NCAA Football Preview - East Carolina Pirates
Sports Network | August 13, 2008
The Pirates were rewarded for their solid campaign with a spot in the Hawaii Bowl, where they stunned Boise State in a thriller, 41-38. ECU has now made two straight bowl games under head coach Skip Holtz, who should have this program competing for a C-USA title in 2008 thanks to the return of numerous lettermen and players with starting experience.
"We have the same goals now that we had four years ago, but they're just more attainable now than they were then," said Holtz. "We return a great nucleus of players. This will be one of the most talented teams that we've had, one of the most experienced teams. We have 18 players who have started at least one game. The key is going to be how well we come together as a team."
OFFENSE: The Pirates entered last season with uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position, but with the emergence of both senior Patrick Pinkney and junior Rob Kass, ECU certainly won't have that same problem heading into this year. The 6-0, 198-pound Pinkney started five games last season and he is the more mobile of the two, rushing for 306 yards and a score, while throwing for 1,358 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 6-4, 255-pound Kass is a pocket passer who threw for 1,164 yards and nine touchdowns while making seven starts. The competition among the pair of quarterbacks remains wide open and their is speculation that Holtz could once again alternate between the two.
In the backfield, there is more uncertainty, only not because of depth at the position. Chris Johnson, now in the NFL, was sensational for the Pirates last season, combining for 2,960 all-purpose years, and there is no replacing a player like him. ECU though, will try to find a successor for Johnson and that will come from the tandem of seniors Dominique Lindsay and Brandon Simmons. The 5-10, 210-pound Lindsay is as hard-nose inside runner with three years experience, while the 6-1, 225-pound Simmons is an even more physical back that has scored five times in just 53 carries at ECU.
The offensive line for the Pirates is deep and experienced and that should help the new look ground attack. As for the wide receiver corps, it has a good mix of athletes, highlighted by the return of Jamar Bryant. The 6-1, 210-pound junior stepped up as ECU's top target last season and he led the team with 48 catches for 704 yard and six touchdowns.
DEFENSE: ECU led C-USA with 31 takeaways last season and with nine starters back in the fold, this unit figures to be among the best in the league in 2008.
The defensive line is the strength of this unit, as all four starters and nine lettermen are welcomed back. Senior Zack Slate and junior C.J. Wilson both earned all-league honors last season and they could both end up playing on Sundays in the future. The 6-5, 220-pound Slate has good speed and a non-stop motor and he logged 11.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks in 2007, while the 6-4, 271-pound Wilson emerged as a big time pass rusher last year, racking up 10.5 TFLs a team-high seven sacks.
The linebacking corps isn't nearly as strong as the line, but the team does return a couple of dependable senior starters in Pierre Bell and Quentin Cotton. The 6-2, 230-pound Bell has good range and recorded 97 tackles last season, while the 6-2, 225-pound Cotton posted 66 stops and 11 TFLs in his second full year as a starter.
In the secondary, the Pirates have a lot of questions to answer, easily making this group the weakest part of the defense. The rock of this group, though, is free safety Van Eskridge, who moved over from linebacker last season and led ECU with 104 tackles. The 6-0, 200-pound junior will be counted on to be a leader and he should flourish in his second full year at the position.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Junior Ben Hartman is back to handle the field goal kicking duties in 2008 and improving on his accuracy will be extremely important. Hartman certainly has a strong long, but he went just 13-of-22 on field goal attempts last season, and that simply isn't good enough. Junior Matt Dodge will return to his punting duties and he is coming off a solid 2008 campaign in which he averaged 41.3 yards per boot.
OUTLOOK: It has been a while since the Pirates were crowned champions of a conference, but this could be the season they put an end to that. ECU has two quarterbacks that can get the job done and an offensive line that is deep and experienced. The defense welcomes back a plethora of starters, making it one of the best units in the conference. A tough non-conference slate will hurt the Pirates' overall win total, but this team should be competing for a C-USA title anyway.
