BRIAN BAILEY | Too early for bowl talk, says Ruff [fb-bk-112012]

From the Anchor Desk
Tuesday, November 20, 2012

By Brian Bailey

BRAIN BAILEY SHOW

Replay Monday night's BRIAN BAILEY SHOW. Brian's guests were ECU videographer Brian Meador, Plymouth High School coach Robert Cody and Havelock High School coach Jim Bob Bryant. Eastern North Carolina's longest running sports radio call-in show airs each Monday night from 6:30-7:30 on Pirate Radio 1250 and 930.

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East Carolina football coach Ruffin McNeill says his team can’t afford to get sidetracked. Though Coach Ruff knows he’ll be coaching in his second bowl game in his three years at ECU, he doesn’t want his team thinking about any of that until after Friday's regular season finale against Marshall.

We can certainly talk about potential bowl destinations here in this column, and all indications are that the Pirates will head to either St Petersburg or New Orleans for the postseason. ECU's preference is St. Pete and the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl.

Meanwhile, the Herd thunders into town this week. Marshall can certainly put points on the board. McNeill warned that his team can’t focus on anything but Friday’s game.

“We need to make sure that we cancel out any noise against Marshall and make sure that all our attention and efforts are on our opponent this week instead of against our potential bowl opponent or anything else going on throughout the conference,” said McNeill. “We need to focus on us and not get distracted by anything that doesn’t relate to this week’s opponent.”

Last year, Marshall upset ECU in overtime, keeping the Pirates home for the holidays. This season, Marshall needs a win to become bowl eligible.

“I wouldn’t say that,” said McNeill. “We just need to play well this week. That is all the motivation that we will need. Sure, our team knows how the game ended last year, but I don’t plan on using last year’s outcome as incentive or motivation this week. Our motivation is to just make sure that we are getting better each week, and that is what we have told the team all season long.”

The Pirates are 4.5-point favorites in this year's matchup. Hopefully, ECU fans can get to the stores early for “Black Friday” and get to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium to “Paint It Purple” later that afternoon.

Tonight, the Pirates wrap up that season-opening four-game home stand, hosting Appalachian State.

Coach Jeff Lebo knows there is still plenty of work to be done. Right now it’s a case of so far, so good.

“There are a lot of things that we need to clean up,” said Lebo on Monday. “Offensively, at times, we are not as fluid as we need to be. I think defensively we have done a much better job of not fouling and keeping people off the foul line.

"We have gotten more comfortable with having (Maurice) Kemp at both the three and the four slot but we still have a way to go. Getting Miguel (Paul) back in there has certainly helped.

"Our two and three positions have to step up. Akeem (Richmond) has made some shots. But, really, Shamarr (Bowden) and Paris (Roberts-Campbell) have to really get it going.”

The Pirates received some good news from hoops on Monday. Marshall Guilmette was named Conference USA Freshman of the Week. In last week's two wins, Guilmette averaged 9.5 points and seven rebounds while shooting 61.5 percent (8-13) from the field.

ECU Pirates will need another strong outing from Guilmette tonight as the Mountaineers come to town.

“Appalachian State is a very talented team,” said Lebo. “They have a nice player in the Xavier transfer, Jay Canty, who can flat out score the ball. They are young inside. Each game stands on its own and hopefully we will show more improvement. We’ll have to be better to win.”