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Coaches mix recruiting with bowl prep

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

As another game for the East Carolina football program approaches, the Pirates' seventh postseason matchup in the last eight years, another form of competition in college football continues.

It's the competition off the field that can make or break the competition on the field.

That's recruiting, of course, the facet of the sport that will determine to a large extent how successful ECU will be in future seasons as it transitions to the American Athletic Conference next year.

Good players make good coaches as the saying goes.

Recognizing talent, getting it into school and continuing players' development are factors that allow a program to achieve at the highest level possible.

The Pirate coaches have been making the most of their time and energy to position ECU for continued success.

"Our staff loves recruiting and I love being on the road, too," said Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill. "I absolutely love recruiting people and trying to get Pirates here. ... We're trying to make sure we've got each position restocked, the receiver position for example, the O-line and the running back position. We want to make sure we get some guys there. At the receiver, we want the outside guys which are usually taller and can stretch the field. We've got some guys there who are hopefully coming aboard to be Pirates.

"We have some inside guys, where we want more speed. Offensively, we want to get some tall, athletic linemen in and we want to get backs. We want them with speed that can keep breaking away and stretch the field ... and also get a back with size.

"On defense, defensive linemen are always at a premium and we want to make sure we get those guys in. We'll still stay with a 3-4 type mode and linebackers are a key to that. We want to keep getting the rangy length, athletic-type guys we've gotten. Defensive back, we want to fill each position from safety depth to corner depth."

The Pirate coaches were on the road extensively the week following a 59-28 loss at Marshall on Nov. 29.

"Even now, we practice in the daytime and at night I'm getting out with the particular coaches," McNeill said Wednesday. " ... This is contact time so we can actually talk to recruits. I get one time out as a head coach. I can only go see each kid once. I'm going out this week after practice."

McNeill was in St. Petersburg, FL, on Thursday to make a promotional appearance for the Beef O'Brady's Bowl. ECU (9-3) faces Ohio (7-5) at 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23, at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

"I'll be out (recruiting) Friday and even Saturday," McNeill said. "Sunday starts a quiet period. We can no longer go out."

The American Football Coaches Association convention is in Indianapolis, Jan. 12-15.

"After the convention, we won't have much time," McNeill said. "The big weekend is going to the Jan. 17-18. After that weekend, we'll have two weeks left. Then signing date is coming up. We don't have much time. It's a shortened recruiting window this year."

National Signing Day is Wednesday, Feb. 5.

The Marshall phenomenon

East Carolina's 59-28 loss at Marshall to end the regular season was unprecedented during the 2013 season. The Pirates had not been outplayed to that degree.

McNeill addressed factors that cost ECU an opportunity to host the Conference USA championship game.

"First, you've got to give credit," he said. "Marshall played well. Games come down to execution, finishing plays and routine plays, those three items. When you have two really good teams, mistakes become magnified. That day, Marshall made more plays than we did. That was the bottom line. They executed well and they made more routine plays.

"Coming off the State game and a short week, it's an emotional game. To have a game of that magnitude before, that was a big game. We rested our kids, but that was a big game and then coming back, that game at Marshall. They were playing well and we were, too.

"It was Senior Day for them. That's one. That's always tough. I would like to have played here on Senior Day. We don't lose those much either. That was tough. There was the anniversary of the tragedy. (The Thundering Herd wore '75' decals on their helmets for the 75 people who were killed in a plane crash Nov. 14, 1970, as they returned from a game at ECU).

"They had some intangible things. We beat 'em last year. But it goes down to execution, making and finishing plays, and routine plays.They did a good job. I congratulated Doc (Marshall coach Doc Holliday). I'd love to play them again. They played their best game of the year against us. That had us stacked up. One of my good friends said, 'That was their day.' "

ECU is 9-3, even though the Pirates didn't achieve their goal of a championship in their last season in C-USA.

"I'm very proud of the season we've had," McNeill said. "We lost two games by eight points (15-10 at home to Virginia Tech on Sept. 14 and 36-33 in triple overtime to Tulane at the Superdome on Oct. 12). The team was let down because we had some goals and visions. That was a goal (C-USA title) but we've reached some goals and we've still got a chance to reach some more. ... We're one of 70 teams playing (in a bowl). There were 79 teams qualified but only 70 were picked.

"Nine teams got left out. That's a tough deal."

Bobcats chosen over Toledo

Ohio might have been omitted from the postseason if Toledo had not been upset, 31-29, at Akron to close the regular season. The Rockets were 7-5, as were the Bobcats. Toledo was 5-3 in the Mid-American Conference while Ohio was 4-4.

"That's always difficult," said Ohio coach Frank Solich of the process that allowed the Bobcats to leapfrog the Rockets. "We would have not felt great about it, if it was us left out. I understand where they would be coming from. They've got an excellent resume, going 7-5. Beating Bowling Green at Bowling Green, and beating Buffalo, those are all huge pluses for them. They lost their last ball game to a team that we had beaten fairly handily earlier in the year. I think you can go back and forth with scenarios and make a case either way — and they had a strong case."

