The defensive line depth chart looks drastically different than what was anticipated at the beginning of the season.
Projected starters and fifth-year seniors
J.R. Sweezy (foot) and
Jeff Rieskamp (shoulder) are both nursing injuries. Sweezy, a defensive tackle, has been out since the preseason, while Rieskamp, a defensive end, has missed the last three games.
Sweezy's replacement, junior
Brian Slay, injured his ankle against Cincinnati. Slay's backup would have probably been redshirt freshman
Thomas Teal, but Teal broke his foot in the season opener Sept. 3. The Pack turned to sophomore
A.J. Ferguson, who was limited with a knee injury that he suffered at Cincinnati.
The plethora of injuries to one unit has forced some changes. Head coach
Tom O'Brien announced Monday that they are going to move redshirt sophomore defensive end
Darryl Cato-Bishop inside to tackle. Cato-Bishop has 23 tackles, including four for loss and three sacks, and 12 quarterback hurries this year.
True freshman
T.Y. McGill, pressed into action this year, will back up Cato-Bishop. After that? The fourth defensive tackle is now walk-on and Campbell transfer
Jacob Kahut, who started this year at offensive guard.
"He's a little undersized right now, but he'll play low and he'll play hard," O'Brien said about Kahut, 6-foot-4, 257 pounds. "He's the end of the line right now."
Because Cato-Bishop has moved inside, junior
McKay Frandsen moves to the first string opposite redshirt freshman
Art Norman, who replaced the injured Rieskamp in the lineup. Backing those two up are now redshirt sophomore
Sylvester Crawford and redshirt freshman
Theo Rich.
O'Brien admitted that his preseason expectations for the team was at least a bowl game, but he's concerned about the injuries.
"We haven't had a defensive football team out there yet after the second week of camp that we thought we would be playing with," O'Brien pointed out. "You can't play if you don't have your guys there to play."
Trying to piece together a defense against Georgia Tech is a scary proposition. The Jackets are averaging 53.2 points, 630.5 yards of total offense and 398.8 yards rushing per game this year, all tops in the ACC. But it's their improvement in the passing game, where they are averaging 231.8 yards throwing a contest, that has taken their offense to almost impossible to defend levels.
"This offense is always hard to play because it's unique, but it's a great challenge for this football team," O'Brien said. "You're going to find out the guys that are disciplined, the guys that are mentally tough. It forces you to concentrate on your assignments each and every play. You can't not play your assignment on one play. The thing they are doing so much better now is they're throwing the ball.
"Obviously last year at the end of the year they decided they were going to get into the passing game. They've always put pressure on you inside. Now it puts pressure on your perimeter people to play both the outside game and the passing game."
O'Brien though praised his team for being resilient. He thinks the healthy players on defense are excited about the challenge.
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Originally Posted by ShogunRua
