Their average height is 6-foot-4. Most weigh in around 300 pounds.

But as far as the season goes, Georgia’s offensive linemen are measuring their progress in baby steps.

That slow and steady approach is a philosophy offensive line coach Doug Marrone has instilled in his squad for the 2000 season.

Marrone inherited a relatively young group in need of leadership after the tragic death of coach Pat Watson early in the 1999 season. Graduation took its toll as well, with All-SEC linemen Steve Herndon and Miles Luckie leaving gaps to be filled.

The good news for Marrone was that he had a talent-filled roster to mold, including three starters. Sophomore offensive linemen Kevin Breedlove and Jon Stinchcomb — freshmen All-Americans a season ago — are back, as well as All-SEC candidate senior Jonas Jennings.

The real dilemma lay in how to approach the coaching system. Marrone said his tutelage under Watson — when the two were at Georgia Tech — gave him an insight in how things were done in seasons past, and he opted to stick with the same style.

"Instead of coming here and doing what I’m accustomed to, I adapted to the terminology that was used here already," Marrone said. "What they had here was working."

And it’s still working. Through five games, the Bulldogs are fourth in the conference in sacks allowed with six. Georgia has only yielded 37 yards in those sacks — fewest in the SEC

While Marrone would rather have a zero pinned to that statistic, he’s pleased with the progress the line is making. He’s even more pleased by the fact that his squad isn’t content with where it is at this point in the season.

"That’s important to have that type of goal setting of where we want to be," Marrone said. "What we do is go out there everyday and we’re looking to get just a little bit better every single day."

Marrone says competition has made the offensive line a better unit. As a result, Georgia has worked in three or four extra linemen each game, adding depth to the lineup.

Consequently, sophomores George Foster and Alex Jackson, as well as senior Reggie Stargill, all are getting quality minutes.

"It’s not because someone isn’t playing well, it’s because we’re able to put them in and they’re able to perform well," said Marrone, who coached at Georgia Tech last season. "As long as we can get those guys in and keep people fresh, that will give us a tremendous advantage."

The Bulldogs will need every advantage they can get going into the meat of their SEC schedule. They’ve already had one big test against the SEC’s best defensive lines in Tennessee and will meet Vanderbilt and Kentucky in the next two weeks.

The final verdict was inconclusive, as the Dogs surrendered four sacks during the game, although they managed to win the ground game in rushing yards for the first time in recent memory.

In order for Georgia to continue to improve against tougher competition, Breedlove said the line can’t have a tentative mentality — especially with teams such as Florida and Auburn left on the schedule.

"The only way you can play them is non-stop," Breedlove said. "They’re the kind of teams you can’t let up on or screw up plays or else they’ll take advantage of it."