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Pirate Notebook No. 25
Wednesday, November 14, 2001

By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist

You could easily make the case that Thursday night's nationally-televised (ESPN, 7:30) match-up between East Carolina and Louisville is the biggest game in the history of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Both the Pirates and Cardinals enter this week's Conference USA headliner boasting perfect 5-0 league marks. But by night's end, only one will stand as the C-USA lead dog.

The Cardinals will prance into town riding a six game winning streak, and an even more impressive nine-game stretch of perfection in league play. The last time the U of L fell to a conference foe was on a Thursday night last season — against the Pirates at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

The stakes will be much higher this go-round, however, as the winner is guaranteed at least a share of the conference crown and will have the inside track on a date with, perhaps, undefeated BYU in the AXA Liberty Bowl.

After the Pirates' last-gasp victory over Cincinnati last Saturday, junior receiver Torey Morris best captured the magnitude of Thursday's showdown.

"This is the biggest game," he said. "This is what we wanted. Thursday night, and it's coming down to Louisville and East Carolina."

The Pirates are certainly no strangers to the media blitz. Last season's nationally-televised contest with Virginia Tech was billed as the biggest game in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium history, replacing the match-up with rival N.C. State that took place just the year before.

This year, the much anticipated re-match with North Carolina in Chapel Hill, after a 20-year cease-fire between the two schools, was the center of much hoopla. The Tar Heels' off-season acquisitions of former Pirate coaches Jeff Connors, Jim Webster, and Dave Huxtable added more ink to the media's pens.

But the hype surrounding this week's game is for a different reason. Though Louisville is neither an in-state foe nor a traditional power, an ECU victory could very well be the school's biggest yet.

The Pirates have a chance to do something they have not done since leaving the Southern Conference after the 1977 season to join the big-time college football ranks — win a league championship.

For head coach Steve Logan, he couldn't be happier that the event is taking place at home.

"It's a first for this program at the Division I level," Logan said. "I'm happy that it's taking place in this town. I'm happy that it's taking place for the university and the constituency for this community."

Still, Logan knows that his team can't get caught in the media hype the way it did in the hoopla leading up to last season's Virginia Tech game. So, instead of focusing on the rewards and accolades that could result from a victory, Logan chooses to focus on the task at hand, which is beating Louisville.

"It's Louisville's defense, Louisville's offense, and their special teams," he said. "That's the issue that we're going to try to stay with.

"All of these other things have come about simply from the matter of fact that we won the games necessary leading up to this and that doesn't amount to anything right now. As players and coaches, what we've got to do is remain on the central issue, which is Louisville — win the game. All the peripherals will only matter once the final whistle is blown, and we'll either be heartbroken, or feel pretty good."

If the Pirates want to escape heartbreak on Thursday, senior quarterback David Garrard knows that it will take a complete effort against the 19th-ranked Cards.

The Durham senior said the Pirates can't expect to keep winning if they continue to squander big first-half leads like they did against TCU and Cincinnati.

"We need to come out and give people a statement to start off, and then end it with a statement," he said. "We've got to stop letting them come back from big leads like that.

"We need to show up — show up the whole game. I know the guys will on Thursday."

But where the last two weeks have been a test of will, the Pirates have shown the desire and maturity to win in the face of adversity.

On Thursday, they will face there biggest test of all, hoping to land a date with destiny.

Though it is Louisville's highly-ranked defense that has carried it for much of the season, the Cardinals' pass-happy offense poses many potential problems for the Pirates.

Led by last year's C-USA offensive player of the year, quarterback Dave Ragone, the Cardinals are passing for better than 244 yards per game. Ragone is completing nearly 60 percent of his passes, and has thrown just six interceptions this season.

The Cardinals employ virtually the same schemes the Pirates have seen over the last four weeks, which is a shot-gun, spread-out attack. And with the exception of Memphis, the Pirates have been given fits by the spread offense.

"Offensively, they shotgun snap and the ball is gone in 1.5 seconds," Logan said. "They run a lot of quick, rhythmic routes to guys that are counted on to get yards after the catch."

Ragone, a big, mobile, left-handed slinging junior has many weapons at his disposal. Led by tight end Ronnie Ghent, and receivers Zek Parker and Deion Branch, the Cardinals have arguably the best receiving corps in C-USA.

Thus far, Branch has proven the most dangerous, hauling in 55 passes for 894 yards and six touchdowns, all of which are team highs.

"Deion Branch is a really quick, explosive guy that gets open in the zone or man to man, it doesn't matter," Logan said. "He's faced it all.

"He's a run after the catch guy. I'm willing to give the kid his catches, but we can't let him run after the catch — that's the issue to me."

Stopping Branch will be no easy task, though victory will hinge greatly on containing him.

It has become quite popular for fans and media members to pepper Logan with questions about his team's recent inability to deliver that knock-out punch. Logan is often asked if conditioning is an issue, but the Pirates' ten-year head coach says there is no correlation whatsoever.

"If we were out of condition, we wouldn't be able to go and finish the game," he said. "The energy that the defense is putting forth late in the game is magnificent.

"This team reported in the best shape of any team that I've ever had. That was proven by the tests that were administered, and the way in which the young men passed the tests."

Not one player missed his required time, according to Logan, which is a direct reflection of first-year strength coach Jim Whitten. Though the Pirates' workout regimens remain largely the same as in years past, Logan notes that Whitten has made a few changes to give the Pirates a more balanced routine.

"Coach (Jim) Whitten has changed it up a little bit, used a little bit more variety," he said. "This football team is in outstanding shape.

"I think there is some evidence that points to the offensive fact that the energy and explosion plays that we're generating — you can't do those things if you're out of shape."

It is becoming increasingly hard to earn playing time at East Carolina, especially following an injury.

If Saturday's victory over Cincinnati is any indication, the Pirates might want to spend a little less time in the film room, instead using that time to brush up on such trivial things as the months of the year.

"Brian Rimpf got thumped on the head and he came out and said his head hurt," Logan said. "The team doctor started asking him questions to see if he was okay.

"I was listening, and he was asking him questions that I couldn't answer and I'm relatively sane. He asked him to name the months of the year backwards, and I said, 'Doc, I don't even know what that is, and I didn't even get hit!'"

"We're going to have to bone up on our pop quizzes around here to see if we can get in the game," Logan added. "I told Doc he couldn't ask us questions like that — Brian's an honor roll student, for crying out loud."

Logan says that Rimpf won't have to re-take the test prior to Thursday's match-up with Louisville, and expects the Raleigh sophomore to return. The Pirates also hope receiver Marcus White returns. White has been plagued with shoulder problems all season.