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Bailey's
Take on Pirate Sports
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From the Anchor Desk
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
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By Brian Bailey |
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Muscle mattered in Wake game
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Bonesville Magazine
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• PAT DYE: Short on Tenure, Long on Impact
• INSIDE PIRATE FOOTBALL
• Recruit Profiles
• Rookie Books
• Tracking the Classes
• Florida Pipeline
• NCHSAA & ECU: Smooth Sailing Again
• HIGH HOPES FOR HOOPS
• STEVE BALLARD:
New Leader Takes Charge
• SCOTT COWEN: Busting Down the Door
• KEITH LECLAIR on ECU's Field of Dreams
• BETH GRANT: Actress Still a Pirate
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©2004 Bonesville.net
Offensive coordinators maintain that you have to take what the defense
gives you. That was the reason the Pirates threw deep early against Wake
Forest.
James Pinkney had two passes picked off early, which set the tone for the
first half.
“I don’t know if we didn’t run a good route or if we didn’t get a good
throw,” said Pirate offensive coordinator Noah Brindise.
A closer look shows that the Pirates were just outmuscled and out
positioned on both plays.
On both occasions it looked like the Wake Forest defensive back was just
stronger and pushed the Pirate receiver aside. I thought you could have
called interference on at least one of the throws, and probably both.
Position is one thing. Shoving the receiver out of his lane is another.
Coach John Thompson was very upset about the “non-calls.”
“We have tough guys,” said Thompson. “We’re just too skinny, too frail.
We did get pushed around a little bit, sure did. We got pushed around some,
got thrown around some…”
Thompson obviously couldn’t comment on the officiating, but you get the
idea.
Thompson knows that his team has to get stronger in several areas. This
Pirate team just doesn’t have a big, physical wide receiver in the mold of a
Clayton Driver or a Larry Shannon from years past.
“We’ve got to be more physical,” said Thompson. “We just don’t have the
type of body yet. We’re going to get that type of player though. We’re going
to keep on hitting the weight room because we need those tough, physical
guys.”
The decision to throw deep early was an easy one for Brindise.
“Everybody in the stands was probably wondering why we kept calling those
post routes,” said Brindise. “But they way they were playing, they had their
safeties eight yards deep. I just knew that we had to test them.”
Brindise was happy with his offense in week two.
“The guys really fought, and we are so close to getting where we can go
out and be really good.”
Double presence in Top 25
Kudos to Louisville and Memphis for
breaking into the national rankings
this week.
It’s the second straight year that the league has had two teams ranked in
the Top 25 at the same time. Last year, Texas Christian and Southern Miss
held that distinction.
It’s the fifth straight year that the Cards have been ranked nationally.
As for the up-and-coming Tigers, it is their first appearance in the
rankings since 1965.
Southern Miss may be headed to the rankings as well. The Golden Eagles
stunned Nebraska last week and had their sights set on 10th ranked Cal at
home on Thursday night. That game, however, was
postponed because of Hurricane Ivan.
Walk for a good cause
Please join us on Saturday for the Walk to D’feet ALS at the Greenville
Town Common.
The Pirate baseball team will be among the walkers on Saturday at the
walk. Last year, former Pirate baseball coach Keith LeClair, who struggles
day to day with the disease, was on hand for the benefit.
Walk to D'feet ALS (http://www.alsa.org/walk is The ALS Association's
national signature event. Now in its fifth year, approximately 140 Walks
will be held around the country. [Organization's website:
www.alsa.org/walk.]
Last year, walkers nationwide raised $7.1 million in support of
cutting-edge research and patient services programs.
There will be walks in Greenville and Hertford on Saturday. Hertford is
the home of the late Baseball Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter, who suffered
from ALS after retiring from baseball.
There will also be a walk in Raleigh on October 16th.
 Send an e-mail message to
Brian Bailey.
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02/23/2007 01:29:41 AM |
