CHRONICLING EAST
CAROLINA & CONFERENCE USA
SPORTS
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View from the East
Friday, March 30, 2012
By Al Myatt |
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Pirates developing on multiple levels
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Coach Ruffin McNeill |
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(File photo by W.A. Myatt) |
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By
Al Myatt
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View the Mobile Alpha version of this page.
Spring practice is a time
of multi-tasking for the East Carolina football coaching staff.
It is a time for
individual evaluations such as that involved with the competition to
determine a successor to Dominique Davis at quarterback. It is a time
for individual fundamental and skill development at all positions. It is
a time for teaching and revising offensive and defensive schemes in the
broader sense of those units.
All of the efforts ranging
from the individual, positional, unit and team standpoint are about
preparing for the 2012 season, which starts at home against Appalachian
State on Sept. 1.
East Carolina held workout
No. 6 of spring football practice on Wednesday and will go out again
this afternoon, weather permitting, with a controlled scrimmage
scheduled for Saturday.
This week's scrimmage and
other developmental aspects on the agenda are closed to the public.
Pirate fans may take in the Purple-Gold scrimmage at Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium on April 14.
Former Pirates coach Skip
Holtz used to say that each season's team developed a separate identity
and current ECU skipper Ruffin McNeill likes what he's seeing from the
group that will represent his alma mater in 2012.
"I like this football
team," McNeill said. "I like this outfit. They have a competitive spirit
that I like. They have done everything from the end of the season,
offseason with Coach (Jeff) Connors (assistant athletic director for
strength and conditioning). ... We have (nine) days left to get some
work in but I like that competitive spirit about this group.
"There's battles and
competition going on on all three sides of the football. The
quarterback, I know will get most of the attention but there's also
offensive line battles, defensive back battles, running back positioning
battles there. For me, those battles are major because I want to create
competition at all positions. That's the key to having a football team
that competes year in and year out and reaches its potential."
Quarterback situation
Davis was the prime mover
in ECU's offense during a 5-7 season in 2011. He threw for 3,225 yards
and 25 touchdowns. He netted 172 yards rushing with five scores.
Rio Johnson served as
Davis's backup, the only one of the four quarterbacks in competition
this spring to get playing time last season. Johnson appeared in four
games, completing 20 of 29 passes for 157 yards with no TDs and one
pick. Johnson, a rising junior from Atlanta, lost a total of 31 yards on
seven rushing attempts.
Brad Wornick was Davis's
backup when the Pirates went 6-7 in 2010. Wornick completed 13 of 19
passes for 138 yards with one score and no interceptions in five games.
The rising senior from Charlotte ran once that season for seven yards.
Shane Carden, a sophomore
from Houston, and Cody Keith, a redshirt freshman from Charlotte, have
yet to take a college snap but are in the quarterback picture.
"I think some days Rio is
out there in front," McNeill said. "Some days you see Shane do some
things on routes and understanding where the ball goes. Cody Keith the
same way — make the throws he's got to make and the decisions he's got
to make. Brad's that gamer who when it's his turn and it's that
competitive situation or group competition, you see him.
"I think all four of them
are competing well. Rio has game experience. So does Brad. ... They're
all four competing. I like all four of those guys."
Running back outlook
Injuries led to ECU using
four different running backs as starters last season, including
converted inside receiver Zico Pasut. Torrance Hunt, Reggie Bullock and
Michael Dobson, each of whom started at various times, combined to
produce 1,138 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Bullock only played in
six games due to ailments after winning the starting assignment for
the season opener in Charlotte against South
Carolina.
"Reggie is doing a fine
job," McNeill said. "Of course, he missed so many games last year with
injury. It's good to see him out there. You see him make the cuts and
the runs that he's capable of making.
"The biggest thing with
that position is that guy has to be a three-tier guy. He's got to be
able to block, catch and run the football. Reggie's doing two of those
things pretty well and continues to work on that third one of
protection."
Dobson had 11 catches for
96 yards last season.
Receivers banged up in
2011
ECU's receiving corps
utilized a lot of personnel last season as injuries sidelined almost
everyone from prolific Lance Lewis to promising Justin Hardy for
portions of the campaign.
"Reese Wiggins (rising
junior outside receiver) came on strong last year," McNeill said. "He
worked very hard with Coach Connors in the offseason. Reese has been
steadily improving. David Nichol (new outside receivers coach) will be
one of the best things that's happened to (Wiggins), to be honest. David
understands the position, not that Dennis (Simmons, now at Washington
State) or Pat (Washington, now at Kentucky) didn't, but David
understands it and has a special knack to develop kids there.
