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Pirate Notebook No. 33
Wednesday, December 12, 2001

By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist

When East Carolina's defense took the field in home games during the 2000 season, it was often welcomed by the blasting of a popular reggae tune from the stadium sound system that asked a then-fitting question:

The lyrical question was often appropriate, considering how the Pirate D played last year. Aggressive, intense, and determined, the ECU defense even inspired the faithful to resurrect the throwback "Wild Dogs" nickname, which will forever be attached to one of the Pirates' most dominant outfits back in the '70s.

That same attacking mentality was expected to carry over into this season, what with nine starters returning from that solid unit. Included among the returnees was the entire secondary, to go along with a linebacking corps thought to be one of the nation's best.

It became apparent in the first week of play that the defense would be a source for anxiety rather than comfort. Wake Forest pushed around ECU's young defensive line all evening long, serving up a huge helping of reality to the all-too confident greenhorns.

The Deacons eclipsed the 400-yard mark against the accommodating Bucs' defense, something that would happen eight more times over the course of the season.

Just as soon as the Pirates' bolstered their defensive front, holes began to form in an experienced secondary. Sporadically-used Syracuse quarterback Troy Nunes had a career-best day against ECU, connecting for 296 yards through the air, including four touchdowns.

It was that type of break-out performance that ECU's opponents seemed to conjure up on a weekly basis.

There were clearly some personnel issues that contributed to the Pirates' woes. Defensive linemen Devone Claybrooks and Mbayo Ahmadu were adept at pushing the pocket in 2000. Their absence this year not only exposed weaknesses against the run, but also allowed opposing quarterbacks to leisurely wait for receivers to spring open against the harried ECU secondary.

As the season progressed, down-linemen Damane Duckett and Ronald Pou, gaining experience and confidence with every game, began to exert themselves up front, evidenced by the Pirates' ability to contain the run.

Early-season injuries to defensive backs Kelly Hardy and Charlie Robinson hurt, too. Unheralded quarterbacks such as Nunes, North Carolina's Ronald Curry and Darian Durant, and Army's Chad Jenkins all had their way with the Pirates' back end, throwing for a combined 853 yards in the three contests, two of which were losses.

But even when Hardy and Robinson returned, things didn't get much easier for ECU's DBs.

It has been tough for many to fathom just how the defense could transform itself from pit bull to poodle in one year with the same cast of characters. And few would charge that the likes of Hardy have made serious regressions during that same span.

Perhaps it was the spread offense, a scheme the Pirates would face almost exclusively throughout the 11-game season.

The nature of the spread attack prompted defensive coordinator Tim Rose to incorporate less blitzing and more zone coverages, fearing that one poorly-calculated gamble could leave the Pirates vulnerable to a quick-strike score.

So, instead of yielding three-play, 80 yard marches, the Bucs have been susceptible to the 12-play, 80-yard drive.

While rushing three and dropping eight, the Pirates have been unable to mount an inkling of a pass rush this season, which has given opposing quarterbacks plenty of time to operate. The ECU defense recorded just 29 sacks this season, compared to 39 last year.

There are other glaring statistics that can be directly tied to the Pirates' return to a read-react style of play. ECU's defenders forced just 13 fumbles over an 11-game stretch, recovering eight. Last year, ECU's blitz-happy D jarred 23 pigskins from opponents, nine of which were recovered.

The interception total has taken a hit, too. ECU snared away 12 passes in 2000, compared to just eight this season.

With high-flying Marshall looming, the ulcers could continue to fester. Quarterback Byron Leftwich and receiver Darius Watts are billed as the nation's most dangerous battery, one that connected for 18 scores.

ECU head coach Steve Logan has taken note of the Herd's dynamic duo, and is mindful of what the Pirates can do to combat the Marshall scoring machine.

"What they've shown on film is that they'll throw the football early and often, get in the end zone, get up on people and just keep pounding away," Logan said. "We've got to make sure that, offensively, we go answer the questions that we've got."

On the other hand, the Pirates could devise a plan to at least contain Marshall's high-octane attack.

Following an 8-3 campaign in 1996, East Carolina sat at home while less-deserving schools received bowl invitations. Even in the wake of that bitter disappointment, Logan knew the day would come when his program would land a post-season spot with a 6-5 record.

That day came less than two weeks ago when officials from the GMAC Bowl invited the Pirates down to Mobile to play Marshall in their third-annual game.

Though Logan would prefer to have won more than six times this season, the ten-year head coach embraces the fact that the Pirates are finally members of that exclusive 6-5 club.

