By
Al Myatt
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As another game for the East Carolina football program
approaches, the Pirates' seventh postseason matchup in the last eight
years, another form of competition in college football continues.
It's the competition off the field that can make or break
the competition on the field.
That's recruiting, of course, the facet of the sport that
will determine to a large extent how successful ECU will be in future
seasons as it transitions to the American Athletic Conference next year.
Good players make good coaches as the saying goes.
Recognizing talent, getting it into school and continuing
players' development are factors that allow a program to achieve at the
highest level possible.
The Pirate coaches have been making the most of their
time and energy to position ECU for continued success.
"Our staff loves recruiting and I love being on the road,
too," said Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill. "I absolutely love recruiting
people and trying to get Pirates here. ... We're trying to make sure
we've got each position restocked, the receiver position for example,
the O-line and the running back position. We want to make sure we get
some guys there. At the receiver, we want the outside guys which are
usually taller and can stretch the field. We've got some guys there who
are hopefully coming aboard to be Pirates.
"We have some inside guys, where we want more speed.
Offensively, we want to get some tall, athletic linemen in and we want
to get backs. We want them with speed that can keep breaking away and
stretch the field ... and also get a back with size.
"On defense, defensive linemen are always at a premium
and we want to make sure we get those guys in. We'll still stay with a
3-4 type mode and linebackers are a key to that. We want to keep getting
the rangy length, athletic-type guys we've gotten. Defensive back, we
want to fill each position from safety depth to corner depth."
The Pirate coaches were on the road extensively the week
following
a 59-28 loss at Marshall
on Nov. 29.
"Even now, we practice in the daytime and at night I'm
getting out with the particular coaches," McNeill said Wednesday. " ...
This is contact time so we can actually talk to recruits. I get one time
out as a head coach. I can only go see each kid once. I'm going out this
week after practice."
McNeill was in St. Petersburg, FL, on Thursday to make a
promotional appearance for the Beef O'Brady's Bowl. ECU (9-3) faces Ohio
(7-5) at 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23, at Tropicana Field, home of the
Tampa Bay Rays.
"I'll be out (recruiting) Friday and even Saturday,"
McNeill said. "Sunday starts a quiet period. We can no longer go out."
The American Football Coaches Association convention is
in Indianapolis, Jan. 12-15.
"After the convention, we won't have much time," McNeill
said. "The big weekend is going to the Jan. 17-18. After that weekend,
we'll have two weeks left. Then signing date is coming up. We don't have
much time. It's a shortened recruiting window this year."
National Signing Day is Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The Marshall phenomenon
East Carolina's 59-28 loss at Marshall to end the regular
season was unprecedented during the 2013 season. The Pirates had not
been outplayed to that degree.
McNeill addressed factors that cost ECU an opportunity to
host the Conference USA championship game.
"First, you've got to give credit," he said. "Marshall
played well. Games come down to execution, finishing plays and routine
plays, those three items. When you have two really good teams, mistakes
become magnified. That day, Marshall made more plays than we did. That
was the bottom line. They executed well and they made more routine
plays.
"Coming off
the State game and a
short week, it's an emotional game. To have a game of that magnitude
before, that was a big game. We rested our kids, but that was a big game
and then coming back, that game at Marshall. They were playing well and
we were, too.
"It was Senior Day for them. That's one. That's always
tough. I would like to have played here on Senior Day. We don't lose
those much either. That was tough. There was the anniversary of the
tragedy. (The Thundering Herd wore '75' decals on their helmets for the
75 people who were killed in a plane crash Nov. 14, 1970, as they
returned from a game at ECU).
"They had some intangible things. We beat 'em last year.
But it goes down to execution, making and finishing plays, and routine
plays.They did a good job. I congratulated Doc (Marshall coach Doc
Holliday). I'd love to play them again. They played their best game of
the year against us. That had us stacked up. One of my good friends
said, 'That was their day.' "
ECU is 9-3, even though the Pirates didn't achieve their
goal of a championship in their last season in C-USA.
"I'm very proud of the season we've had," McNeill said.
"We lost two games by eight points (15-10
at home to Virginia Tech on Sept. 14 and
36-33 in triple overtime to Tulane
at the Superdome on Oct. 12). The team was let down because we had some
goals and visions. That was a goal (C-USA title) but we've reached some
goals and we've still got a chance to reach some more. ... We're one of
70 teams playing (in a bowl). There were 79 teams qualified but only 70
were picked.
"Nine teams got left out. That's a tough deal."
Bobcats chosen over Toledo
Ohio might have been omitted from the postseason if
Toledo had not been upset, 31-29, at Akron to close the regular season.
The Rockets were 7-5, as were the Bobcats. Toledo was 5-3 in the
Mid-American Conference while Ohio was 4-4.
"That's always difficult," said Ohio coach Frank Solich
of the process that allowed the Bobcats to leapfrog the Rockets. "We
would have not felt great about it, if it was us left out. I understand
where they would be coming from. They've got an excellent resume, going
7-5. Beating Bowling Green at Bowling Green, and beating Buffalo, those
are all huge pluses for them. They lost their last ball game to a team
that we had beaten fairly handily earlier in the year. I think you can
go back and forth with scenarios and make a case either way — and they
had a strong case."
