Provo » Star running back Harvey Unga has battled a pulled hamstring and a broken finger, senior quarterback Max Hall has had a case of interception-itis and the defensive secondary has been a bit unsettled, with a true freshman pressed into action at safety for one of the biggest games of the year.

Good thing BYU's football team has had such a solid offensive line to get it through some rough spots.

But wait. Wasn't the offensive line supposed to be the team's biggest weakness this year?

"I think the offensive line is the biggest surprise of the offense, and how they are playing this year," Hall said. "They are very physical, and the run game is where it needs to be. We just got to keep improving, keep mixing it up, and not be predictable, and we will be tough to stop."

Flash back to the start of fall camp: 2008 starters Ray Feinga, Dallas Reynolds, David Oswald and Travis Bright had graduated, leaving left tackle Matt Reynolds as the only returning starter.

There was some serious concern that a line with four relatively inexperienced players would not be able to protect Hall, let alone open holes for Unga and the other running backs.

Then things got worse.

Reynolds broke his left hand on Aug. 12, creating doubt as to whether he would be available against Oklahoma.

Two days later, one of the more experienced linemen, projected starting left guard Jason Speredon, suffered a shoulder injury and was lost for the season.

Almost a week after his brother suffered the hand injury, backup freshman offensive lineman Houston Reynolds suffered a torn ACL, ending his season.

Somehow, the Cougars have managed.

"I think that may be the biggest story so far," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said after the Cougars drubbed Utah State 35-17 last week. "When you lose four offensive linemen, you would expect a larger dropoff.

"And I think the offensive line is probably the best indicator of the program's maturity. And then coach [Mark] Weber has just done a nice job with them. It hasn't been easy, but I think they are handling it well. Overall, I think they are playing better than what was expected of them to this point."

Reynolds acknowledges that the offensive line has not been perfect. The Cougars were hit with three false start penalties against the Aggies (although Hall attributed some to USU defenders barking out signals that confused some linemen and caused them to jump early) and the line has given up nine quarterback sacks.

"There are obviously places that we needed to improve," Reynolds said. "I think with the way things have been going, and with the way the offensive line has been working throughout camp and throughout the season, I don't think there is any doubt that we are going to look at those areas and try to smooth them over.

"I would definitely give us a good grade. I am not sure. I am not usually in the grader seat, so ... I am pretty sure that we have done really well so far."

The Cougars are 61st in the country in sacks allowed -- not bad considering how much they throw the ball.

They are averaging 137.4 rushing yards per game, which is fifth in the Mountain West Conference and 64th in the country.

"Our offensive line is playing phenomenal right now," said running back Manase Tonga. "Considering the experience they had coming in, they are getting better every week. They are getting stronger and more physical, and it is going to be a great thing for them."

drew@sltrib.com