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Pirates face high-altitude challenge

By Al Myatt
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East Carolina and Brigham Young are 1,883 air miles apart but the two football programs share some common ground.

Former East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland scheduled Saturday's game at BYU when the Pirates and Cougars were both prospective members of the Big East Conference. BYU is down to play in Greenville in 2017.

The Pirates were originally going to go to Provo, Utah, in 2018 when the series was announced Jan. 25, 2012.

BYU became an independent in 2011 and has remained without a conference affiliation.

ECU will be playing for the last time outside of the American Athletic Conference during the 2015 regular season. The matchup at BYU represents an opportunity for ECU to play a quality opponent with outstanding tradition. The Cougars were national champions in 1984. BYU's quarterback factory has produced Super Bowl champions such as Jim McMahon and Steve Young as well as Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer.

Taysom Hill appeared worthy of joining that elite group but was injured in the season-opening 33-28 win at Nebraska.

Freshman Tanner Mangum has stepped up to complete 60.5 percent of his throws with an average of 216.8 passing yards per game.

Obviously, both teams will be playing without their projected starters at quarterback. ECU has regrouped after Kurt Benkert was lost to a knee injury in the preseason.

Both teams are among the national leaders in attendance among non-Power Five programs. The Cougars averaged 57,141 per game in 2014. The Pirates averaged 44,786.

Both teams have had tough schedules. ECU's losses have been to Florida and Navy, which are both unbeaten. Jeff Sagarin's ratings for USA Today have BYU with the toughest schedule in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Cougars (3-2) have faced Boise State (35-24 win), UCLA (24-23 loss at the Rose Bowl), Michigan (31-0 loss in the Big House) and Connecticut (30-13 win with 20 fourth quarter points last week in Provo).

For whatever comparisons of common opponents are worth, ECU had a more dominant period against Southern Methodist last Saturday than either Baylor or Texas Christian. After falling behind 23-7, the Pirates responded with 42 unanswered points for a 49-23 AAC win.

"All four sides really played well together," McNeill said in retrospect of the contest in Dallas. "I thought the offense did a really good job of not getting away from the game plan when we were down and stayed with it. They made great adjustments. The penalties on offense, we talked about that. We only had one offensively. We thought we had hurt ourselves in previous games on offense by unnecessary penalties getting us in bad situations on the sticks. I thought our O-line did a great job of run blocking as well as our backs did a really good job and ran hard."

ECU has fallen behind in its last three games, rallying in two, including a 35-28 win at home over Virginia Tech after trailing 14-0.

"I want to start fast on offense, of course, but I was proud of the way we handled that," McNeill said of the comeback at SMU.

The Pirates were able to get their defense off the field as the game at Dallas progressed, and after James Summers went in at quarterback ECU showed a high degree of efficiency on offense.

"Defense, great job on third down," McNeill said. "Two out of 14 on third down getting off the field. I thought we stopped the run, controlled the run. Keep improving on our tackling in space and having great eye discipline."

The Pirates allowed just 40 yards rushing in evening their league record. The assortment of special teams did their part, too.

"Special teams has been really great for us," McNeill said. "We have to keep that going. Worth Gregory is one of the best punters in the country. He's pinning people back. He's doing a great job of getting it off, giving us hidden yardage and great field position there defensively. Caleb Pratt, our kickoff player, he's doing a great job. As a freshman, he's come in and really stepped up to the challenge. Our coverage teams are doing a great job, let's continue that. ... Return teams with Quay Johnson and Trevon (Brown) are doing a great job with getting us positive yardage.

"I was proud of the way we handled things after the way we began playing on all sides of the ball."

Christian Matau, a sophomore from New Bern, played center at SMU and did so effectively.

