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Notes, Quotes and Slants
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Pirate Notebook
No. 22
Monday, November 5, 2001
By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist |
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ECU Defined Itself in Fort
Worth
�2001 Bonesville.net
Not a whole lot went right for East Carolina in the second half of its
37-30 C-USA victory over Texas Christian last Tuesday night.
Leading 27-3 at the break, it appeared that the Pirates could sleepwalk
their way to the top of the conference standings, with senior quarterback
David Garrard giving the reigns to freshman Paul Troth for some significant
fourth-quarter reps.
But those plans took an eerie, yet almost predictable, turn when Sean
Stilley, who had started in place of injured quarterback Casey Printers, was
carted off the field in an air cast as his teammates trotted into the locker
room trailing by 24.
The injury could only mean that Printers, slotted to play only in an
emergency situation, would be thrust into what would seem to be the most
awful situation.
Hurt. Getting humiliated on national television. Title hopes swirling
down the drain.
But instead of rolling over and playing dead, mighty Casey came to bat.
Printers dragged his pride and a sore shoulder onto the Amon G. Carter
playing surface and immediately went to work, methodically driving his team
deep into Pirate territory only to be stopped on fourth and five. He would
soon get another chance, though, as Garrard was in a generous mood the night
before Halloween, treating TCU to his second fumble of the night.
This time the Frogs would convert, just like they did three more times on
a night that was beginning to look like a full-moon faux pas for the
Pirates.
It resembled something Pirate fans had witnessed many times over. Big
lead. Backup quarterback. Weeknight TV.
Just the year before, the Pirates squandered an 18-point second half lead
at Louisville when backup QB Mike Watkins directed a Cardinal comeback that
would fall three points shy and one down short.
Later, in its bowl game against Texas Tech, ECU would be subjected to a
furious Red Raider rally that was finally halted when Kelly Hardy hauled in
an interception in the waning moments to secure a 40-27 victory.
And earlier this year, the Pirates saw second-half leads slip away at
Syracuse and North Carolina. Aided and abetted by slippery yellow
handkerchiefs in Chapel Hill and an ill-advised whistle in Syracuse, fate
just hasn't been on the Pirates' side at times.
As the second half of last Tuesday's ESPN2 clash in Fort Worth unfolded,
the stars in the sky seemed to be lining up the wrong way again.
Some 49 painful heaves after entering the game, Printers had his team in
position to tie the game and force the now-humbled Pirates to win it in
overtime. But on his 50th and final pass, of which he completed 24, the ECU
secondary held and the ball fell incomplete near the goal line.
The Frogs fell a whisker short of a miraculous comeback � and the Pirates
let out a big ole phew!
What started out to be an impressive, eye-catching thumper, ended up a
gut-wrenching close call that could prove pivotal at season's end.
Though you could hardly blame Steve Logan if he thundered at his team in
the locker room for almost blowing a seemingly secure margin, the Pirates'
ten-year head coach did just the opposite.
"I've been waiting all year long to see if we were willing or able to win
a close game," he said. "I was really embracing the end of this game. I was
really enjoying it. I don't think you can have a good team unless it can
learn to win close games. And we have not done that this year."
But on that night, neither fumbles, fate, nor a sore-shouldered backup QB
would deny the Pirates, who hung on for their third consecutive win.
Fans and the media will no doubt look at last Tuesday's performance in
the Lone Star State and charge that the Pirates aren't at a level where they
can deliver the knockout punch and seize that first conference title.
Coaches, players, and a handful of others will likely view the win as a
big step forward, one which shows this team still embraces Logan's ideology
of being willing and able to win on the last play of the game, willing to
play 60 minutes and do whatever it takes to secure a victory and that first
conference title. And that may be true.
Either way, fate may very well have taken a turn toward East Carolina's
course last week. And when all is said and done, especially if the team
secures that first Conference USA title, we'll look back to the Pirates'
second-half gasp in Fort Worth as the season's defining moment.
Network's
Production Fell Short
As expected, ESPN2's broadcast of Tuesday night C-USA football left a lot
to be desired. I seem to remember reading one columnist's thoughts about the
issue one week ago, which closely paralleled last week's prime time
production.
Accordingly, the prediction was made that the Deuce would draw straws to
see who would call the action. The winners, of course, were Dr. Jerry Punch
of sideline reporting and pit road fame, who rarely scores a play-by-play
gig, and ex-hog Mark May, whose soft analysis drew yawns from viewers.
