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Notes, Quotes and Slants
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Pirate Notebook
No. 5
Wednesday, September 5, 2001
By Denny O'Brien |
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�2001 Bonesville.net
Plenty of Motivation for
Pirates on Saturday
Though the bitter taste of an upset by Wake Forest lingers, East Carolina�s
coaches and players are intent on shaking off the after-effects and charging
full-steam-ahead towards the C-USA opener against Tulane on Saturday.
A win will not only ease the pain of the Wake loss, it will give the Pirates
a leg up in the pursuit of their primary 2001 objective, a first-ever league
title.
�We�ve really emphasized the conference play to our players all through the
summer in summer camp,� said offensive coordinator Doug Martin. �This being
our first conference game, it�s crucial that we get off to a good start."
The Green Wave has its own compelling reasons for motivation
after starting the season with lopsided losses to Brigham Young and LSU,
acknowledged Martin.
�I know Tulane needs to do the same thing," he said. "They�ve come off two
hard road losses, where the score has not been an indicator of how well
they�ve played."
Despite falling short against the Deacs, ECU still has many
objectives in its sights, so as far as Martin is concerned, the Wave can
wait another week to break into the win column.
"We�ve got to put this behind us and get over this loss.
There are 117 Division-I teams, and only one was undefeated last year," he
said. "The only thing that we�ve lost is the ability to be undefeated � all
of our other goals are still there. We have to go out and perform this
Saturday.�
As if they needed more, the Pirates will have a little added motivation this
Saturday. Over the past two seasons, East Carolina has avoided consecutive
losses, a feat of which the Pirates are proud.
�The main thing we�ve done here is we�ve had a tradition of never losing two
games in a row,� Martin noted. �We�ve really held on to that belief � that�s
a bedrock foundation of our program here. We�ve just got to rebound."
At the same time, there's another layer of bedrock fabric
that a victory will bring one step closer to reality.
�We have not won a conference championship here," said Martin. "That�s been
a goal of our team for the past couple of years.�
Tulane Defense What the
Doctor Ordered?
Tulane, like East Carolina, had high hopes for the 2001 season. With the
return of quarterback Patrick Ramsey, along with a host of talented
receivers, the Green Wave figured to have enough firepower to challenge
anyone on its schedule.
But after its blowout losses to BYU and LSU, Tulane finds itself searching
for answers to a perennial problem for the folks in the Big Easy � defense.
Head coach Chris Scelfo altered his defensive game plan for
this season, but the sweeping changes have thus far been ineffective.
�They seem to have changed their approach,� Pirate head coach Steve Logan
said about the new-look Tulane defense. �They�ve been an eight-man front the
past couple of years and they seem to have gone to a seven-man front and are
playing quite a bit of nickel coverage.
"They got measurably better on the defensive side of the
ball from the first game to the second game.�
The new approach seems to have had a negative affect on Tulane�s rush
defense, which is allowing 334.5 yards per game. The Wave's pass defense
hasn't been much better, yielding close to 280 yards per contest.
All stats aside, Logan knows that the Pirates must get back to the basics.
�We�ve just got to go down there and get back to our core
issues, which are to run the football, stop the run, don�t turn the ball
over, and give ourselves a chance to win the football game," he said.
Something Has to Give
Scelfo will be the first to tell you that his youthful Green Wave defense
has struggled in the early going this season. He also knows that things
could get worse before they get better.
�I think East Carolina on offense is as good as anybody,� he said. �They had
a tough start last Saturday, and I think it really woke them up and they�ll
come in here with a vengeance.
�Our guys need to put it (the loss to LSU) behind them � try to play one
game at a time until we grow our program. We�re still trying to get to the
upper echelon of our conference, and until we get there, we�ve got to fight
and claw our way through it.�
For an East Carolina offense desperately needing to get on track, and a
Tulane defense seeking significant improvements, something will most
definitely have to give on Saturday.
Pirate Defense Faces
Different Challenge
Wake Forest did much of its damage last Saturday on the ground, chewing up
more than 36 minutes on the clock.
The Deacons� 294-yard rushing effort exposed a possible
weakness for East Carolina � the defensive front � though Logan attributes
much of that to the unfamiliarity with Wake�s schemes.
By and large, though, Tulane makes its living through the air, with Ramsey
at the controls. At his disposal is a solid receiving corps, including
senior wide out Terrell Harris, who is averaging 114 receiving yards per
contest.
�Offensively, they�re a threat against anybody they play because of the
nature of what it is that they�re willing to do, which is throw it every
down,� Logan said. �I don�t think any lead is particularly safe, because
they�re so efficient with their use of the clock.
�The pass defense is going to be a big deal. We�ve got to get our hands on
the ball and knock some balls down and get an interception or two,
hopefully.�
In addition to its heralded passing game, Tulane proved to
the Pirates last season it's attack is by no means one-dimensional. In a
league that is rich with running back talent, sophomore Mewelde Moore, the
2000 C-USA Freshman of the Year, is making an early case for All-C-USA
honors this season.
Moore, who gained 131 yards on 22 carries in his team's 37-17 loss to ECU a
year ago, is averaging 120.5 rushing yards per game this season. He has also
become Ramsey�s second favorite target with 11 catches for 117 yards.
In the final analysis, Logan and defensive coordinator Tim Rose face the
task of preparing the Pirate defenders for the most prolific offense they
will face all season.
�We�re going to have our hands full,� Logan said. �It�s our first conference
game. We need to find a way to go down there and win it."
For that to happen, the defense must make significant progress from last
week�s performance against Wake Forest.
Griffin Honored
Pernell Griffin�s school-record performance on Saturday was good enough to
garner C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Griffin, a 6�1� 253-lb. linebacker, had 24 tackles (13 UT, 11 AT) against
the Demon Deacons, which eclipsed the old single-game record of 23.
The Williamston senior also recovered a fumble.
Griffin, the preseason C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, ranks sixth on
ECU�s all-time tackle list.
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02/23/2007 01:41:15 AM
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