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ECU takes Swamp lessons to Navy

By Al Myatt
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

East Carolina took on a talented program in a difficult environment under tough conditions and had a chance to win at Florida last Saturday night until the ball slipped out of quarterback Blake Kemp's hands on a 2nd-and-10 play at the UF 13 in the final seconds.

The Gators recovered the fumble for a 31-24 victory.

"We didn't deserve to win the game," said first-year Florida coach Jim McElwain in the aftermath.

The Pirates were disappointed in the outcome but coach Ruffin McNeill was far from devastated.

"A loss is only a loss if you don't learn from it," said the ECU alumnus.

The Pirates will look to apply the lessons learned in the Swamp as ECU opens American Athletic Conference play at new member Navy at 3:30 p.m. Saturday (CBSSN).

There was a lot to take away from the contest in the Southeastern Conference hotbed. An opponent such as Florida can be a developmental tool for a program such as the Pirates regardless of the outcome.

McNeill saw his boys keep their focus on winning despite trailing 31-17 with just over three minutes remaining.

"Given a chance to possibly change the outcome at the end of the game," McNeill said Wednesday when asked about what he took out of the second game of the season. "Facing adversity and being able to play the next play, we saw it the other night, whether it was offense or defense.

"Like for example, a defensive man had a tough play within the series and he had to come back to make a play to force a field goal or affect the field goal where a guy may have missed. Or it may have been a tough series, they took it down and scored. And we came back the next series and held up and made some plays. We had five three and outs.

"You learn to go on the road and face a very talented opponent and face some adversity and react to the adversity. We take that from it. I thought the offense did a good job of throwing the ball downfield. The first game, we took what the defense gave us but this game we felt like we had to go downfield. Maybe a lot of games the rest of the year we'll have to go downfield and compete for the football, competitive plays by our receiver guys."

Kemp completed 34 of 54 passes for 333 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

"I thought we did a good job of making competitive plays, our skill kids," McNeill said. "From Isaiah (Jones), to Bryce (Williams) to Davon (Grayson) to Jimmy Williams. Those guys did a very good job of making competitive plays at the receiver position."

Smith steps up up front

An injury early in the season opener to right tackle Dontae Livingston has meant an unanticipated number of snaps for sophomore Brandon Smith. The right tackle becomes the blind side protector for a left-handed quarterback such as Kemp, who was sacked three times on the soggy turf at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Smith is typical of some of the inexperienced elements of the ECU program.

"Brandon Smith is a young guy who we did not think would have to play 150 plays in two games," McNeill said. "He's had to step in because Dontae Levingston is still banged up. He may not play this week either. I was proud of Brandon. He did not flinch. If he made a mistake, he kept battling against some NFL draft choices. Florida had some. That was a pleasant surprise. ... From the second or third play of the Towson game, Levingston got hurt, he's had to come in and he's gotten a ton of reps put on him in a first time situation. He has not backed down. Talk about a young kid that just attacks it and goes after it. Going against a guy like (Alex McCalister). That's one of those draft choice guys.

"The guy last year in the bowl game (Dante Fowler Jr., third pick overall to Jacksonville in 2015), this guy (McCalister) is just like that, only taller. Elusive. I thought Brandon did a good job of competing. Even if he may have gotten beaten one time, I liked what I saw after that. He came back and played the next play. He had his share of wins in there, too. A guy like that at that position going against a guy like that – he was able to keep fighting and competing. He was one of the names I brought up on Sunday on offense, how he enjoyed the competition. Even when he made a mistake, he didn't hold his head down but kept fighting. He really enjoyed the challenge of that game. I was proud of Brandon and what he's showing.

"We've got to continue to work on our pass protection. I thought our quarterbacks, Blake (Kemp) did a good job of staying calm in the pocket, not getting itchy feet. You hate he threw the pick six but you've got to give Florida credit. Both quarterbacks (Kemp and James Summers) had a lot of moxie on the sideline. Great attitudes. They were great teammates the entire night. That's what people wonder about, having those two guys in there. Those guys, you ought to see them work together in practice and during games."

Defensive positives, special teams

ECU's defense got the ball back with a three and out after the Pirates had pulled within 31-24 on a 7-yard pass from Kemp to Bryce Williams with 3:04 to go.

"Defensively, I thought we ran to the ball well," McNeill said. "That was good to see. We did a good job of being very disciplined in our gap assignments, our run game assignments. Just doing our job over and over again. You still see guys maybe trying to do a little bit too much every now and then. But I saw more consecutive, consistent execution of our defense. We handled adversity well.

"We had turnovers. We had two turnovers but then we also count five three and outs as a turnover. That's a turnover for us. Whenever you can stop the offense and force them to punt, a three and out, that's a good play for the defense. We had some long plays we wish we could have over again and some turnover opportunities. We've been talking about that – that we had right there in front of our hands. A couple of picks that we could have had to maybe give us some field position.

"I thought special teams and Caleb Pratt, our kickoff guy, did a good job for us. He kicked three touchbacks in the game. Quay Johnson is one of those guys who's coming on. Last year, he played as a freshman. He's given us some confidence back in our return game. We can do a better job of giving him some run lanes. Our punt coverage team against a team that I was really concerned about their punt return. We held Florida to two yards per punt return. That's great punt, great protection and great coverage by our guys.

