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| Receiver
Justin Hardy breaks an ECU career receiving
record every time he catches a pass. The
senior from Vanceboro is poised to break the
all-time NCAA career receptions standard. He
needs four receptions to pass the career
mark of 349 set by Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles
in 2011. (Bonesville archive photo by W.A.
Myatt) |
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| East
Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill was
miffed upon learning from a questioner at
his weekly press conference on Monday that
record-setting ECU receiver Justin Hardy was
omitted from the list of 10 semifinalists
for the Biletnikoff Award, an honor bestowed
annually upon college football's best
receiver by the
Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.
(Archive photo by W.A. Myatt) |
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Audio: Brian Bailey
Show |
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 The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 on Mondays at
6:30 p.m. Brian's
guests were prep
football coaches
David Wojtecki,
Bobby Curlings, Paul
Cornwell, Sport
Sawyer and Scott
Gardner:
Replay
show... |
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MULTIMEDIA |
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Audio: Coach Ruff Weekly
Presser |
 ECU
coach Ruffin McNeill spoke
with the media at his weekly
press conference on Monday
as the Pirates prepare to
host Tulane on
Saturday
(courtesy of Pirate
Radio 1250;
file
photo):
Select
clip... |
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American Football
Schedule |
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SATURDAY |
SMU at UCF, 12 pm (ESPNN)
Tulsa at Houston, 3 pm (ESPN3)
Tulane at ECU, 3:30 pm (ESPN3)
USF at Memphis, 4 pm (ESPNN)
Cincinnati at UConn, 8 pm (CBSSN) |
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BASKETBALL |
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UNC-Asheville holds off
Pirates |
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GREENVILLE — UNC-Asheville's
Andrew Rowsey stands 5 feet,
10 inches but he was huge on
Sunday afternoon. Rowsey, a
sophomore, scored 28 points
to lead an 83-79
nonconference basketball win
at East Carolina. ...
More... |
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BASKETBALL |
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Pirates cruise in hoops
opener |
 GREENVILLE — East Carolina
rolled past North Carolina
Wesleyan 99-81 to open the
2014-15 basketball season at
Williams Arena in Minges
Coliseum on Friday night.
The Pirates won their first
game of the season for the
15th consecutive time. ...
Story, photos, post-game
audio... |
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Pictured: Sophomore
forward Michel Nzege
compiled a
double-double with
18 points and 12
rebounds in ECU's
season-opening win
over N.C. Wesleyan.
The native of
Geneva, Switzerland
sat out last season
after transferring
from Winston-Salem
State. (Photo by W.A.
Myatt.) |
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Time to deal with tough loss |
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CINCINNATI — The schedule will
soon compact for East Carolina's
2014 football team with three
games in 13 days. The Pirates
will host Tulane on Saturday,
Nov. 22 to start the close to
the regular season. They'll play
at Tulsa the following Friday
before returning home to face
Central Florida on Thursday,
Dec. 4. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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FROSTY
AFFAIR: That
masked man
bearing up
against the
bitter cold
at Paul
Brown
Stadium in
Cincinnati
is East
Carolina
mike
linebacker
Zeek Bigger.
©Bonesville.net.
[Al Myatt
photo] |
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View Al
Myatt's game
day
gallery... |
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Audio: Ruff Post-game |
 ECU
coach Ruffin McNeill spoke
with the press after the
Pirates' loss to Cincinnati
on Thursday night (recorded
by Al Myatt; file photo):
Select audio clip... |
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By
Brian Bailey
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View ECU's
2014 football schedule
VIEW MOBILE VERSION OF THIS PAGE
Justin Hardy has been snubbed.
East Carolina's spectacular receiver will most likely set the all-time
NCAA record for career receptions this week when the Pirates host
Tulane. Hardy needs just four catches to break the record set by Ryan
Broyles of Oklahoma in 2011.
Hardy has 80 catches this season for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns.
Still, he was snubbed by the Biletnikoff Award on its list of the 10
national semifinalists for the award that goes to the nation’s top
receiver.
Here is that official list from the
NBC Sports College Football Talk web site:
• Nelson Agholor (USC): 82 catches, 1,079 yards, 10 TDs
• Amari Cooper (Alabama): 87 catches, 1,303 yards*, 11 TDs
• Rashad Greene (Florida State): 75 catches, 1,042 yards, 5 TDs
• Rashard Higgins (Colorado State): 67 catches, 1,280 yards, 13
TDs*
• Tyler Lockett (K-State): 60 catches, 878 yards, 6 TDs
• Vince Mayle (Washington State): 86 catches, 1,152 yards, 9 TDs
• Sterling Shepard (Oklahoma): 50 catches, 957 yards, 5 TDs
• Nelson Spruce (Colorado): 99 catches*, 1,091 yards, 11 TDs
• Jaelen Strong (Arizona State): 71 catches, 982 yards, 9 TDs
• Kevin White (West Virginia): 91 catches, 1,207 yards, 8 TDs
*Denotes Football Bowl Subdivision leader
Obviously Hardy was a long shot to win the award because of the likes of
Amari Cooper from Alabama and Rashad Greene from Florida State. Still,
Hardy deserved to make the top 10 and his snub didn’t go unnoticed.
“He’s not!?,” exclaimed Pirate head coach Ruffin McNeill when asked
about the snub at his weekly news conference on Monday. “That’s the most
idiotic thing I have ever heard in my life that they would not put that
young man on there. What are you looking for? A student? He already
graduated. We had an academic meeting today and tried to find out how he
can make the Dean’s List.
"He’s getting ready to break
the all-time receptions record. I’m not the smartest guy in the world,
but here is a ‘C,’ here is an ‘A’ and I think there’s a ‘T’ around here
somewhere (and) that spells CAT.
"Justin Hardy isn’t on there? I don’t know who is picking that. I hope
these words get back to whoever didn’t choose him and my number is right
here. I’m here all day.”
Rarely does Coach Ruff react to something like that, especially when
it’s an individual deal. McNeill preaches team and family. He also wants
his “boys” to get the recognition they deserve. Ruff doesn’t buy into
the ‘big name’ philosophy that goes into so much of college football.
“There is respect and disrespect,” said McNeill. “When you’re young, you
probably deserve some, but when you respect others then, in theory, they
should respect you. And we respect all. So in turn, maybe it’s naïve,
but I expect respect to our university, our athletic program and our
kids. When it doesn’t happen, I’m going to stand up for them. I want
somebody to challenge me on that. I’m the easiest guy to find.”
After back to back losses for the Pirates, East Carolina now grasps at
other goals, like winning out. Tulane is up first and the Pirates lost
to the Green Wave last year in New Orleans
in triple overtime.
The Pirate coach says last year’s outcome won’t be discussed heading
into this matchup.
“I look at Tulane as a chance to get back on the field and get a win,”
explained McNeill. “It’s about being ready to get that taste (winning)
back in our mouths. These guys are used to winning and they have a
chance to accomplish some things as a group of seniors that may have
never been done before.
"The preparation that gives
us a chance to be successful on Saturday is what I’ll focus on, but I
won’t bring up anything that happened last year.”
Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at East Carolina. The weather is
expected to be fairly nice and it’s the final chance for a Saturday
tailgate.
Here’s hoping that Hardy gets that record early in the game, and the
Pirates get back on the winning trail.
BB
