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Pirates turn the page

By Al Myatt
©2014 Bonesville.net
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The Purple-Gold football game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium at 2:30 p.m. Saturday culminates spring practice for East Carolina.

The Pirates have moved on from their first season in the American Athletic Conference to prepare for year two in the AAC.

Wins over Virginia Tech and North Carolina are history. So is a run in the Top 25. Gone too are the disappointments of league losses to Temple, Cincinnati and Central Florida.

What might have been in the Birmingham Bowl in a 28-20 loss to Florida will become what might be when ECU visits the Gators on Sept. 12.

Eleven starters are gone from an 8-5 team that went 5-3 in the AAC. Much of the spring has been about competition within the program to see who will fill those voids.

Gone are AAC Offensive Player of the Year Shane Carden and his top receiver Justin Hardy, who reset the Football Bowl Subdivision record for career catches.

Pirate Nation will get to form its opinions about whether the program is rebuilding or reloading based on the showing Saturday.

Coach Ruffin McNeill will be looking to see if youngsters waiting in the wings are ready to fill primetime roles. Matchups will be tweaked as needed to give new players ample reps.

"One offense versus two defense, one defense versus two offense, threes versus threes," the ECU coach said of the format Saturday. "I want to see a lot of these young guys get more reps than the older guys. I've seen (mike linebacker) Zeek Bigger tackle for five years. I don't need to see him. He'll get some work but I want to see those young guys compete as well."

Spring practice has been a time of adjustment and competition.

"The first day (March 20) was an enlightenment for everyone," McNeill said. "You don't see the Captain (quarterback Carden) out there or Deuce (Justin Hardy) and (defensive lineman) Chrishon Rose. But you see another group of guys who have been waiting their turn. We recruited them. Coach (Jeff) Connors has done a great job with offseason development."

The Pirates made some staff changes on the offensive side of the ball as Oklahoma and California came after coaches who had helped ECU generate 533 yards of offense per game in 2014.

"Dave Nichol (promoted from outside receivers coach to offensive coordinator) has been around and done a great job, which I knew he would," McNeill said. "And Garrett Riley (outside receivers coach) and Brad (Davis, new offensive line coach and run-game coordinator) came in here. It's been really a good spring. Each week we've gotten better and we've gotten a lot accomplished. We've developed a lot of competitive depth. There has been a lot of competition at each position. That's what we want."

Run game under the radar

Although the Pirates may be perceived as a passing offense, the run game also has been productive.

"We've always been pretty balanced," McNeill said. "If Breon (Allen) doesn't get hurt before the bowl game, we would have had our third 1,000-yard rusher in a row."

Allen averaged 6.5 yards per carry in 2014 and finished his senior season with 907 yards rushing. He missed a 28-20 loss to Florida in the Birmingham Bowl due to a knee injury sustained in practice in Birmingham. Chris Hairston started against the Gators, wearing Allen's No. 25 jersey, and had 73 yards rushing on 17 carries. Freshman Anthony Scott carried five times for 44 yards in the bowl game.

"We would have had a 1,000-yard receiver with Cam (Worthy), a 1,000-yard receiver with Justin (Hardy) and a 1,000-yard rusher," McNeill said. "That would have been pretty good with a 4,000-yard passer. We'll always have the run game involved. That's why they keep comparing us to the (Texas Tech) Red Raider offense. We're more balanced than people think and we spread the ball around."

ECU had 433 rushing attempts last season and threw on 637 snaps. Hairston netted 528 yards on the ground in 2014 with two touchdowns. Marquez Grayson, who missed the bowl game because of a curfew violation, ran for 289 yards and five scores as a redshirt freshman. Scott totaled 268 yards with three TDs. The Pirates like for their quarterbacks to carry on occasion, too. Carden accounted for 247 yards and six scores on the ground last season.

"We'll always keep the committee of running backs," McNeill said.

Virginia Tech transfer Chris Mangus has shown potential to be involved on that committee during the spring.

