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Ruff opposes slowdown for substitutions

By Al Myatt
©2013 Bonesville.net
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There has been significant discussion about a proposal before the NCAA Football Rules Committee which would allow defenses 10 seconds to substitute players when the 40-second play clock has started on each down.

If the offense snaps the ball before the play clock reaches 29 seconds, it would be subject to a 5-yard delay of game penalty.

East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill has been a defensive player, assistant and coordinator for the bulk of his life but he's siding with the offense on this one.

"It's ridiculous," McNeill said this week. "Leave the game alone."

One argument advanced by some, including former Pirates assistant Todd Berry, who is now head coach at Louisiana-Monroe, is that defenses can't get fatigued or injured players off the field without using a timeout. A CBSsports.com report said Berry had an asthmatic player on his defensive unit and didn't have a timeout to get him off the field when he was beset with breathing difficulty. There has been a sentiment expressed that the game will be safer when tired players can be taken out if the proposal is passed.

Ruff isn't buying it.

"Let me give you an example and I'm a defensive coach," McNeill said. "I've been on defense all my life but here's a number for you. Three games last year, we ran almost 300 plays. The (North) Carolina game, Middle Tennessee and the Tulane game. It was 101 one game, 99, 98 plays. The five offensive linemen did not come out of the game for one play. We didn't sub them so I don't want to hear that about substitutions. ...

"I'm totally against it and I'm a defensive coach."

It appears that some coaches are for the change that would limit the hurry-up offenses such as those operated by Baylor, Oregon and the Pirates. The safety factor is the means to allow teams whose style of play doesn't mesh with the fast-paced offenses to justify the proposal. Reports have stated that Alabama coach Nick Saban and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema favor the substitution modification.

"You've got to adjust your strategy and your coaching style," McNeill said.

Fans generally like offensive shows. Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, who chairs the rules committee, has indicated that he has moved his position toward the status quo. Calhoun said he hasn't seen any data to support the claim that the change to a 10-second substitution period would make the game safer.

"You should have that package in already if you know a team is going to be hurry up and be ready for it defensively," McNeill said. "That's how we handle it here and we face it every day in practice. What I would suggest is that you've got to practice against it to know how to play against it. We practice against it every day.

"My other suggestion is watch our film. Our five offensive linemen — we don't sub for them. I don't want to hear about tired and all that. ... We're going to try to run 100 plays a game. We're not into running anything less than that."

That's some indirect testimony to the effectiveness of Jeff Connors' conditioning program at ECU, too.

Staff going forward intact

Successful programs are oftentimes able to maintain the same personnel on their coaching staffs. Although ECU offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley had some conversations with North Carolina and Notre Dame after the Pirates averaged 40.2 points — tied for eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision with Clemson — during a 10-3 season in 2013, the 30-year old decided to stay in Greenville.

Riley noted the reassuring effects of staff members remaining in place despite outside interest after the Pirates were 8-5 in 2012.

"That's the plan," McNeill said when asked if his staff would stay together for ECU's entry into the American Athletic Conference next season. "People come after our guys all the time. I've got really good teachers and really good coaches. They're great people. It's a compliment, but having a staff together is big. Continuity is a key. I know that Coach (Jeff) Compher (athletic director) and our administration will help me do that.

"These guys love East Carolina. They want to be here. They want to work with me. We'll do all we can to make sure we continue that continuity. It's key."

Riley has grown during four seasons at ECU, refining the system he learned at Texas Tech and adapting it for peak efficiency with the Pirates.

"It's really fun to watch," McNeill said. "I've known Lincoln since he was 18 and Brandon (Jones, offensive line coach) since he was 18. Their wives, Caitlin and Latoya. I've known them. Marc Yellock (defensive line coach). I've seen him grow as a coach. I've grown. The older guys can grow. You see it and it's really neat to watch."

Spring practice starts March 20

Filling graduation voids and tweaking systems will be among the priorities when spring practice starts March 20. The spring game is scheduled for April 12.

The Pirates will host a clinic April 3-5 for high school coaches.

"We'll have some neat speakers coming," McNeill said. "Dave Magazu from the (Denver) Broncos is coming on that Saturday. We've got a former Pirate, Terrell Williams. He coaches in the league. He's going to speak on that Friday. Of course, our staff will speak, too."

Magazu's son, Damon, finished a stellar career at safety for the Pirates in 2013, making an interception in the 37-20 Beef O'Brady's Bowl win over Ohio at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The elder Magazu coaches offensive line for the Broncos. He was with Denver coach John Fox with the Carolina Panthers as well when the younger Magazu was playing on the high school level at Providence.

Williams was a member of the ECU team that defeated Stanford 19-13 in the 1995 Liberty Bowl. The former Pirate nose guard was defensive line coach at Purdue and Texas A&M before joining the Oakland Raiders in that capacity.

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 02/21/14 09:15 AM.

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