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Pirates planning feast, nap today

By Al Myatt
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East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill likes a certain routine during game week but he's looking forward to an exception today as the Pirates (5-6, 3-4 AAC) get ready to host Cincinnati (6-5, 3-4) on Saturday at noon.

With school out for Thanksgiving, ECU will have an early practice before the team celebrates Thanksgiving as a family.

"From day one, we've talked about being a family, everybody in this organization and program," said the former Pirate player and sixth-year coach. "It's not coaching cliché. That's the managers, the trainers, everybody involved with the team on a daily basis. The coaches and their kids.

"We'll have an early practice ... so the kids can get used to getting up and moving around that early and then we'll eat at 1 (p.m.). It will be what I call a 'sleep' meal. When they eat, they're going home and going to bed. They'll be full. Great enthusiasm about it.

"I have a lot of family coming up as well. Erlene (Ruff's wife) has been cooking all week long. So I'll get two tastes, one at Erlene's restaurant and then one, there's a lady out of Fayetteville, Golden Corral, and she can cook up something now – fried turkey, baked turkey, baked chicken, fried chicken, collard greens that have a little bite to them. They're delicious. It will be a festive day. I want them to eat like vikings."

Senior Day

Besides playing for bowl eligibility, the Pirates will recognize seniors in the program Saturday.

"These seniors have done so much," McNeill said. "You think about what they've accomplished, sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle. It's just human nature. Having coached for so long, I don't get caught. I understand what's at stake, what they've gone through. This class has done so much for this university. Off the field, the discipline we've done. Those kids have grown and understand that. In the classroom, we've got guys already graduated. We might break that record, already graduated. Some guys will be graduated by December. But 17 I expect to be finished by next spring. All of them, they'll have their degrees. They've broken academic records their entire time here. ... Record highs."

ECU also has won 31 games over this and three previous seasons.

"All the preseason award candidates that we've had speaks highly of this group, not of me, not of the coaches but of this senior class," McNeill said. "They love East Carolina and really they've left a footprint here that will last for a long time."

Bearcats were preseason pick

Cincinnati was voted to win the American Athletic Conference in preseason balloting by 30 media members. The East Division voting had Central Florida second, followed by Temple, ECU, South Florida and Connecticut.

The Knights remained winless with a 44-7 loss to the Pirates last Thursday. The Bulls blasted the Bearcats 65-27 on Friday. UConn stunned previously unbeaten and No. 13 Houston 20-17 last week.

So much for preseason polls.

"You've got to be a little lucky," McNeill said. "Nick Saban (Alabama coach) says that. You've got to be a little lucky with the ball bouncing your way and staying free of key injuries. We've had to adjust (to injuries). We'd have been a little better if we hadn't been hit with the injury bug."

The Pirates had groomed Kurt Benkert as the successor to Shane Carden at quarterback but Benkert was lost for 2015 to a preseason knee injury.

"Willie (Taggart) is doing a great job down at South Florida," McNeill said. "That win was big. That Cincinnati team is very talented, too. An NFL scout told me they've got as many NFL prospects as anyone in the country on that team. They're big and huge. This team, South Florida and Connecticut taught me the size difference of Conference USA and the American Conference. That's what I'm trying to do, especially is educate our base of the difference in the leagues. This offensive line this week, they're huge. Willie's doing a great job. Temple is doing a good job."

UCF's performance this season is among the most mystifying in the college game. The Knights are two seasons removed from a 52-42 win over Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl in the AAC's first year.

"Central Florida, tough year," McNeill said. "Coach (George) O'Leary, three years ago, he gave the American Conference notoriety in the BCS bowl. Everybody remembers that. He built that program from nowhere to where it is right now. The kids are still there but when Coach O'Leary left, the direction left. You could tell that. Proud of this conference. Talk about UConn. Bob (Diaco) is doing a good job there with that team. If you sit back and say who we play and what those guys are doing, it didn't surprise me of them winning last week. Not at all because every game in this conference will be a head knocker."