Exceptional group
McNeill said he has really enjoyed the experience with
his fourth-year team at ECU.
"This has been one of the most rewarding years of
coaching," said the former Pirate defensive back. "I've been around some
champion teams but this year with these kids and this staff has been the
most rewarding year I've been around in 33 years.
"They have a uniqueness about them and a closeness and a
chemistry about them. They've done some special things."
Nine previous ECU teams have played North Carolina and
N.C. State in the same season. The 2013 Pirates are the first to sweep
their in-state rivals.
Injuries have not had the debilitating affect on the
program as in the 2010 and 2011 seasons because of the depth that has
been created through recruiting and player development.
"The kids haven't flinched," McNeill said. "No excuses.
No complaints. This group has been that kind of group all year long.
"Injury. Next guy steps up. Suspension. Next guy steps
up. No hesitation. That's due to the mentality of our team, the
development of the team and getting kids in here that fit that mold."
Carden's unpublicized surgery
ECU's passing game has remained productive in 2013
despite significant personnel losses in the receiving corps.
The durability of quarterback Shane Carden has kept the
Pirates from having to take the redshirt off true freshman back-up Kurt
Benkert.
"They've overcome a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries
that people don't know about," McNeill said. "Shane having surgery after
the State game. I kept that, like I wanted to, quiet. We didn't make any
excuses.
"Normal people, they'd have been out for three to four
weeks. Shane did it Saturday night after the State game and played that
Friday (at Marshall)."
Carden completed 29 of 52 passes for 291 yards with three
interceptions at Marshall. His streak of 20 games with a touchdown pass
came to an end.
Presumably, Carden will be 100 percent for the bowl game.
The surgery was on his hand. An injury to his throwing hand in spring
practice of 2012 sidelined Carden and pushed the quarterback competition
into preseason camp.
Carden, recently named Player of the Year in C-USA,
didn't become the starter until the third game of his sophomore season
in 2012.
Ohio beat Marshall
One of Ohio's seven wins came by a 34-31 margin at home
Sept. 14 over Marshall, which, of course, beat ECU soundly.
Bobcats quarterback Tyler Tettleton is a redshirt senior
from Norman, OK, who has set 27 school records. Tettleton has completed
209 of 331 pass attempts this season for 2,623 yards with 20 touchdowns
and nine interceptions. He also has run 39 times for 127 yards.
"They're a well-coached team," McNeill said of ECU's
opponent a week from today. "I've had a chance to coach against Coach
Solich's teams. They're fundamentally sound. Offensively, they're going
to have an option or a dual-type threat. Defensively, we're got to be
prepared for that. They also spread the field with the dual threats and
the quarterback's ability to run and read.
"Defensively, they're going to be sound. Special teams
are sound."
The Pirates are mindful of being at their best after a
subpar showing in their last outing.
"We're worrying about ourselves each day," McNeill said.
"That's what this team has done. This team has really approached each
day and taken that day as it is.
"They get better each day. We'll work each day to get
ready for that game."
Two-pronged practices
Besides getting ready for the postseason game, which will
be shown on ESPN, the Pirates are also getting extra time to develop
redshirts and scout team players. Bowl camp is almost like an extra
spring practice in that regard.
"We have what we call our varsity sharps," McNeill said.
"You keep your starters and your guys who play a lot, you keep them
sharp. We go good on good, almost an NFL-style practice. Controlled
reps, 15 reps. It's high tempo.
"We finish that group, they go condition with Coach
(Jeff) Connors.
"Then we take the young guys, redshirts and guys that
don't get many reps. We take them through a 15- to 20-play
seven-on-seven."
The Pirates also work the developmental aspect with
Thursday scrimmages for the lesser experienced players throughout the
season.
"It's like the old junior varsity games," McNeill said.
"Live, full speed, about 25 or 30 reps all year long.
"They've had about 12 game-like scrimmages during the
year and then five more now.
"It's intense. They get after it. They get coached and
get coached hard. It's good for us."
Doc gives approval
Marshall won the Beef O'Brady's Bowl in 2011.
"It's a perfect time," McNeill said. "Any bowl game, I've
learned, is an honor.
"This is a great bowl. Doc (Holliday) and I were talking.
He and I have both been to a lot of bowls."
Holliday began his coaching career as a graduate
assistant at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 1979.
"Doc said this is one of the best bowls he's been to in
coaching — his whole time," McNeill said. "When Doc said that, I know
where he's been."
ECU's last bowl game in Florida was in 1965 when the
Pirates defeated Maine, 31-0, in the Tangerine Bowl. ECU is 8-10 in bowl
games and will be looking to halt a string of four consecutive bowl
setbacks.
"It's going to be a great atmosphere," McNeill said.
"We've got a lot of Pirates traveling and they'll be able to get back
for Christmas Eve and enjoy Christmas at home."
The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 and 930 on
Mondays at 6:30 p.m.
This week's guests
were Beef 'O'
Brady's Bowl
executive director
Brett Dulaney and
ECU director of
football
administration Dale
Steele:
