East Carolina
Pirates
Preview 2007
By
Richard Cirminiello
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2007 ECU Offense Preview |
2007 ECU Defense Preview
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2007 ECU Depth Chart
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2006 CFN East Carolina
Preview
After years of despair, there’s a buzz brewing again in Greenville,
thanks to last year’s first winning season since 2001 and first bowl
game since 2000.
East Carolina, one of the most dangerous mid-sized programs of the
1990s, is creeping back to glory with Skip Holtz at the steering
wheel. In just his third season at the school, he’s way ahead of
schedule, bringing a new attitude and toughness to a program that
had lost its way under former coach John Thompson. Although they
were soundly beaten by South Florida, appearing in the Papajohns.com
Bowl afforded the Pirates a rare appearance on national television,
along with 15 extra practices to prepare underclassmen for this
year. With rumors swirling that he’d be lured to a bigger school,
Holtz coming back for another year was the biggest news of the
off-season.
Head coach: Skip Holts
3rd year: 12-13
Returning Lettermen:
Off. 25, Def. 25, ST 4
Lettermen Lost: 20 |
Ten
Best ECU Players
1. OT Josh Coffman, Sr.
2. DE Marcus Hands, Jr.
3. LB Quentin Cotton, Jr.
4. RB/KR Chris Johnson, Sr.
5. FS Van Eskridge, Soph.
6. WR Phillip Henry, Sr.
7. NT Mark Robinson, Sr.
8. LB Fred Wilson, Sr.
9. DE C.J. Wilson, Soph.
10. OG Matt Burlter, Sr. |
|
2007 Preview
CFN Prediction: 6-6 |
|
Sept. 1 |
at
Virginia Tech |
|
Sept. 8 |
North Carolina |
|
Sept. 15 |
Southern Miss |
|
Sept. 22 |
at
West Virginia |
|
Sept. 29 |
at Houston |
|
Oct.
6 |
UCF |
|
Oct.
13 |
at UTEP |
|
Oct.
20 |
NC
State |
|
Oct.
27 |
UAB |
|
Nov.
3 |
at Memphis |
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Nov.
10 |
at
Marshall |
|
Nov.
24 |
Tulane |
|
|
2006
Schedule
2006 Record: 7-6 |
| 9/2 |
at Navy L 28-23 |
| 9/9 |
at UAB L 17-12 |
| 9/16 |
Memphis W 35-20 |
| 9/23 |
West Virginia L 27-10 |
|
10/7 |
Virginia W 31-21 |
| 10/14 |
Tulsa L 31-10 |
| 10/21 |
SMU W 38-21 |
| 10/28 |
at So Miss W 20-17 OT |
| 11/4 |
at UCF W 23-10 |
| 11/11 |
Marshall W 33-20 |
| 11/18 |
at Rice L 18-17 |
| 11/25 |
at NC State W 21-16 |
| 12/23 |
PapaJohns.com Bowl
South Florida L 24-7 |
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If
the Pirates are to build on 2006, they’ll do so on the backs of both
lines, which return every starter plus just about every reserve. Holtz
has been working to build depth and competition in the trenches, a
luxury he’ll enjoy in 2007. All eyes this summer will be on the
competition to replace the James Pinkney to Aundrae Allison hook-up, the
offensive catalyst the last two years. The quarterback battle between
last year’s backup, Rob Kass, Brett Clay and Patrick Pinkney will be
vital to determining ECU’s immediate future.
After winning games against Virginia, Southern Miss and N.C. State last
year, East Carolina is confident and ready to take the next step:
winning a conference championship. If the offense doesn’t drain the
defense with endless three-and-outs, the Pirates are in a position to be
the class of a weak and winnable Eastern Division.
What to watch for on offense: Holtz likes an up-tempo offense
that spreads the field, but he’s also flexible enough to tailor his
attack to the personnel on his roster. In other words, the offensive
line, led by senior right tackle Josh Coffman, better be prepared to
open more holes for the backs than it did last fall. Kass was sharp
when pressed into action in the bowl game, giving him an edge in the
battle to replace Pinkney behind center.
What to watch for on defense: With every relevant player from
the front seven back, East Carolina has to be better at pressuring the
quarterback than last year. If it’s not, it could be a long season for
a revamped secondary that’ll be breaking in three new starters. The
defense may be short on stars, but it’s experienced, closes quickly to
the ball and can create turnovers.
The team will be far better if …the young offensive line grows
up. The Pirates were forced to start three freshmen last year, which
hurt at the time, but should pay dividends in 2007. With few playmakers
and without an experienced quarterback, it’s imperative that the line
delivers if the offense is going to have any chance of producing
points.
The Schedule: It starts out a bit rough with non-conference games
against Virginia Tech and a refurbished North Carolina, but the big deal
is the Conference USA opener against defending East champion Southern
Miss. With road trips to West Virginia and Houston to end the first
month, ECU just has to survive. The final seven games of the year are
against teams that didn't go to a bowl game. Winning all the league home
games is a must to have a realistic shot at a bowl.
Best Offensive Player:
Senior RB Chris Johnson. Will he actually be a running back again? After
being one of the league’s best all-around backs for two years, becoming
a great receiver while serving as a decent runner, last year he only
rushed for 314 yards and four touchdowns while turning into a special
kickoff returner. He’ll likely combine with Dominique Lindsay to carry
the workload.
Best Defensive Player: Junior LB Quentin Cotton. Only 224 pounds
but fast, he finished second on the team with 68 tackles and was decent
at getting into the backfield. After he comes back from a shoulder
injury, he’ll be the leader of a veteran linebacking corps that should
be one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Key player to a
successful season:
Sophomore QB Rob Kass. He’ll have to hold off Patrick Pinkney
and Brett Clay for the gig, but the 6-4, 250-pound sophomore was the top
backup last season and should become the type of passer to build the
offense around for the next few years. He’s not going to run much, but
he’ll bomb away.
The season will be a
success if ... the Pirates win the East. The schedule works out relatively well,
getting Southern Miss at home and missing Houston, Tulsa and SMU from
the West. A few key players must become stars in a hurry to get the
offense rolling, but it might take a while. Basically, the team has to
get through the first month without thinking the season is lost, and
then hit its stride late.
Key game:
Sept. 15 against
Southern Miss. If ECU wants to go where it hopes to be, it has to beat
the best. Southern Miss is the star of the East, and if the Pirates can
come through with a win in the conference opener, it’ll be the lead dog
in the division pack. A loss could possibly mean an 0-5 start.
2006 Fun Stats:
- Third quarter scoring: Opponents 39; East Carolina 29
- Red zone touchdowns: Opponents 28 of 43 (65%); East Carolina 21 of 44
(48%)
- Sacks: Opponents 29 for 209 yards; East Carolina 18 for 100 yards
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