switched positions this season from left guard to center.

The quarterback has switched from senior Cole Stinson to sophomore Bodie Reeder, which at first resulted in some quarterback-center exchange problems.

“That is the area I thought that the quarterback switch somewhat affected,” said offensive line coach Jeff Hoover. “We did see some problems with that, obviously against Illinois State, but we are working on it and hopefully that is behind us.”

Reeder fumbled the snap and Illinois State recovered to win the game.

Hoover said having a different quarterback doesn’t change how the offensive line plays because they are going to have to read the defenses the same way no matter what.

“Really, we run the kind of system where it doesn’t matter who is at the spots, we are just going to take what the other team gives us,” Hoover said. “We would have a lot more adjusting if there was a switch having to be made within the line.”

That might be the case this week after one of the leaders, Rubican, came out of the game with an injury this weekend against Southeast Missouri State.

The team is unsure when Rubican will return, but during the game sophomore offensive guard Mike Scheibel was forced to step up and fill the void.

Hoover said he was impressed with the way Scheibel answered. Scheibel was named blocker of the week for his part in the game.

“I was definitely nervous, but it was just like practice,” Scheibel said. “I get the same number of reps the starters do and coach Hoover makes sure we are all prepared to go in at any given time. Anthony (Rubican) left some big shoes to fill and I just did the best I could.”

Another change in the offense that may have a small effect on the offensive line is the fact that Eastern has four different running backs that can come in at any time.

“Blocking is blocking,” Scheibel said. “When I am up there I don’t know who’s in the backfield or who is getting the ball. I am just watching the defense and trying to do my job.”

Cairo-Gross said although there isn’t much of a change he said there are some small natural adjustments in the way they protect for different runners.

Cairo-Gross said since senior running back Travorus Bess is a smaller guy, he benefits more from being able to hide behind the line and shoot through a little hole at the last second.

“But (senior running back) Ademola (Adeniji) will hit the hole at about 100 miles per hour and will just keep plowing as people get hands on him,” Cairo-Gross said. “So we try and make his holes a little bigger but it is all really a natural thing, not a change that we have planned out.”

Hoover said his main job is watching the guys in front of them on defense and the offensive linemen aren’t worried so much about the running backs, whereas the backs have to find their own holes and they do a pretty good job of that.

“One thing we do emphasize is that if we don’t do our job, nobody else can do theirs,” Hoover said. “That is the mindset of the position, you know you aren’t going to be the guy that everybody watches, but if we are doing our job then Bodie (Reeder) is getting his throws and his yards in and Micah (Rucker) is getting his catches and our tailbacks are getting their yards. If we do what we need to do, everyone sees the benefits.”