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Audio: Brian Bailey
Show |
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 The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 on Mondays at
6:30 p.m. Brian's
guest this week was
college football
referee Darrell
Harrison (left):
Replay
show... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Right time, right place,
right man |
Ruffin
McNeill is a humble man
clearly uncomfortable when
talking about his feelings,
especially as they pertain
to his East Carolina
football team. So it should
come as no surprise that
even after the most
emotional victory of his
five-year tenure with the
Pirates, McNeill tried his
best to downplay the
significance of Saturday’s
70-41 dismantling of rival
North Carolina. ...
More from Brett
Friedlander... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Pirates live Dye's dream |
Pat Dye went undefeated
(6-0-1) his last seven games
at East Carolina. The tie
(24-24) came at North
Carolina on Oct. 27, 1979.
ECU always had to play
in-state ACC teams on the
road in those days. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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FOOTBALL SPECIAL
FEATURE |
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15 Questions for
Warren Harvey |
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 Warren
Harvey (5-11, 225)
is in his third
season as the East
Carolina kickoff
specialist and
placekicker. Harvey
is an ECU legacy as
his father, Charlie
Harvey, played
soccer as a Pirate
and also was the
program's head coach
in 1987. ...
More from W.A.
Myatt... |
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Pictured: ECU
kicking specialist
Warren Harvey is
climbing his way up
the career record
charts in points
scored and PATs
made. The senior
from Greenville, who
once converted 86
PATs in a row, has
posted 11
multi-field goal
games. (ECU Media
Relations photo) |
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FOOTBALL |
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Been there, done that |
Shortly
after East Carolina's upset
win over Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg two Saturdays
ago, someone with the school
told me he wished the
football team would "act
like they had been there
before."
...
More from Brian Bailey... |
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MULTIMEDIA |
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Audio: The Brian
Bailey Show |
 The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 on Mondays at
6:30 p.m. Brian's
guest was ECU
offensive line coach
Brandon Jones
(right):
Replay
show... |
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Work pays off as Pirates party |
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GREENVILLE — North Carolina's
second trick play for a
touchdown, a 29-yard pass from
holder Tommy Hibbard to a wide
open Eric Albright from field
goal formation, momentarily
subdued the excitement at rowdy
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on
Saturday. The score came with
12:15 left in the first half and
gave the Tar Heels their last
lead at 20-14. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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By
Brian Bailey
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View ECU's
2014 football schedule
Successful college football teams often have a bunker mentality during
the season. It’s us against the world, with every man putting the team
first.
It’s a great outlet in bad times and it’s often very effective during
losing seasons to try and drown out the negative comments from the
outside.
It’s harder when everyone is patting you on the back.
East Carolina’s 3-1 start has the entire nation looking in on the
Pirates. ECU head coach Ruffin McNeill and quarterback Shane Carden hit
the national stage with radio and television interviews all over during
the bye week.
Everybody loves a winner and everybody loves the Pirates this week.
East Carolina moved up in the national rankings, even without playing.
The Pirates are up to 21st in the USA Today/Amway Coaches' Poll and 22nd
in the Associated Press Poll.
McNeill talked about the positive press at his weekly news conference on
Monday.
“I’m honored because it gives the nation the chance to see our players,
and of course, our university,” said McNeill. “Not just for the football
part, but the entire university. We have all of the great academic
disciplines from a medical school to an educational school to business.
Also, it’s a chance for Greenville, North Carolina to be on a national
stage. It’s recognition they’ve earned and deserve.”
Southern Methodist comes to town this week for homecoming, and this is a
bad football team to date. The Mustangs are 0-4 and have been outscored
this season 202-12 in their four games. They have faced a pair of top
ten teams in No. 10 Baylor and No. 6 Texas A&M. The other two losses
came against North Texas and Texas Christian.
If you are looking for some motivating factors, the Pirates and SMU have
split the four all-time meetings in the series, and SMU beat ECU the
last time these two hooked up in Greenville in 2010.
“I know they’ve had to play two top teams as well and we can’t forget
that,” explained McNeill. “Offensively, they’ve been going through some
guys at the quarterback position, trying to find the right guy. Up
front, they have two guys, Chauncey Briggs and Taylor Lasecki, who stand
out on film. June’s teams always have great receivers in De’rikk
Thompson and Darius Joseph. They’re going to spread the football with a
lot of wide receiver sets.”
The reference to "June" alluded to June Jones, the high-profile SMU
coach who abruptly resigned two games into the season.
Regardless of the team coming to town this weekend, history will be
made. The Pirates will play their first-ever game in the American
Athletic Conference.
East Carolina has only played in three other conferences. The Pirates
have championships in the North State, the Southern and in Conference
USA.
The new venture begins on Saturday in the American.
“It’s a historical moment for East Carolina University and our program,”
said McNeill. “I know our fans will come out and support that. It’s a
move that has been in the making for a lot of years. We know this is
what it’s about here… we know the rest of our season is focused on the
American Conference. This is why we’re in it.”
The 3-1 start was nice. The first third of the football season couldn’t
have gone much better.
Now the goal turns to the American where the Pirates will endeavor to
make their debut season a championship season.
It starts this week with SMU. The Pirates are huge favorites and this
one should be a cake walk.
But positive press doesn't
win games.
Upsets occur every weekend and that will be the challenge for Ruff &
Company in this AAC opener.
BB
