By
Al Myatt
©2013 Bonesville.net
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You can sort of imagine the East Carolina coaching staff
sitting around a long table in the football office and talking about
logistics like they do on the UPS commercial.
With a day missing from a normal week of preparation, the
ECU coaches had to brainstorm how to best budget their time.
This has been a compacted week of practice for the team
in preparation for a noon kickoff Friday at Marshall for the Conference
USA East Division championship.
"We knew this was coming up and we had a plan," said
Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill. "Fortunately, we've been able to keep our
kids fresh from Saturday's game.
"We're usually off on Mondays but we practiced Monday
night around the lab schedule. Tuesday was a normal day."
The team practiced a little earlier on Wednesday because
of a Thanksgiving meal at 4 p.m.
"Helmet and jerseys, script day, a normal Thursday
practice," McNeill said of Wednesday's workout.
Players who are not on the traveling squad were allowed
to go home after the meal.
Today's schedule is similar to a Friday routine for a
Saturday game.
"We'll travel and once we reach the hotel, we'll do walk-throughs
and meetings like we normally do," said the ECU coach. "We'll have
dinner there, movie, come back, meetings.
"We'll get up the next morning at 7 and rock and roll,
the game at 12."
The forecast
Predictions for the high for Friday at Marshall range
from 39 to 43 degrees. Clear conditions are expected with light wind.
The Pirates have had some chilly times already this week.
"We had cold weather Monday," McNeill said. "Tuesday, we
practiced the entire two hours in the rain. We saw extremely cold
weather on Monday night's practice."
The Pirates will have to make like the U.S. Mail and
deliver, regardless of the circumstances.
"It's about execution," McNeill said. "The same things we
talk about each week. I think that's been the key. I think that's the
key for any team. You believe what you believe in and you stay the
course.
"We always talk about the same formula for each unit. ...
We have to play a great all-around football game on all three sides of
the ball at a high level. ... We have to do the best we can on every
play."
McNeill said the equipment managers have cold weather
gear for the players.
"Most of the guys don't wear a lot of that," McNeill
said. "It's when you get through playing that it becomes cold. While
you're playing, you don't think about it.
"Even as a coach, I don't think about it much until you
start standing still. We have plenty of equipment there for them if they
need it."
McNeill plans to have a toboggan.
"My dad told me if you're still playing when the
weather's cold, that usually means you've had a successful season,"
McNeill said.
Defensive changes
Both ECU and Marshall changed defensive coordinators in
the offseason. Rick Smith has the Pirates ranked 32nd among 123 teams in
the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring defense. The Pirates are
allowing 22.1 points per game, down from 31.6 points per game last
season. ECU is ranked No. 9 in rushing defense.
"Both defenses have shown improvement from the changes
made," McNeill said.
The two teams put on an offensive show last season with
the Pirates taking
a 65-59 win in two overtimes.
McNeill said the two programs have a lot of similarities.
"Two quarterbacks who lead their team (ECU's Shane Carden
and Marshall's Rakeem Cato)," he said. "Two of the best quarterbacks in
the conference, but in the country, too. Both teams have a good group of
running backs and receivers. The defenses are fast. They take a lot of
pride in special teams, like Kirk (Doll, ECU special teams coordinator)
and his staff do here. Doc (Holliday, Marshall coach) and I are similar
as well. We're both lifers as assistants and coordinators. Now we've got
jobs back in our home state. We're proud to be back. It's really a
unique deal.
"I've played against Marshall before. It's always been a
great game, great rivalry and I think both teams have respect for one
another."
Williams could play
The player vote was unanimous Sunday to allow nose tackle
Terry Williams to return to the team. Williams was in on 77 tackles in
his first two seasons with the Pirates and had 8.5 tackles for loss. He
had nine tackles in three games before he was suspended this season.
"He could possibly play some," McNeill said. "He's done
everything I've asked and more. He's humbled and he knows the team does
not revolve around him."
Williams did not practice with the team while he was
suspended.
"He worked out on his own," McNeill said. "He's practiced
like he's happy to be back. ... He understands not to count his reps but
to make his reps count. He's expected to be at full speed. His technique
doesn't look like it's fallen off."
Improved depth on the defensive front has allowed ECU to
overcome Williams' absence.
The same goes for the offensive front in terms of the
enabling qualities of improved depth.
McNeill gives a lot of credit to offensive line coach
Brandon Jones and defensive line coach Marc Yellock for ECU's
performance in the trenches.
The
Steve Logan Show
is simulcast on
radio stations FM 103.7 and
FM 94.1 on Mondays
from 6-8 p.m. Replay
this week's show:
The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 and 930 on Mondays at
6:30 p.m. This week's
guests were ECU
director of football
operations Brian
Overton and high
school coaches Dave
Wojtecki, Paul
Cornwell, Sport
Sawyer and Jim Bob
Bryant:
ECU
coach
Ruffin
McNeill
discussed
the
Pirates'
road
win
over
ACC
foe
N.C.
State
and
looked
ahead
to
their
Conference
USA
clash
at
Marshall:
