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Pirate Notebook No. 32
Monday, December 10, 2001

By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist

When East Carolina and Marshall tee it up in Mobile for the third annual GMAC Bowl, Pirates and Herd faithful will get a small taste of what could have been, and eventually still might be.

There was speculation earlier this fall that the Herd would join Conference USA, pushing the league's football-playing membership to an even 12. Under NCAA rules, that would have permitted C-USA to become a two-division, six-team conference, setting up an end-of-the-year league title game televised on ABC.

No invitation was extended, though, as C-USA presidents decided to shelf the expansion discussion for the time being.

There are certainly reasons that C-USA schools would prefer not to include the Herd among its growing football contingent. Many of those same reasons would parallel the ones that kept East Carolina from joining the league, first as a football-only school, then as an all-sports member.

Huntington, WV, isn't what you would call a Metropolis, hidden in the hills of rural West Virginia. That goes against the C-USA tradition of being a "big city" league.

In these days of dollars and cents, boasting a huge television market is just about the best thing a school can sell when seeking a new conference to call its home.

The Herd also isn't considered a juggernaut when it comes to the hardwood, the place where most C-USA schools have found their glory. Many of the tradition-rich basketball schools would rather not share a piece of the NCAA pot with a school that makes its living on the gridiron.

But the negatives would all but end there for Marshall, which would bring much more to C-USA than it would take.

For a league that desperately needs another flagship football school, Marshall would increase C-USA's football merit by leaps and bounds.

The Herd has already proved its worth on the football field, having won three-consecutive Motor City Bowls, two of which included victories over current C-USA members. In the process, Marshall has virtually owned the Mid-American Conference, a league considered to be just behind C-USA in competitiveness.

Prior to dominating the MAC, the Herd had its way in the Southern Conference, largely considered the best when it comes to I-AA football. Marshall traditionally advanced deep into the I-AA playoffs, twice taking home the national title.

The Herd has found its success while playing an exciting brand of football. First with Jim Donnan, then followed by ex-Florida assistant Bob Pruett, Marshall has made itself with offense, led by names like Pennington, Moss, and Chapman, all of whom are enjoying NFL careers.

Marshall's style of play would be attractive to C-USA, as fans often tune in when the high-profile Herd is on the tube. In fact, the program has adopted quite a following in recent years, perhaps replacing East Carolina and Southern Miss as the nation's favorite Cinderella.

That's not to suggest that Marshall is in need of more more fans, though. The Herd has plans to expand Marshall University Stadium to 55,000 seats, which may not be enough if it continues to win games at its current pace.

Mileage rarely separates Marshall fans from their beloved Herd. More than 8,000 were estimated to attend a season-opening loss to Florida in Gainesville. Expect at least 10,000 to make the 800-mile trek to Mobile.

Alabama's gulf coast is likely to look more like Savannah on St. Patrick's Day next week, the time when most Marshall maniacs will be setting up camp for a little football and fun.

With the exception of their overall records, East Carolina and Marshall share many similarities.

Both have a quick-strike mentality on offense, as evidenced by their 30-plus-points-per-game averages. The defensive statistics of both school also show that neither is adept at stopping its opponent.

The offensive strengths and defensive weaknesses differ between the two, however.

Marshall scores most of its points off the right arm of six-foot-six junior quarterback Byron Leftwich, who has connected for 38 touchdown passes, 18 of which went to All-America receiver Darius Watts. Leftwich was intercepted just seven times in 12 games, while throwing for 4,132 yards.

East Carolina generally rides the "L-Train" on its fast track to the end zone. Senior Leonard Henry finished the season sixth nationally in rushing, churning out 130 yards per game, while averaging almost eight yards per carry.

But the Pirates can move it through the air, too, with senior quarterback David Garrard running the show. Garrard is the Pirates' all-time leading passer, and coupled with Leftwich, rounds out the ultimate, king-sized quarterback showdown.

"This will be the only bowl game in the country with 500 pounds of quarterback on the field," ECU head coach Steve Logan said. "Both these men [Garrard and Leftwich] are going to be playing on Sunday one of these days. I'm a quarterback guy, that's how I make my living, and I'm going to have a good time watching both these guys play."

But if this year's trends carry over into the post-season, Logan won't find much pleasure when the Pirates' defense is on the field. Marshall ranks as the nation's third-best passing offense, while ECU is among the worst when it comes to stopping the pass.

The anxiety is likely to move to the other sideline, though, when the Pirates have the ball, as the Herd has yielded close to 220-yards per game on the ground, which ranks among the nation's worst. East Carolina, which boasts one of the land's most intimidating ground games, averaging more than 200-yards per contest, will be primed to exploit that weakness.

It has all the makings of a four-hour classic, with both teams topping their 30-something point averages.

"It should be a great game between two offenses that can put some points on the board," Garrard said. "Hopefully one of the defenses will be able to stop the other one — and hopefully it's ours."

If not, the Pirates are sure to find themselves in a shootout, a scenario in which they haven't faired well this season.

Logan knows about the fringe benefits of post-season bowls, which include exposure, national prestige and, potentially, a financial boost to the program.

Ask the Pirates' ten-year head coach which is the most important, though, and he'll tell you, 'None of the above.'

There is perhaps no other year where that statement would be more true. With losses at several key positions, the practices that precede the December 19 GMAC Bowl will not only prepare the Pirates for their third-consecutive post-season game, but also continue to develop inexperienced players who will be expected to make significant contributions next year.

One key void the Pirates will need to fill is at quarterback, where Garrard departs as the school's most celebrated to play the position. With the exception of H-back Richard Alston, true-freshman Paul Troth is the only player to take a snap from under center in Division-I competition.

Troth is expected to be challenged in the spring by Sakeen Wright, one of the top players from New Jersey in 2000, who red-shirted this season. Red-shirt freshman Desmond Robinson could also figure into the quarterback mix.

The extra practice should also help freshman kick returner/running back Marvin Townes, who is expected to assume a more prominent role next season with fullback Leonard Henry moving on to the next level.

Though Art Brown figures to be the front-runner for the starting fullback position, Logan prefers to keep his running backs fresh, thus Townes should receive considerable playing time.

In addition to the extra drill work, Logan is giving his greenhorns plenty of game-like experience, holding scaled-down scrimmages at the end of each practice.

"We're out here in full pads with the youngsters and we'll get in some 35- to 40-snap scrimmages for six days," Logan said. "We're beginning to teach them some of the basics of our offensive and defensive systems."

"It'll have an affect when we have spring ball right after National Signing Day," he said. "There'll be a carryover and we can just pick up and go on rather than having to restart."