Kurt Benkert emerging at QB

McNeill said Kurt Benkert, who played briefly as Carden's backup in 2014, is the likely starter for the first offense.

"He's done a great job all spring, working, as well as Blake (Kemp, transfer from Mesa Community College in Arizona)," McNeill said. "Cody Keith (2013 backup to Carden who sat out last season after surgery), we held out just to let his arm rest again. He'll be back in the summer. KB has done a good job and he's gotten better each week. Dave has a method to blend them with reps. He may blend both of them or he may keep KB with the ones."

Is Benkert's skill set comparable to Carden's?

"Yes," McNeill said. "Mobile. He's smart, just like Shane was. He came early so this is his third spring. Shane was a great teacher for him. KB is a guy who pays attention and learns. He can throw the long ball and also has zip. The biggest thing for the quarterback in this offense is accuracy. That's the biggest thing and you see the percentage of completions."

Carden connected on 63.5 percent of his passes last season.

"It's about completions," McNeill said. "The long ball gets you the oohs and ahhs. We have that but the accuracy is vital. Kurt's really getting better at that as well as Blake. That's what Shane became very good at, getting the ball to Isaiah (Jones), Justin and all those kids — and the long ball as well."

Receiving corps

Hardy and Worthy were big play guys but there is still a talented receiving corps.

Hardy had 121 catches for 1,494 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Worthy had 55 receptions for 1,016 yards with four scores. Jones is the top returning receiver after making 81 grabs for 830 yards with five TDs.

"Bryce Williams is one that's going to be a great player for us as well as Davon Grayson," McNeill said. "Also Isaiah Jones and also Jimmy Williams."

Trevon Brown showed promise as a freshman but only saw action in eight games due to a knee injury.

"Terrell Greem was really playing well but he's got a little shoulder stinger right now and he may not play this week," McNeill said. "We've got some guys. Quay Johnson has done some really good, positive things as well."

Davis making impact

The offense is dependent on the guys in the trenches and Davis is imposing his will on that group.

Running or throwing, the Pirates will count heavily on the offensive front, under the tutelage of Davis, who started for Oklahoma in his playing days.

"He's brought another level of intensity," McNeill said of Davis, who was hired from James Madison. "He's an excellent teacher. Demanding is not giving it full definition. He is very demanding and the kids absolutely gravitated toward him. He played offensive line and was a national championship player. I coached against him (when McNeill was at Texas Tech). He beat me at Oklahoma. He's worked his way through the system as a coach about like I have from high school to assistant to coordinator.

"The biggest thing is being a great, great person. He and his wife, Anecia, are a great addition to the Pirate family. They just had a new baby."

McNeill continues recovery

McNeill had left hip replacement surgery in February and is getting around by various means as he continues the recovery process.

"Thank God for being in Greenville with the great medical facilities," said the ECU coach. "That's been a blessing for this part of the country, east of 95. We got the best around. Then the kids give you life. I just got through talking football with Rick Smith for about 30 minutes. That helps, getting around the coaches. I've got a great staff and the kids — so I'm matriculating. ... I'm so stubborn, I do exactly what the doctors tell me to do.

"I do both. I walk and the cart. I've been instructed not to do too much of one or the other. I sit, walk and I do the cart. Even though it's a second hip surgery, one of the things I've found out is that each one is different. Dr. Chris Hasty did a great job. My physical therapist, Kevin Youngs, is awesome so I'm being taken care of really well. Ms. Ann (Hoggard, secretary) takes care of me really well here. On the field, Brian Overton (director of football operations) and Alex Folken (assistant director of operations) make sure that I've got my cart and all that stuff."

McNeill will be on the field positioned behind the offense for the spring game as has been his custom.

"I'll be in the cart and I'll have my manager with me taking notes as we go," he said. "I'll stand behind the quarterback and blow the whistle for the quarterback. I don't let anybody get near him."

