By
Denny O'Brien
©2007 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
Seriously, when was the
last time East Carolina could intimidate an opponent with its defensive
front?
My guess is never. At
least not in my lifetime. And I'm guessing the same answer would apply
to most of the 43,000 who will attend the Pirates' home opener against
UNC-Chapel Hill on Saturday.
Until now.
Because that's exactly how
ECU's front seven played against ninth-ranked Virginia Tech Saturday.
Though the Pirates lost 17-7, there was little question about which unit
was the most dominant on Worsham Field.
Any doubt was erased by
the number of purple stripes the Pirates added to Sean Glennon’s maroon
headgear. It was also telling in the final statistical breakdown that
included decided margins in rush defense, sacks, and tackles for losses.
“I think our defensive
(front) four is pretty stout,” Pirates coach Skip Holtz said following
the opener. “We didn’t change a thing. We didn’t play any new looks
today. We didn’t change our defense for this offense. We didn’t say we
were going to rob Peter to pay Paul.
“We’re going to line up
and play football and we’re going to challenge them. I thought they
accepted the challenge. We didn’t blitz much and twist much. We just
lined up and played football. We challenged our defense more than we
tried to scheme Virginia Tech’s offense.”
It wasn’t the traditional
postgame response from an ECU head coach. Rarely since the Pirates
joined the major college ranks has their skipper praised the physical
performance of his defense against a high-profile foe.
Even during East
Carolina’s highly successful run through the 1990's, defense was never
viewed as the program’s strength. The mindset often was to keep the
opponent’s score in the mid-20's, which on most occasions provided
enough breathing room for the offense to sparkle.
Those defenses often were
characterized by undersized defensive linemen and an overall shortage of
them. It wasn’t an exception for the interior linemen to weigh in the
260-pound range, which typically resulted in a sizeable disadvantage
each time an opposing runner was given the ball.
It often left ECU’s
defensive staff in rewrite mode. That was accentuated during John
Thompson’s brief tenure, a time when the Pirates were unable to mask
defensive deficiencies with the offensive dexterity that was displayed
throughout the Steve Logan era.
Since Holtz inherited the
program the mindset has somewhat flipped. The high-risk, high-reward
offensive philosophy has been consumed by a more conservative approach.
Even with a seasoned senior under center last year, Holtz seemed content
to control the clock and ride Greg Hudson’s defense to victory lane.
Sure, some of that can be
attributed to the constant shifting and tinkering that occurred along
the Pirates’ offensive front. Because of the recruiting pitfalls under
Thompson, Holtz has been playing catch-up with his lack of depth at most
O-line positions.
But when you have a
defense that steadily progresses from serviceable to sometimes
suffocating, it’s wise not to weave many unnecessary gambles into the
offensive script. That’s especially true when you’re pressed into a
three-quarterback system against the nation’s most celebrated defense.
While in the end it was a
formula that didn’t prove winning against the Hokies, it at least was
one that gave the Pirates an unexpected chance. And by the end of the
game, it was ECU’s smothering defense that garnered most of the praise
by the viewing media.
“This team is not afraid
of contact,” Holtz said. “This is a very physical team that we played in
Virginia Tech. We challenged them.
“We told them we were
going to have to make it a physical, hard-hitting game. They didn’t shy
from it. They knew the challenge. I was proud of the way they came out
here and competed, the way they hit, and the way they lowered their
shoulder. The front seven really has a chance to be something special.”
Given the performance
against Virginia Tech, that might be an understatement. If that bunch
can remain relatively healthy, there is no reason repeat efforts can’t
become the norm.
The only question mark
surrounding this defense is its talented, yet youthful secondary. While
they were mostly solid against Tech, the handful of plays in which they
weren’t proved costly.
Smart coaching, steady
film study, and more game-speed repetitions should help correct those
blunders. And with 11 games remaining, we’ve far from witnessed the
secondary’s best effort.
That likely applies to the
Pirates’ defense as a whole. Given the 33 rushing yards Virginia Tech
posted last Saturday, that can be a bit discouraging for upcoming
opponents.
Years ago East Carolina
earned its spot on the football map because of prolific passers and
dominating runners. The program's philosophy in those days relied on
offensive production that regularly exceeded 400 yards and 35 points.
The Pirates’ return to
respectability has taken a different path. Defense has become the new
face of ECU football.
