In a break of tradition, The Northeastern News has named the football team’s offensive line the Players of the Week after the unit opened the holes for 369 total rushing yards in a 45-0 victory Saturday over Richmond.

The O-line of (clockwise, from left) Mike Roseborough (right guard), Tim Dwyer (right tackle) Greg Abramopaulos (center), Adam Bourget (left guard) and Ryan Gibbons (left tackle) allowed Tim Gale to rack up 202 yards in the rout, while Peter Harris picked up 116 to give the Huskies two runners with 100 plus yards for the third time this season. NU had three 100-yard rushers in the season opener against Stonehill.

“That group very seldom gets a lot of credit. Those guys do a thankless job,” said coach Don Brown, noting that the Husky ground attack stacks up with any in the league. “But when a group has the kind of success we have, it’s all worthwhile.”

One person giving the Northeastern line credit was Richmond coach Jim Reid, who singled out the unit for praise.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been handled that way up front, that offensive line just did a terrific job,” he said. “We could’ve put my 20-year-old daughter back there at I-back. Everyone always talks about running backs, all through the country and all through pro football, but I don’t know many great running backs that don’t have a good offensive line.”

Tim Gale, the beneficiary of much of the inglorious trenchwork, also praised his line.

“They’ve done a great job all year,” he said, noting that their play dictates what he does on the field, from rushing to blocking schemes to pass catching. “Everything I do is off them. When they’re on, it makes everything much easier.”

— Peter Conroy, News Staff