Secondary shaping up, kickers competing

The last play at Dowdy-Ficklen in 2014 was a bitter one as a 51-yard Hail Mary by UCF lifted the Knights to a 32-30 win. There were several breakdowns on the back end of the Pirate defense on the play and defensive coordinator/secondary coach Rick Smith has been busy shoring up that aspect of the unit.

"They're doing a great job," said McNeill, a former strong safety at ECU. "Rick's one of the best in the country. Those guys are doing a great job back there on the back end. Terrell Richardson, Travon Simmons, Domonique (Lennon). Those guys have done a good job. Rocco Scarfone has done a great job. DaShaun Amos. Josh (Hawkins) is working hard. ... Those guys are really shaping up."

Smith has expressed his confidence in the front seven going forward.

The kicking competition to replace Warren Harvey, ECU's leader in career scoring, is ongoing.

"Still competing," McNeill said. "We'll find out as we get into the fall."

Leadership developing

One thing that shouldn't slip despite the loss of some personnel mainstays is leadership within the program.

"That's a thing we do differently here," McNeill said. "Not just seniors are leaders. Freshmen can be leaders. Sophomores. Juniors. Zeek Bigger was a leader last year as a junior. Isaiah was a leader last year as a freshman. J.T. Boyd was a leader last year as a sophomore. Josh Hawkins is another quiet leader. Bryce Williams is a quiet leader. Quincy McKinney up front. Ike Harris hasn't practiced but he's a leader. Chris Hairston is a leader.

"It's not just seniors for us. Anybody can be a leader as long as they do it by the motto of 'Well done is better than well said.' You can't replace leaders like Shane and Justin and those guys who have been here, but we've never painted it that way from day one. I've always wanted leaders from every class that came in, even the freshmen class. We've always developed leaders among each class so it's time for that next class to step up. We expect the class under them to continue stepping up as well. We've got guys ready to take that role, too. Montese Overton (rising senior outside linebacker), that's a guy who's been around, too."

What fans will see

Rosters will have some value Saturday as new players bid for more prominent roles.

"They'll see a very tight unit," McNeill said. "A tight team. It's like a family reunion. It's a team that's been brought in under the 'team first, no ego, no entitlement' deal. This group believes in that. The fans will see a team that competes very well. They'll recognize some players who may stand out here and there. They'll see a lot of players they have to learn their number. As a group, you'll see some guys that can run — offensive, defensive speed guys. Guys that really enjoy competing. We really have very competitive practices. Every day is a competitive deal. They really get after one another."

Message to Pirate Club

In the midst of his rehab and spring ball, McNeill also has been making some appearances at Pirate Club meetings.

His message in a nutshell — Pirate Nation needs to continue its tradition of stepping up to meet challenges.

"We've stepped into a new conference," McNeill said. "The competition is fantastic. It's a different level. The expectations are great. With expectations must come commitment from everybody — from our team, our coaching staff and everyone involved to make sure we stay with the expectation with our conference.

"I love it. It's absolutely a conference from top to bottom. You better be ready to go and I love that challenge. As a program, we place great expectations on our players and myself and my staff on our own. We commit to that. Everyone involved with us needs to be ready to take that next step because they're trying to separate the conferences. The P5 (Power Five) and G5 (Group of Five) and all that. We have got to make sure we step up. We've always done more. We've always banged for our buck. I grew up with that.

"Let's move up. Let's continue to move up because whatever challenge Pirate Nation has been hit with, we've always stepped up and met it. From my point of view, the next step is to continue to step up and continue to do what we've got to do. We'll continue setting the expectations high for ourselves and we'll stay committed to reaching those as a program. I know our Pirate Nation will, too. Each challenge that we've always been faced with, we've always stepped up. With our new conference, everybody in our conference is stepping up to another level. We've got to make sure we do that to compete with our conference. Everyone in our conference is going, so we've got to make sure we do the same."

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PAGE UPDATED 04/18/15 12:44 AM.