Best ever at East Carolina? It's a bit premature to attach that label to
still-evolving quarterback James Pinkney.
But after two full games in offensive coordinator Noah Brindise's system,
the sophomore gunslinger already has shown the potential to etch his name
among the Pirates' all-time greats.
In terms of raw skills and intangibles, Pinkney is ahead of most who have
played the flagship position at ECU. The exceptions few and far between
are underscored by the success the Pirates experienced in the win column
during their Hall-of-Fame tenures.
Were it not for a Charmin-soft defense, perhaps Pinkney also would have a
W or two on his rιsumι.
"Noah has done a tremendous job with James Pinkney in teaching him how to
be a winning quarterback," Pirates coach John Thompson said following the
Pirates' loss to Wake Forest Saturday. "That's what he's going to be. He's
going to be a winning quarterback here.
"He's doing some good things. He's leading and he's playing tough. He got
the mess knocked out of him a few times there."
Almost too many to mention.
Pinkney's youth under center has prompted heavy blitzing from defensive
coordinators hoping to frustrate the relatively green QB, but the results
have been negligible. Though Pinkney has been hit more times than a Mike
Tyson punching bag, he has yet to yield a sack under heavy duress.
"I look at James Pinkney, and the kid's out there limping," Brindise
said. "He's out there fighting.
"He had a couple of bad plays, but I wanted to just give him a hug after
the game and tell him, 'You played great. You did everything I asked you to
do, you fought; you ran the ball; you got out of situations.' Two
games in a row, we didn't get sacked. A lot of that is because of him."
Against both West Virginia and Wake Forest, Pinkney never flinched under
pressure. Despite a flurry of blitzes, the Pirates QB kept his composure and
played error free against a steady rush.
His footwork outside the pocket is reminiscent of former great David
Garrard, while his field vision and ability to run through progressions
draws comparisons to Marcus Crandell. In the pocket, Pinkney has shown a
remarkable degree of patience and, on more than one occasion, has flashed
the arm strength that is certain to draw attention from NFL scouts.
What's more, his penchant for standing tall and letting plays develop
shows an air of maturity that belies his limited experience.
The resilience to repetitiously pick himself off the turf and battle to
the end is evidence that Pinkney embraces the position's need for a leader
by example.
"James Pinkney I thought played his heart out," Thompson said. "He got
banged around; got knocked around; played very, very competitive; played
with his heart."
And with his head.
Of his four interceptions this season, only one was the result of an
ill-advised throw. Both picks against Wake Forest were the correct read,
just slightly underthrown.
Given three seasons to develop in Brindise's quarterback-friendly system,
Pinkney's potential is limited only by the supporting cast that will
surround him. In addition to solid players, a key will be ECU's ability to
retain its offensive coordinator when interested suitors start calling.
If the talented pair stay together, my money is on Pinkney ascending to
the throne of ECU's quarterback royalty.
The Pirates' showdown with Wake cost more than just another digit in the
loss column. Perhaps the biggest sting was the injury of talented tight end
Shawn Levesque.
The junior college transfer suffered a serious blow to his knee that left
him unable to leave the field without the assistance of the ECU medical
staff following a fourth quarter catch.
"It's extremely disappointing that Shawn Levesque got injured," Brindise
said. "It looks like it's going to be pretty bad. That's a huge blow, big
blow for us.
"He's not going to grab all the headlines, but we can do a lot of things
with him formation-wise and personnel-wise. That's a blow."
Levesque finished the evening with four catches for 34 yards, including
an 18-yard reception on the same series during which he suffered the injury.
On the year, Levesque has six catches for 60 yards and was becoming a
reliable third-down target.
Now Brindise will turn to another JUCO transfer to fill the void.
"Sean Harmon will be the starter now if the injury is what we think it is
and Josh Coffman will be his backup," Brindise said. "They're capable guys.
"Sean was having his best game tonight. He dropped a couple of balls
(against Wake), but he's a good blocker, good athletic receiver."
Receiver Edwin Rios followed his seven-catch 113-yard effort at West
Virginia with a goose egg against Wake Forest. But that isn't a concern to
Pirates coaches.
Thompson said with the Fun-n-Gun offense, expect Pinkney to distribute
the ball around more often than last season, when Terrance Copper was by far
the most utilized target.
"I think we'll spread the thing around," Thompson said. "The way we work
our offense, it's whoever can get open is going to get the ball.
"Whoever it is, whether it's a back, a tight end, wide receiver
whoever. We're going to spread the thing around. It's just who can get open.
I thought Bobby Good did a good job competing on some things. It's going to
be different people I think every night."
Good made the most of his opportunities against the Deacons. The
sure-handed sophomore hauled in six passes for 122 yards, including an
18-yard score.
"Bobby's just a solid, steady player," Brindise said. "He's not going to
run away from anybody, but he'll catch everything. He's tough. He's
physical. He'll be one of the guys that we count on and depend on this
year."
