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ECU coach Ruffin
McNeill with his former Pirate coach, Pat Dye,
during a 70-41 win over North Carolina on Saturday.
(ESPN photo via
The Birmingham News] |
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FOOTBALL SPECIAL
FEATURE |
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15 Questions
for Warren Harvey |
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 Warren
Harvey (5-11, 225)
is in his third
season as the East
Carolina kickoff
specialist and
placekicker. Harvey
is an ECU legacy as
his father, Charlie
Harvey, played
soccer as a Pirate
and also was the
program's head coach
in 1987. ...
More from W.A.
Myatt... |
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Pictured: ECU
kicking specialist
Warren Harvey is
climbing his way up
the career record
charts in points
scored and PATs
made. The senior
from Greenville, who
once converted 86
PATs in a row, has
posted 11
multi-field goal
games. (ECU Media
Relations photo) |
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FOOTBALL |
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Been there, done that |
Shortly
after East Carolina's upset
win over Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg two Saturdays
ago, someone with the school
told me he wished the
football team would "act
like they had been there
before."
...
More from Brian Bailey... |
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MULTIMEDIA |
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Audio: The
Brian Bailey Show |
  The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 on Mondays at
6:30 p.m. Brian's
guest was ECU
offensive line coach
Brandon Jones
(right):
Replay
show... |
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Work pays off as Pirates party |
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GREENVILLE — North Carolina's
second trick play for a
touchdown, a 29-yard pass from
holder Tommy Hibbard to a wide
open Eric Albright from field
goal formation, momentarily
subdued the excitement at rowdy
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on
Saturday. The score came with
12:15 left in the first half and
gave the Tar Heels their last
lead at 20-14. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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Pix: Heels can't hang with
Pirates... |
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ECU receiver
Jimmy
Williams is
on the move
during the
Pirates'
70-41 rout
of North
Carolina on
Saturday.
Photo by W.A.
Myatt. ...
W.A. Myatt's
gallery of
game day
images... |
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Audio: Ruff & Players
Post-game... |
 ECU
coach Ruffin McNeill spoke
with the press after the
Pirates defeated North
Carolina on Saturday in
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
(recorded by W.A. Myatt;
file photo):
Select audio clip... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Kevin's Keys to the Game |
The East
Carolina Pirates return home
to Dowdy-Ficklen today to
face in-state rival UNC-Chapel
Hill. Every time these
programs match up, it is a
big game for both teams.
This year the Tar Heels
opened the season in the top
25. The Pirates are their
first real test after wins
over Liberty and San Diego
State. ECU, as usual, is
fighting for respect.
...
More from Kevin Monroe... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Your personal guide to split
loyalties |
The term "House Divided" has
been used to describe
members of the same family
that root for different
teams when those teams play
each other. On Saturday,
there will be many families
that have both East Carolina
and North Carolina
connections with an acute
interest in the matchup in
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. ...
More from Greg Vacek... |
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By
Al Myatt
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View ECU's Football
Schedule
Pat Dye went undefeated (6-0-1) his last seven games at
East Carolina. The tie (24-24) came at North Carolina on Oct. 27, 1979.
ECU always had to play in-state ACC teams on the road in
those days.
Current Pirates coach Ruffin McNeill was strong safety in
that era.
ECU's home at that time, Ficklen Stadium, had been
expanded from 20,000 seats to 35,000, with additions in all four
corners, prior to the 1978 season.
That was
during Dye's tenure in Greenville,
which lasted from 1974 to 1979. Dye, who went on to win four
Southeastern Conference championships at Auburn, compiled a 48-18-1
record with the Pirates.
He coached Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson of the
Tigers.
Dye always had a way with words.
During the interview process for the job at Auburn, he
was asked how long it would take to beat rival Alabama.
"60 minutes," Dye replied.
The former Georgia All-America returned to ECU last week
for Hall of Fame weekend as the Pirates hosted North Carolina on
Saturday. Dye
was enshrined in the ECU Hall in 2006.
McNeill was honored for his collegiate coach to speak to
the current team on Friday.
"He told us how proud he was of us," McNeill said. "He
was happy for me being back here as the coach. He knew about Rick
(Smith, ECU defensive coordinator). He and Rick had coached against one
another when Rick was (secondary coach) at Alabama. He knew Lincoln
(Riley, ECU offensive coordinator). He called him by name.
"He watches our games every time he can. He knew about
Shane (Carden, Pirates quarterback) and Terry (Williams, nose tackle)
and all the kids."
Dye, 74,
was inducted into the College Football Hall of
Fame in 2005.
"Then he got serious and became very emotional," McNeill
said of his former coach's remarks to the present Pirates. "He said 40
years ago, he came to ECU and there were 20,000 seats. His dream was to
have a 50,000-plus seat stadium and get a great team like UNC to at
least come to Greenville and play."
Dye concluded his remarks by telling the team, "I'm
living my dream through you."
The former ECU coach returned to The Plains having
witnessed
a 70-41 Pirates win before a
stadium record crowd of 51,082.
A purple and gold sunset ended the day.
Dye had an impact on the players decades after his last
contest as ECU coach, a 38-14 win at William & Mary on Nov. 24, 1979.
Pirates freshman inside wide receiver Jacen Murphy of
Wilmington sent out some wisdom from Dye on game day.
"You never know when your chance is coming but you'll
never miss your opportunity going full speed,"
Murphy tweeted.
The Pirates were full speed — for 60 minutes — as Dye
lived his dream for his former program.
Richardson ejected
ECU second string strong safety Terrell Richardson was
ejected on a targeting call with 9:28 left in the game as the Tar Heels
scored to cut the Pirates' lead to 63-27.
"That was a good hit," McNeill said. "Let me put it that
way. A well-taught hit. We don't teach with our helmet. We teach with
our shoulders here. We don't tackle with our heads, first for players'
safety and for proper tackling technique. We teach the old-fashioned
shoulder and wrap your arms. That's what he did. He's so strong and
powerful.
"I thought it was a great hit."
McNeill wasn't sure about Richardson's status for the
American Athletic Conference opener at home against Southern Methodist
on Oct. 4.
"If he's not able to play, it might be one half," McNeill
said. "I still don't, ... well, I better stop right there. ... I'm not
sure anything can be done to overturn it but we're exploring it."
Mustangs struggling
The Pirates have three practices this week before turning
full attention to SMU on Sunday.
The Mustangs are 0-3 going into a noon game at home
Saturday against Texas Christian (2-0).
SMU has been outscored 146-12.
June Jones resigned as head coach of the Mustangs on
Sept. 8 after a 43-6 loss to North Texas. Defensive coordinator Tom
Mason is the interim head coach.
"June and George (O'Leary, Central Florida), all those (AAC)
coaches, made me feel welcome and always took care of us," McNeill said.
"June could speak on behalf of us. ... He was a great person to be
around."
