SATURDAY’S STATE GAMES
Troy at Georgia Southern, noon
Saint Francis at Reinhardt, NAIA semifinals, 1:30 p.m.
Quentin Moses calls it the “David Pollack Syndrome.”
And Reinhardt’s Javier Dyer has it.
Moses coaches the defensive line at Reinhardt and played with Pollack, a former All-American defensive end, at Georgia, so he’s seen both up close.
“(Dyer) has a natural motor and plays hard every play,” Moses said. “He’s one of those guys. He’s like Pollack. There are certain guys when you look at the film, who are playing defensive line but making plays 15-20 yards downfield. Their motor never shuts off. By him being so athletic, (having the desire to) learn and get better, and on top of that, the high motor, I think that is what sets him apart.”
Dyer, a senior, leads Reinhardt (13-0) with 21.5 tackles for loss and ranks second with 10 sacks to fellow defensive end Tevin McCoy, who has 11.5.
They spark a defense that ranks first in the NAIA in scoring (11.6 points), tied for first with 48 sacks and second in total defense (262.8 yards) heading into Saturday’s national semifinals game against the University of Saint Francis (11-1) of Fort Wayne, Ind.
The winner will advance to the national championship game Dec. 17 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Dyer, who played at Brookwood, is one of Reinhardt’s last original players, joining the program a year before the team began play in 2013.
He has six sacks in the past four games.
McCoy, a sophomore from Carrollton, played a season at Reinhardt and then left for a couple of years before returning to school in January.
He has at least one-half of a sack in seven consecutive games and had three Nov. 5.
Dyer had four tackles, a sack and broke up two passes, and McCoy had three tackles and a sack in the Eagles’ 27-0 quarterfinals victory over Montana Tech last week.
“We push each other,” Dyer said. “I feel like we’re out there competing with ourselves and each other. That just carries throughout the whole defense. Everybody wants us competing.”
They’re similar players, Moses said, but have contrasting temperaments.
“McCoy is a high-energy, very passionate, emotional-type player, and Dyer is kind of a smooth, laid-back, chill-type player, but they both get the job done,” he said.
Dyer finds himself focused on defensive linemen when he watches other college or NFL games. He studies their moves and how they use their speed or strength to beat offensive linemen and reach quarterbacks.
He applies what he learns to his game. It also helps to have McCoy on the other side.
“We have chemistry, a good connection,” McCoy said. “He keeps me going. I keep him going. … I feel like the guys look to us to get them going.”
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