Final thoughts from Birmingham

By Brian Bailey
©2014 Bonesville.net
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There will be no storybook ending for these Pirates seniors, again.

After a Central Florida ‘Hail Mary’ ruined Senior Night in December, East Carolina’s final attempt to give the seniors a victorious sendoff fell just short in the Birmingham Bowl.

The Pirates had plenty of chances, but problems in the red zone meant a different and most disappointing ending.

Florida won the game 28-20 with an interim coach and a backup quarterback that will play for former ECU coach Skip Holtz at Louisiana Tech next season. The Gators did just enough to secure the bowl win.

Carden was his usual, stand-up self in explaining his last minute pick that basically ended Saturday’s game. Here’s what East Carolina’s all time passing leader saw on his final pass as he tried to hook up one more time with the NCAA’s all time receptions leader, Justin Hardy.

“Florida was blitzing us a lot down there and we were hitting inside verticals,” said Carden. “Again, they blitzed the corner came off the outside receiver and I did not have a lot of room to put it on the outside, and their defensive back made a great play.”

That defensive back was Vernon Hargreaves III, who’s dad was an assistant under Holtz at East Carolina. Hargreaves got his football start at Hope Middle School and played a season at South Central High School.

Carden, Hardy and the seniors leave the program with no conference titles and one single bowl win, last year’s victory over Ohio in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl.

That’s one way to look at it. This senior group also led the Pirates to some of the team’s biggest victories.

Over the last couple of years these seniors have won in Chapel Hill, in Raleigh and in Blacksburg. They were also part of the 70-point thrashing of North Carolina early this season at home.

These were huge wins.

These were program changing wins.

“Look at the body of work, not today’s work,” said head coach Ruffin McNeill after the loss on Saturday. “Look at what these guys have done their entire career. These guys have done so many positive things for this university. They left a blueprint and a mold that I will use as long as East Carolina keeps me. We talk about commitment to the team, dedication to the team, and focusing on the vision.”

A hurting McNeill still couldn’t be more proud of his group of seniors.

“These guys have done so much for this university that is beyond measurement,” McNeill continued. “I can speak to that because not only am I a former student and graduate of the university, but a former player. Now I have been blessed to become the head coach. I know exactly where they are going. They are getting ready now to go into life. I hope that I was able to give them knowledge that will take them further in their careers.”

Carden and Hardy kept it all in perspective.

“Losing is tough, but I am not going to look back on my career and think it was a disappointment just because we lost the last game,” said Carden. “We have done a lot of good things together as a senior group. You know, it is football. You lose games sometimes. It is just a part of it.”

“You never want to go out losing,” added Hardy. “As a senior and playing your final collegiate game, you do not want to lose. It is going to take some time but life goes on.”

What a pleasure it was to watch the likes of Carden and Hardy at East Carolina. They both were always class acts, through the good times and the bad times.

I don’t know if either one will make it as stars in the NFL.

I do know they both will be stars in whatever they choose in life.

It’s a disappointing end, but a ride this reporter will never forget.

BB

E-mail Brian Bailey.