"Dayon Arrington (rising
senior) has been steady. We're missing Danny Webster (rising soph, out
following right knee surgery) at the inside position there. Derrick
Harris (rising senior and brother of former ECU great Dwayne Harris)
picked it up last practice and he's one who has earned a scholarship. He
did some things for us last year (23 catches for 168 yards, 1 TD) that
we're counting on. Donte Sumpter (rising soph) is out now with a nick on
his knee but he'll be back hopefully by the time we finish spring.
"Justin Hardy and Justin
Jones (rising junior tight end) are just like we thought, guys who can
make a difference. We need those guys to be healthy. Andrew Bodenheimer
(rising senior) is one you know every day, every play what you're going
to get. He does a great job of leading as well. Antonio Cannon (rising
soph) is another young player that we redshirted but he's going to be a
tough player and a tough receiver. He catches the ball well."
McNeill is hopeful that
Webster will be available by the season opener.
Depth on offensive line
Will Simmons was the only
ECU offensive lineman to start every game at the same position last
season, opening all 12 games at right guard. Jordan Davis made starts at
left tackle and left guard. Steven Baker made starts at left and right
tackle in his senior season. Josh Clark, one of three starters at
center, returns after making six starts there last season. Adhem Elsawi
made starts at left guard and right tackle in 2011. Grant Harner had
eight starts at right tackle. Drew Gentry made one start at right tackle
as a redshirt freshman.
"Harner is out right now,
recovering from an injury," McNeill said. "He's working his way back and
he's close. Maybe in a week or so we can get some work out of him but
the core that I like — Will Simmons, Jordan Davis, Adhem Elsawi — is
back. Taylor Hudson (rising sophomore) on the offensive line is a guy
who has stepped up and been a surprise there at center. C.J. Struyk
(rising soph) is another guy who has stepped up. Josh Clark is still
battling and doing a great job there so that center position is shored
up. Some young guys, Isaac Harris (rising soph), Chaz Lowery (rising
soph) have been doing a great job and Jimmy Booth (rising junior) has
been a pleasant surprise."
Booth moved from the
defensive front to offensive guard and center during the offseason.
"Robert Jones, a guy we
moved from defensive line a year ago to offensive line, has had a very
good spring," McNeill said. "I like the way that group is working there.
Hopefully, we're solidifying that group where we have a great group of
starters and some guys, that if someone gets nicked, they'll be able to
go in and rotate those guys up front.
"The goal has been in the
offseason and with recruiting and Coach Connors' development, thought
process and theory and then as we go through spring ball ... to develop
depth at all positions."
Special teams personnel
Former East Carolina
player Kirk Doll, who has worked on staffs at LSU, Notre Dame and in the
NFL for the Denver Broncos, has been hired as special teams coordinator.
ECU lost placekicker Michael Barbour and Ben Ryan, who did the bulk of
the punting last season. Barbour made 12 of 17 field goals and had
tremendous range with three field goals of more than 50 yards. He made
39 of 40 extra points.
Rising soph Warren Harvey,
a hometown product from Rose High, is shaping up as the heir apparent to
Barbour. Rising junior Trent Tignor and senior Phillip McNaughton, who
made an ill-fated start
against Southern Miss, are
competing for the punting job.
"Warren Harvey has done a
great job with the placekicking," McNeill said. "We're just looking for
consistency the rest of spring practice. The ball is coming off his foot
very well. Matt Milisor (rising junior) is competing there with him.
" ... Trent may be ahead
of Phillip (punting) some days and then you'll see Phillip boom one and
get a great hang time, great distance on some punts.
"The snapping, Charlie
Coggins (rising soph) has done a great job, C.J. Struyk and also Matt
Milner are doing some snapping for us to give us some depth at that
position."
Work in progress
One of McNeill's
challenges is determining how time might best be spent in the spring to
get the Pirates as close to their potential in the allotted time as
possible.
"I like the mentality of
the football team right now," said the ECU coach. "We're not there yet
and we've got work to do. ... This group has seen a foundation built in
these first two years. They don't want to be a foundation for the third
year. They want to be the team that pushes us to the expectations that
we have in house. I like that with this group. I like the competitive
spirit with this group."
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03/30/2012 01:19 AM
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