Dr. Punch even showed his in-booth inexperience by constantly blaming
Brandon Rainer for coverage mistakes when the sophomore cornerback wasn't
even on the field. True, Rainer has struggled this season, but has his
reputation preceded him that much?
There was the pregame and halftime analysis that merely made mention of
the Pirates and Frogs. Davis, Curry, and Golic spent the bulk of their time
dissecting the current BCS standings, which will remain meaningless until
the first week of December.
The ESPN studio third-stringers did manage to find time for Carolina head
coach John Bunting, asking him questions about each of his previous
opponents with the exception of East Carolina.
The final moments of the Bunting interview are rumored to be rerun on the
Home and Garden channel within the next week. Seems a previous head coach
did a bang-up job with Bunting's office decor.
Commercial breaks, too, were eventful on a night that shared the
spotlight with His Airness's return and the Fall Classic. The Western
Athletic Conference's promos took center stage on a night that two C-USA
contenders stood toe to toe. Maybe the memo regarding TCU's move never made
its way to Bristol, or better yet just got lost in the shuffle.
But the telecast wouldn't have been complete without what seemed to be a
20-minute update on the life and times of LaDainian Tomlinson. The three-way
conversation consumed every yard of the Pirate's second-half drive that lead
to Kevin Miller's only field goal of the night, strategically diverting
viewer attention from the game.
And for a fitting clincher, the broadcast almost ended before the
"Doctor" and the "Hog" could even get out their "good night from Texas."
No postgame interview with Logan leaving the field. No parting shots of
analysis. Nothing.
Thank goodness C-USA escaped their negotiations with the cable and
satellite sports titans with only an eight-year sentence. Maybe the league
can get out early on good behavior.
Powell Move Paying Dividends
Perhaps Logan's greatest coaching decision of the year was the move of
senior Arnie Powell from receiver to tight end.
Since the move, Powell has become a go-to guy in the Pirates' passing
game, serving as a nice compliment to downfield threats Richard Alston and
Derrick Collier. In three games, Powell has hauled in eight catches for 97
yards and a touchdown.
At 6-foot-five, 214-pounds, Powell lacks the beef of most tight ends, but
possesses the speed and height that make him extremely difficult to cover.
Linebackers are too slow to stay with him, while most defensive backs are
too small to out-jump the former quarterback.
The Pirate running game hasn't suffered, either. Powell's presence gives
Garrard a legitimate fourth option, which spreads the field even more,
creating additional running room for Leonard Henry and Art Brown.
What's more, Powell is perhaps the Pirates' best downfield blocker, which
has been crucial to spearheading those explosion plays in the run game.
Just think what might have been � if Powell's move would have been made
four years ago. He would be playing this season as a 240-pound target with
NFL speed.
Still, the switch is certainly better late than never.
Ole Lonesome
Logan and N.C. State head basketball coach Herb Sendek share something in
common. Both head coaches have grown notorious among fans for their stoic
gameday demeanor.
Sendek's never-ruffled coaching style has, in the view of some State
fans, kept the Pack from receiving that drought-ending bid to the field of
64. It kind of makes you wonder if he launched chair or a few explicit
phrases during a crucial contest, would the shock-value nudge State over the
proverbial hump (insert tongue in cheek)?
Likewise, Logan drives the Pirate contingent crazy with his sideline
non-antics. Instead of head-butting players and slapping a few shoulder
pads, Logan chooses to take the game in from afar, tutoring his quarterback
and pondering strategy with his capable assistants.
The quirky method has produced 64 victories in nine-plus seasons, while
garnering the humorous nickname 'Ole Lonesome'.
Though many fans seem to crave regular displays of whooping and
hollering, both coaches have often nullified the notion, stating that
sporadic emotion can only carry you so far, while composure and controlled
aggression are the key.
One only need to look back to the Virginia Tech game last year, in which
the Pirates got so caught up in emotion they temporarily lost the ability to
execute the most basic fundamentals. Even Logan, admittedly, got out of
hand, thundering away at players as they came off the field.
The end result was a series of uncharacteristic blunders and a quick
31-point hole. Once the Pirates settled in, they outplayed the highly-ranked
Hokies, albeit way too late.
Logan certainly took a lot of heat from the media for his
nationally-televised outbursts last season. And now, he's taking it from the
fans for doing just the opposite.
Send an e-mail message to Denny O'Brien.
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archives.
02/23/2007 01:41:27 AM
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