It's often said that a few plays decide many football games. East Carolina's 2011 season to date has been one of unfulfilled promise, a season seemingly redirected by a multitude of injuries on offense, a season that leaves the faithful to wonder what might have been.

The Pirates are 4-6 going into a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at home against Central Florida. ECU is pretty much in four-down territory in terms of extending its season with a potential sixth straight bowl trip. Two wins are needed, starting with the Knights.

But how much different things might have been.

What if the Pirates hadn't been beset by a rash of turnovers after jumping out to a 17-0 lead on South Carolina in the season opener in Charlotte?

What if ECU running back Michael Dobson hadn't dropped a potential touchdown pass in a 17-10 loss to Virginia Tech the following week in Greenville?

What if the Pirates hadn't given North Carolina a short field with a turnover to start the game at home and subsequently squandered a trip into Tar Heel territory with another lost fumble?

What if Houston's outstanding quarterback, Case Keenum, hadn't been hurt in 2010 and wasn't playing as a sixth-year senior?

What if ECU had finished its second possession in the Southern Miss game with a score after driving to the Golden Eagles' 8-yard line instead of the game-changing carom that turned into a 97-yard interception return? What if the Pirates punt team hadn't yielded two first-quarter scores in the showdown for the East Division lead in Conference USA?

What if the Pirates hadn't given up a 77-yard scoring sprint by Joe Banyard in the fourth quarter last week at Texas-El Paso after rallying for a 17-16 lead from a 16-7 halftime deficit?

ECU has caught some breaks, too. The Pirates haven't been entirely snakebit.

What if UAB's Pat Shed had held onto a pass at the pylon in the final minutes of the Pirates' C-USA opener? A 28-23 ECU win might have gone the other way.

What if a Navy receiver hadn't dropped a pass in the end zone late in the game in Annapolis or a final field goal attempt by the Midshipmen hadn't bounced off the upright?

What if, indeed.

It is what it is as a former Pirates coach used to say. Four wins and six losses leave the Pirates looking for a spark against UCF.

"We have to continue to play hard," said ECU coach Ruffin McNeill after a campus lockdown was lifted on Wednesday. "When you watch film, you see our team has played extremely hard from beginning to end.

"We have to execute. I keep saying that word but whether it's offense, defense or special teams — just do your job and execute the assigned call. That's big. Continue to play hard, that's No. 1. Execute the call. Take care of the ball on offense. Take it away on defense. Understand situations in the game. If it's a third down on defense — getting off the field. Or offense, after a big play by defense, getting a first down, getting points in the red zone. Taking care of the ball, touchdowns first, field goals next.

"Special teams understand we have to have great protection, great coverage. We need to understand those situations. Those are things we've been teaching all year long.

"This week, those four things — play hard, execution, take care of the football and understand situations."

The Pirates need to make some breaks for themselves.

"We need to have momentum and then capitalize on it," McNeill said. "That's one of the situations I'm talking about. If there is a spark then let that spark multiply. If something tough happens, you've got to put it behind you. It's like plowing — keep your eyes ahead and don't look back. If a spark happens — make sure we keep building on it."

Umbrella man affects football, too

The man who walked through downtown Greenville with an umbrella protruding from his backpack that was mistaken for an assault rifle, an error in perception that subsequently led to a lockdown at ECU on Wednesday, affected the football office, too.

"We wouldn't have practiced if the lockdown had continued," McNeill said. "We sent out a mass text to the players, advising them of the situation. Then we sent out another mass text after the lockdown was lifted, letting them know our afternoon meetings were back on schedule."

Big East frustrations

The game with Central Florida represents an opportunity for East Carolina to alleviate some frustration against a potential defector to the Big East from Conference USA.

ECU has tried to get the Big East's attention for a number of years. The Big East hasn't invited the Pirates but the facility improvements and basketball improvement are nevertheless beneficial to the Pirates' package.

The Knights, although rife with apparent NCAA infractions that recently led to the athletic director's resignation, did get an invite to the Big East — as did struggling Navy and Boise State, which promptly lost to Texas Christian.

College football guru Tony Barnhart doesn't think automatic qualifiers will necessarily be a part of the next revision of the Bowl Championship Series. The key to that course of action is giving the Rose Bowl it's old format, the Pac-12 champion against the Big Ten winner, he recently said on the Tim Brando Show.

What's really needed is a playoff with all of the conference champions.

Since television apparently has driven the latest wave of conference musical chairs, those desiring a playoff should take one more step into the cycle and pressure the television sponsors, who supply the dollars that creates television's influence. If the sponsors push for a playoff, that could be a catalyst for change from the present system.

This year's national championship matchup has the potential to create dissatisfaction among several power conferences, which also could serve to drive demand for a better format.

State Line Power Rankings™

1. Clemson ... The Tigers have secured their berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

2. South Carolina ... Gamecocks will likely miss the Southeastern Conference title game, but a Nov. 26 matchup with Clemson may decide the SLPR champion.

3. North Carolina ... Tar Heels should be rested and ready for a road challenge at Virginia Tech tonight.

4. Wake Forest ... Deacons need to solve fourth quarter problems against Maryland to become bowl eligible.

5. N.C. State ... Wolfpack has been up and down in the SLPR — kind of like their season.

6. East Carolina ... Pirates need to keep plowing and perhaps they will reap a bowl berth.

7. Duke ... What would happen if Mike Krzyzewski coached football?