Bonesville Mobile Alpha Rev. 2.1a*

Mobile Home  |  Desktop Home

Did Riley leave parting gift?

By Al Myatt
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

Lincoln Riley got busy when two quarterbacks who had committed to East Carolina for the 2014 recruiting class went elsewhere.

"When they get fidgety, I get fidgety," Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill said of the sequence of events that sent John Wolford from Bishop Kenny in Jacksonville, FL, to Wake Forest and Shawn Stankavage from Cardinal Gibbons in Raleigh to Vanderbilt.

Riley, the former East Carolina offensive coordinator who left to assume those responsibilities at Oklahoma, found left-hander Blake Kemp at Mesa (AZ) Community College, wanting a chance to play on the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

Kemp had played at Hamilton High School, helping the Huskies of coach Steve Belles during an incredible 53-game winning streak that included three Arizona state championships.

Still, he was between getting a job after high school or taking advantage of his lone opportunity at the next level at Mesa as his prep career concluded.

The Thunderbirds hired Ryan Felker as coach. Mesa had just seven wins in the previous four seasons. But with Kemp at the controls of a passing offense that was similar to what Riley was directing for the Pirates, the T-Birds made back-to-back junior college bowl appearances. Kemp was named Mesa's Male Athlete of the Year for 2013-14.

Following Mesa, Kemp had an offer from Southeast Missouri State, a Football Championship Subdivision program, as well as interest from Georgia State, New Mexico, New Mexico State and Nevada-Las Vegas.

Riley became aware of Kemp through Alex Jacobson, Mesa's running backs coach, who knew the former Pirates OC through camps in the southwest. Kemp, incidentally, holds the NJCAA record for attempts per game (44.0) and completions per game (28.6).

Kemp visited ECU and had a productive discussion with Riley that led to a late, but possibly fortuitous signing on March 7, 2014.

Kemp, who has two years of eligibility remaining at ECU, spent last season on the Pirates scout team as a redshirt. His maturity and experience provided some good preparation looks for the Pirate defense.

When Kurt Benkert went out for the season with a right knee injury, Kemp, the back-up, got a preseason promotion.

Dave Nichol's start as Riley's replacement at OC has certainly had some twists and turns but McNeill has confidence in the entire process.

"I was disappointed for Kurt but God doesn't make mistakes," said the ECU alumnus and coach. "Kurt has some great things ahead of him."

Kemp will be surrounded by a talented group.

"We have a lot of depth around him," McNeill said. "We like our depth up front with Ike Harris (left tackle) and Quincy McKinney (left guard), C.J. Struyk (center) and J.T. Boyd (right guard), Dontae (Livingston, right tackle), Brandon Smith (second team right tackle) and Christian Matau (back-up guard).

"At the receiver positions, Bryce Williams and Stephen Bagget are at the inside Y position. Jimmy Williams and Brandon Bishop at outside (Z). Brandon Bishop has had a great fall camp."

At the other outside receiver spot, the X in ECU's terminology, Davon Grayson and Daquan Barnes are set to go. Junior Isaiah Jones is the top returning receiver and will operate at the H inside receiver spot with sophomore Quay Johnson.

"At the running back, Chris Hairston and Ant (Anthony) Scott really had good camps," McNeill said. "Devin Anderson is a kid we like. He walked on here but you'll see a lot of him. He's a good player."

Kemp actually had better numbers than Benkert in preseason scrimmages.

"Blake did a great job in the offseason, just like Kurt, and all that room, a really good student," McNeill said. "Cody Keith, he's back. He had a little slowdown with a foot injury but he's back, moving well, throwing the ball. James Summers, one of our signees, has played quarterback all of his life. He was going to be a wideout like Justin (Hardy). With the injury to Kurt, we put him back at quarterback. John Jacobs, the young freshman, has done a good job there. The competitive depth is still there at each position."

Summers ran for 1,002 yards and 12 touchdowns last season at Hinds (MS) Community College.

There is certainly enough talent at quarterback to keep anyone from becoming complacent.

"They all can make things happen with their feet, really," McNeill said of the quarterback corps. "The old days of having a straight drop-back quarterback, it's not happening now. You've got to have a mobile quarterback. James has that. John Jacobs has that. He really has great feet. Cody has improved in that part as well. So does Blake."

Kemp's late signing doesn't preclude his ability to be effective.

"You find 'em like that," McNeill said. "Like a Wes Welker (Texas Tech, NFL), like a Justin Hardy. You find those guys late. (Vintavious) Tay Cooper. ... Glad he was there."

Kemp has a quarterback's name. Jeff Blake, an uncle of ECU receiver Isaiah Jones, led the Pirates to an 11-1 season in 1991. Jack Kemp was a standout quarterback in the old AFL for the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills before entering the political arena.

