Georgia Southern Extra: Quin Williams steps up in weekly battle in the trenches
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STATESBORO — There's a reason Georgia Southern defensive line coach Rip Rowan prefers to rotate 12 linemen throughout the game. The big guys work very hard in close quarters.
"Playing defensive line is very physical in the trenches," sixth-year defensive end Dillon Springer said Monday. "We do a great job getting guys in and out, keeping guys fresh."
That's the expectation this Saturday when the host Eagles take on Ball State and its big offensive line at 6 p.m. for homecoming at Paulson Stadium. That was the case against Nebraska and UAB, and now the Cardinals, and Springer looks forward to the battle.
"That's the exciting part when you know it's going to be a fistfight," said Springer, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 255 pounds. "As a defensive lineman, that's what we do. It's definitely been some physical games, man. On the plane ride, on the bus ride, I feel it the next day."
The aches and pains may be easier to take after a win, but either way an appointment with the ice tub is on the schedule along with other methods and treatments from the training staff to get the players recovered and ready for the next game.
Having depth on the defensive line is key, and when a player rises to the occasion on game day, that goes a long way toward making the line better.
Such was the case last Saturday at UAB. Though the Eagles lost 35-21, GS head coach Clay Helton made a point to laud the efforts of defensive lineman Quin Williams.
"I'm so proud of him," Helton said, also noting the two sixth-year co-captains at defensive end. "We talk about Justin Ellis and Dillon Springer. Here's a guy (in Williams) we challenged going into this game. We knew that we were going to have to play five down linemen to some of their heavy packages. We knew we were going to have to play two defensive fronts two deep."
UAB battered the GS defense with a run-heavy, ball-control offense and kept their big blockers on the field. Williams was going to have to stay in for more plays.
"You look up and he gets 50 plays, and he finished second in PFF (Pro Football Focus game grades and analytics) for defensive linemen and their performance," Helton continued. "We really thought he played at a really high level. We're going to have to continue to do that, especially when you're talking about ball-control offenses with bigger linemen and run games like we've seen the past two weeks. We're going to have to roll guys in there."
Williams, a 6-3, 270-pound redshirt senior, tallied two solo tackles, one assist, one pass break-up and one quarterback hurry against the Blazers.
For three games this season, Williams has seven total tackles and one-half sack.
Defensive coordinator Will Harris said Williams is doing his job, wherever he's put on the field on the line, on the edge, standing up at outside linebacker.
"We've got him everywhere," Harris said. "He's an athletic player, so you can use him in different packages. We're getting to know our personnel."
Williams has been a player to watch for a while with the Eagles, and other players have taken notice, too. He was a four-star reruit by ESPN Recruiting out of Morgan County High School and ranked No. 20 in the country at outside linebacker, No. 162 in the region and No. 42 in the state.
The 247Sports Composite Rankings had the high school star from Madison as the No. 26 OLB in the nation and No. 45 player in Georgia. Rivals had him No. 30 at weakside defensive end in the country and No. 72 player in the state.
Keeping the whistles silent
Yes, the Eagles' offense is earning attention for a much greater emphasis on the passing game with head coach Clay Helton and offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis. The team, led by sixth-year quarterback Kyle Vantrease, has put up big numbers for passing attempts, completions, yards and points.
GS is 13th among FBS programs in passing offense (326.7 yards per game) and tied for 23rd in scoring average (41.7 points per game). Vantrease is seventh in passing yards (980), fifth in passing yards per game (326.67), eighth in total offense (338.3 average) and second in pass completions (90) and attempts (152).
Another category has gotten less attention but is deserving for not bringing attention to itself. Georgia Southern is tied for fifth among FBS teams for fewest penalties with 10 for three games. GS is tied for third with a 3.3 average; is 11th for total yards (91) and seventh for penalty yards per game (30.33).
And that includes a couple of debate-worthy pass interference calls Saturday against the Eagles near the close of the third quarter on a touchdown-scoring drive for the Blazers to go up 28-14 with 14:54 remaining in regulation.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Eagles add two to Brian Burg's staff
Georgia Southern men's basketball coach Brian Burg announced Wednesday that Glynn Cyprien has joined his staff as an assistant coach and Cam Buchanan has been named the director of development and recruiting.
Cyprien has nearly three decades of experience in the NBA, the NBA G League, NCAA Division I, the Junior Olympics and the international levels. He is considered as one of the top coaches and top recruiters in the country.
He has served as a head coach, an associate head coach and an assistant coach during his career in addition to extensive executive office experience with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.
"Glynn is an excellent teacher of the game with a wealth of experience at every level," Burg said in a press release. "He is a high-level recruiter who has demonstrated the ability to help student-athletes grow and achieve success."
Cyprien, Burg and current Eagles assistant coach Tim MacAllister worked together on the Texas Tech staff under Chris Beard that led the Red Raiders to the 2019 NCAA National Championship final and the program's first Big 12 Conference regular-season championship. The Red Raiders recorded the program's winningest season in program history by going 31-7.
Cyprien's international experience includes a stint as an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team in the 2019 FIBA Men's Basketball World Cup in China.
Cyprien was head coach of the NBA G League's Memphis Hustle in 2017-18 and the Iowa Energy in 2016-17 and was one of four coaches chosen to hold head coaching duties at the 2018 NBA G League Elite Combine.
A 2022 graduate of Georgia Southern, Buchanan served as the team's head manager from 2017-22. In that role, he oversaw the program's team of student mangers, coordinated the shooting, editing and coding of practice and game film, assisted in player development and helped plan and execute recruiting visits.
"Cam has been a tremendous asset to the program since he arrived on campus, and he has been instrumental in helping us navigate the logistic challenges we've faced in the last two seasons," Burg said in the press release. "He has proven that he's ready for an increased role in the program, and we're excited to have him on the staff."
For more coverage of Georgia Southern athletics, go to https://www.savannahnow.com/sports/college/georgia-southern/
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Listen to the new episode of the "Georgia Southern Extra" podcast with host Nathan Dominitz and guest Robby General, beat reporter covering Ball State for The Star Press in Muncie, Indiana.
Nathan Dominitz is the Sports Content Editor of the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com. Email him at ndominitz@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @NathanDominitz
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Southern Eagles football team defensive line with Quin Williams
