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Game 3: ECU 35, Memphis 20 |
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The Slants of the Game
Sunday, September 17, 2006
By Denny O'Brien |
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Allison rebounds in timely
fashion
©2006 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
GREENVILLE Yes, Aundrae Allison still
exists on East Carolina's numerical roster. And after disappearing in the
Pirates' loss last week at UAB, the all-star receiver made a welcome return
to the box score in a 35-20 win over Memphis.
From the opening drive, it was evident that
ECU was focused on involving its top weapon in the offensive game plan. It
also appeared that Allison might need a 250-yard day to keep pace with a
Tigers' aerial assault for which the Pirates had no answer in the first
half.
That seemed the most probable second half
scenario for serving up an East Carolina victory. The one unveiled was an
endless helping of stingy defense with more than enough Allison on the
side.
"A lot of it is what (Memphis) did," East
Carolina coach Skip Holtz said of Allison's performance. "They are obviously
more of a man team, kind of coming after you with everything. He got singled
up quite a bit.
"Yeah, he had a pretty good night. He is a
great player. If you get the ball in his direction enough times, he's going
to make enough plays."
Against Memphis, Allison more than met his
quota, finishing with nine catches for 124 yards in a needed return as ECU's
go-to guy. Several catches were made in clutch situations that extended
drives an element that was missing throughout much of the Pirates' loss to
UAB last week.
It also occurred at a time when East
Carolina was quickly approaching a moment of desperation and in need of
someone to salvage the season.
"I just basically had the mindset this week
that I was going to practice hard and bounce back from a zero-catch game,"
Allison said. "Overall, it was just a great feeling just to be back at home.
The crowd really got into it.
"I was given the opportunity to make a lot
of plays, and just took advantage."
No play proved bigger than his 33-yard
touchdown reception with 3:34 left to play. It occurred at a moment when the
lead was still in doubt and gave the defense just enough breathing room to
nail the coffin shut.
The scoring strike also emphasized
Allison's importance to ECU's overall success this year. When he's on, it's
a good bet the rest of the offense is clicking, as witnessed by the Pirates'
season-best 177 yards rushing.
To the core, Allison is the type of player
around whom defensive coordinators devise their game plan. On every snap,
you can rest assured that at least two defenders are aware of his
positioning, be it split wide, in the slot, or sucking down a cup of
Gatorade during a quick breather.
UAB stuck to its plan so well that several
of the ten NFL scouts on hand to evaluate Allison hit the turnstiles by
half. Allison appeared so frustrated after intermission that he may have
mentally done the same.
Memphis wasn't so fortunate.
A great receiver is often defined by how
productive his teammates are as a result of the attention he draws from the
defense. That much certainly applies to Allison, and it became evident by
midseason last year.
But all other things being equal, East
Carolina's prospects for success increase significantly when No. 2 has the
ball in his mitts, not blocking downfield or serving as a decoy. Each time
he touched it Saturday, the Memphis sideline exhaled a giant gasp.
His final touch produced all-out deflation.
Once again Allison proved his ability to suck the life out of an opponent.
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02/23/2007 02:03:45 AM |
