By Denny O'Brien
©2010 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.

Maybe it’s time for East Carolina to reconsider its scheduling philosophy. Given the Pirates’ recent performance against non-conference opponents, perhaps they could benefit from something more forgiving.

An annual guarantee game against Campbell, Elon, Western Carolina, or William and Mary would provide a welcome breather. So would a visit from a weak program from another BCS non-Automatic Qualifier conference.

Both should provide a needed boost to the overall record and increase the likelihood that ECU will attain the goal of bowl eligibility. But that is unlikely to occur anytime soon when glancing at the Pirates’ future football schedules.

ECU opens next season against rising SEC power South Carolina in Charlotte, travels to Navy, and hosts North Carolina and Virginia Tech. The Pirates will be underdogs in each of those match-ups, and a 0-4 finish in non-conference play is certainly conceivable.

Should that occur, ECU would have to finish 6-2 in Conference USA just to become bowl eligible. And 6-6 hardly guarantees a postseason trip.

There is no question that athletics director Terry Holland’s scheduling strategy has succeeded in consistently filling Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The attendance numbers and atmosphere at home games are evidence of that, and both were in need of significant boosts after John Thompson’s dismissal in 2004.

The fact that Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium now seats 50,000 has also increased the necessity for having an attractive home schedule. But you have to think that could be accomplished without overloading the non-conference schedule.

No doubt, the Pirates would benefit from having at least one regional BCS AQ opponent on the home slate. Likewise, they’d also benefit from having a couple of gimme games that would enable Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill to build depth by getting players who aren’t on the two-deep chart into games.

That isn’t much of an option in the current scheduling setup.

Clearly Boise State and Texas Christian have gotten more mileage nationally out of consistently bludgeoning patsies than ECU has with the occasional win over N.C. State, Virginia Tech, or West Virginia. While those victories are long remembered by Pirates fans, they aren’t lasting memories for those outside of ECU circles.

At the end of the day, a 10-2 record against an assortment of cupcakes looks better than 8-4 or 7-5 against a more imposing schedule. At least that is typically the case for non-AQ schools.

There is no doubt that ECU, at least while it is a member of C-USA, needs the presence of one BCS AQ opponent on the annual home schedule. To accomplish that, it means the Pirates likely would have to play one on the road as well.

That leaves room for a couple of lightweights on the slate. Though ECU’s non-conference schedules are booked for several more years, the Pirates could benefit from having them tweaked.

Mixing it up

After being heavily criticized for his defense surrendering 62 points to Rice, East Carolina defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell deserves credit for at least trying a few wrinkles against Southern Methodist.

The Pirates showed a lot of two- and three-man defensive fronts, as well as nickel and dime packages. That was especially popular on third downs, though it ultimately proved unsuccessful.

The Mustangs finished the day an impressive 12 of 17 on third downs, and many of those opportunities were converted in long yardage situations. SMU quarterback Kyle Padron, who at times struggled with his accuracy, was at his best on third and long.

Perhaps that is because the Pirates were unable to apply any pressure, while the secondary struggled in man coverage. It makes you wonder why ECU doesn’t play more zone, considering how successful it was during consecutive C-USA championship runs.

The Mustangs nosed past the Pirates in overtime 45-38.

Fans must answer the call

Though bowl invitations have yet to be sent, the Pirates are now assured of a bid somewhere thanks to Texas Tech. The Red Raiders’ victory over Houston kept the Cougars from reaching bowl eligibility, leaving six C-USA teams available for six slots.

Much of the speculation is around the Pirates heading to the nation’s capital for the Military Bowl. The D.C. game, which is played on December 29 against an ACC opponent, sent two officials to the Pirates’ game against SMU Friday.

They cited ECU’s regional appeal and reputation for traveling well as reasons it was an attractive option.

If the Pirates do get the bid to D.C., the pressure is on for fans to respond. With the game well within driving distance (it could even be done as a day trip), after Christmas, and against a recognizable opponent, there is no reason why this bowl shouldn’t be well attended by ECU.

With the Big East looking to add to its football membership, it is critical that East Carolina, should it get an invitation to D.C., sell more than its allotted tickets. This is a clear case where Pirates fans must live up to their reputation.