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.