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September 14 versus Virginia Tech: The Pirates
should enter this game 2-0, and these aren’t your father’s
Hokies. ECU has given Tech fits in recent years, including a win
in 2008 and near miss in 2011. Given the way both teams play,
and the fact that it’s in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, this game is a
winnable one for ECU. And a 3-0 start could propel the Pirates
to the ten-plus win season of which some believe they are
capable.
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October 5 at Middle Tennessee: ECU will be fresh
off consecutive games against regional ACC rivals. Naturally you
have to wonder if the emotional tank will be full. Despite the
Rick Stockstill jokes that are still prevalent around
Greenville, the Blue Raiders are well coached. They also should
be considered a legitimate contender in C-USA’s East Division,
so taking them lightly could be a devastating mistake.
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November 9 versus Tulsa: Could this be a preview
of the league championship game? On paper, many believe so,
given the number of returnees on both depth charts. It’s no
stretch to suggest that Tulsa might be the most physical
opponent on the Pirates’ schedule, a departure from Golden
Hurricane teams of the past. TU coach Bill Blankenship will
bring a bruising running game and the league’s toughest defense
into Greenville, making this one a test of mental wits.
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November 23 at N.C. State: Play this one in
September and the Pirates have a decided edge. The Wolfpack have
unfamiliar schemes, uncertainty at quarterback, and depth issues
at key positions. But by the time ECU rolls into Raleigh, the
Pack should have an established QB and more comfort with Dave
Doeren’s schemes. The Pirates have won six of the last ten
against State, and the overall record of both teams will have
little bearing on the outcome of this one.
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November 29 at Marshall: The last scheduled
meeting against the rival Herd could be a special one. This game
is forecast by many to determine who represents the East in the
C-USA championship, and the past two meetings have been overtime
classics. Given the overall number of offensive returnees for
both clubs, another shootout is a safe bet. The weather could be
a little dicey, but at least the Pirates have the benefit of
playing it during the warmest part of the day.
Common sense suggests the Pirates won’t win all five
of these. The fact is, most teams wouldn’t.
But you have to figure the Pirates need to win three
if they want to classify the 2013 season as special.
Biggest loss
Last week East Carolina finally confirmed what we
knew was inevitable: the ineligibility of receivers Justin Jones and
Jabril Solomon. Together, they combined for 42 catches and 756
yards.
But only one of the dismissals potentially will have
a significant impact.
Though big, Jones has always seemed out of place in
offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley’s system. Recruited as a true
tight end by Skip Holtz’s staff, he isn’t well suited to play the
inside receiver position and mostly has been a situational
specialist.
Solomon, on the other hand, was by far the Pirates’
best returning deep threat and was poised to have a breakout season.
That means either senior Reese Wiggins will need to establish
himself as a more consistent option, or one of the younger receivers
will have to step up.
One of the two, if not both, could materialize to be
the case. But until that occurs, it can’t be considered a foregone
conclusion.
Secondary impact
The biggest surprise of the 2013 season could very
well be the area in which ECU struggled the most last year. That’s
how much of an impact the presence of Smith can have.
When Smith arrived for his first tour in Greenville
back in 2005, the secondary experienced a complete metamorphosis.
Much of that can be attributed to the personnel and philosophical
changes Smith made on the back end of the Pirates’ defense.
The most notable was moving Kasey Ross from safety to
corner. It proved a stroke of brilliance as Ross played the position
as well as anyone over the past decade.
Throughout Smith’s time at ECU, the secondary
produced some of the program’s surest tacklers. Much of that can be
attributed to how well Smith had his players positioned both before
and after the snap.