Georgia Tech guard Shaquille Mason noticed in the grind of spring practice.
“It was like the second week of spring,” Mason said this past week, during the Yellow Jackets’ preparations for the Orange Bowl. “I was like, you know, this offensive line has got a pretty good chance of doing some great things.”
In four years of playing for Tech, Mason may not have thrown a block that was more precise than his assessment that spring day. There is no shortage of credit to spread during the Yellow Jackets’ expectation-shattering season, one in which they’ve won 10 games for only the fourth time since 1956, upset Georgia, nearly knocked off Florida State for the ACC championship and earned a No. 12 ranking and an Orange Bowl berth opposite No. 7 Mississippi State. But Mason and his linemates have earned their share, as they’ve likely formed the best line in coach Paul Johnson’s seven-year tenure.
Asked if it was his best at Tech, Johnson, not one to throw around superlatives, replied, “Overall, probably.”
The numbers bear it out. Tech has averaged 5.95 yards per carry and 333.6 yards per game, both of which, if they hold up through the Orange Bowl, will be modern-era school records.
“Hands down, it is,” Mason said. “It’s the best line I’ve played on.”
The consistency of the line, and the offense as a whole, may be their most impactful quality. According to SportSource Analytics, Tech’s nine three-and-outs this season are the fewest in the country.
Side note: Three-and-outs are one of Johnson’s favorite stats for evaluating his or other teams.
“I used to call them cha cha chas,” he said earlier this season. “One, two, three, kick.”
The Jackets have averaged 3.24 points per possession, according to fbsdrivestats.com, which is sixth in the country. That’s the highest rate for Tech recorded by the site, whose data dates to 2005, bettering the 3.05 average of the 2012 team.
“I think they just play hard,” Johnson said. “They work every day, they’ve stayed consistent. We haven’t had a lot of injuries. They’ve just kind of showed up.”
Sean Bedford, Tech’s two-time All-ACC center and now the sideline reporter for the team’s radio broadcasts, made the observation that the linemen have typically avoided notice. The line has not been penalized much, has walled off the interior pressure that can often throw off option plays and protected quarterback Justin Thomas well on passing plays.
“They’ve done a really good job of playing clean and, I think, playing smart,” Bedford said. “They’ve played about as well as you could hope them to play.”
That said, the play of Mason, named to five All-America teams in his senior season, has been difficult to miss.
“I’m really going to miss watching Shaq play,” he said. “He’s so big, so strong and he’s so good on the drive blocks, but he mixes that with the ability to pull incredibly well. Like I said, his hustle plays down the field, they’re really incredible for someone his size.”
One remarkable aspect of the line’s play is the relative lack of experience that players had before this season. Aside from Mason, who had started 26 games, no other player had been a full-time starter. Center Freddie Burden (13 starts this season) and right tackle Chris Griffin (seven starts) had never played a snap. Right tackle Errin Joe (six starts), who has taken over at right tackle for Griffin, had played three games as a backup in the 2012 season and missed 2013 with a torn labrum. Two notable backups are redshirt freshman guard Shamire Devine and freshman center Andrew Marshall.
“I think especially, the triple option, being young isn’t really a detriment,” left guard Trey Braun said. “Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you can’t play hard or do your best.”
While Johnson has noted the line’s athletic ability — in high school, Burden was a tight end, Braun and Griffin were standout wrestlers and left tackle Bryan Chamberlain played basketball — the hard-to-measure element of attitude and work ethic seems to have been a significant element in the line’s success.
“After last year, we didn’t want to be 7-6 anymore,” Braun said.
It fed the line’s hunger to commit to offseason workouts, player-led drill sessions and even pickup basketball games to build camaraderie. Offensive line coach Mike Sewak paid notice when, during the twice weekly weigh-ins, his linemen were hitting their targets.
“There’s not a complainer in the group,” Johnson said. “They just come and play.”
Their final test will be a bear. To Sewak, Mississippi State is the equal of the past three defenses Tech has faced, Clemson, Georgia and Florida State. Linebacker Benardrick McKinney has been named an All-American by multiple outlets.
“Mississippi State’s front seven is very, very good,” Sewak said.
It is perhaps a fitting way for a superior line to bring the season to a close.
“Hopefully in a couple weeks, we can put together our best product,” Braun said. “That would be nice.”
