|
Game No. 2: Virginia Tech 17, ECU 10 |
|
|
|
| |
|
Game
Slants
Saturday, September 10, 2011
By Denny O'Brien |
 |
Down day for Davis
By
Denny O'Brien
©2011 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
GREENVILLE — There will be
better days for East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis, afternoons much
more productive than the one he experienced Saturday.
In a 17-10 home loss to
Virginia Tech Saturday, the Pirates’ normally prolific passer was anything
but his usual dazzling self. Instead of the poised, commanding presence that
has been mostly impossible to rattle, Davis showed an unfamiliar side
against the No. 11 Hokes.
He was tentative, indecisive,
and lacked that normal precision on his passes. He struggled finding open
receivers and on a few occasions overshot the ones who found openings.
Credit much of that to the
masterful game plan by longtime Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster. He
essentially unveiled the blueprint for stopping the Pirates’ high-powered
attack, which emphasized pinching Davis in the pocket and eliminating
anything deep.
That took away two key
components to the Pirates’ offense — Davis’s ability to connect with star
receiver Lance Lewis and to make things happen with his legs.
While Foster’s plan had the
Pirates’ seemingly perplexed, ECU head coach Ruffin McNeill said the Hokies
did nothing unexpected.
“There was no confusion,”
McNeill said. “(Dominique) just had a tough day in my opinion. We’ll watch
the film and see what type of tough day. Dominique is our leader. I’m glad
he’s on our football team. He’s our bell cow.
"Dominique’s the kind of guy
who has higher expectations upon himself than a coach or anyone else could
ever have. Trust me, he’ll take whatever is given to him and learn from it.”
There is much more to be
learned than just the dissection of Davis’s performance. And some of what
will prevent Davis from having another uncharacteristic effort doesn’t
require watching film.
The Pirates’ shortcomings in
the running game certainly didn’t aid Davis’s cause. ECU’s major flaw there
was a lack of interest in running the ball altogether.
Davis officially was credited
with the most attempts — seven — and five of those were the product of
sacks.
It’s also clear that East
Carolina needs to develop a security blanket for Davis when coverage is
tight downfield, and while he is under duress. Though Dwayne Harris was the
primary playmaker last season, he also was a go-to guy whenever plays broke
down.
Even so, the Pirates still had
an opportunity — make that numerous ones — to beat Virginia Tech. Several
near interceptions and a drop on a sure touchdown pass ultimately provided
the mathematical difference in this defensive struggle.
“We just didn’t execute, and I
just did a terrible job being the leader today,” Davis said. “It showed. I
have to work on myself being the leader, and hopefully something better
comes out of that. A bad game like this, you can do nothing but get better.
"I’m going to come in
(Sunday), watch the film, correct my mistakes, forget about it and get ready
for UAB.”
The good news is Davis has
been blessed with quarterback amnesia. On the rare occasion when he hasn’t
performed up to his own lofty standard, he hasn’t allowed it to carry over
into the next play, let alone the next game.
Also encouraging is the fact
that the Pirates won’t face another defense as talented as the Hokies, or a
coordinator as astute as Foster. Given Davis’s career struggles against
Tech, rest assured he welcomes that.
Saturday’s 127-yard passing
performance was the statistical low point for Davis, who routinely eclipses
three football fields of passing real estate. Given his commitment and work
ethic, there’s no reason he shouldn’t return to and remain in that familiar
territory.
Send
a message to Denny O'Brien.
Dig into Denny
O'Brien's Bonesville archives.
09/11/2011 04:37:28 AM |
