When they head to the line of scrimmage and see a defense that is loading the box with seven or eight players - knowing that Charleston wants to run the ball - that's the moment the Golden Eagles' offensive linemen live for.
It becomes the biggest challenge, to continue running the ball consistently well even when a team knows that, more often than not, the opponent is going to run the ball.
"We take a lot of pride in making sure our backs can get those tough yards like that," offensive lineman Justin Johnson said. "I think we're the best offensive line in the conference. Teams play us and they know that, so you see them start to put more guys in the box and our goal is to beat as many guys as they throw at us every snap."
Charleston leads the Mountain East Conference in rushing, gaining 203 yards per game on the ground, and is coming off a performance in which it gained 298 yards on 53 carries to pick up its first victory of the season, defeating West Virginia State last week. For the season, UC is running the ball nearly 46 times per game, averaging 4.4 yards per carry - and a good bit of the credit for that is due to the offensive line and the way it has helped to pave the way for the likes of Tevion Cappe, Marvin Elam and Vernard Roberts in the talented UC backfield.
"With the guys we have up front, we know we can still run the ball even if they know what's coming," Charleston coach Pat Kirkland said. "That's not an easy thing to do. They're doing a great job and we put a lot on their plate."
One thing that makes Charleston's offensive line as effective as it has been is the chemistry the players share.
Up front, the Golden Eagles start two seniors, a junior and two sophomores. Four of the five started games together last year.
Senior guards Johnson and Zach Erb were both first-team all-MEC picks a year ago and have continued to be the leaders of the group. The two other returning starters, Adam Peton at left tackle and center Michael Farhat, as well as first-year starting right tackle Austin Ringel, have all come together to round out a formidable group in the trenches.
"We all have to be on the same page every snap, which can be hard sometimes because you can play as many as 80 snaps in a game," Johnson said. "If one guy isn't on the same page, it can mess the whole play up. That's why it's so great that we all know each other so well.
"When you have a bunch of guys who have played together for a long time, you get that understanding and that chemistry. We know what our strengths are."
Sitting at 1-3 heading into this week's game against Concord, the Golden Eagles know how big of a factor it is going to be to continue running the ball effectively if they want to have success.
Dating back to the 2014 season, Charleston is 16-2 in games when it ran for 200 or more yards and is 3-6 when it ran for less than that. Last week's win over West Virginia State was the first time the Golden Eagles eclipsed the 200-yard mark in 2016.
"We just have to block the guys in front of us because we know we have the backs that can make plays," Johnson said. "It's great because we know one of them can break a run off for 50 yards and then they'll come out and the next guy can get another big play right after that. You never know where it's going to come from, but you know they can always make the play."
Contact Michael Carvelli at 304-348-4810 or michael.carvelli@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @carvelli3.