Last week's upsets left No. 16 Navy (9-1) as the highest-ranked AAC team in the Associated Press poll. The Midshipmen visit No. 21 Houston (10-1) on Friday at noon. Temple (9-2), ranked 25th, hosts the Huskies (6-5) on Saturday night. The Owls are coming off a 31-12 win over Memphis, which was ranked No. 21 before its trip to Philadelphia.

"Navy, again Ken (Niumatalolo) is doing a great job, especially with the senior quarterback (Keenan Reynolds). Week in and week out, you better have your best foot forward.

"We know this week we're facing a very talented team that was picked at the top of the league. You can tell. The quarterback (Gunner Kiel) is an NFL guy. They've got a plethora of running backs. The receivers, they've got seven guys that they play and I think every one of them can have a shot at the next level. They're that good. Defensively, they'll be an even front. They play mostly five DBs all the time now. Special teams, they've got one of the best kickers (Andrew Gantz) in the country. They've got a very good team. South Florida beat them. It wasn't luck. We know what South Florida has and watching that film, a very physical game."

Big numbers for Kemp

Blake Kemp completed 35 of 50 passes for 465 yards last week with four touchdowns. That was the second most passing yards in a game for a Pirate, just behind Carden's 480 yards against Tulane in 2013.

"The offense did a great job of playing fast and distributing the ball," McNeill said. "Ball distribution was well done."

The Pirates limited UCF to four of 15 on third down conversions.

"Defense, third down, any time you're 70-plus (percent) on third down that's great, especially with the offenses today," McNeill said. "We had eight three and outs."

Davis Plowman kicked a career longest 45-yarder at UCF among his three field goals.

"Special teams, Davis Plowman did a good job giving us points in the red zone," McNeill said. "Special teams, creating turnovers, Pat Green (two forced fumbles), great job there. The sideline was magnificent. A great team win."

Offensive line bolstered

The personnel on the offensive front for the Pirates will be a little deeper this week with the return of senior Quincy McKinney from a concussion.

"Quincy is coming back," McNeill said. "You never know how that can go but he's passed all the protocols. He's back and practiced (Tuesday). Just keep my fingers crossed that he can stay healthy. He's back and that's the only one is Quincy. Dontae (Levingston) is not back and Christian (Matau) won't be back until spring. ... It's just a weird deal (shoulder injury) with Dontae. We miss him."

Contrast in weather

A year ago, ECU played the Bearcats in Paul Brown Stadium, losing 54-46 after taking a 46-45 lead with 1:02 to go.

The temperature was 27 degrees at kickoff with winds out of the southwest at seven miles per hour.

The forecast is calling for a high in the upper 60s on Saturday in Greenville.

"It's a big difference," McNeill said. "Last year, up there we had the heaters and the gloves. It was very cold. Close game. The atmosphere will be different because they have an on-campus stadium now. It's going to be warm here on Saturday, a great day."

Opportunity knocking

Although some 5-7 teams might get bowl bids in order to fill the 80 bowl slots this season, ECU is focused on taking care of its own business and getting to 6-6.

"It's a great opportunity for us," McNeill said. "It will be a great challenge but we have a lot to play for as well with the seniors and what's at stake. The opportunity is there for us. We know we've played some very talented teams and it's going to be a tough contest. We'll have to play our best."

What would a bowl bid mean?

"One, we've earned it and we got there under the toughest adversity in my career," McNeill said. "I've had some tough seasons.

"It means also we get a chance to play one more game. With playing one more game, we can get some extra practices in and get the young guys prepared for next year and the old guys ready to play the best game in their last game. I love the bowl activities and festivities for every bowl I've gone to. I look forward to having the opportunity of playing another one."

Some informed sources have ECU going to the Cure Bowl in Orlando with a win on Senior Day.

Having something to watch the Pirates play for at this point in the season is something for which to be thankful – in addition to our many blessings.

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 11/27/15 12:18 AM.

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