By
Denny O'Brien
©2012 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
At
times, quarterback Shane Carden demonstrates that he could be one of the
most gifted to ever play the position at East Carolina. On other
occasions, the Pirates’ redshirt sophomore provides confirmation that he
still has miles to go.
Both
were on display during East Carolina’s
blowout victory over Memphis
Saturday. Carden finished the day completing 25 of 33 passes for 308
yards and five touchdowns, but he also was sacked six times and had
three fumbles.
With a
strong arm, nice touch on deep throws, and nimble feet, Carden has the
physical tools to develop into the complete package at the position.
It’s the most diverse skill set we’ve seen at the position since David
Garrard.
The
next step is for Carden to improve his decision-making process amid the
heavy pressure of a blitz. At times he doesn’t seem to recognize
pressure, and he also has a tendency to hang onto the football too long.
But
those seem like small, correctable shortcomings.
“He’ll
get better,” Pirates Coach Ruffin Mcneill said after Saturday's game.
“You’ll start seeing more things from him. I thought he ran tough. He’s
a tough kid.
"I’m
proud of the way Shane is approaching it. He’s really being very
coachable and wanting information.
"As
long as he keeps that, which he will, he’ll continue to get better."
The
presence of Conference USA and Navy defenses down the stretch should aid
the development process for Carden. With the Pirates possessing the
talent advantage in each of their remaining games, he should gain more
confidence as well.
By the
time the season concludes, Carden, providing he remains healthy, likely
won’t resemble the quarterback who played against South Carolina,
Southern Miss and North Carolina. He should be sharper, more confident,
and quicker with his reads.
With
two and a half seasons remaining in his ECU career, the ceiling is high
for Carden.
Bookend
Justins
East
Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley deserves credit for
introducing a new wrinkle to the Pirates’ passing attack Saturday.
When
you consider that Justin Jones was part of the equation, it was a pretty
big one.
Jones
and Justin Hardy both are listed at the same position on the Pirates’
depth chart, meaning they rarely see much time on the field together.
That was until Saturday night.
“That
can really screw up a defense,” Jones said. “Line Hardy up at outside
receiver and I’m at inside receiver, and we can do all sorts of things.
“I can
shift into a tight end, and now all of a sudden we’ve got a tight end in
the game and they don’t have personnel for that. A lot of plays are
designed for me to run my route, and I’ll pull a safety down and Hardy
will run a post.”
The
Justin package certainly worked for ECU. Jones snagged three touchdown
receptions, while Hardy added a pair.
Juco
philosophy
Junior
college contributions have made a major impact for East Carolina this
year. Running back Tay Cooper and linebacker Gabe Woullard are among
those contributors, and both were a major factor in the Pirates’ victory
over Memphis Saturday.
Cooper
finished with 96 yards rushing, while Woullard was the Pirates’ leading
tackler and all-out menace to Memphis quarterbacks.
Many
college coaches try to keep junior college recruiting to a minimum in an
effort to maintain program continuity and reduce risks. But McNeill is
open to the junior college route provided players meet certain criteria.
“When
we do go the junior college route, we want guys that fit needs,” McNeill
said. “And once we find that, we want to explore who the kid is.
“We’re
not going to recruit characters. We’re going to recruit character. I’m
very big on that.”
That
philosophy has paid dividends so far.