Ruff & Co. 'chopping wood'

By Brian Bailey
©2015 Bonesville.net
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The East Carolina football season is down to four games.

There have been plenty of highs and probably just as many lows for this ECU team, which stands at 4-4 heading to the final month.

This past week’s Temple game was a microcosm of the season to date. There was good and there was bad. There was winning football and there were plays that led to the 24-14 loss to the 22nd-ranked Owls.

Teams seem to be figuring out the two-quarterback system the Pirates are using. It’s a tough call for first year offensive coordinator Dave Nichol. Teams are stuffing the run with James Summers in the game. Those same teams are daring Blake Kemp to air it out.

Both quarterbacks have shined at times. Both have also struggled to produce consistently, especially with the game in doubt in the second half.

Coach Ruff recognizes the key element and it really hasn’t changed.

“Execution, making a routine play,” said Ruff at his Monday news conference on the ECU campus. “We talk about it each week, y’all have heard it for six years: routine plays, execution.”

The Temple game exploited that lack of a consistent, second half attack.

Add in the turnovers and problems in the punting game, and a great defensive effort by ECU was wiped out in the loss to the Owls.

The Pirates have yet to have a bye week. The long season is taking its toll. The weekend without a game was a welcome relief.

“Long weekend,” said McNeill. "It was needed, by coaches and by players. It was good to get away from it for a little bit, take your mind off things, but it’s good to get back around the players yesterday. Players are resilient. They took this one hard, just like I knew they would. We have to get ready right now for Connecticut. They are on the clock, and Bobby’s (UConn coach Bob Diaco)doing a good job there. This league, and I’ve talked about it before, is top to bottom, you better have your big man clothes on.”

McNeill took time out to address two of the big keys to the loss to Temple.

The Pirates were penalized nine times for 99 yards. The Owls were worse with 12 penalties for 114 yards. Laundry littered Bagwell Field on just about every play it seemed.

“I thought we hurt ourselves,” said McNeill. “I liked the hype, but doing some things that we needed to do and we’ll address that. It was disappointing. And the kids can watch that on film, and they were disappointed when they saw.”

ECU's special teams, most directly the punt team, really struggled against the Owls, with one punt deflected and another blocked.

“We have to make sure we concentrate on the details," said McNeill. "The rules are – we were told not to jump over the shield. So we’re to start using that, but at the same time, we have to make sure we are designed to kick the ball in (a certain) direction or angle. They did a good job of that, and at the same time, we didn’t.”

The old adage says, 'You just have to keep chopping wood.’

Ruff knows that first hand, and shared his philosophy in what was his shortest weekly presser of the year:

“Three things we talk about as preparation, and that started last night. Making sure we’re continuing that preparation. And it’s very important to make sure of that, and to hone-down on those things even harder than we’ve done. I don’t know if that’s even possible, because we’ve emphasized that a bunch, but not to hurt ourselves, stop ourselves.

"Again, it will always be dedication to the team concept. Making sure everybody embraces their role. Making sure everyone continues to keep their eyes forward. If you’re looking forward, that’s where you’re going. If you’re looking backwards, that’s where you’re going. I told them last night; we’ve got to get our gearshift in drive. We’re going that way. There’s no reverse, we’re not looking back. Looking forward and you’ve got to.”

Onward and upward. Next stop is UConn.

BB

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