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Game 4: (4) WVU 27, ECU 10 |
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The Slants of the Game
Sunday, September 24, 2006
By Denny O'Brien |
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Despite loss, ECU a winner
Saturday
©2006 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
GREENVILLE East Carolina scored a major
victory on Saturday. Though the story on the scoreboard said the opposite,
the ECU football program took a giant step forward in its 27-10 loss to No.
4 West Virginia.
On a day when the East Carolina players
proclaimed that moral victories were unacceptable, none were taken. West
Virginia faced by far its toughest test to date and was forced to fight
longer than anticipated but that wasn't good enough for the upset-minded
Pirates.
And while nothing would have been more
perfect than a home victory over a Top 5 opponent, the setting for
Saturday's showdown was even more important. Though Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
wasn't completely full, it was close enough to make it the sixth largest
turnout in ECU history.
It also was enough that the volume sounded
as if the stands could hold no more without an exception from the Fire
Marshall.
"Phenomenal," Pirates coach Skip Holtz
said. "Recruits that are here, they want to go to a big-time environment.
"If recruits come here and it's not
electric, it's not filled, it's not loud, it's not vocal, it's not
enthusiastic, then they're not going to want to come. I thought the
atmosphere was great. I thought the crowd, the student body was just
awesome."
They came and they stood. From the time
East Carolina took the field to the moment it marched proudly off, the
Pirates faithful provided the 12th man that has been missing in Greenville
for years.
There was a giant roar each time West
Virginia faced third down, which no doubt helped produce a poor 3-for-10
conversion rate for the Mountaineers. Many of those occurred on Steve Slaton
carries, who by the way managed only a season-low 80 yards.
"It just feels good to be down ten and you
can still hear our fans supporting us," senior cornerback Kasey Ross said.
"That just motivates us. That is what I expected when I came here.
"No one gives us chance. To have our fans
here believing in us and staying behind us 100 percent, that feels good."
That's how it used to be at ECU.
East Carolina's evolution as a program was
nurtured as much by the collective spirit of its fans as it was the results
on the field. Led by the vision of former chancellor Leo Jenkins, football
was embraced as ECU's athletics niche and provided the relevance it needed
in a state that was driven by the basketball success of rival neighbors.
Throughout the 70's, 80's, and 90's, that
mindset steamrolled within the constituency and provided the momentum ECU
needed to make an impact beyond the N.C. border. And much of that was fueled
by the reputation of loyal Pirates fans and their firm belief that East
Carolina would succeed despite any disadvantages it may face.
That mentality was rerouted a few years ago
by a former athletics director who extinguished that seemingly eternal
spirit. At times, the re-ignition process has moved at a snail-like pace,
but the past two weekends suggest that it has accelerated significantly.
That much is evident partially by the
increased attendance and tough environment that has been recreated in
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. But even more important is the strong faith that has
been renewed one in which both players and fans believe ECU can win
regardless of the opponent.
It certainly was the case Saturday despite
the presence of the nation's No. 4 team on the opposite sideline. And you
can bet it also will be true in two weeks when ACC opponent Virginia resides
there.
"This is not a moral victory," Holtz said.
"We didn't come in here to get close. We were close last year.
"It's a frustrating loss more than it is a
moral victory. But this is the level that we aspire to play to. This is a
great measuring stick for us to realize where we are right now and what
we've got to do to get better."
If you're AD Terry Holland, there couldn't
be a more telling sign that ECU is close to climbing out of the deep trench
it had fallen into.
A competitive football program that is
dissatisfied with Saturday's result, an energized fan base, and a resilient
faith make for a solid foundation. None of the above applied to ECU during
the years when it lost touch with the fundamental elements that bound its
constituencies together.
But after Saturday, I'm convinced it's
finally back.
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02/23/2007 02:03:46 AM |
