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FOOTBALL |
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Pirates seek to break Bud's
shackles |
East Carolina averaged 40.2
points per game in 2013. The
potent Pirates exceeded 50
points five times. Against
this week's opponent,
Virginia Tech, ECU was on
the short end of a 15-10
score last season. After a
22-yard scoring pass from
Shane Carden to Bryce
Williams in the first two
minutes, the end zones were
off limits to the Pirates. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING |
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Florida talent pool still
producing |
 C.J.
Maybin has always like to
hit people on the football
field, even when it wasn’t
appropriate. “When I was
younger my Dad started me
off by signing me up for
flag football,’’ Maybin
recalled recently. “But it
wasn’t fun to me just
grabbing somebody’s flag. I
wanted to hit. So I
immediately started tackling
the other players. “The
other parents did not like
it. So they moved me up to
the tackle league.’’ ...
More from Sammy Batten... |
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FOOTBALL SPECIAL
FEATURE |
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Fifteen Questions
for Cam Worthy |
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 Cam
Worthy (6-3, 220)
provides the 2014
East Carolina
football offense
with a big, physical
weapon at the
outside wide
receiver position.
The Blair, SC,
native caught 19
passes for 295 yards
and two touchdowns
in the 2013 Pirate
campaign. Thus far
in his senior
season, Worthy has
five receptions for
78 yards including a
17-yard touchdown
catch last week at
South Carolina. ...
More from W.A.
Myatt... |
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Pictured: ECU
receiver Cam Worthy
has carved out a
role as a key
starter since
joining the program
as a walk-on from
Yuba (CA) Community
College. The Lower
Richland (SC) High
School product is a
senior
communications
major. (ECU Media
Relations photo) |
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MULTIMEDIA |
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Audio: Coach Ruff Weekly
Presser... |
  At
his weekly press conference,
ECU coach Ruffin McNeill
touched on his team's loss
at South Carolina and
discussed the Pirates'
planning and approach to
Saturday's game at Virginia
Tech (courtesy of Pirate
Radio 1250 via Brian Bailey):
Replay
show... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Hokies ripe for the plucking |
I am a firm
believer in the psychology
of sports. How a team is
thinking goes a long way
toward how that team
performs each week. With
that in mind, I thought
South Carolina played with a
hint of desperation in its
33-23 victory over East
Carolina in Columbia on
Saturday night.
...
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 this week was
East Carolina
outside linebackers
coach Duane Price
(right) and Mike
Steele:
Replay
show... |
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Audio: Coach Ruff
Presser |
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East
Carolina
coach Ruffin McNeill
addressed the media
at his weekly press
conference on
Monday (courtesy of
Pirate Radio 1250
via Brian Bailey):
Select
clip... |
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Pirates move ball in loss |
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COLUMBIA, SC —
COLUMBIA, SC — Regardless of the
venue and caliber of opponent, East Carolina's goal was to
win a football game at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday
night. The fact that the Pirates topped No. 21 South
Carolina 453-441 in total yardage was little consolation in
a 33-23 ECU loss. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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ECU coach
Ruffin
McNeill
discusses a
clock issue
with the
referee late
in the
fourth
quarter of
the Pirates'
loss to
South
Carolina
Saturday
night.
Photo by W.A.
Myatt. ©Bonesville.net.
View W.A.
Myatt's
complete
gallery... |
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Audio: Coach Ruff Post-game... |
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East
Carolina coach Ruffin
McNeill spoke
with the press after the
Pirates' loss at South
Carolina Saturday night
(recorded by W.A. Myatt;
file photo):
Select audio clip... |
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View Mobile Alpha version of this page.
By
Kevin Monroe
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View ECU's
2014 football schedule
Today’s
game is a big one for both East Carolina and Virginia Tech. The Hokies
are 2-0 coming off a huge win over Ohio State in the Horseshoe in front
of 108,000 screaming Buckeye fans. The Pirates are 1-1 coming off a
tough loss in which they went toe to toe against South Carolina and,
arguably, outplayed the Gamecocks everywhere but on the scoreboard.
The
Hokies have spent the week being heroes and hearing how good they
are because of the monumental win in Columbus. The Pirates spent the
week disappointed because they let the opportunity to beat a top 25
team on the road get away.
How
will each team respond? What do the Pirates need to do to beat the
Hokies in Lane Stadium?
BE
AGGRESSIVE ON OFFENSE
The
Pirates scored on their first two possessions against the Gamecocks
last week, but both scores were field goals. ECU moved the ball up
and down the field, particularly in the first half. From the 20 to
the other 20 they were unstoppable, but things stalled when it was
time to put it in the end zone. Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley
and quarterback Shane Carden are amongst the best in the country at
what they do. To beat the Hokies they will need to be aggressive and
take some shots down field and in the end zone. The receiving corps,
led by Justin Hardy and Isaiah Jones, run routes well and catch the
ball well. Carden will have to trust his instincts, get the ball out
quickly, and let those guys do the rest.
ATTACK ON DEFENSE
Tech
is starting a new quarterback in Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer.
Today's game will mark only his third career start. Thus far this
season, the Pirates have been solid up front. Last week they played
against arguably one of the best offensive lines in the country and
held their own. Ohio State put plenty of pressure on Brewer and hit
him early and often last week. Brewer has only been sacked two
times, but he was hurried and hit a lot by the Buckeyes and had two
interceptions. Montese Overton, Maurice Falls and Brandon Williams
play extremely fast from their line backing spots, and Freddy
Pressley and Chrishon Rose have done a good job of pressuring up the
middle. Those ECU defenders will have to turn the pressure up a
notch to win today.
BE
SPECIAL
The
Hokies have developed a reputation over the years for their ability
to block punts and kicks. The press likes to call this success
“Beamer Ball.” East Carolina has been pretty good this year on
special teams. Kicker Warren Harvey has been very accurate with the
only blemish being a blocked kick last week. New punter Worth
Gregory is averaging 51 yards per boot. ECU has done nothing
spectacular thus far in the return game, but the Pirates have
fielded the ball safely and gotten positive yards. They will need to
make a big play on special teams today either in the return game or
defensively by causing a turnover.
BOTTOM LINE
This
should be a great game today. Both teams are well coached, and each
needs to win this game. Virginia Tech has only beaten the Pirates by
a total of 12 points over the last two seasons. The first half
should be a close one and the team that responds in the third
quarter will probably be the team that wins the game.
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