Game speed

The Pirates will be checking out all systems as Towson visits for the season opener at 6 p.m. Saturday.

"The speed of the game is going to change," McNeill said. "The first game is different from practice, even though we go first team versus first team quite a bit. That execution is going to be of utmost importance, The first game, having the ability to play the next play whether it's a great play – play the next play, or a tough play – play the next play. It's going to be very important to be able to do that in every game, but this first game, there will be a lot of new replacements and they will be wanting to prove themselves. That's not bad so you've got to expect that."

What's important against the Tigers, an FCS program with 19 returning starters that went 4-8 in 2014?

"Make sure we take care of the ball on offense," McNeill said. "Get some take-aways on defense. Special teams – be solid with coverage teams, help our defense and return teams help our offense get great field position. Have a great, excited sideline. Let's go play. See what's what."

Walking with less impact

McNeill had his second hip replacement surgery after signing the current true freshmen class. He's resumed walking although he's no longer pounding the pavement.

"I don't go on the street much," McNeill said. "I'm walking around the practice field on grass, taking some of the pressure off the joints. I love walking and I love getting out, but the pavement, the streets and the sidewalks. ... I was talking to Kevin Youngs, my therapist. I just did (Tuesday) on the grass and it just felt so much better. I recovered better."

Movie selection

McNeill is a movie buff and the Pirates head to the theatre at home or on the road the night before a game.

Straight Outta Compton, a show about the origins of hip-hop culture in the 1980s, will be the cinematic selection for ECU on Friday night.

"All the guys wanted to see it," McNeill said. "It's action-packed. They know that's what I want. I'm anxious to see how it goes. As long as it has action and adventure and a toughness, a mentality that will get us into the game and help that little focus part, I'll enjoy it."

Preseason camp

McNeill was pleased with the weeks the Pirates have put in to get ready.

"It's been great," he said. "You find out the personality of your team. It starts to develop. This is a quiet team. They are a listening team and they go about their business. What we believe in is in place, how we practice, our practice tempo, pace. I have a great, great staff. I'm blessed to have a great staff, not just the coaches but all the personnel.

"Camp, we got a lot of work done. Replacing some players."

Defense looks solid

If 12 sacks in two preseason scrimmages are an indication, the Pirates may be pretty tough on defense.

"We expect the defense to be solid," McNeill said. "We expect all three units to be solid. They've done a great job. Rick Smith (defensive coordinator), John Wiley (associate head coach, inside linebackers coach) Duane Price (outside linebackers) and Marc Yellock (defensive line coach). Those guys have done a great job. (Defensive staff assistants) Kyle Chase and Butch (Brandon Butcher) have done a great job of getting the guys doing their job and doing it well.

" ... They run well. They do a good job of having consecutive plays of everybody doing their job. We like to hope that they keep improving each week and be a part of the team that helps give us a chance for success. ... Improved. Zeek Bigger, Montese (Overton) at the backer positions. Up front with Johnathan White. Terrell Stanley is back. Great to see him out there. Demetri McGill. Demage Bailey. Fred Presley. Good group.

"Secondary, real pleased with Travon Simmons and Terrell Richardson at the safety positions. Bobby Fulp has also done a great job. Josh Hawkins, DaShaun Amos, Rocco Scarfone (corners). Those guys have done a great job. Worth Gregory (punter, kick holder) is our leader on special teams."

Demanding schedule

There are some nonconference heavyweights on the ECU schedule and the Pirates will be looking to win the American Athletic Conference in the first season the league has a championship game (Dec. 5) as well.

McNeill was asked about what this group can achieve.

"The biggest thing is if we continue to bond," McNeill said. "I was asked, 'What's the strength of this team?' I think it's the bond. Every team we've had has been tight. You don't know when you lose dominant leaders like Dominique Davis and Shane Carden and even quiet, dominant leaders like Justin Hardy, but the bond is very tight and that's a strength. I think we can accomplish, if we keep this vision to have a great day each day, but in that day have everything we do in that day be at championship-type mode, a champ rep, which is being full speed, error free, great fundamentals and take it play by play and day by day.

"Not worry about who we play but how we play. That's very important for these guys. Don't worry about who we play on any game on our schedule. It's how we play. That's controllable. The uncontrollable will be the opponents but the controllable is worry about how we prepare, everybody about embracing their role and doing their job well."

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 09/04/15 01:36 AM.

Copyright © Bonesville.net. All rights reserved. No content on this site may be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any fashion without explicit written permission from the editor. Information from Bonesville staff members, East Carolina University, Conference USA and other sources was used in composing and/or compiling the articles and data on this site. This site is editorially independent and is not affiliated with East Carolina University or Conference USA. View Bonesville.net's privacy policy. For advertising or other information, e-mail editor@bonesville.net.