090511 DENNY O'BRIEN ::: McNeill shedding more than weight [fb]

Ruffin McNeill has lost more than inches from his waistline. The East Carolina head coach evidently has shed some of that happy-go-Ruffin, love-‘em-up and hug-‘em-up image.

During his postgame press conference following the Pirates 56-37 loss to South Carolina Saturday, McNeill was visibly irritated by his team’s myriad of miscues and, at times, by the questions he was fielding from the media. It was a refreshing departure from the jovial, good ‘ol Ruff, who Saturday was in no mood for back-slapping or witty one-liners.

That’s largely because he witnessed his team essentially gift wrap a game that it at one stage firmly controlled. Five turnovers and several special teams blunders can do that to a coach.

Which is exactly why McNeill would not engage the thought that South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia’s 2nd quarter entrance was the catalyst that melted the Pirates’ 17-0 lead.

Instead, McNeill reinforced on multiple occasions that this loss was fueled by his team’s inability to protect the football. It generated short fields for USC's offense that put his improved defense in undesirable scenarios.

Even so, McNeill, while admittedly pleased with some of the signs he saw from his defense, didn’t offer that as an excuse for the Gamecocks’ point total. Instead he plainly stated that it’s also the defense’s duty to protect the end zone, regardless of situation.

This is not to say that McNeill has made a complete transformation from the good-natured guy we’ve known to a complete grump. That’s far from the truth.

Nor does it mean that he didn’t recognize the positive signs the Pirates demonstrated against a top-flight opponent. He fully acknowledged the strides ECU has made defensively and that his team had some success moving the ball against a very talented defense.

But it was clear Saturday that McNeill is a coach firmly focused on results. He left the impression that he doesn’t have the patience or tolerance for repeating the same mistakes.

And that’s exactly what the Pirates need right now.

Early dividends

McNeill and defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell made a key investment during the offseason when they moved Derek Blacknall from safety to the cornerback.

So far it’s paying dividends.

In his first game manning the field corner position, Blacknall responded with a game high four pass break-ups. Two of those were on deep attempts to Gamecocks receiver Alshon Jeffery, a projected NFL first rounder whom Blacknall kept in check most of the night.

It wasn’t until Blacknall left the game periodically due to cramps that Jeffery found open space.

“I was pleased with Derek,” McNeill said. “I think one of the biggest moves we did was to move Derek from safety to field corner.

“He will be to the field (side) the majority of the time. He was guarding a first round draft choice. But you know, he guards a first round draft choice in practice in our guy.”

The position switch is obviously paying off. Against the Gamecocks, Blacknall had the look of a corner capable of covering any receiver in the country.

Impressive debut

Facing a Southeastern Conference power on a neutral stage is a challenge for any player, let alone one making his debut as a redshirt freshman starter at inside linebacker.

That was the setting for Jeremy Grove, who along with fellow starter Daniel Drake, had the task of containing Heisman candidate running back Marcus Lattimore. When asked about the challenge, Grove said he wasn’t intimidated by the task.

“It was definitely exciting,” Grove said. “But at the end of the day it was still football. I went out there and I just played. It was fun.”

At first impression, Grove draws comparisons to former standouts such as Mark Libiano, Jeff Kerr, and Nick Johnson. That’s some solid company to be keeping.