Offensive Line Article - Dallas Morning News

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SMU offensive line learning on the go
With unit in transition, team wants experienced players to lead


09:40 PM CDT on Monday, September 8, 2003

By BILL CAMPBELL / The Dallas Morning News


UNIVERSITY PARK – Early in SMU's season-opening game at Texas Tech, 6-6, 292-pound Darrin Johnson found himself lined up against Adell Duckett, Tech's standout defensive lineman.

It was a twist of fate, considering two weeks earlier Johnson wasn't even an interior lineman.

But with an eye on the future, SMU coaches moved Johnson to left tackle behind starter Eric Neal. Neal suffered a bone bruise on the game's opening series.

Suddenly, Johnson, a redshirt freshman, found himself blocking one of the Big 12's best defenders in his first college game, learning on the run.

That's going to be a familiar theme for the Mustangs, who play at Baylor on Saturday. But the four freshmen who will play on the SMU offensive line at least have some accredited leaders.

And fortunately, senior Sterling Harris was there to give Johnson a quick scouting report.

"[Texas Tech] had Duckett on me at first, but when they saw a freshman come in, they moved him over there," Harris said.

Harris told Johnson to expect Duckett to fake a speed move to the outside, then cut back inside – a trick Harris had seen Duckett perform often in video review.

As the game wore on, Harris explained some chess battles between linemen.

"When you do certain things, he's coached to react and work around them," Harris told the rookie. "Those things seem elementary when you've played a while. But I remember when I was a freshman ..."

Such stories will be told and retold among the Mustangs' linemen this season. By one measure, they are experienced. Harris and center Steve Reindl are seniors who, along with junior guard Townsend Hargis, started last season. But the rest of the line is a patchwork quilt of inexperienced players trying to fit into roles. The Mustangs made three changes last week.

Because sophomore Grant Eidson (6-3, 285) was "one of the bright spots" in the opener, said coach Phil Bennett, he was moved from right guard to left. That allowed them to move sophomore Brad Kieschnick (6-3, 298) from left guard to tackle.

Coaches consider Kieschnick athletic enough to play tackle, and that allows Johnson to work and develop behind him.

Line coach Blake Miller said the Mustangs' struggles at Texas Tech were mostly breakdowns in communication – things he expects his veterans to fix quickly and his freshmen to learn from.

SMU'S EVOLVING FRONT LINE


Offensive line last week
LT: Eric Neal (6-4, 295, Jr.)
LG: Brad Kieschnick (6-4, 298, So.)
C: Steve Reindl (6-3, 284, Sr.)
RG: Grant Eidson (6-1, 283, So.)
RT: Sterling Harris (6-6, 310, Sr.)

This week
LT: Kieschnick
LG: Eidson
C: Reindl
RG: Townsend Hargis (6-4, 310, Jr.)
RT: Harris

SMU at Baylor, 6 p.m. Saturday, Floyd Casey Stadium (no TV; KTCK-AM 1310, WBAP-AM 820)

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