PINEVILLE, La. – On an offense with 2,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard receiver and enough supporting cast to give any defensive coordinator headaches, it's tragically natural for the big guys up front to be overlooked.

However, according the fifth year Louisiana College coach Dennis Dunn, who's offense put up more than 38 points per game in 2009, the time has come for the front line, specifically junior right guard Hunter Crowder (Zachary, La./Zachary HS), to stake claim to a share of the accolades.

“I've said all along,” Dunn said, “our skill people are great and deserve a lot of recognition, but our offensive line is probably the best we've had since I've been at Louisiana College.”

At the center, actually slightly to the right of the center, of the emergence of the LC line is Crowder, a 6-foot-2, 285-pounder who has, in two short years, developed from project player to undisputed leader up front.

“He's a leader,” Dunn said. “Whether we're on the field, in practice or in the weight room, he's the one they respond to. He's like the Pied Piper of our offensive line. Wherever he goes, the rest will follow.”

Luckily for Dunn and the Wildcats, who start start one junior and five sophomores on the offensive line, Crowder has proven to be quite the capable leader and one worthy of the respect of his younger teammates, particularly in wake of a week one injury to three-year starting center Ben Feibel (Shreveport, La./Northwood HS).

“He's a great person and a great player,” Dunn said. “Right now, he's our most consistent offensive lineman. Last week against Belhaven, he played probably his best game of his career.”

For Crowder, who played in a run-dominated, triple-option offense, it's been a heck of a journey to top-tier zone blocker in the wide-open spread of LC.

“To be quite honest, it was the toughest thing I've been through as a football player,” Crowder said. “When I got here, I didn't know the concepts of zone blocking. We didn't do a lot of pass protection at my high school, so it was a challenge transitioning from a one-dimensional, run-all-the-time offense to pass blocking and zone-blocking to set up the screen.”

It took a few years, but Crowder eventually began to blossom in his collegiate offensive set thanks to help from some of his older teammates, specifically Johnny Blackman, who wrapped his college career in 2009.

“I doubt he realized it at the time, but (Blackman) really helped to develop,” Crowder said. “He was one of the veteran linemen when I got here and I kind of learned by watching him. He was the one who gave me the foundation to build on.”

And build he did.

“He went through an adjustment period,” Dunn said, “It took him a year to get settled in to the drop-back passing game, but in the last three years he's made a real change and earned himself a starting job.”

A starting job with four other first-year starters.

The Louisiana College front five now consists of Crowder, left guard Shaun Cook (Dutchtown, La./Dutchtown HS), right tackle Darin Moore (Ponchatoula, La./Ponchatoula HS), left tackle Jeremy Vujnovich (Belle Chasse, La./Belle Chasse HS) and center Sydney Crawford (Dallas/Mesquite HS), who was called into service after Feibel went down versus Belhaven.

“I'd say this group is the best line I've ever been around,” Crowder said. “Across the board, everyone has bouhght into what we're trying to accomplish. We share a common goal and that is, quite honestly, to be the best line in the American Southwest Conference. And not just to be the best, but to be the most diverse line in terms of our ability to run or pass block.”

The Wildcats (0-1) will get their first chance to showcase the new line, as well as the new team, to the home fans on Saturday at 6 p.m. when LC plays host to Huntingdon College in a non-conference contest at Wildcat Stadium.

Huntingdon (1-0) defeated the Wildcats 34-21 in Montgomery, Ala., in 2009 and enter the contest on the heels of a 54-3 drubbing of St. Mary

“It's going to be the story all year long,” Dunn said. “There are no weak sisters on our schedule. This team, just like Belhaven a week ago, will be talented, motivated and well coached. But, that is what we were hoping for when made this schedule. We wanted to challenge ourselves in preparation for conference play.”