Front takes shape in new offense

Matt Mattox joined the East Carolina staff as offensive line coach on Dec. 8, the week after Coach Mike Houston brought aboard John David Baker from Ole Miss as offensive coordinator.

The charge for Mattox is to develop a front that will enable a ground game, protect the passers and do so within Baker’s fast-paced offense.

Mattox has moved forward in his first months on the job.

“The first thing you’re trying to do when you get into a new situation and just trying to learn your guys, get to know them a little on a personal level, and getting to figure out what they can and can’t do, is watch a little film,” Mattox said. “At the same time, wanting to have an open mind as far as not putting anything on them just because of what was last year or year before.”

The Pirates are coming off a 2-10 season in which offensive performance was the primary factor to be addressed.

‘You do try to see pieces of what they do physically on film and things you like from them and maybe some things that we need to work on.” said Mattox, a former offensive tackle at Houston, who began his coaching career with the Cougars. “Then you’re trying to get around them and just learn their personalities and find who your leaders are and those guys you can rely on to help push the herd and move everybody forward.
“As you go through some workouts and you get a chance to work with them and see them in different positions, now you’re trying to really find the best group of five and the mixing and matching, and who fits where. … We looked to add a couple of guys like we did in the portal over that December time just to continue to build depth and create competition in the room. So those were things that were important to me as I took the job and started off here.”

Springing ahead

Mattox had a lot to cover during his first spring practice at ECU.

“Our guys did a really good job of starting to understand schematically what we were asking them to do,” Marrox said of the spring sessions, which concliuded with the Purple=Gold game on April 13 . “Obviously, you’re learning new terminology and you’re learning a new way of talking and lingo and stuff. So getting that done and getting that across to our guys, I thought we did a nice job with that.

“The other part was just asserting or establishing a mindset and culture in our room of how we’re going to practice, the expectations to go out and dominate every practice, to dominate every rep, as well as being highly skilled and highly confident in our technique and fundamentals. I think we started to really do that.

“Both groups — we basically had two groups, almost three groups through spring, but I feel like we started to really see guys starting to be comfortable in the offense. It started to slow down a little bit for them from what our defense was doing. And so we started to see some really good things start to happen ”

QB factor in protection

Some quarterbacks are easier to protect than others because of their pocket awareness and/or mobility. Mattoix addressed transfers Jake Garcia and Katin Houser in that regard.

“I wouldn’t say either one of them are what you would call Michael Vick burners or anything like that,” Mattox said. “They’re able to handle themselves and maneuver in the pocket. Coach Baker and those guys, obviously that’s something they’re always working on and looking at when you’re in pass protection.

“I feel like they did a great job coming in and competing against each other, but also when they had their opportunities of leading the groups that they were in there with. Both of them have really special arm talent. So they’re able to just reach all areas of the field.

“That’s just something we always continue to work on, and they always work on just in their individual stuff. You really get a feel for that when you finally put the whole group together and you’re out working some different pass situations — third downs and blitz pickups and things like that. I felt like both of them do a really great job, as far as what we need/

“We got a good understanding, I think, from the line, running backs and stuff, with the quarterbacks as far as pass protection.”

Ground game

The Pirates want to run the ball.

“That’s first and foremost what we’re going to obviously hang our hat on in this offense,” Mattox said, “I know it’s up-tempo and spread and you’re going, at times, to do that and everyone thinks that, but it’s going to be a very attacking downhill style of run game and physical.

“I feel like we have guys that are big enough, strong enough, smart enough, twitchy enough, flexible enough to do the things that we need to in the run game. Obviously, it’s the short yardage deals. It’s the gold line red zone situations. It’s running the ball when everyone knows you have to run the ball. Those are situations we’re constantly trying to put ourselves in and practice to where we can continue to elevate ourselves and continue to really put the pressure on ourselves and have the defense put the pressure on us.

“As far as from a physical standpoint and mental standpoint, I feel really good about where we’re at right now. And as long as we continue developing and taking the steps forward, I feel like we have some really good pieces to be able to go do that.”

Offensive transition

Mattox has seen enough on tape from last year to compare the 2023 offense with what the Pirates will present in 2024.

“Obviously the tempo,” he said. “I’ve been a part of it at different schools and different universities throughout the United States, as far as the same offense and how the tempo can be an advantage for you.

“he biggest thing you’ll probably see … is there’s going to be a little more air in the offense. It’s going to be spread out a little more. There’s going to be a little more space. And so we want to put a little more air out there so that way then, we can use our skill guys, running backs to get downhill and to run vertical through people. And that’s what we’re going to try and really accomplish in the run game and what we’re looking for.”

Potential versatility in tempo

If the Pirates have a lead, they will have an option of playing slower to let the clock run.

“It depends on how you feel with everything,” Mattox said. “Have you been going back and forth or whatever? But I think we can do some different things, whether it’s some shift movements, motions. You can do some different things with some huddle things. There’s some ways for us to be able to still attack and still get what we want out of it. We feel like we have good tight ends to where we can get into 12 personnel. too.

