Somewhere short of fan expectations is the reality in which East Carolina football is likely to exist next season. The challenge for second-year Pirates coach John Thompson is to narrow the margin between the two.

Last year it couldn't have been wider. As has become tradition in Pirate Nation, eight wins was the benchmark the Pirates were expected to meet, but that goal became unattainable in late September.

Fair or not, it's likely those same demands will remain next fall.

"There was a lot of unknown last year and that happens with change," Thompson said. "We have learned from that and we are going to be better."

How much depends on the barometer by which the Pirates are gauged. If last year is the standard, improvement should be significant. Using 2002 as the measuring stick could be different.

Thompson's second team easily measures up to former coach Steve Logan's last in terms of talent, with only a couple of exceptions at certain positions. The receiving corps is unproven and the offensive line must be retooled, but the latter is one unit that for years has been deep in talent.

The primary challenge there will be cohesion, for which the coaching staff is largely responsible. Add to that last year's flaws and a few lingering questions, and closing the gap is far from a guarantee.

For starters, the Pirates have a new offensive system, their third in as many years. Though definitely more tailored to the talent, James Pinkney, the likely starter under center, remains unproven at the Division I level.

In three starts as a redshirt freshman, he showed both poise and inconsistency in one 200-pound bundle. Because the new offense is designed around the quarterback, his ability to make smart decisions and fire dead-aim strikes will have a huge bearing on the Pirates' success in '04.

Healthy returns of Art Brown and Marvin Townes would relieve much of the pressure off the Pirates QB. However, given the nature of leg injuries for running backs and the demands of the position, it should come as no surprise if either has lost a step.

Then there is the schedule, far from forgiving. Top to bottom, it's as challenging as last season, with the most difficult games slated for the road. Of the 11 dates, only the October 30 showdown with Army looks to be a lock — and that's against a program now under the helm of one of the most seasoned coaches in the game.

Those are just a few of the obstacles Thompson is facing this fall. The biggest is the division that still exists within the ranks.

For much of the time since the beginning of the '02 season, the ECU campus has been a smoldering battleground on which a destructive power struggle has been waged. Whether written in a column or discussed on the radio, that has been the overriding theme for Pirates football for more than 18 months.

It's been the Loganites versus the Hambones, with Thompson stuck in the middle. The lack of a permanent chancellor and AD for much of that time has left the Pirates coach fighting the resulting inferno solo.

Calming the uprising should not the sole responsibility of one individual by any stretch. But by the same token, the East Carolina football coach always has occupied a position of towering influence Down East.

This doesn't mean Thompson can't to do the job, but the legacy he will leave in ECU lore remains to be written. By all accounts he is an astute X's and O's guy and can charm donors like a TV evangelist.

But ultimately the challenge will be to keep his paying customers engaged.

To the core, football has for decades been the one sport around which ECU fans could  and did rally. Where the enemies along Tobacco Road invested in basketball, the Pirates set their sails towards gridiron success.

With a pigskin badge of pride, East Carolina armed itself for battle against all-comers, a mentality on which the Pirates logged many miles. Lately, though, the civil war has been too distracting to find success on a broader scale.

When the Pirates return to the practice field in August, Thompson's task will be twofold: to win games and unite the fans. It just so happens the two objectives go hand in hand.

All those years as an apprentice to Steve Spurrier has rubbed off on Noah Brindise. Not only does the Pirates offense resemble the Fun-n-Gun from Brindise's days at Florida, but the Pirates offensive coordinator also is a spitting image of his former boss on the sidelines.

From his visor and crossed arms, to the way he signaled plays in ECU's Saturday scrimmage game, Brindise often looked as if he were auditioning for the chance to portray Spurrier in an upcoming movie.

"I hope he has the productivity (of Spurrier) in college," Thompson said with a chuckle. "Noah is Noah. His pedigree and his background, that's where he came from.

"You have to respect that and acknowledge that, and that's part of it. But we hired Noah Brindise because we wanted what Noah Brindise could bring to the table. We didn't try to hire Steve Spurrier."

Thompson also noted following the spring game that Brindise likely will signal plays from the sidelines instead of the booth.

Quarterback Patrick Dosh made his much anticipated debut Saturday. The Florida transfer has been the topic of conversation around the Pirates' home port since leaving the Gators program to reunite with Thompson.

In Saturday's Purple and Gold scrimmage, the Glen Allen, VA, native connected on four of five passes for 53 yards, tops on the afternoon.

"It was a lot of fun to play in front of all the fans," Dosh said. "In the scrimmages in the past here, I've been pressing. I've been trying to do too much, trying to make too many plays.

"Today, I just let the game come to me. All day, I've been concentrating. All morning, I just said, 'Just stay calm, don't get too excited.' I have a tendency I guess kind of like Brett Favre to get all excited and all riled up, but today I really tried to stay under control and just make plays."

Dosh struggled in the Pirates' previous scrimmages and has fallen behind Pinkney on the depth chart. With just a few days remaining in spring drills, Dosh says his task is clear.

"Just learn from all the mistakes I've made and concentrate on continuing to learn the offense," he said. "I'm still not completely comfortable with it."