September isn't the typical month for judgment in college football.
Normally the gridiron gods graciously reserve their verdicts for late season
showdowns.
East Carolina's Conference USA opener with Cincinnati Saturday is an
exception to that rule.
Already in an 0-2 hole, the Pirates can't afford to dig themselves any
deeper. Another loss especially one in which the outcome becomes apparent
before the game's final minutes and the negative momentum may be difficult
to overcome.
"I'm going to come in here one of these days and have something else to
talk about," Pirates coach John Thompson told the media following his team's
31-17 loss to Wake Forest. "I know that.
"We're making progress, but we've got to play smarter. The thing that
bothers me more than anything (against Wake) is that we did some foolish
things."
It sounds like a broken record. Save for the narrow win over Army last
season, the Pirates coach could have recycled one of his postgame addresses
from 2003.
Instead of preaching about incremental improvement, Thompson needs to be
able to dote about the Pirates' sound performance in all phases of the game.
Turnovers, untimely penalties, poor tackling and missed assignments the
glaring themes over the past two seasons must be removed from Thompson's
postgame discourse.
Simply stated, he can't afford to regurgitate the same rhetoric on a
weekly basis.
The challenge now is to rewrite the script. And if that rewrite doesn't
begin against the Bearcats, there are plenty of reasons to doubt that the
resurrection can begin the following week at
24th-ranked Louisville.
This isn't to suggest that Thompson has suddenly lost favor among the ECU
faithful, or that his employment is in jeopardy. By most accounts, Pirates
fans are firmly in his camp so far. The presence of new AD Terry Holland
also shouldn't put the coach in panic mode.
That said, a win over Cincinnati would greatly increase the fans' and
Holland's confidence in Thompson's ability to right the ship. It also could
help put an end to the talent versus coaching debate, which would provide
the Pirates coach with additional wiggle room.
The fact is, diagnosing ECU's freefall to the lower echelons of Division
I-A football isn't as simple as arguing about the relative merits and
shortcomings of talent and coaching. No doubt, there have been more gifted
Pirates clubs, but there also have been weaker ones.
While you have to applaud Thompson and his staff for the determination
and passion with which the Pirates play, to a certain degree you can't help
but question their preparation.
The perfect example is a comparison of the offense and defense.
The expertise of new offensive coordinator Noah Brindise has produced a
complete 180 from last year, even though two of the team's weakest units
from a personnel perspective are the offensive line and receiving corps.
Defensively, it has been a different story. Though noticeable adjustments
were made to stop the run against Wake Forest, the defense appeared unclear
on its assignments once quarterback Cory Randolph rolled from the pocket.
It shouldn't go without mentioning that East Carolina never has been a
program that boasted superior talent over its foes.
Saturday against the Bearcats, Thompson has an excellent opportunity to
prove any doubters wrong. A mid-level C-USA outfit, Cincinnati must be
viewed as a beatable opponent, especially considering the Pirates had an
extra week to prepare.
While a loss wouldn't be the final nail in the coffin, it could be a
pessimistic foreshadowing to the rest of the season. Louisville, Southern
Miss, Memphis, and N.C. State remain on the docket. Finding a victory there
is a major stretch at this point.
If East Carolina wants to prove it is heading in the right direction, a
win over a mediocre Cincinnati club would provide the most tangible evidence
to date.
Perhaps the biggest buzz in the Pirates' loss to the Deacons was the play
of freshman running back Chris Johnson. His 86-yard touchdown dash showcased
the type of world-class speed that has been rare at ECU.
The challenge according to Brindise is to seek ways to get the talented
freshman more involved.
"The kind of speed that he has, we've got to find ways to get him on the
field," Brindise said. "As soon as he turned the corner, I said he's gone.
"I've seen him do that in practice and nobody's going to catch him. I
don't care what team we're playing against, nobody's going to catch him. We
do have to design ways to get him the ball."
When he does get the rock, opponents will be wise to keep the freshman
speedster out of the open field. Johnson has been timed at 10.2 seconds in
the 100 meters, which isn't too far off the time that won the Olympic gold
in Athens.
Not only does Johnson bring superior speed to the Pirates, but also a
good understanding of the offense. The speedster attributes that to his
system in high school.
"It's a good style," Johnson said. "In high school, we had the same style
of offense. I adjusted to it really quick."
