By
Denny O'Brien
©2013 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
On one hand, the Pirates made far too many mistakes,
executed poorly, and did almost everything they could to hand the
Blue Raiders a Homecoming win. On the other, ECU toughed out a
Conference USA road victory over a capable opponent despite not
putting its best effort forward.
There is no denying that East Carolina didn’t look
nearly as polished offensively Saturday. Despite padding the stat
sheet with 511 yards, the Pirates didn’t execute with the precision
you would hope after
an all-out clinic in Chapel Hill.
That was especially the case in the red zone.
The Pirates closed out the first half with a drive
that came to a screeching halt inside the one-yard line as time
expired. It could have been avoided had ECU made better use of its
available time outs or at least taken a couple of shots into the end
zone through the air.
Another red zone appearance ended with a missed field
goal from 35 yards out, representing an additional opportunity for
ECU to put the game away.
The Pirates were sloppy outside of the red zone, too.
ECU fumbled away an early possession, enabling Middle
Tennessee to take a 10-7 lead. Twice on the game’s final possession,
the Pirates fumbled but were able to recover and keep control of the
clock.
There were false starts – several of them – and
passes that should have been picked off by Middle Tennessee
defenders. There also was a delay of game penalty during a critical
moment of the game.
Perhaps many of the Pirates' miscues can be
attributed to a potential hangover from the prior week’s blowout win
over North Carolina.
Whatever the case, the good news is ECU proved it can
beat a decent opponent on the road without putting forward its best
effort. At some point during any season, a good team almost always
does that.
The fact that East Carolina was able to compensate
for its numerous mistakes Saturday is a testament to how good the
Pirates’ season can eventually be. Even so, they would be well
served to tidy the ship before visiting Tulane.
You’re always a play away from having your number
called. That’s especially been true for ECU’s linebackers, a group
that is quickly proving that it is the deepest on the Pirates’
roster.
When starters Jeremy Grove and Kyle Tudor were
injured against Florida Atlantic, that meant introducing new
starters in the heart of ECU’s defense. Brandon Williams and Zeek
Bigger filled the role and were vital elements to a defensive plan
that stifled Virginia Tech’s running game.
Add in Montese Overton, Derrell Johnson, Gabe
Woullard, Maurice Falls, and Ty Holmes, and there is no shortage of
combinations defensive coordinator Rick Smith can leverage. And
there doesn’t appear to be a significant drop-off on occasions when
Smith makes wholesale substitutions.
Traditionally this hasn’t been a luxury the ECU
program has enjoyed. That’s a strong testament to an upgrade in
recruiting by Ruffin McNeill and his staff.
With his eight catches and 85 receiving yards
Saturday, Justin Hardy is now on a pace to catch 96 passes for
nearly 1,000 yards this year. That’s counting the regular season
alone.
Both numbers would inch him closer to Dwayne Harris,
who is the clear leader in both categories for ECU.
Assuming Hardy stays healthy and returns for his
senior season – which he clearly should – it wouldn’t take long for
him to surpass both numbers next year. If he continues this pace, he
could set career marks that will be difficult for future receivers
to catch.
One area in which the Pirates need a tune-up before
traveling to Tulane next week is special teams. After a solid start
to the season, ECU has had a slight drop-off here.
Against Middle Tennessee, ECU missed two field goals
and had two Middle Tennessee punts downed inside the Pirates’ own
five-yard line. The latter occurred because Hardy didn’t field
punts, allowing the Blue Raiders to pin the Pirates deep.
The end result was missed opportunities to extend the
lead and field position in dangerous territory. If the Pirates don’t
tighten up in these areas, it could eventually be more reflective in
the final score.