MORGANTOWN — In his early years, West Virginia center Landen Livingston was on national television. You turned on ABC or one of the Disney affiliate channels, and there was the future Mountaineer center. But he wasn’t playing football.
Before starting at center, Livingston was a professional dancer. Livingston’s mother wanted him and his siblings to dance, starting when he was five. Livingston competed in competitions and eventually worked his way to tryout for the Disney team, where he danced in Disney parades.
“I really feel like that’s been a benefit to me throughout playing offensive line, just with footwork and stuff like that,” Livingston said. “At the time, I hated going to all the dance recitals and practices, but I definitely feel like it was an advantage, and I’m thankful that my mom got me into it.”
Livingston and the rest of the offensive line are crucial to Rich Rodriguez’s offense this year, since the scheme revolves heavily on tempo and the run game, with the quarterbacks being rushers, too.
Rodriguez added five offensive linemen in the portal, including converted defensive lineman Kimo Makane’ole from LSU. Most of the added linemen are veterans, with most of the returning linemen being underclassmen. Livingston said the newcomers and the returners have gelled well so far and expect the spring transfer portal additions to do the same.
The new and returning linemen are getting used to Rodriguez’s system.
“Throughout, really, all spring, I feel like our O-line and offense as a whole is really better,” Livingston said. “I feel like part of it is that we’ve gotten adjusted to it. We know the expectations from Coach Rod and the whole office staff, so just taking small steps like that. I for sure feel like we’ve taken steps, and it’s an adjustment, but nothing we can’t handle.”
Rodriguez runs a fast-paced offense, and one of the challenges in a tempo offense is getting the big guys set so they can run a play. The tempo offense only goes as fast as the offensive line can line up.
The center has an especially difficult job. They have to find the ref with 20-plus people on the field, get the ball so they can start the play.
“I know that the offense can only go as fast as I get set,” Livingston said. “That’s for sure, something in my head as the play is going on… I know the offense is really meant to be fast, and that’s something that I’ve for sure kept to heart and try to continue to get better at.”
Although a challenge for the 250 to 300-pounders, there are benefits to a fast-paced offense. If a player messes up, the offense is so fast that there’s no time to dwell on the past because once the whistle is blown, the next play is already in and needs to be prepared for.
“I think one huge benefit of this offense is that it’s super simple,” Livingston said. “There’s not much to think about because you’re going so fast. I definitely think that’s an advantage of this whole offense.”
During Saturday’s scrimmage, the run game shined, even without last year’s leading rusher Jahiem White taking snaps. There were a couple of passes, but most of the offense came from the ground, whether that was the quarterback rolling out or a back getting to the edge.
Rodriguez has a history of pounding the ball, and if Saturday is any indication, it’ll be the same this year.
“I think we have great backs,” Livingston said. “Love running the ball, of course, being an offensive lineman, and I’m glad to continue the O-line tradition. The last couple of years, I think the O-line has done a really good job of setting the ground game and having control over that over the game. I look forward to continuing that tradition.”
The most violent part of football takes place on the line, why it’s called the trenches. Rodriguez is a tough West Virginia-raised coach with the program motto of playing with a “hard edge.” The most important place to have a hard edge is in the trenches, and Livingston and the rest of the line’s focus this spring is to bring the hard edge.
“The offensive line here needs to be the definition of a hard edge,” Livingston said. “There’s no excuses for us not to have that mentality every single play. So, trying to instill that into our line has been something that we continue to get better at every single day.”