"Kickoff return, like I mentioned, we've got to improve on that."

Over-preparing for conditions

Rain was in the forecast for the trip to Gainesville and showers fell for most of game day.

"We knew we had a chance of rain so we took extra footballs, more than normal," McNeill said. "We learned from last year to over-prepare for conditions. The humidity was high. We also knew that could happen. It's one of those deals. It's a freak deal. We were moving the ball well. The drive was going well. It was hot down on the field. It was hotter down on the field than in the stands or in the press box. The ball, you hand it off, you toss it around. It's been caught by guys with sweat. But no excuses, we've got to make that play and adjust to it. There were some conditions there. It's pretty hot here in Greenville and humid during the summer so all of our kids are exposed to that and then during camp as well. We thought we were really overly prepared for wet weather. Humidity is something you have to deal with."

Kemp played on the high school and junior college levels in Arizona, which is known for its lack of humidity. He probably has not played with a wet football much, if at all, in his career.

Run game stymied

There was not much to ECU's run game. It added up to minus-13 yards for the night against the Gators.

"They did a good job," McNeill said. "I mentioned I think they've got three draft choices up front. ... They do a good job and they did a lot of movement to knock us off. I thought (running back) Chris (Hairston) made some things sometimes out of nothing.

"There was a lot of penetration and they blitzed us a little bit more – about like what Randy (Shannon) does. I knew Randy, he would come after you, but Randy's not normally a blitz guy. I thought they felt they had to blitz our run game to control it. That's something we know we have to control and have answers for it up front. There were sometimes where those (Florida) guys up front were pretty good. They did a good job but we have to be able to run the football. That's a part of our deal, to be able to run the football to give us some balance. In the game we had to throw the football. I thought we did. We were able to do that. ... That's why it's not like the Red Raider with what coach (Mike) Leach does.

"We want to run the football. (Florida) did a good job up front I thought and we learned from that, too. We took that from the game, 'OK, what do we have to do to help that?' That's the first level with the offensive line. You're going against a talented group. You have to maintain your double teams a little bit longer before you come up to the linebacker. Against the talented guys up front, you have to do a great job of getting to them. ... We took that from that game and it will help us be better down the road."

Plowman connects

Kicker Davis Plowman was undaunted as he hit a 30-yard field goal with 12:25 remaining to get ECU within 24-17.

Plowman moved ahead of Connor Torruella after week one.

"I like Davis," McNeill said. "It was really a tight race all camp. Last week we watched it again and said, 'You know what? Let's give Davis a chance. He's been around. He's traveled. He understands the routine. He's been a part of the game routine.'

"He's stepped in. He's got that 'Whatever, whatever,' type of mentality. Let's go get it. I'm not intimidated by the moment or if I miss one or anything like that. That type of deal. I was proud to see him go in there. It was one of those tries. I told Dave (Nichol, offensive coordinator) we need points. We're not going for it. It's a conversation. Sometimes it will be, 'Dave you've got four downs here.' When we're in range, which we found out before the game, what's our range? What yard line do we get it to? Then when it was a 10-point deficit, we had to go for it (a field goal). Let's get it to seven. We had to have that to give us a chance. Davis came in and made it. I was glad to see that happen. We need him to continue doing that."

Prep for Navy

Pirate fans have painful memories of Navy's last two trips to Greenville, a 76-35 loss in 2010 and a 56-28 drubbing in 2012. In between, the Pirates prevailed 38-35 in Annapolis in 2011.

Navy's option offense is so unique in college football today that game week itself is not sufficient for preparation. The Pirates have been able to work on what the Midshipmen present at various stages in the offseason and preseason.

"We did during spring, more during preseason," McNeill said. "During the mock week before Towson, we hit it one more time. The speed of it is hard to duplicate in practice. Sunday we had to go back in. You talk about adjustment for everyone. The scout or look units having to show us as close a look as we can get it, the lowness of the offensive linemen. They come out really low and are technique sound. The speed of the quarterback and the way they run the path of the option, like the way they run the fullback path – is it tight or is it a little bit wider? The speed of the slotback.

"Tuesday was a big day for us. Of course, I expect perfection and the guys I think will be a lot better. As the practice went on defensively, we got better each time. Trust your reads and fit where you've got to fit. They're going to hit some plays on you because they do it for a living and they know how to adjust it. Whatever you put out there, they've seen some type of deal before. You're not going to surprise them with anything.

"It comes down to defense being very disciplined in assignment and technique, having great eye control and eye discipline is what I call it. Where are your eyes on every particular call? Doing your job over and over again. This is the first time I've seen this type of depth at fullback with this offense. Kenny (Niumatalolo, Navy coach) has got three good fullbacks. The starter (Chris) Swain. Kenny said this, 'He's a big bruising back. He breaks tackles.' He had 11 carries, 126 yards in the first game against Colgate. Kenny said this, 'He's an SEC-type running back.' He's that kind of guy. But he has two other guys that run the same. Along with the speed at slotback and halfbacks they have and with Keenan Reynolds at quarterback, that fullback presence will have to be handled by our guys that are responsible for the fullback at that time.