“It’s not just going to be solely relying on that. But I think there’s going to be times when we’ll have to slow it down a little. There will be times when you can sub some personnel in and out. There’ll be some times when you can use some different huddle techniques and do some different shifts, some moves and motions to try to keep the defense off, but yet you’re not going as fast as possible. But at the same time, the threat of that tempo always being there, that’s where you’ve got to maintain that edge as well.”

Getting the reps

Mattox talked about the group that has gotten first team reps thus far.

“Our first group guys that we saw there at the spring game was Parker Moorer, obviously a returning starter,” Mattox said. “He’s done a great job being a leader in the room and helping. That’s the great thing about our guys, they all really get along in the room. And our older guys especially are big on trying to help the younger guys and teach, which is cool. But Parker Moorer took our left tackle reps and has done a really great job with us. We’re looking for him to continue to excel.

“Darius Bell (transfer from Maine) took left guard reps for us majority of the time with that first group and did a really nice job making the transition, being the new guy this spring. And so look forward to him continuing to grow in the offense. And then Dustyn Hall at center, obviously a veteran, a guy I’ve known for a long time, just extremely smart, extremely confident in calls and communication. And when he’s out there, he brings a common presence to everyone. And then also his physicality and just toughness. He’s a worker and a guy, again, that just does things the right way. Hampton Ergle took a lot of our right guard reps. And he’s another veteran, a guy who’s worked for everything he’s gotten and love what he does as far as his work ethic, and then his ability to play multiple positions.

“Emmanuel Poku took a lot of the right tackle reps, and he’s just the scratching the surface of how good he’s really going to be. He’s a student of the game and he is just a great kid. I look forward to seeing him continuing to grow in the offense as well. And then we had some other guys step up with the second group, and some of those guys that are continuing to push them. And so we’re excited about where we’re at and the depth we’re building in there.

“The biggest thing I like is we’ve got an awesome group of kids in there, and they’re good to be around. You like going in that 0-line room every day.”

Recruiting

Mattox has specific areas he’s recruiting while searching for offensive linemen everywhere.

:I have the Fayetteville area here in the state, and then I’ll handle some of the Tampa and Orlando area out of state,” he said. “But majority of it, I’ll be just O-line recruiting, whether it’s portal or, high school. So just trying to find that balance of all those guys and what our needs are, and always trying to make sure I have guys ready to go. that when we lose a one or two because of graduation or whatever, that we have some guys that are ready to go, and making sure that room is always very, very highly competitive and that there’s always guys pushing each other, but then also that we’re bringing in the ones with the right mindset and the right love for the game and work ethic.”

More from the portal?

Mattox wasn’t sure if more players might be coming in for next season from the portal.

“I don’t know,” he said. “We’re looking at always trying to bring in maybe some more guys, and I’m trying to get a couple more in. And the guys I’m bringing in, I’m hoping that they can come push these guys. And if they beat them out, great, if not, that means that the starters even got better, or the so-called starters or the guys that have taken the majority of the reps.

“That’s the key is I want guys that have the ability potentially to, whether or not it happens or not, we’ll see. But the biggest thing is are we elevating our level of play in that room? Are we elevating our depth? But are we continuing to do it with the right kids and the right people? Because Coach Houston and everybody on staff, they’ve done a great job building this roster of the entire team. And we really don’t have any knuckleheads on the team. And it’s pretty cool to be around and see that.”

Family fits in Greenville

Mattox and his family like their new home.

“I really do,” he said. “My family and I, we really like Greenville a lot. It’s a cool place as far as it’s big enough, you’ve got everything you need, but yet you can get around everywhere in 15 minutes. My girls have really adapted well to their schools and really like the activities they’ve started and gotten a chance to know and them getting a chance to meet all the coaches, the other wives and their kids at the scrimmages and things like that. But no, we really love the region. We’re going to start exploring more and more of it now that we’ll get a little more time. But we really do like where we’re at and where the location is. So it’s been fun.”

The family has already made a trek to the beach.

“We did go down,” Mattox said. “My mom was in town a month or so ago. And so my niece was in town with her, and she had never seen the ocean. So we went down to Emerald Isle and drove down there to go check it out. And so we’re looking forward to getting back to some of the spots on the outer banks there. And then I know we’re going to be making a trip up to Washington D.C. now that my daughters are old enough now to really understand everything. So we’re excited about getting up there and just traveling along the coast and around this area and getting to see some other places.

Cuisine

Mattox enjoyed the culinary side of the spring game.

“We had a good time with the Parade of Pigs, so that was a new one for my family and I, too,” he said. “So we enjoyed that. We like a little barbecue. So the whole event with the barbecue was cool.”

The weather was breezy for the spring tilt, but the storms that have interfered occasionally at the offseason scrimmages stayed away.

“I was glad for the fans and everybody that got a good chance to come see it, “Mattox said. “It was good weather. It was a good environment. It was really cool, especially with the baseball game. So we’re excited to get to a couple of baseball games as well with the family. … Really nice.”