Drowning out the positive noise

By Brian Bailey
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

Successful college football teams often have a bunker mentality during the season. It’s us against the world, with every man putting the team first.

It’s a great outlet in bad times and it’s often very effective during losing seasons to try and drown out the negative comments from the outside.

It’s harder when everyone is patting you on the back.

East Carolina’s 3-1 start has the entire nation looking in on the Pirates. ECU head coach Ruffin McNeill and quarterback Shane Carden hit the national stage with radio and television interviews all over during the bye week.

Everybody loves a winner and everybody loves the Pirates this week.

East Carolina moved up in the national rankings, even without playing. The Pirates are up to 21st in the USA Today/Amway Coaches' Poll and 22nd in the Associated Press Poll.

McNeill talked about the positive press at his weekly news conference on Monday.

“I’m honored because it gives the nation the chance to see our players, and of course, our university,” said McNeill. “Not just for the football part, but the entire university. We have all of the great academic disciplines from a medical school to an educational school to business. Also, it’s a chance for Greenville, North Carolina to be on a national stage. It’s recognition they’ve earned and deserve.”

Southern Methodist comes to town this week for homecoming, and this is a bad football team to date. The Mustangs are 0-4 and have been outscored this season 202-12 in their four games. They have faced a pair of top ten teams in No. 10 Baylor and No. 6 Texas A&M. The other two losses came against North Texas and Texas Christian.

If you are looking for some motivating factors, the Pirates and SMU have split the four all-time meetings in the series, and SMU beat ECU the last time these two hooked up in Greenville in 2010.

“I know they’ve had to play two top teams as well and we can’t forget that,” explained McNeill. “Offensively, they’ve been going through some guys at the quarterback position, trying to find the right guy. Up front, they have two guys, Chauncey Briggs and Taylor Lasecki, who stand out on film. June’s teams always have great receivers in De’rikk Thompson and Darius Joseph. They’re going to spread the football with a lot of wide receiver sets.”

The reference to "June" alluded to June Jones, the high-profile SMU coach who abruptly resigned two games into the season.

Regardless of the team coming to town this weekend, history will be made. The Pirates will play their first-ever game in the American Athletic Conference.

East Carolina has only played in three other conferences. The Pirates have championships in the North State, the Southern and in Conference USA.

The new venture begins on Saturday in the American.

“It’s a historical moment for East Carolina University and our program,” said McNeill. “I know our fans will come out and support that. It’s a move that has been in the making for a lot of years. We know this is what it’s about here… we know the rest of our season is focused on the American Conference. This is why we’re in it.”

The 3-1 start was nice. The first third of the football season couldn’t have gone much better.

Now the goal turns to the American where the Pirates will endeavor to make their debut season a championship season.

It starts this week with SMU. The Pirates are huge favorites and this one should be a cake walk.

But positive press doesn't win games.

Upsets occur every weekend and that will be the challenge for Ruff & Company in this AAC opener.

BB

E-mail Brian Bailey.