"Another thing they've added – Georgia Tech, when Paul (Johnson, Georgia Tech coach) was at Navy, they always share, all the option teams. The receiver, Calvin Johnson, that plays for Detroit, from Georgia Tech. Kenny's got a big receiver, 6-4 receiver, that can make you be honest and, if you're a cornerback, have your eyes in the right proper space. He's added the throwing game to the offense with Keenan. He's an experienced quarterback. At this stage of his development, Kenny can expand the offensive package for him and they've done that."

Being consistent in assignments is essential for ECU's success.

"Run discipline and doing your job over and over again," McNeill said. "Knowing that they may get a play or some yardage here but you've got to play the next play, defensively and offensively. Both sides. We've got to have great 1st-and-10s. We call them 10-10s production on defense. Four yards on offense for them on first down is big. Now it's 2nd-and-5, 2nd-and-6. They like getting in 3rd-and-3s or better. They like getting in that type of distance. So it's going to be a game of wills and conflict is the word of being able to control the run game and do a great job, not getting impatient defensively as a player. Keep doing your job and keep fighting your hindparts off. Come up and make a play. We need some turnovers on defense to give our offense extra possessions. Our offense has to take care of the ball, value each possession and force them to defend us."

Summers expected to play

James Summers completed 3 of 4 passes for 13 yards in his first action as a Pirate.

McNeill said he expects the junior college transfer to take more snaps this week.

"Yes, I'm sure he will," McNeill said. "Dave has got a plan for him and Blake will keep progressing. ... We've got to remember when we first touched base with James last November or December, we talked to him about being a wideout like we did with Justin Hardy, Zay Jones, Jimmy Williams, those guys. From that point on, his comment was, 'I will do whatever you want me to, Coach, to help the team.'

"From that point on, spring, summer, preseason, he was preparing mentally and otherwise for being moved to a wideout position, the same spot that Justin played. When Kurt (Benkert) got hurt, it was, 'James, now we've got to put you back at quarterback, which you've played all your whole life.' That's an adjustment, learning the offense from another perspective. Talking to Dave, (Summers) is really a smart kid. He grasps things well. His first contest as a Division I quarterback was against Florida at Florida. You're talking about a tough test. I was proud of how James responded. Those two guys are working together, Blake and James. We'll get James some reps this week."

Second game vs. SEC

The Pirates lost their second game in 2014 on the road against an SEC opponent, 33-23, at South Carolina. ECU obviously regrouped well last season, winning 28-21 at Virginia Tech the following week.

"They were disappointed they lost," McNeill said of the team after the loss at Florida. "We went down there to win the football game. That last drive, we were going for two. I decided that during the comeback. ... Time ran out on us. Sunday was a resilient day. I thought we bounced back well. We lifted well for Coach (Jeff) Connors on Sunday and ran well. Tuesday we put in the game plan. ... You've got pads on, you're cut blocking. ... I thought as the day went on we got better. I'm always shooting for a perfect practice. Perfect reps."

Not the first league meeting

This will be Navy's first AAC game as football-only league members but the Pirates and Midshipmen have met before within a conference framework.

Both were members of the East Coast Athletic Conference-South in basketball from the 1981-82 season through the 1984-85 campaign. ECU's last game in that league was a 94-73 loss to Navy in the first round of the conference tournament in Williamsburg, VA, in 1985. Navy had a guy who was growing his way out of active duty at the time, David Robinson. "The Admiral" was 6-8 when he arrived in Annapolis and had reached seven-feet when he was the No. 1 NBA draft choice in 1987.

Full speed ahead

The Pirates need to play with intelligent aggression at Navy.

"This is a different offense," McNeill said. "It is. You don't see it every week. You don't practice against it. You've got to try to expose it as much as you can. Try to overload them with their assignments and responsibilities as much as you can and tell the guys don't hold back. Go full speed, which they will. Do your job and attack. Attack each time as you're doing your job. Keep attacking. Keep attacking. They'll play hard. They're trained to do that. We've just got to make sure we keep doing our assignments. We're facing another tough opponent on their road and they've had a week off to plan for us. So we have to overcome that and be ready to go."

Different mindset

The Naval Academy has had a few players go on to the NFL, notably Roger Staubach and Napoleon McCallum, but those are exceptions.

The Pirates faced some NFL draft choices last week. For the most part football is over with graduation and a military obligation awaits ECU's opponents this week.

"We're facing a program that the kids are being trained and raised and brought to defend our country," McNeill said. "Football is almost like recess time. They train all day long, all year long. We're facing a team with the mentality that they're going to defend our country to the end. That's why we have the freedom that we have. I respect that so much about them. So mentality-wise that's what we're facing. Kenny's doing a really good job of getting some guys in there that can go, who can play. Mentality-wise, we've got to make sure we match their mentality and physicality because they'll bring it so we've got to make sure we bring ours, too."

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 09/18/15 12:55 AM.

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