Nebraska's offensive line, lowly regarded by many fans and pundits entering the season, hasn't allowed a sack in two games.

That's right — two games, 73 passes, no sacks. Perfect.

OK, maybe not perfect.

In Husker offensive line coach Dennis Wagner's realm, perfection is in the eye of the beholder.

"The thing he keeps on saying is, even on the perfect play, it's really not perfect — he's always looking for something more," Nebraska starting right tackle Seppo Evwaraye said.

The thing is, even Wagner has to be proud of a Nebraska offensive line that's paved the way for a unit that ranks 11th nationally in total offense after finishing 83rd in that category in 2003. Using a West Coast system that many expected to be heavily tilted toward the forward pass, the Huskers rank seventh nationally in rushing offense, averaging 318.5 yards.

Nebraska quarterback Joe Dailey appreciates the line's somewhat surprising start.

"They've done a great job after having to come a long way learning a very sophisticated scheme," Dailey said. "I have nothing but thanks and praise for those guys."

Nebraska's offensive line, which has three first-year starters, has thrived despite learning from its third assistant coach in as many years.

The line also has excelled despite the absence of standout center Richie Incognito, who left the team earlier this week after having been suspended indefinitely since Aug. 31 for repeated violations of team rules.

"We haven't exceeded any of our own expectations," said right guard Jake Andersen, one of two returning starters. "We heard a lot of outside sources saying we were a big question mark, but we never questioned ourselves. To us, this is what we expect to do and how we expect to play all season."

With Incognito erased from the picture, Evwaraye said, Andersen assumed the main leadership role. Andersen, a 6-foot-1, 290-pound senior, graded extremely well in last week's 21-17 loss to Southern Miss.

"I try not to look at that stuff too much," Andersen said. "It's not an individual thing; it's a team thing. Across the line, everybody graded pretty well."

Kurt Mann, a 6-4, 280-pound sophomore, has started in place of Incognito and "has made great progress," Wagner said. 

Wagner, of course, keeps looking for improvement, a trait Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan appreciates perhaps more than anybody, since Callahan once specialized in coaching offensive lines.

"He's got them communicating and on the same page," Callahan said. "Number two, he's worked extremely hard at the fundamentals and techniques of the game. For him to come in, take a foreign system, with new verbiage, and get all of his players on the same page, that has really impressed me."

The 45-year-old Wagner spent the past seven years as assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Fresno State. At Nebraska, Wagner follows in the footsteps of Milt Tenopir, who retired after the Huskers' 7-7 finish in 2002, and Barney Cotton, one of seven full-time NU assistants who weren't retained following last year's 10-3 finish.

According to Andersen, Tenopir was "pretty even-keeled. There were times he'd get fired up and start yelling, but that wasn't too often."

As for Cotton, "He was a little more intense," Andersen said.

Neither Tenopir nor Cotton was as vocal in their on-field teaching as Wagner, Andersen said.

"Out on the practice field and on the sideline, he's always talking to us about stuff," Andersen said. "He'll be the first one to get on you when you make a bad play, and the first to praise you when you make a good play."

Wagner's methods apparently worked well at Fresno State, which this year has captured the imagination of the college football world with season-opening road wins against Washington and Kansas State. The Bulldogs feature five returning starters along their offensive line, three of whom are three-year starters.

"Fresno State's offensive line is just flat-out mean," ESPN analyst Trev Alberts said. "They just keeping coming."

Said Wagner, "I'm proud of them. I'm saying a prayer for them. I want them to run the table and get themselves involved in a bowl game that they deserve."

Wagner hopes the same for Nebraska. He voices his desires loud and clear every day in practice.

"He has to be demanding," Evwaraye said of Wagner. "This is Nebraska. He can't be satisfied with mediocrity. He's pushing us every day to new heights."

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.