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Notes, Quotes and Slants
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Pirate
Notebook No. 76
Friday, August 9, 2002
By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist |
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'Nickle', 'dime', 'man' in vogue for Pirates
�2002 Bonesville.net
GREENVILLE � Labeling the upcoming season a rebuilding year for East
Carolina doesn't seem to fit, considering the Pirates return 15 starters.
To suggest that Steve Logan's 11th Pirate team is simply reloading would
be inappropriate, too. After all, the hard-luck Bucs did stumble and fumble
their way to a 6-6 campaign in '01, including three-consecutive losses to
close a disappointing season.
The term "remodeling," however, does offer parallels to ECU's current
situation on the gridiron. That was the gist of Logan's address to the
media yesterday afternoon, with "speed" emerging as the dominant theme for
the Pirates, who begin preparations for the '02 season tomorrow with
three-a-days.
"We did not have a very fast defense last year," Logan said. "It was a
physical group, as evidenced by the fact that we stopped the running game
really well.
"Our statistics at the end of the year in the running game were very
competitive � kind of where we've always been. But, we got kind of caught
up short in a couple of areas that were a speed issue. That's a
double-edged sword when you're trying to defend the pass."
That double-edged sword pierced through the heart of the Pirates' defense
time after time last season.
East Carolina ranked 101 out of 115 Division-I teams against the pass,
yielding a hefty 261-yards per game through the air. Seven times, opposing
quarterbacks eclipsed the 200-yard mark, highlighted by Marshall gunslinger
Byron Leftwich's 576-yard performance in the GMAC Bowl.
According to Logan, the formula for ECU's defensive meltdowns was a
combination of the team's inability to effectively rush the passer and cover
speedy receivers downfield, along with the changing landscape of offenses
around the country.
"I think we counted the other day... and nine or ten of the people on our
schedule will line up with no tight end and a shotgun snap from center � you
know, the spread type of offense," he said. "If somebody is going to take a
tight end out of the game, it's almost incumbent that you put a fast player
in return on the defensive side of the ball.
"You're going to find yourself playing nickel type of coverages almost
routinely, and we weren't really equipped last year strategically to do
that. We got caught a little bit behind the pendulum as it swung."
Speed matters
The flight home following East Carolina's 64-61 loss to Marshall in the
GMAC Bowl was both long and sour. Especially for defensive coordinator Tim
Rose.
Almost immediately upon his return to the Emerald City, Logan says his
fourth-year defensive boss began studying film from the Pirates' 6-6
campaign, searching for bandages to heal a wounded defense.
It soon became obvious that speed was the glaring issue, not the basic
principles of Rose's system. One of the proposed solutions was to deploy
nickel and dime defenses on a regular basis, which should better prepare the
Pirates for those wide-open attacks.
"We have not changed our fundamental defense," Logan said. "We did not
do that.
"But we have redesigned things to where we are going to be much more
well-equipped to easily and painlessly play five and six defensive backs
against those style of offenses. I saw evidence in the spring that we were
getting much better at it. I saw a faster defense on the field in the
spring."
Rose made several personnel changes to satisfy the speed-thirsty 'D'.
Among them was the move of Kelly Hardy from corner to free safety, which
freed a spot for speedster Donnie Whitehead on the outside.
Vonta Leach, once thought the heir apparent to Pernell Griffin at inside
linebacker, moved to the outside, opening the middle for youngsters Josh
Chisolm, Eric Butler, Chris Moore, and Richard Koonce, all of whom have been
labeled by Logan as "ridiculous fast."
"In the spring, I was � and so was Tim Rose � really excited about the
young inside linebackers," Logan said. "They're going to go out there and
make mistakes, but they're going to be fast mistakes.
"They are really fast, fast players. I think that will help."
The added speed will enable the Pirates to play more man-to-man coverage
this season, which amounts to a significant tweaking of style for a defense
that primarily played two-deep zone.
'Rock' in the middle
Ja'Waren Blair contests the notion shared by many that ECU's defensive
woes were the sole blame of the secondary is a misconception. The defensive
line was equally at fault, he says, due to its inability to pressure the
quarterback with any regularity.
The Pirates managed to produce only 29 sacks last season � compared to 39
in 2000 � as opposing quarterbacks had more than ample time to stand and
deliver.
"That was partially my fault," Blair said. "I play D-line, I'm supposed
to be back there. That's my job. That's what I'm on scholarship for � to
get in the backfield and pressure the quarterback.
"We didn't accomplish that last year. That's one of the things we
focused on this year. Coach Rose did a great job of changing some schemes
on the defensive front that will allow us to utilize all of our speed to
where we will be able to get back there and hopefully wreak havoc on the
opposing quarterback."
Though the Pirates lost all three starters on the defensive line, the
unit does boast plenty of strength and experience. Blair, who says he is
now up to 275 pounds, joins Ronald Pou and Damane Duckett to form the most
sizeable defensive front in recent memory, which is a testament to the
workout regimens of strength coach Jim Whitten.
"We worked hard on gaining weight, but keeping a lean figure," Blair
said. "Except for Ron (Pou) � he's the rock. That's the middle man. He's
285 pounds, 6'1"-6'2", and built like a truck."
Playing with pain
Skill has never been the question mark for John Williamson. Desire and
perseverance, on the other hand, has.
Approaching last season, Logan said his talented outside linebacker
needed to develop the toughness to fight through the bumps and bruises of an
11-game season. The Chadbourn native responded, with 65 tackles, 14 of
which were for losses, while racking up a team-high 6.5 sacks.
And he did it while playing with pain.
"He's got stress fractures in his back that he has to deal with all the
time," Logan said. "We've had to customize his weight workouts, but he's
fought through it.
"It's something that's painful and he just has to deal with it. John is
a quality football player. I suspect he's set to have a really good senior
year."
That would pay major dividends for the Pirates' new-look defense.
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02/23/2007 01:45:22 AM
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