It is easy to look back in hindsight at some of the numbers the USC offense put up in 2014 and think things went pretty smooth in the first year under Steve Sarkisian.

There was an average of over 35 points per game, a quarterback who threw 39 touchdowns and only five interceptions, a tailback who ran for almost 1,500 yards and a receiver who caught 104 passes. Impressive numbers indeed but they don't tell the whole story -- particularly when it came to an offensive line that went through growing pains that included starting three true freshmen at the end of the year and giving up 32 sacks.

One of the reasons that there is so much optimism heading into this season, besides the return of Cody Kessler and a bevy of skill players, is that things should be a lot more settled on the line. The entire starting lineup returns and the offensive line has the most depth it has in years.

Sophomore guard Damien Mama is one of those players who saw action last season as a true freshman, he started the season opener against Fresno State at right guard and finished the year as the starter at left guard. Mama also played last year at more than 375 pounds, after reporting to camp at 397 pounds.

Any offensive line coach will tell you they want their offensive linemen to be big, but that was a little too big, even for a guy like Mama who brings surprising athleticism and footwork to the position. As the Trojans look to continue with a fast paced offense, that will often see play totals in the 90-100 play range during a game, conditioning can become a factor at that size. Mama spent the offseason focused on dropping weight in order to better meet the demands of the style of play Sarkisian wants to implement.

"I'm down to 354 pounds," Mama said after a recent USC throwing session. "It hasn't been anything fancy, just a lot of hard work with strength and conditioning coach Ivan Lewis and paying attention to what I eat, making sure I have the right portions and staying hydrated, things like that."

So how does the weight loss impact his play on the field so far?

"I'm there," Mama said. "In the past when we would be doing conditioning I would just be trying not to mess up but now I'm able to be aware of everything that's going on and keep up with the high intensity. It's been good. It allows me to be calm on the field and focus on what I'm doing."

There has been a notable difference in the attitude along the line during the summer workouts as opposed to last year when the three highly touted freshmen (Mama, Viane Talamaivao and Toa Lobendahn) were trying to find their way along with a center who had changed positions, Max Tuerk, and a new right tackle in Zach Banner. Now there is a certain comfort level with themselves and the work they are putting in, and there is a lot of hope for that familiarity to pay off in the coming year.

"The chemistry with our group is the biggest difference I'm seeing," Mama said. "We're in the second year of this offense so guys know what is expected of them and the coaches know what we can do. Coming in as freshmen it was just kind of getting our toes wet and not doing anything crazy but this offseason was different, it was a grind but it was worth it. Now we just need to translate it to the field in the fall."