CHRONICLING ECU & C-USA SPORTS
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View
from the 'ville
Thursday,
March 30, 2006
By Al Myatt |
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No. 2 QB spot still hangs in
the balance
©2006 Bonesville.net
Two lower case letters on East Carolina's
first spring depth chart indicate that
the competition to back up James Pinkney has yet to be resolved.
Beneath the senior quarterback's name, the
evaluations of the coaching staff at this point have determined that the job
belongs to Brett Clay or
Patrick Pinkney.
The intent was to establish a No. 2 signal
caller after the first scrimmage last Friday night, but Pirates coach Skip
Holtz said the situation is too close at back-up to name a frontrunner.
According to Holtz, there are still a lot of
spots to be decided, with another scrimmage coming up Friday and the
Purple-Gold Spring Game scheduled for April 8.
"The quarterback position is no different than
the rest of the team," Holtz said after Wednesday's light workout. "The
first depth chart is based solely on performances in the first scrimmage."
Patrick Pinkney accounted for the game's only
score last Friday night in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium as he connected with senior
wide receiver Bobby Good on a 37-yard touchdown strike during his second
series. Prior to the scoring pass, he also hit junior Steven Rogers on 12-
and 21-yard throws during the same series.
Clay and Rob Kass both led their respective
units to a total of seven first downs each and were responsible for several
big plays during the evening. Clay opened the scrimmage by completing a pair
of passes to junior Phillip Henry for 12 and 18 yards before finding senior
Kevin Roach for a 24-yarder. Kass' first notable completion was 13-yard
effort to newly-converted tight end Davon Drew before breaking free on a
pair of 16-yard rushes.
Kass did get picked off by sophomore tackle
Brandon Setzer but shouldn't be ruled out as a possibility to be James
Pinkney's 2006 understudy.
"It's an ongoing process," Holtz said of the
aspiring quarterbacks. "It's just another one of the great battles we have
this spring. None of this is established."
The Pirates hope they don't have to call on
whatever candidate winds up as vice president of the ECU offense. The older
Pinkney, no relation to his potential back-up, had an enduring presence as a
junior, authoring 366 of the 367 passes thrown by Pirate quarterbacks during
Holtz's first season.
Kort Shankweiler completed the only other toss
by a quarterback for two yards in the third game of the season at West
Virginia. Premier receiver Aundrae Allison threw twice on gimmick plays.
Shankweiler has since moved to fullback.
James Pinkney completed 222 of his passes last
season for 2,773 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions as ECU
went 5-6. Pinkney demonstrated mobility and durability in 2005 without the
benefit of spring ball due to academic suspension. His ability to stay alive
in the pocket and to keep getting up on those occasions when defenses do get
a handle on him reduce ECU's chances of having to call on Clay, Pinkney
and/or Kass.
But a degree of inexperience on the offensive
front, especially at center, plus the grim reminder of the 2004 N.C. State
game underscore the importance of capable quarterback depth. Pinkney was
banged up by the Wolfpack in the first quarter in Charlotte and things went
downhill for the Pirates after that.
A 7-7 tie after 15 minutes degenerated into a
52-14 shellacking.
James Pinkney has willingly shared his ample
knowledge gained under fire with the rest of the quarterbacks so that the
program can move forward under the undesirable scenario of his absence.
"J.P. has been playing for two years and
everybody knows he can play," said Clay, a redshirt freshman from Concord.
"You ask questions and he's real humble and nice to tell us what he knows.
It's not like he won't talk to us because he's the starter and we shouldn't
even be asking him.
"Spring practice has been pretty positive.
We're working together. All the quarterbacks have a good relationship."
Clay said he's made a lot of progress in terms
of understanding the offense and believing in his ability since arriving in
Greenville.
"Compared to the fall, my grasp of the offense
is much better," he said. "It's still not where it needs to be, but if
something happened to James I would be able to step in. I could lead the
team down the field and put points on the board."
Patrick Pinkney is the "other Pinkney" in
terms of the past and present. His dad, Reggie Pinkney, played defensive
back for the Pirates in the mid-1970's but the rising sophomore from
Fayetteville could be ECU's quarterback of the future. The younger Pinkney
has the running and throwing potential to challenge defenses.
Patrick Pinkney had shoulder surgery during
the 2004 season after directing a 19-7 junior varsity win in which he
completed 10 of 22 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns against Hargrave
Military.
"The shoulder really feels good," he said
Wednesday.
The younger Pinkney also is confident that he
can produce.
"Spring ball is going good." he said. "It's
demanding but it's going good. It's about preparing mentally and being ready
every day. ... I feel great about my chances. It's a matter of being patient
and waiting for my time."
Both of the youngsters who are separated by
the mere word 'or' on the current spring depth chart got a kick out of
hearing a pep talk from Skip Holtz's dad, Lou, after practice on Monday. Lou
Holtz guided Notre Dame to the consensus national championship in 1988 among
his many coaching successes.
"It was one of the best motivational talks
I've heard," Clay said. "I respected him before I heard him in person and I
have even more respect for him now."
Patrick Pinkney said the elder Holtz gave the
Pirates a charge.
"He talked about accountability, for yourself
and to one another," he said. "You rely on your team."
The young Pirate passers will continue to
prepare for that day when the program can't rely on James Pinkney.
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02/23/2007 12:30:04 AM
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