Game Slants Sunday, October 12, 2008 By Denny O'Brien

Offense stuck in neutral

By Denny O'Brien
©2008 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — East Carolina and Virginia started the season on opposite ends of the competitive spectrum. Saturday the two met somewhere in the middle, then departed Scott Stadium on completely different paths.

For ECU, the pendulum has swung in a disturbing direction. The Cavaliers’ 35-20 win has totally flipped the Pirates’ season, one that once was the national storyline to what now is in danger of becoming a regional punch line.

It was a scenario that few envisioned on the second week of September. After hammering West Virginia and rocketing into the Top 15, many gave the Pirates a shot to run the table and flirt with a bid to a Bowl Championship Series postseason extravaganza.

Now you have to wonder if the Pirates will even compete for a Conference USA title. That looked almost a certainty about a month ago, but now is a perplexing question given some of ECU’s deficiencies, particularly on offense.

“It’s been a real emotional roller coaster,” Pirates receiver Dwayne Harris said. “Going from beating West Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Tulane, and then losing three straight.

“I just think that, as a team, we’ve got to get back on the same page, get back clicking the way we were the first couple of games and execute the plays. We’ve just got to move the ball downfield and get into the end zone.”

That hasn’t been a common occurrence this season. Not even close. Midway through the schedule, the Pirates have yet to break the 30-point barrier, and that’s with scoring four touchdowns on defense and special teams.

What is most puzzling about Saturday’s offensive performance is that it occurred after a bye week that didn’t arrive soon enough. After a five-week journey that contained huge emotional swings, ECU desperately needed a reprieve to mend itself both mentally and physically.

It also needed the week to better assess its offensive schemes and personnel following the debacle against Houston. But for most of the Pirates’ loss to Virginia, they looked as if neither was addressed during the week off.

There were more blocking breakdowns than with the national economy. Quarterback Patrick Pinkney spent much of his afternoon trying to evade a Virginia front seven that established camp in the ECU backfield.

“Offensively, I thought we did some pretty decent things,” Pirates coach Skip Holtz said. “We just don’t do them consistently enough.

“We don’t do anything as consistent enough as you need to do it. We don’t have the home run player that we had a year ago. We don’t have a receiver who is going to run by anybody. We don’t have a tailback that is going to outrun everybody. We’ve got to take the ball and move it methodically down the field.”

On the bright side, East Carolina at least found some semblance of an offense during intermission. The Pirates put together a pair of impressive second half scoring drives in which the offensive staff found new chapters in the playbook.

Pinkney executed the option to near perfection, especially on the pitch to running back Jonathan Williams on a third-and-goal play that produced a touchdown.

ECU also found creative ways to put the ball in Harris’ hands, be it with direct snaps or on an end-around where he had the option to pass or run.

But after digging itself into a deep 28-6 crater, it proved much too late for ECU to awaken from its offensive slumber. The Pirates had their chances to convert earlier on their first three possessions, but three trips inside the Virginia 35-yard line produced a paltry six points.

It’s become a disappointing theme for ECU, and perhaps the most telling reason for its 3-3 record. Had the Pirates found pay dirt during one of their two trips inside the N.C. State ten-yard line in the fourth quarter, they probably start the season a perfect 4-0.

That sentiment can somewhat be echoed about the Virginia game. If ECU could have mustered at least one touchdown out of its first three drives, perhaps it would have provided momentum and a better working margin at intermission.

It would be tempting to examine the Pirates’ loss to the Wahoos and attribute equal blame to the defense. It did, after all, surrender a trio of big plays and at times during the second quarter resembled the bunch that was torched by Houston.

But for most of Saturday afternoon, the defense performed well enough for ECU to escape Charlottesville with a win. It produced a pair of turnovers and allowed the Cavaliers to convert only three of their 14 third down opportunities.

That’s respectable. The offense was not.

Outside of two third quarter drives and nice individual performances by Harris (six catches, 128 yards) and Williams (19 carries, 95 yards), there wasn’t too much to celebrate. The offensive line struggled with pass protection, while Pinkney again looked out of rhythm and committed two crippling turnovers.

It was enough to prompt Holtz to hint that a quarterback rotation could soon return.

With a powerful Memphis offense visiting Greenville next week, many will question whether or not the ECU defense can keep the Tigers grounded. Perhaps the better question is whether or not the Pirates’ offense can keep up.

If not, it will be tough for East Carolina to salvage a season that began on such a historic note.

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10/12/2008 02:26:34 AM