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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 topic this week was the high
school playoffs with coaches Scott
Gardner (Farmville Central), Nate
 Conner
(D.H. Conley) & Jim Bob Bryant
(Havelock):
Replay
show... |
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View Pirate Radio
1250 Programming
Lineup |
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Audio:
Ruff post-game |
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  ECU
coach Ruffin McNeill
spoke with reporters
after the Pirates' loss
to USF (recorded by Al Myatt;
file photo):
Select audio clip... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Kevin's Keys to the Game |
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 East Carolina
comes into tonight's game
with South Florida at 4-5
and reeling after back to
back losses to Temple and
Connecticut. The Pirates are
trying to figure out how to
work through their offensive
struggles
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More from Kevin Monroe... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Ruff puts priority on 'head'
coaching |
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 Being
a Football Bowl Subdivision head
coach can involve supervising game
plans, maximizing recruiting,
directing staff, responding to
media, making appearances and in
Ruffin McNeill's approach, being a
father figure to over 100 young men.
This week the East Carolina head coach also has been just that, a head
coach, shaping the mental side for the Pirate players ...
More from
Al Myatt... |
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FOOTBALL |
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ECU's finances get a boost |
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 East
Carolina is changing its
stripes. Or more accurately,
it�s trading in its swoosh
for three stripes. Athletic
director Jeff Compher broke
the news Wednesday when he
announced that the school
has agreed to a 10-year
exclusive partnership with
adidas ...
More from Brett
Friedlander... |
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By
Brian Bailey
�2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
VIEW MOBILE VERSION OF THIS PAGE
One of my media partners took time out
to ask East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill if he was okay after McNeill
met with the media Saturday night following
the Pirates' 22-17 home loss to South Florida.
He beat me to the question. Coach Ruff was as down as I have ever seen
him, knowing that his team�s bowl hopes are on life support with a 4-6
record with two games to go.
The season has taken its toll on the program.
Ruffin McNeill didn�t take this ECU job six years ago to put a losing
product on the field. This is new territory, and how he and the program
handle things may determine much about the program�s future.
�It�s a new chapter for all of us, not in my career, but here,� said
McNeill. �Those guys have been a part of doing it brick by brick. Zeek
[Bigger], all those old guys, they�ve been a part, and they haven�t
flinched.�
The coach told his team to get away from things for a couple of days.
The Pirates normally practice on Sunday, take Monday off and get back at
it on Tuesday. With no game this coming weekend, the Pirates were set to
take three days off, and will resume practice on Wednesday. ECU will
then hit the road to take on Central Florida that next Thursday night.
The once high-powered Pirate offense continued its stagnant ways in
Saturday�s American Athletic Conference loss.
James Summers did show flashes in the second half against the Bulls.
That came after a first half that featured a grand total of zero first
downs.
Still, the Pirates trailed only12-7 at halftime in the rain.
The ECU defense followed a familiar script, playing tough until giving
up a backbreaking play late. Quinton Flowers hit a wide open Rodney
Adams on a 67-yard strike that gave the Bulls the road win.
The two-quarterback system that seemed to work pretty well against the
likes of
Virginia Tech,
Southern Methodist and
Brigham Young has morphed into a different philosophy
of late.
James Summers was given the reigns to the offense but has struggled
mightily in that role.
Since
a 30-17 win over Tulsa on October 17th, the Pirates
have averaged just over 14 points per game.
I really thought the Pirates would start the second half of the USF game
with Blake Kemp at quarterback, just to shake things up. That didn�t
happen, but again Summers played better in that second half.
�(ECU Offensive coordinator Dave Nichol) 'Nick' and I felt with this
offense you�ve got to let them see the looks and that�s the patient
part," said McNeill. "We talked about no hesitation all week long, and
that�s what we told James. Let it go. Swing your sword, fire it. It�s
not ready-aim; it�s fire.�
Still, the frustrations are mounting. It�s certainly not Summers' fault.
He came to East Carolina to play wide receiver. We have all seen his
incredible athleticism. Give Summers credit for thinking team first in
moving to quarterback.
�Be patient with James,� said McNeill. �He�s getting reps under fire.�
It�s almost hard to believe that this is the same team on offense that
went up and down the field
on Florida and
BYU, with chances to win both of those games.
Despite the losses from last year, and the injury to quarterback Kurt
Benkert, this season certainly could have been a winning one.
There�s still hope. UCF is winless and Cincinnati has underachieved this
season. Six wins could earn a bowl berth.
These are two games that the Pirates could win � or lose.
Several questions need answers and the answers need to come quickly.
BB
Lyrics from an old
Carpenters song may
summarize how many
East Carolina fans feel
this morning after a
soaking 22-17 Saturday
loss to South
Florida that found the
Pirates stuck in
offensive slump. ...