Exceptional group

McNeill said he has really enjoyed the experience with his fourth-year team at ECU.

"This has been one of the most rewarding years of coaching," said the former Pirate defensive back. "I've been around some champion teams but this year with these kids and this staff has been the most rewarding year I've been around in 33 years.

"They have a uniqueness about them and a closeness and a chemistry about them. They've done some special things."

Nine previous ECU teams have played North Carolina and N.C. State in the same season. The 2013 Pirates are the first to sweep their in-state rivals.

Injuries have not had the debilitating affect on the program as in the 2010 and 2011 seasons because of the depth that has been created through recruiting and player development.

"The kids haven't flinched," McNeill said. "No excuses. No complaints. This group has been that kind of group all year long.

"Injury. Next guy steps up. Suspension. Next guy steps up. No hesitation. That's due to the mentality of our team, the development of the team and getting kids in here that fit that mold."

Carden's unpublicized surgery

ECU's passing game has remained productive in 2013 despite significant personnel losses in the receiving corps.

The durability of quarterback Shane Carden has kept the Pirates from having to take the redshirt off true freshman back-up Kurt Benkert.

"They've overcome a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries that people don't know about," McNeill said. "Shane having surgery after the State game. I kept that, like I wanted to, quiet. We didn't make any excuses.

"Normal people, they'd have been out for three to four weeks. Shane did it Saturday night after the State game and played that Friday (at Marshall)."

Carden completed 29 of 52 passes for 291 yards with three interceptions at Marshall. His streak of 20 games with a touchdown pass came to an end.

Presumably, Carden will be 100 percent for the bowl game. The surgery was on his hand. An injury to his throwing hand in spring practice of 2012 sidelined Carden and pushed the quarterback competition into preseason camp.

Carden, recently named Player of the Year in C-USA, didn't become the starter until the third game of his sophomore season in 2012.

Ohio beat Marshall

One of Ohio's seven wins came by a 34-31 margin at home Sept. 14 over Marshall, which, of course, beat ECU soundly.

Bobcats quarterback Tyler Tettleton is a redshirt senior from Norman, OK, who has set 27 school records. Tettleton has completed 209 of 331 pass attempts this season for 2,623 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also has run 39 times for 127 yards.

"They're a well-coached team," McNeill said of ECU's opponent a week from today. "I've had a chance to coach against Coach Solich's teams. They're fundamentally sound. Offensively, they're going to have an option or a dual-type threat. Defensively, we're got to be prepared for that. They also spread the field with the dual threats and the quarterback's ability to run and read.

"Defensively, they're going to be sound. Special teams are sound."

The Pirates are mindful of being at their best after a subpar showing in their last outing.

"We're worrying about ourselves each day," McNeill said. "That's what this team has done. This team has really approached each day and taken that day as it is.

"They get better each day. We'll work each day to get ready for that game."

Two-pronged practices

Besides getting ready for the postseason game, which will be shown on ESPN, the Pirates are also getting extra time to develop redshirts and scout team players. Bowl camp is almost like an extra spring practice in that regard.

"We have what we call our varsity sharps," McNeill said. "You keep your starters and your guys who play a lot, you keep them sharp. We go good on good, almost an NFL-style practice. Controlled reps, 15 reps. It's high tempo.

"We finish that group, they go condition with Coach (Jeff) Connors.

"Then we take the young guys, redshirts and guys that don't get many reps. We take them through a 15- to 20-play seven-on-seven."

The Pirates also work the developmental aspect with Thursday scrimmages for the lesser experienced players throughout the season.

"It's like the old junior varsity games," McNeill said. "Live, full speed, about 25 or 30 reps all year long.

"They've had about 12 game-like scrimmages during the year and then five more now.

"It's intense. They get after it. They get coached and get coached hard. It's good for us."

Doc gives approval

Marshall won the Beef O'Brady's Bowl in 2011.

"It's a perfect time," McNeill said. "Any bowl game, I've learned, is an honor.

"This is a great bowl. Doc (Holliday) and I were talking. He and I have both been to a lot of bowls."

Holliday began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 1979.

"Doc said this is one of the best bowls he's been to in coaching — his whole time," McNeill said. "When Doc said that, I know where he's been."

ECU's last bowl game in Florida was in 1965 when the Pirates defeated Maine, 31-0, in the Tangerine Bowl. ECU is 8-10 in bowl games and will be looking to halt a string of four consecutive bowl setbacks.

"It's going to be a great atmosphere," McNeill said. "We've got a lot of Pirates traveling and they'll be able to get back for Christmas Eve and enjoy Christmas at home."

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 12/16/13 06:36 AM.

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