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Pirates not alone in transition

By Al Myatt
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Spring football at East Carolina is a time of transition. A virtually new coaching staff is installing new systems and the Pirates are in the process of determining a starting quarterback.

The programs that ECU will face the first four games during the nonconference portion of the schedule are also in transition to varying degrees.

Here we'll take a look at the teams the Pirates will match up against before getting into the American Athletic Conference games.

A year ago, ECU had nonconference games with Virginia Tech and Brigham Young in between AAC opponents.

The schedule is more compartmentalized this season. The out-of-conference contests are up front and then the league schedule follows.

The demanding travel for games at Southern Methodist and BYU in successive weeks in 2015 is thankfully missing from the upcoming slate.

Once the Pirates get into the AAC, they will have a home game followed by a road game for the remainder of the regular season, which makes for a nice balance.

ECU will start off the year with home games against Western Carolina and N.C. State before road games at South Carolina and Virginia Tech.

The Pirates are not by themselves in terms of going through changes.

Western Carolina (Sept. 3)

The quarterback search is on during spring ball in Cullowhee. Troy Mitchell, the career all-purpose yards leader for the Catamounts, was a senior on the 2015 team which went 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the Southern Conference.

Mitchell completed 208 of 330 passes for 2,337 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions last year. He ran 96 times for 490 yards with three scores.

WCU has run a spread offense with some read option under coordinator Brad Glenn.

Rising junior Wes Holcombe saw action in all 11 games last year, completing 16 of 28 tosses for 130 yards without a score or an interception. Rising sophomores Tyrie Adams and Kalen Whitlow have also been taking snaps.

Adams was the SoCon high jump champion as a freshman, clearing 2.09 meters. Whitlow's brother, Jalen Whitlow, is a former starting quarterback at Kentucky.

The Catamounts are a Football Championship Subdivision program with a limit of 63 scholarships.

After making trips to Tennessee and Texas A&M last season, the returning WCU players should not face a severe adjustment to the atmosphere at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Five of the Catamounts' top six tacklers are back, which creates the possibility that the defense can buy some time for the team until the new quarterback settles in.

N.C. State (Sept. 10)

N.C. State brought in offensive coordinator Eli Drinkwitz in January to replace Matt Canada, who was reportedly a candidate for the head coaching position at ECU prior to his dismissal.

The change was made after the Pack went 7-6 overall and 3-5 in the ACC in 2015 with a 51-28 loss to Mississippi State in the Belk Bowl.

Jacoby Brissett completed 237 of 395 passes as a senior for 2,662 yards with 20 TDs and six picks. He also provided a running dimension with 139 keepers for a net of 370 yards with six trips to the end zone.

Rising redshirt sophomore Jalan McClendon was Brissett's backup in 2015.

McClendon saw limited action in eight games, completing eight of 14 for 69 yards.

There are others in the QB mix for Drinkwitz, who has been a part of successful programs at Auburn, Arkansas State and Boise State. Characterized as a disciple of Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, Drinkwitz called a Broncos offense that averaged 39.1 points and over 500 yards per game last year.

The Wolfpack's season opener on Sept. 1 in Raleigh with William & Mary will get plenty of attention in the Pirates football office before the game in Greenville to see what NCSU is doing and the personnel that's doing it.

At South Carolina (Sept. 17)

The changes are comprehensive for the Gamecocks with Will Muschamp emerging as Steve Spurrier's successor.

The former Florida coach takes over a program that managed just three wins in 2015.

Pirates coach Scottie Montgomery should have a feel for what Kurt Roper will provide as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Gamecocks. Roper was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Duke from 2008-2013.

Montgomery was promoted from Blue Devils receivers coach to take on Roper's former responsibilities when Roper left to join Muschamp and the Gators in 2014.

Roper will be looking at Perry Orth as the most experienced returning quarterback for the Gamecocks. Orth played in all 12 games last year, completing 143 of 262 attempts for 1,929 yards with 12 TDs and nine interceptions.

True freshman Brandon McIlwain also is getting some snaps this spring after enrolling early. Connor Mitch, who started the season-opening 17-13 win over North Carolina last year, and Michael Scarnecchia are also in the QB picture.

Lorenzo Nunez, who started twice last season at quarterback, is in a leg cast for the remainder of spring ball.

Muschamp moved up the ladder as a defensive coordinator at Texas and Auburn. He was 28-21 in four seasons as head coach at Florida, 17-15 in the Southeastern Conference.

The contest with ECU will be South Carolina's first home game under Muschamp, following league trips to Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.

At Virginia Tech (Sept. 24)

Virginia Tech had the reputation for being rather conservative offensively and playing to Bud Foster's defense during the lengthy regime of alumnus Frank Beamer as coach.

Foster remained in place in the aftermath of Beamer's retirement when Justin Fuente was summoned from Memphis. The Tigers were 9-4 overall in 2015 and 5-3 in the AAC.

The Tigers averaged 40.2 points last year, 11th nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision, which indicates a potential for the Hokies to increase their offensive production.

New Virginia Tech offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brad Cornelson came with Fuente from Memphis.

Brenden Motley, a redshirt senior, appears to be the heir apparent to Michael Brewer at quarterback. Motley started six games last year, completing 93 of 167 passes for 1,172 yards with seven interceptions and three scores.

One of his starts was at ECU while Brewer was hurt. Motley completed 20 of 35 against the Pirates for 281 yards and a TD. He ran 19 times for 85 yards and a score in a 35-28 loss.

Former ECU defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell, who was on Ruffin McNeill's staff at ECU as defensive coordinator from 2010 to 2012, was named cornerbacks coach on Fuente's staff earlier this month after spending three years at West Virginia.

The Pirates will have tape of the Hokies to review from games with Liberty, Tennessee and Boston College before ECU makes the trek to Blacksburg.

The matchup with the Volunteers will be on the infield at Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway.

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 03/26/16 12:13 AM.

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