"Christian started at guard against Virginia Tech and J.T. (Boyd) at center when C.J. (Struyk) went down," McNeill noted. "Brad (Davis, offensive line coach) is a big time coach. Glad we got him. His group is improving as the year goes on. Brad made the switch and put Christian at center and put J.T. back at guard, which was a great move. I liked the way Christian handled the center position, making the calls. J.T. is so smart and experienced at guard. He went back to back where he had been playing all year. A great job up front."

Yiannis Bowden also stepped up with 2.5 of ECU's eight sacks last week.

"Proud of Yiannis," McNeill said. "We always felt like he had a lot of talent. He's got the height (6-5) and length we like. We talked about three weeks ago about taking guys and using their strengths like Shawn Furlow (true freshman running back), Justin Brown (true freshman defensive lineman), Yiannis Bowden (redshirt freshman outside linebacker) and putting those guys in a position where they could help us. Yiannis has a knack for being a really good pass rusher. He has an instinct. He'll be a great all-around player as he gets older and stronger. Rick (Smith, defensive coordinator and secondary coach) and Duane Price (outside linebackers coach) put Yiannis in on our third down and long packages. He did a great job. He and Montese (Overton, senior outside linebacker) did a great job getting pressure on the quarterback once we controlled the run."

BYU features receivers with size. Mitch Mathews, who snared the game-winning Hail Mary at Nebraska is 6 feet, 6 inches. That presents a challenge for the ECU secondary, which teamed well in its coverage with the pass rush at SMU.

"We just have to be ready to make competitive plays," McNeill said. "You have to be physical with them. Get great pass rush to force the quarterback to make untimely throws. ... They catch the ball, compete for the ball well. They're really sound up front offensively with the offensive line. They have a lot of starts up front. They have two backs that you really have to be ready to control."

Both teams align in a 3-4 defensively.

"We've studied with them," McNeill said. "They've come over here and studied with us. They do a great job. Very physical. A lot of blitzing and stunts. Changing of coverages. Big safeties. They're a tall team. 6-3, 6-4 safeties that are really active. It'll be a great test. One offensive lineman, Bronson Kaufusi, his dad (Steve) is a coach (defensive line) on the staff. He's 6-8, 280. He's very active so we have to be ready to go."

McNeill made the trip to BYU as defensive coordinator at Nevada-Las Vegas in 1998 so he knows what to expect from the atmosphere.

"It's going to be a very inspired crowd, an excited crowd," said the Pirates coach. "They support the team. A lot of energy will be going on at that stadium. We've got to be ready to combat that, do our jobs, stay focused and play the next play. Just sustain it throughout the game."

Provo is 4,549 feet above sea level, which raises some concerns about the effect altitude could have.

"Jeff Connors is the best I've been around," McNeill said of the Pirates' strength and conditioning guru. "He's got us in great condition, ready to go. We've got guys to rotate if we do get tired. We'll put 'em in there and let 'em play."

UConn coach Bob Diaco downplayed the elevation although his team was outscored 20-3 in the final period.

"I don't think it's even a factor for teams coming here," Diaco said. "I would say to most teams coming here to not even prepare for it."

The Pirates need to build on their winning momentum.

"Execution on offense, defense and special teams again," McNeill said in regard to game keys. "Making competitive plays and routine plays. Being mentally tough and ready to face a very physical football team, which we've faced all year. Every game has been physical. First down control. Having great first down presence offensively and defensively and third down on both sides of the ball, too. Making plays when our number is dialed up. Offense, take care of the ball. Defense, get some take-aways on defense."

With a longer trip, ECU will take a larger airplane today.

"It's a bigger plane so we're going out of Kinston," McNeill said. "We're leaving earlier. Four-hour flight. Bigger plane. We'll let the guys stretch their legs a little bit. We'll get out there earlier so we can start our routine earlier. Let's go play."

The Pirates will have chapel, meetings and a movie, all part of the routine.

"We'll get 'em in bed earlier, two hours earlier than we normally do," McNeill said. "Eight o'clock, their time (Mountain time zone)."

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 10/09/15 01:31 AM.

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