STARKVILLE – It’s different, and yet the same.

Mississippi State’s offensive line has some new tricks to learn in coach Dan Mullen’s spread offense, and it’s been slow going this spring. Mullen has noted that what the line was asked to do last year under Sylvester Croom is quite basic compared to what he wants from them now.

“I think they kind of had a couple of protections, and that was it,” Mullen said. “Our guys are responsible to make a lot of calls and other things within protections.”

An offense that features option plays, misdirection and quick passes requires a little more intricacy in the blocking and protection schemes. But line coach John Hevesy, who worked with Mullen at Florida, said the ultimate goal doesn’t change.

“Whether it’s spread or wishbone or I-formation, you’ve still got to block them,” Hevesy said. “I don’t think the spread is any different.”

In Croom’s West Coast offense last year, the Bulldogs didn’t always “block them.” MSU gave up 37 sacks, third-most in the SEC, and averaged 100.6 rushing yards per game, 11th in the league.

When Hevesy reviewed tape of 2008, he wasn’t looking at the schemes. He was looking at the players, because he thinks they’re ultimately responsible for what shows up on the stat sheet.

Hevesy essentially started over with his group, telling them, “What you did before doesn’t matter.”

The one thing MSU’s line has going for it is experience. There’s only one senior, Craig Jenkins, among the seasoned Bulldogs. In all, six linemen are coming back with good minutes under their belts.

No starting spots are guaranteed, but it appears the two anchors of the line, center J.C. Brignone and left tackle Derek Sherrod, have re-established themselves.

Who’s the leader of the group? There isn’t one yet.

“I think they all have the capability and they all have it in them, now it’s just, who’s going to do it?” Hevesy said. “That to me is every day just working on them to tell them that it’s not just being a leader by talking or saying it, it’s by repetition, it’s by assignment, it’s by fundamentals, it’s about doing the right thing.”

That role could ultimately fall on Brignone’s shoulders.

“Like Coach Hevesy said, I’ve got to work on myself before I can take care of anybody else,” said the 6-foot-1, 300-pound junior. “I’ve got to make sure all my kinks are out.”

Everybody’s working out those kinks. For all the studying they’ve done, MSU’s linemen have a long way to go as they transfer that knowledge onto the field.

Sherrod, a 6-6, 310-pound junior, said getting the body and mind to work in concert has been the biggest challenge so far.

"It’s not going to be overnight, it’s just an everyday process," Hevesy said. "As long as they keep getting better and better, that’s all I can ask of them."