Zack Gieg: SEMO O-line will 'be the reason why we win games'

Southeast Missouri State center Zack Gieg snaps the ball during a game against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 14, 2023, at Houck Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

The first official practice of Southeast Missouri State football training camp feels like the first day of school.

For a lot of seniors, it felt like the first day of the finale, one that senior linebacker Bryce Norman considered, "a little surreal." It's a sentiment seconded by offensive center Zack Gieg.

“Being that it is my last year, the only thing really different is, I came out here like ‘Dang it’s my last first day.’" Gieg said.

While this is Gieg's last year as a college football player, it's also his first year as a graduate student, working on a Master’s in Public Administration.

"Grad school classes are a little bit different," Gieg said. "It's all opinion based. It's not really a correct answer. It's really how you're going to solve this problem in more real-world issues."

A three-time First-Team All-Conference selection, Gieg returns as the No. 4 ranked offensive lineman in the FCS and the Big South-OVC's best returning interior lineman according to HERO Sports. With a streak of 25 consecutive starts, Gieg returns to this post as the leader of the Redhawks' offensive line, a unit that he believes has gone from a weakness to a strength.

"I feel very confident in the o-line this year," Gieg said. "Last year, we were the issue, and I think now we're going to be the reason why we win games."

The offensive line features a mix of upper and underclassmen, including Jackson High School graduate Zane Coon, who is the son of SEMO defensive coordinator Ricky Coon.

"We're all just trying to get better, myself included," Gieg said. "But I really feel like we're going to have a really good o-line this year."

The top goal for the offensive line is to protect senior quarterback Paxton DeLaurent, who looks like the type of passer who stands stoically behind his enlarged entourage and scans the surroundings for a target. However, he has the mobility to scramble out of danger.

"Most quarterbacks like to sit there, be comfortable in the pocket," Gieg said. "Paxton likes to get after it and run around, so we got to finish until the whistle every play, there's no doubt about. Sometimes you'll think Paxton is dropping back to pass but he's running down the left side. You don't even know your defender starts running that way so you got to finish the whistle every single play no matter what."

DeLaurent is rated as the No. 8 returning quarterback in the FCS by HERO Sports after throwing for 1,792 yards and 11 touchdowns, including four more rushing touchdowns. His season ended after a shoulder injury during the Redhawks' 28-3 win over Tennessee Tech on Oct. 21, 2023. SEMO went 1-3 through its final four games to finish last season 4-7.

"We got to keep him safe this year," Gieg said. "That was on us last year and we're gonna keep him in the season."