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Audio: Brian Bailey
Show |
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 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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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... |
 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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FOOTBALL |
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Kevin's Keys to the Game |
In the
preseason, today�s South
Carolina-East Carolina game
projected as a matchup
between one of the nation�s
best teams and an unranked
up-and-comer. Fast forward
to the present and things
have changed a bit.
...
More from Kevin Monroe... |
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FOOTBALL |
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History adds spice to
matchup |
When you look back at the
history of the South
Carolina-East Carolina
series, it is one that has
been competitive at times �
the Pirates have won five of
the last nine matchups. The
gridiron relationship has
also had ties that cross
both programs. ...
More from Greg Vacek... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Pirates face ol' ball coach |
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Steve Spurrier may be the
biggest active legend in
college football over the
last six decades. If you're
among the fan bases at
Alabama, Clemson or North
Carolina, you may regard him
as the biggest something
else. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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By
Brian Bailey
�2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View ECU's
2014 football schedule
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.
With Georgia coming to town the next week, this was a Gamecock team that
just couldn't afford to lose.
Not that ECU didn't have its chances, because the Pirates most certainly
did. In that same thought process about the psychology of sports, I
wonder how the Gamecocks would have reacted down 14-0 instead of 6-0
when ECU failed to get the ball in the end zone on those two early
drives.
Enter this week's ECU opponent, Virginia Tech. All the Hokies did this
past weekend was beat the nation's 8th-ranked team on the road. Tech
rolled past Ohio State and debuted in the national rankings this week at
No. 17.
While South Carolina came in with desperation, this Hokie team will have
its chest poked out after pulling the big upset the upset. The Hokies
have a big slate of Atlantic Coast Conference games ahead. They may look
right past the guys in purple.
I think Virginia Tech is ripe for the picking.
While East Carolina thought it could play with South Carolina, this is a
Pirate squad that knows it can play with the Hokies.
ECU has dropped the last four games in the series. In 2011 Virginia Tech
beat ECU 17-10. Last season the Hokies
left Greenville with a 15-10 victory.
"It always comes down to who makes the most plays," said Pirate coach
Ruffin McNeill. "It�s simple. I think we�ve approached each game like we
expect to win."
The Pirates did expect to win on Saturday but just didn't make enough
plays. Coach McNeill found several positives in the loss.
"We�re disappointed we didn�t win, but I think that game will make us a
stronger team," said McNeill. "It was a game where we had to overcome
obstacles and we didn�t flinch. Our offense moved the ball very
efficiently at 6.8 yards per play. That�s an excellent stat. The
offensive line did not give up a sack and paved the way for 132 yards
rushing and a 6.3 average. We had 12 explosive plays."
McNeill spent part of his Monday press conference talking about the
reaction his Pirates had to that first loss. The coach said his team
went to work on the Hokies on the bus ride back to Greenville.
"I ride the offensive bus," explained McNeill. "It was the same on the
defensive bus. I saw lights on from laptops and they were already
finishing watching the game and watching Virginia Tech. It was 4:30 in
the morning and I was texting them to get some sleep and they texted me
back saying, �You get to sleep.� Operation Move On was in effect pretty
quickly.�
The Pirates have the experience needed to go to Blacksburg and get a
win. The last ECU team to beat Tech on the road was the '91 team that
finished 9th in the nation after its Peach Bowl win.
Back to psychology class, where I think the Pirates will have the mental
edge.
Virginia Tech is on cloud nine after winning at Ohio State. The Pirates
are a bit edgy after losing a tough tussle to South Carolina.
The table is set for a Pirate upset on the road.
BB