"I counted 10 teams that are 6-5 and going to bowl games this year," Logan said. "It made me appreciate what it was that we did accomplish this year.

"There are a lot of teams that didn't even finish with a winning record. It's so very close out there. The teams that did win eight and nine games obviously had good football teams, just as we did, but they also got some breaks. We had a tough year in that category."

The one possible drawback of the Pirates' third-consecutive bowl bid, is that a loss would prevent a winning season, something ECU has accomplished each of the last four years. That is a streak unmatched by the state's other Division I-A programs.

Mindful of the importance of a winning season, Logan is taking the same approach used prior to last year's galleryfurniture.com Bowl, a game in which the Pirates trounced Texas Tech 40-27.

"I keep emphasizing to the young men that going to a bowl game and winning a bowl game are two different experiences," Logan said. "Most of these young men were down at the Mobile Bowl two years ago and, of course, at last year's experience (galleryfurniture.com Bowl) where we won the game.

"They can contrast those two experiences and hopefully they've got a good mindset about what is necessary to separate business from pleasure and make sure we play well."

While a bowl win would ensure a winning season, Logan sees other benefits that a post-game celebration would produce. In a year that has been marked heavily by heartbreaks, a victory over 25th-ranked Marshall would provide perfect vindication.

"It would be a nice thing to happen to win on a winning note and have some redemption. Four of our games were so terribly close and we came up short," Logan noted. "If we could go win this game, it would finish off what I think could be termed a very successful season."

Great things were expected out of David Garrard this year. Some analysts even had the senior quarterback among their dark horse candidates for the Heisman Trophy.

The post-season accolades didn't come this year, though, save for a second-team All C-USA selection. And many of those same analysts have taken an about face with their perception of the Durham native.

ESPN analyst and NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. had Garrard among his top five quarterbacks for the upcoming draft. Recently, though, Kiper used the word "inconsistent" when describing the strong-armed QB.

Statistically, the self-proclaimed gurus certainly have a point. Throwing just 13 touchdown passes against nine interceptions, Garrard didn't put up what Logan would term as "sexy" numbers.

But statistics aren't everything, as Logan will attest. The coach points to an often overlooked skill that Garrard has mastered to provide substance to his argument.

"The thing that David did this year that really can't be appreciated was his check-offs system at the line of scrimmage," Logan said. "It was almost impeccable all year long.

"It is one of the big reasons why our running game was so effective all year long. We were in the right play, giving our offensive line proper leverage with which to execute their blocks, and giving Leonard Henry the proper lanes to run. It's one of the reasons we're averaging 33 points a game; it's one of the reasons we're running for 200 yards a game."

Garrard's checking ability not only speaks volumes about his knowledge of the complicated ECU offense, but it also suggests his innate ability to read defenses. With very little time to operate after each play, quarterbacks have to rely on quick thinking and instinct when changing plays at the line of scrimmage, something at which Garrard has obviously become well-versed.

"We were really effective this year on the offensive side of the ball," Logan said. "A lot of that was due to David's understanding of the offensive system, getting us into the right play at the right time."

That will probably remain unnoticed by some critics, but it has certainly garnered the attention of several NFL scouts.

Though the Pirates and Herd won't officially take the field until one week from today, there are plenty of festive activities preceding the third annual GMAC Bowl that should keep the ECU and Marshall contingent pleasantly entertained.

On Monday, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes will hold a breakfast at the Adam's Mark Hotel at 7 AM. Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden is scheduled to speak at the event, which is expected to have 900 in attendance.

Fans can take in another meal on Tuesday at the Mayor's luncheon, which will be held at the Mobile Convention Center. Former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka will be the keynote speaker.

There will also be a golf tournament on Wednesday, which will pit teams of ECU fans against those from Marshall.

But the fun shouldn't end there for Pirate fans. Pirate Club Executive Director Dennis Young said Monday that there are additional activities that the booster club has set up.

Included among those will be a pre-Mardis Gras Parade party, which will be held at the Adam's Mark Hotel from 4-6 PM on Tuesday. There, Pirate fans can enjoy socializing with fellow Pirate Club members, with food and beverages being served. The cost is $15 for Pirate Club members and $17 for non-members.

Fans can also take part in a pre-game social that will be held outside of Ladd-Peebles Stadium. According to Young, eastern North Carolinians will feel right at home with the feast that will be awaiting.

"We're going to have pulled pork barbecue with all the fixings," Young said. "We're going to keep it open until the third quarter, so that our fans can come back down at halftime if they like."

Cost for the pre-game social is $23 for Pirate Club members and $25 for non-members.