GREENVILLE — If justice truly existed in college football, James Pinkney would have ridden to the locker room on the shoulders of his teammates instead of limping and gasping for each breath.

In my version, he would have written another memorable chapter in ECU's quarterback lore, a narrative befitting of the best games of Carl Summerell, Jeff Blake, Marcus Crandell and David Garrard.

But amid a backdrop seemingly designed for such an outcome, reality interfered and delivered a blitzkrieg of crushing blows.

Instead of last-minute heroics from a top gun QB, the storyline Saturday was underscored by an aggressive, blitzing Cincinnati defense that attacked Pinkney as if it were fueled by kryptonite.

"James Pinkney, my goodness, he does everything you ask," Pirates coach John Thompson said following the Pirates' 24-19 loss. "He just got the heck knocked out of him today and kept getting back up. A lot of men wouldn't get back up."

You could hardly blame them.

Of the 22 minutes East Carolina held the ball, its quarterback seemed to spend nearly half of it on the ground. The Bearcats' merciless pass rush was so relentless that the final sack tally — six — understates statistically the pounding Pinkney was administered.

"It was kind of crazy," Pirates receiver Damarcus Fox said. "I was getting on the O-line. We all just had to really protect him. We see it every time we go and watch film — just see him getting hit, and getting hit (late), and getting pushed on.

"I even got on Cincinnati guys just to let them know that (they) can't pick on our quarterback. Him laying his body on the line, I felt like the reward was to make a play for him."

If only his teammates had subscribed to that logic.

Where the receiving corps again was plagued by drops — three in the end zone — Fox's hands were the only sure ones among the maligned group. His 161 yards accounted for nearly all of Pinkney's aerial total, 75 of which occurred on a perfect touchdown toss that pulled the Pirates to within a score.

To a certain extent, it was two against 11. As spectacular as Pinkney and Fox worked in tandem, the duo was not enough to overcome the many shortcomings of the supporting cast.

The offensive line couldn't block. As a result, the talented stable of running backs were a non-factor. Aside from Fox, the receiving corps was an Achilles' heel.

The defense, which made dramatic strides after two abysmal outings, couldn't make the final stop.

"That hurts a lot," Pinkney said. "But as an offense, we had chances during the end of third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. I thought the defense would hold them. That last drive just took everything out of them."

Mild comments from a guy who would be justified for publicly questioning his team's desire. But that isn't his style.

Reserved and shy, Pinkney would just as soon confront the mirror than point fingers at teammates in whom he has gained admiration and trust.

"He laid his body on the line and that's why I respect him so much," Fox said. "He never complains.

"...I'm grateful for him. I know he's the quarterback, and as long as he's here, we're going to have great success."

The final statistics — 10-of-25, 192 yards, 2 TDs — may suggest Pinkney's performance was average, if not worse. However, judging solely on numbers would be missing the picture.

There was something intangible about Pinkney on a night when he sustained more hits than a Michael Hopkins opponent. It was that warrior-like spirit and will to win that for years defined the enormous chip on the East Carolina football program's shoulder.

The next step is to toss a hefty chunk of that mentality to each man in the huddle. In a perfect world, that pass won't be dropped.