GARRISON: “I See A Much Bigger Landmark For Us"
One component of why N.C. State was able to blow out East Carolina in the season opener came down to the offensive line. Wolfpack offensive line coach John Garrison ensured his corps managed to win the battle in the trenches.
In N.C. State’s 34-6 victory over East Carolina, Matthew McKay threw for over 300 yards with a touchdown while the Wolfpack’s rushing attack accounted for almost 200 yards and three touchdowns. State fans can thank offensive line coach John Garrison and his corps of players that paved the way for that advantage over the Pirates.
Garrison’s offensive line utilized nine different linemen across the team’s 73 offensive snaps. His ideal four-quarter game plan is to continuously rotate bodies out to maintain the integrity of the unit and the health of his players.
“I think overall it’s important to get a good rotation,” Garrison said. “Looking at 73 snaps in a game and the accumulation of the season, I think it’s always good to get offensive linemen in and out. Having seven or eight guys that come in to play is an important thing because it starts to catch up on you.
“When you’re playing your top five the whole entire season, they’re just going to get the bumps and the bangs,” Garrison continued. “If we get guys that are able to [play 30-40 snaps a game], and we feel every week they go out there, compete, and give us an opportunity to win, we’re going to continue to do it. That’s something I’ve done in the past.”
One of Garrison’s most important players is redshirt senior Emanuel McGirt, Jr. The starting left tackle, McGirt played 46 snaps against the Pirates where he, as well as the rest of the line, kept McKay and Bailey Hockman safe. However, McGirt impressed Garrison in how fluidly he was able to transfer his skillset to the other side of the line when he was asked to sub in at right tackle.
“I didn’t even look for his response,” Garrison chided. “We just had to go. I think, as a coach, if you make it a big deal, they’re going to make it a big deal. That’s the message for as long as I’ve been a part of it. You’ve got to be multiple, and you’ve got to be able to play both sides. Not everybody can do it, but he’s smart enough to be able to do it.”
Another one of Garrison’s top linemen is redshirt sophomore Bryson Speas. Listed on the depth chart as the backup left guard behind redshirt junior Joe Sculthorpe, Speas bounced around the offensive line and has become a Swiss army knife of sorts for Garrison’s line.
“Speas is our utility guy,” Garrison said. “I wanted to keep him right at 30-40 snaps in the game. I thought he did an awesome job. He’s a guy that can go to both sides on both guard and tackle. I don’t have to worry about him. He’s doing a nice job.”
Even with these aforementioned players playing exemplary for him, Garrison’s main relief comes with the number of bodies he’s able to rotate with newer players such as freshmen Ikem Ekwonu and Dylan McMahon.
“I’ve been in situations where we just didn’t have the depth,” Garrison said. “We have depth in some younger guys right now, and it’s exciting to get them out there and watch them play. I thought Ickey [Ekwonu] and Dylan did an awesome job coming into the game. I’m excited about the future with them and the opportunities they create for themselves by doing that.”
“You never know what you’re going to get until you get in a game,” Garrison continued. “To see their response in front of 50-60,000 people is important for them to get some real, competitive work. We had a lot of young guys that’d never played before who went out there and did a nice job.”
With the East Carolina game behind the team, Garrison refuses to let the line rest on its laurels. Even though the O-line let McKay work his magic and the Pack’s backs run rampant, Garrison’s eyes are toward the future.
“We’ve moved on, and I’ve moved on,” Garrison said. “I see a much bigger landmark for us than what we did this past weekend. I was really disappointed on third-and-short. We’ve got to execute in those situations.
“You’re only good as an offensive line if you protect the quarterback, you run the ball, and you convert the third-and-short, and we didn’t do [the latter]. We missed a big part of the game right there, and we have to continue to work. It was a good step in the right direction, but by no means are we there. We’ve got a lot of work to do."