CHRONICLING ECU & C-USA SPORTS
-----
|
View
from the 'ville
Thursday,
June 29, 2006
By Al Myatt |
 |
Date with Midshipmen edging
closer
©2006 Bonesville.net
It's been seven months since East Carolina
played a football game and it's just a little more than two months before
the Pirates will open the 2006 season at Navy.
Pro-rating that span to the regular season
duration between Saturday kickoffs and it's like a Thursday in regard to
ECU's pending trip to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
That said, it's not too early to take a look
at what lies ahead for ECU, starting with that first game with the
Midshipmen on Sept. 2.
The Pirates have never played Navy. The first
thing a team has to get past when playing a service academy is those
sections of uniformed support personnel whose mindset is strongly influenced
by their military training. Game day is like a combat operation.
Quite simply, the opposition is defined as the
enemy and that will be ECU's role that first Saturday in 2006.
The flip side to that scenario is that very
few players who think they have a shot at a pro career ever enroll at the
service academies. The postgraduate military commitment precludes immediate
entry to the next level of sports competition.
Roger Staubach, David Robinson and Napoleon
McCallum were exceptions, but generally the service teams' physical talent
is not on the same level as their mental intensity.
ECU has fared well against Army, leading that
series 8-0. Mention that to a Navy fan and they may even buy you a drink
Labor Day weekend.
The particular challenge that Navy presents
under current coach Paul Johnson is defending the option offense. The
Pirates will have to be disciplined and play their assignments defensively.
The option is predicated on taking advantage of the defenders who commit too
quickly in their efforts to make plays.
Navy rang up 51 points and junior slot back
Reggie Campbell scored five touchdowns in a Poinsettia Bowl win over
Colorado State in San Diego last season. That gave the Middies four wins in
their last five games and an 8-4 season. There are eight starters back on
offense and nine returning on defense as Navy takes aim on a fourth straight
bowl trip.
The biggest personnel loss on paper is
quarterback Lamar Owens, a void which Brian Hampton is listed to fill on the
most recent depth chart. Navy is coming off an exceptional season with Owens
quickly overcoming his inexperience. He had thrown just six college passes
before stepping into the starting job last season.
He overcame any stage fright to run for 880
yards and 11 touchdowns while throwing for 1,299 yards and six scores.
Navy's spring practice was hindered by
injuries and a downpour during the spring game. There were as many as 19
players out of action at one point but only slot back John Forbes, who is
sidelined with a knee injury, is not expected to be back against ECU.
"The conditions were tough and we had a lot of
guys hurt, so you can't make too much out of what happened," Johnson said.
"We were doing a lot of mixing and matching."
One preseason publication has Navy ranked No.
42 nationally. Only two of Navy's opponents are ranked higher than the
Midshipmen as Notre Dame was No. 2 and Rutgers was 38th.
Of the other foes on the Middies' slate,
defending Conference USA Champion Tulsa was ranked 54th, while East Carolina
is 68th, Connecticut 69th, Stanford 74th, Air Force 91st, Duke 98th, Army
102nd, Eastern Michigan 107th and Temple 119th.
Navy competes as a Division I-A independent
and will play the three other schools in that category — Notre Dame, Army
and Temple.
Wins over Air Force and Army last season
brought the Commander in Chief's trophy to Annapolis. The Middies program
definitely has momentum and a schedule that won't overpower its talent.
Navy's strength of schedule was No. 100 in last season's Sagarin ratings.
ECU's 5-6 mark came against a strength of schedule that was rated No. 82.
One potential matchup that may favor the
Pirates is their passing game. ECU quarterback James Pinkney is hopefully
poised for a breakout senior season starting against a Navy defense that was
No. 66 nationally against the pass. The Middies allowed an average of 227.8
yards per game passing and 19 touchdowns.
Navy was also No. 66 against the run, allowing
154.6 yards per game on the ground.
Both programs compiled similar numbers last
season in terms of scoring defense. Navy allowed an average of 26.1 points
per game and ECU gave up 28.8.
The matchup that may send a bit of a shudder
through the Pirate Nation when surveying the Sept. 2 encounter on paper is
Navy's ground game against ECU's rush defense.
The Middies ran for 318.7 yards per game in
2006. That was No. 1 among 117 Division I-A teams.
The Pirates ranked No. 112 against the run as
opponents averaged 217.6 yards per game on the ground.
Be assured that ECU defensive coordinator Greg
Hudson is working on that. The coming weeks provide time to prepare for a
severe test.
Send an e-mail message to Al Myatt.
Dig into Al Myatt's Bonesville
archives.
02/23/2007 12:30:24 AM
----- |
