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Staff prepared to prepare

By Al Myatt
©2013 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

You can sort of imagine the East Carolina coaching staff sitting around a long table in the football office and talking about logistics like they do on the UPS commercial.

With a day missing from a normal week of preparation, the ECU coaches had to brainstorm how to best budget their time.

This has been a compacted week of practice for the team in preparation for a noon kickoff Friday at Marshall for the Conference USA East Division championship.

"We knew this was coming up and we had a plan," said Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill. "Fortunately, we've been able to keep our kids fresh from Saturday's game.

"We're usually off on Mondays but we practiced Monday night around the lab schedule. Tuesday was a normal day."

The team practiced a little earlier on Wednesday because of a Thanksgiving meal at 4 p.m.

"Helmet and jerseys, script day, a normal Thursday practice," McNeill said of Wednesday's workout.

Players who are not on the traveling squad were allowed to go home after the meal.

Today's schedule is similar to a Friday routine for a Saturday game.

"We'll travel and once we reach the hotel, we'll do walk-throughs and meetings like we normally do," said the ECU coach. "We'll have dinner there, movie, come back, meetings.

"We'll get up the next morning at 7 and rock and roll, the game at 12."

The forecast

Predictions for the high for Friday at Marshall range from 39 to 43 degrees. Clear conditions are expected with light wind.

The Pirates have had some chilly times already this week.

"We had cold weather Monday," McNeill said. "Tuesday, we practiced the entire two hours in the rain. We saw extremely cold weather on Monday night's practice."

The Pirates will have to make like the U.S. Mail and deliver, regardless of the circumstances.

"It's about execution," McNeill said. "The same things we talk about each week. I think that's been the key. I think that's the key for any team. You believe what you believe in and you stay the course.

"We always talk about the same formula for each unit. ... We have to play a great all-around football game on all three sides of the ball at a high level. ... We have to do the best we can on every play."

McNeill said the equipment managers have cold weather gear for the players.

"Most of the guys don't wear a lot of that," McNeill said. "It's when you get through playing that it becomes cold. While you're playing, you don't think about it.

"Even as a coach, I don't think about it much until you start standing still. We have plenty of equipment there for them if they need it."

McNeill plans to have a toboggan.

"My dad told me if you're still playing when the weather's cold, that usually means you've had a successful season," McNeill said.

Defensive changes

Both ECU and Marshall changed defensive coordinators in the offseason. Rick Smith has the Pirates ranked 32nd among 123 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring defense. The Pirates are allowing 22.1 points per game, down from 31.6 points per game last season. ECU is ranked No. 9 in rushing defense.

"Both defenses have shown improvement from the changes made," McNeill said.

The two teams put on an offensive show last season with the Pirates taking a 65-59 win in two overtimes.

McNeill said the two programs have a lot of similarities.

"Two quarterbacks who lead their team (ECU's Shane Carden and Marshall's Rakeem Cato)," he said. "Two of the best quarterbacks in the conference, but in the country, too. Both teams have a good group of running backs and receivers. The defenses are fast. They take a lot of pride in special teams, like Kirk (Doll, ECU special teams coordinator) and his staff do here. Doc (Holliday, Marshall coach) and I are similar as well. We're both lifers as assistants and coordinators. Now we've got jobs back in our home state. We're proud to be back. It's really a unique deal.

"I've played against Marshall before. It's always been a great game, great rivalry and I think both teams have respect for one another."

Williams could play

The player vote was unanimous Sunday to allow nose tackle Terry Williams to return to the team. Williams was in on 77 tackles in his first two seasons with the Pirates and had 8.5 tackles for loss. He had nine tackles in three games before he was suspended this season.

"He could possibly play some," McNeill said. "He's done everything I've asked and more. He's humbled and he knows the team does not revolve around him."

Williams did not practice with the team while he was suspended.

"He worked out on his own," McNeill said. "He's practiced like he's happy to be back. ... He understands not to count his reps but to make his reps count. He's expected to be at full speed. His technique doesn't look like it's fallen off."

Improved depth on the defensive front has allowed ECU to overcome Williams' absence.

The same goes for the offensive front in terms of the enabling qualities of improved depth.

McNeill gives a lot of credit to offensive line coach Brandon Jones and defensive line coach Marc Yellock for ECU's performance in the trenches.

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 11/28/13 02:44 AM.

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