Georgia Tech’s starting offensive line includes only one senior (guard Shaquille Mason) and two players who hadn’t played a snap before this season (center Freddie Burden and right tackle Chris Griffin). However, through four games, the unit has held its own.
The line deserves some credit for the Yellow Jackets’ 4-0 start and an offense that ranks 21st in the country in yards per play at 6.76. Offensive line coach Mike Sewak spoke with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday about his players and their matchup with Miami on Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Q: Who scares you on Miami’s defensive line?
A: Both (No.) 91 (defensive tackle Olsen Pierre) and (No.) 93 (defensive tackle Calvin Heurtelou) are good, physical players, but what they do is they play about seven different defensive linemen. They try to keep guys fresh. … The linebacking crew is pretty strong. Obviously, I think (No.) 56 (linebacker Raphael Kirby) is a good football player. Obviously, (No.) 52 (linebacker Denzel Perryman) is a good football player. That can lead to some pressure from the outside. They can get pressure with a four-man pressure, but they like to do a lot of five-man pressures.
Q: That obviously means pressure on the offensive line.
A: It's going to involve the (running) backs somewhere along the line in pass protect.
Q: I imagine that means that the look that the scout team, players like Jabari Hunt-Days and Kenderius Whitehead, gives you is critical on a week like this.
A: Absolutely. We take their three best line stunts and we take their three best passing stunts and we try to work on them with everybody involved, so everybody's got a feel for it. Those (scout-team) guys give us a full-speed rep, and they're very successful a lot of the times.
Q: How is this line different than last year’s?
A: These guys are a little bit more athletic, a little bit more attention to detail, a little bit more take personal pride. Even days like today, I just watched some tape with a couple of them. They like to watch tape right after (practice). Some guys have class, some guys have got to go places, so they don't get to meet (later), so they'll come in, we'll watch tape right after practice. So they're dialed in. They don't know it all, so they want to learn.
Q: I imagine that happens with a younger group?
A: It comes from everybody. I mean, Shaq watches with us, too. Those guys that have played a bunch, they're also in there talking, giving their two cents on, "Hey, this is what should happen. I got beat here, this is why."
Q: Is that a trait that you saw in the spring?
A: I saw it more over the summer. I saw them come together a little bit (in the spring), but I've seen it a heck of a lot more since the summer. Definitely since (preseason) camp.
Q: What was happening?
A: Guys were coming in and watching tape. Guys were coming in and asking for help on plays and asking for help on assignments and asking for help on how to block particular blocks.
Q: What does that mean on a Saturday to have all that information absorbed during the week?
A: A game's a game. Hopefully, you play like you practice. If you're a better practice player, then your game is going to be stepped up. These kids are practicing better.
Q: For a night game like Saturday’s, how do you spend the day?
A: I hate that part. I'd like to play at twelve. I just think that you sit and you watch other games and you just wait for your chance and you try to get in a rhythm and you try to get yourself that when you hit the door, when you hit the floor, that when you hit the stadium, that you're going full speed and that you know exactly where you want to be and what you want to do. Sometimes, when you have too much time to think, you start thinking of too many what if's, you try to cover every base when every base can't be covered.
About the Author
