By
Denny O'Brien
©2011 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
It was fitting that East
Carolina needed one last defensive stand to finish off Central Florida
Saturday night. It was equally suitable that the deciding play was
delivered by sophomore safety Damon Magazu, who earlier stopped Rannell
Hall on fourth-and-goal from the one-foot line.
Magazu's interception in
the end zone on fourth-and-ten applied the finishing touches to the
Pirates’ 38-31 victory, keeping ECU’s postseason hopes alive while
eliminating UCF from bowl contention.
“Andrew Bodenheimer came
up to me (during the timeout) and said ‘Big time players make big plays
and big games,’ ” Magazu said. “I’ve heard that before, but when he said
it, something clicked.”
Just like something has
been clicking for the East Carolina defense throughout much of 2011. The
Pirates’ defensive turnaround has been nothing short of astonishing when
you consider their abundance of issues last fall.
ECU's defense finished at
or near the very bottom of every major statistical category in 2010, and
was unable to hold anyone under 40 points over the final six games.
Tucked within that stretch were afternoons on which the Pirates
surrendered 76 points to Navy and 62 to Rice.
It reached a point where
500- and 600-yard outbursts became the norm. That hasn’t been the case
this season, as the Pirates have improved by nearly 70 spots in the
national rankings for total defense.
“We try to forget last
year, but we try to keep it in the back of our minds that we were last
in the nation in defense,” Magazu said. “We had nowhere to go but up.
“We put so much work in,
especially with the coaching staff and Coach (Jeff) Connors. He got us
ready this year to run to the ball. That’s what we pride ourselves on,
running to the ball. We love running to the ball. When you run to the
ball, people make plays and that’s exciting.”
The shift to a 3-4
alignment and a more aggressive approach have proven a much better fit
for the Pirates’ personnel, putting more athletes on the field without
sacrificing ECU’s ability to contain the run.
That much was evident
Saturday during several short-yardage scenarios. The Pirates stood their
ground on multiple occasions, including Magazu’s 3rd quarter hit on
Hall.
Unlike 2010, this is an
East Carolina defense that is improving every week. And with eight
starters returning next year, the Pirates could make an even bigger jump
in 2012.
Conditioned bunch
As has been often the case
this season, East Carolina was at a supreme disadvantage in time of
possession Saturday. The Pirates’ defense was on the field for over 34
minutes against UCF, but it never appeared winded, especially late.
Credit that to the renewed
emphasis on running and conditioning under strength coach Jeff Connors.
“That goes to Coach
Connors and our defensive coaching staff,” Magazu said. “They make us
run during practice, and we want to. Even if they don’t say anything, we
continue to run because we know it’s going to prepare us for games.
"In the off-season, Coach
Connors and his staff did a phenomenal job preparing us for this.”
That none of the Pirates’
defenders were gasping for air is a testament to that. It’s clear that
Connors’ return to ECU after a stint at UNC-Chapel Hill has provided a
significant upgrade to ECU’s strength and conditioning program.
Not too special
It doesn’t take a football
whiz to determine the Pirates’ most glaring deficiency this season.
Their inability to cover kicks has been a major Achilles’ heel, one that
has negatively affected the outcome of games.
That was true last week in
El Paso, and it was nearly the case against UCF. Twice the East Carolina
defense bailed out its special teams by standing tall after long returns
— one punt and one kickoff.
With only one game
remaining in the regular season, a major turnaround in this area is
unlikely. Like the defense from last year, special teams will require a
major overhaul during the offseason.