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BAILEY'S TAKE
ON PIRATE SPORTS
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From the Anchor Desk
Tuesday, September 1, 2008
By Brian Bailey |
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Pent up energy set
to be unleashed
By
Brian Bailey
©2009 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
Was it irony or
coincidence that game
week kicked off with a
cool, autumn-like day in
Greenville?
East Carolina coach Skip
Holtz opened his
weekly media
gathering
with a big smile,
relieved that it’s
finally time to play a
football game. Holtz was
certainly upbeat in his
first “game week”
presser.
Holtz answered questions
for some 30 minutes. One
of the big concerns was
the health of running
back Brandon Jackson.
Jackson hurt his thumb
in the final scrimmage,
but will still play in
the opener against
Appalachian State.
"Right now we're just
going to play it by ear
with injury,” said
Holtz. “They (Jackson,
Dominique Lindsay,
Jonathan Williams and
Giavanni Ruffin) are all
going to play a more
prevalent role in the
kicking game because we
do feel like we have
some depth.
"Those guys can play a
more active role on
kickoffs and punts. They
can give us some quality
reps.”
“They will all play,"
Holtz continued. "I
can't say they will all
see time at tailback,
however. I feel like we
have four backs that can
play. Right now, I'd be
very comfortable looking
up and seeing any one of
those four out there."
On defense, the depth
chart is loaded with
experience. This should
be, by far, Greg
Hudson’s best defense on
paper. It was Conference
USA’s best last season,
and Hudson has high
expectations for this
year.
“When you create the
monster, you have to let
it loose,” said Hudson,
who was a
guest on my radio
show last
night on Pirate Radio
1250 and 930. “The
expectations should be
high. You certainly
don’t want to create the
monster and not let it
loose.”
Hudson’s defense may see
as many as three
quarterbacks against
Appalachian State on
Saturday.
Armanti Edwards is an
All-American in the
Football Championship
Subdivision (formerly
Division IAA). Edwards,
however, had a mowing
mishap earlier this
summer and his
availability is
certainly in question.
"We're preparing for him
to play," said Hudson.
"I don't think this game
is Edwards versus East
Carolina. They have
other players on their
team. I know they have
very capable backups and
I know they are very
excited about their new
freshman quarterback
they have in camp. He's
doing a lot of good
things.
"Whoever they put back
there, as long as they
only put one back there
at a time, I think we'll
be OK. Whoever plays,
we're preparing for an
athletic quarterback who
can run around, make
things happen and beat
you with his feet or his
arm."
Edwards must be the real
deal. He has his own
weekly teleconference
during the season on
Wednesday mornings.
“They aren’t going to
change their offense for
their quarterback,” said
Hudson. “It’s kind of
like recess when you
were young. One guy
played quarterback and
the other nine or ten
guys went out for
passes. That’s what this
offense is like."
Anyone that thinks the
East Carolina football
team might overlook this
band of Mountaineers is
seriously misled. Coach
Holtz and the Pirates
know they will get Appy
State’s very best
effort.
“I look at it as very
similar to when we go to
North Carolina and N.C.
State with a little bit
of a chip on our
shoulder,” said Holtz.
“We're trying to prove
that we're on a
competitive playing
field with UNC or N.C.
State and that makes
your players dig a
little bit deeper. I
think App State is going
to come in here with
that very same mindset.”
It’s game on in
Greenville!
The Pirates are favored
in the opener, but I
wonder if Coach Holtz
and company showed this
squad a little tape from
two years ago, when
Appalachian State
stunned Michigan in the
Big House.
It can happen, and
that’s the magic of why
they play the games.
It’s the big game for
our state on Saturday.
The buzz will continue
on up to kickoff, as we
finally set sail on a
new Pirate season.
It should be fun.
BB
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Brian Bailey.
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09/01/2009 01:33:30 AM |
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