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Game No. 5: ECU 44, Southern Miss 43 |
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Game
Slants
Saturday, October 9, 2010
By Denny O'Brien |
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Melee in Mississippi charges
up series
By
Denny O'Brien
©2010 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
HATTIESBURG, MS — It hardly
seemed practical to classify the series between East Carolina and Southern
Miss as a rivalry — until now.
The geographic and competitive
distance separating the two always suggested it wasn't one.
About the only rationale
behind the label getting tossed around this annual match-up could be
attributed to the frequency with which the two have played. It's been an
annual match-up since 1983, with the Golden Eagles holding the equivalent of
a full nelson on the series.
But on a night that at times
was part track meet, part battle royal, the annual bout between the Pirates
and Golden Eagles took a significant turn. At the end of a long, strange,
but wildly entertaining game, it was East Carolina that withstood all of the
punches, many of which were thrown after the whistle blew.
By any measure of a rivalry
match-up, the Pirates' 44-43 victory fit the textbook definition. There were
crushing hits, big plays, trash talk, flying fists, and ejections. It was
everything you would want between the fiercest of football rivals.
And when you totaled the
penalty yardage between the adversaries — many of which were late hits and
unnecessary roughness — you could have covered two football fields with
yardage to spare.
“I wasn't surprised,” senior
defensive tackle Josh Smith said about the amount of extracurricular
activity. “Because we watched it on film. They insulted us. They scheduled
us for Homecoming. Who does that?
"Who schedules the two-time
conference champ on Homecoming? We took that as motivation, and we knew they
were going to be dirty.”
It would be remiss not to
mention that the early stages of the game closely resembled the two
forgettable years when John Thompson was the coach. The entire first quarter
was an avalanche of blunders that fueled a 20-0 Golden Eagles spurt.
The ECU defense that was
shoved around during the second half of a
loss at North Carolina last week was
bullied around some more. Meanwhile the offense that hibernated against the
Heels napped through two turnovers and two three-and-outs in the opening
quarter.
That ECU was capable of
picking itself off the mat is a testament to the character and resilience of
this inexperienced team. After collapsing late last week and seemingly void
of a pulse during the opening quarter, it would have made perfect sense for
the Pirates to fold.
But they countered USM's early
game intensity by exhibiting tremendous poise. Instead of engaging in the
Golden Eagles' interest in pushing and shoving, the Pirates demonstrated the
maturity to allow their foe to self-destruct.
“We faced adversity,” Pirates
Coach Ruffin McNeill said. “We hung in there. We kept fighting.
“We talked about execution. We
talked about routine plays. We talked about playing 60 minutes and for four
quarters. And we did it. We beat a very, very good football team on the
road. This is a tough place to play.”
At times the Pirates certainly
made it tougher than needed. Much tougher. Thrice Pirates quarterback
Dominique Davis, who finished with 305 yards and four scores, threw errant
balls that landed in the arms of an opposing player.
The final one was snatched by
Southern Miss linebacker Jamie Collins, who rambled 32 painful yards and
what could have been the clinching score.
But Davis,
much like he did against Tulsa,
possessed the fortitude to direct another game-winning drive. He calmly
marched the Pirates 72 yards in eight plays, the last of which was a 32-yard
scoring toss to nifty receiver Michael Bowman.
The result is an unblemished
3-0 conference mark in
a year of transition that many were
suggesting as a total rebuild. That's a worthy footnote when you consider
the level of experience on the Southern Miss roster and the fact that many
considered it a favorite to contend for the title.
After winning consecutive
titles and a perfect Conference USA start this fall, East Carolina has again
emerged as a favorite. And after two straight emotional wins over good
Southern Miss clubs, the Pirates are now a worthy rival.
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10/10/2010 05:39:33 AM |
