NC State starting center Dylan McMahon day-to-day with injury
NC State redshirt junior center Dylan McMahon is day-to-day with an injury, Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren announced Monday evening during his weekly press conference.
“There’s nothing on the tests after the game that are worrisome,” Doeren said. “No surgeries, nothing like that. Dylan’s had things in the past, he’s a very quick healer, very tough guy, so he’s going to do everything he can to play in this game [against Virginia].”
Doeren noted the short week NC State is working with this week with the ACC opener in Charlottesville on Friday night, and that the team will check to see where he’s at in his recovery on Tuesday.
McMahon started and played just 12 snaps against the Virginia Military Institute before departing the contest with an injury and didn’t return.
The Wolfpack slid redshirt sophomore left guard Lyndon Cooper to center for the rest of the game, while redshirt sophomore Anthony Carter Jr. played in Cooper’s usual spot on the line after McMahon’s departure.
McMahon, a three-year starter on the Wolfpack’s offensive line, played his first four seasons at right guard before Grant Gibson went down with an injury last fall. Once Gibson was out, McMahon took over as NC State’s center for the final three games of the season a year ago — Louisville, North Carolina and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
The Savannah, Ga., native played every snap of NC State’s win at UConn and its loss to Notre Dame before the early exit against the Keydets. McMahon posted a season-best 80.4 grade, according to Pro Football Focus, after the UConn game — which included a 80.5 run blocking grade.
Before his day was prematurely cut short against VMI, McMahon had an overall PFF grade of 56.6, but posted a 75.6 grade in pass blocking against the Keydets’ minimal pass rush.
Cooper could play at center in NC State’s ACC opener against Virginia on Friday night if McMahon can’t go. The Atlanta native posted a 65.8 PFF grade against VMI, but was outstanding in pass blocking with a 83.5 grade.
“We’ve known for a while, we’ve kind of set ourselves progression-wise with the guys we have,” Doeren said. “I think putting [Cooper] at guard allowed him to get playing, and he didn’t have to worry about the snaps and all that. We feel great with him in there [at center]. He understands the system and what to do with it. There’s great confidence if he’s the guy we have to role with.”
Outside of McMahon’s injury, NC State sat cornerback Aydan White for its game against VMI this past weekend, but Doeren said the team expects him to be back in the lineup Friday night.
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