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Notes, Quotes and Slants
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Pirate
Notebook No. 81
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist |
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Pirates trying to end streak of
their own
©2002 Bonesville.net
You don't have to tell Kevin Miller about Duke's current 23-game skid.
Everywhere he turns, there are reminders of Duke's winless streak, which
dates back to the Clinton administration.
But don't think for a second that the senior kicker sympathizes with the
Blue Devils. Or, for that matter, that he's put much thought into the notion that Duke could
potentially break the nation's longest losing streak.
Right now, all Miller can ponder is the Pirates' current losing streak,
one which materialized during last season's stretch run.
"We've lost three games in a row," Miller said. "We're trying to make
ourselves feel good and forget about last year. We've got to go start with
a win and get the ball rolling."
East Carolina hasn't reached the winner's circle since November 10 at
Cincinnati, a game in which the Pirates held on for dear life as kicker
Jonathan Ruffin's 52-yard game-winning attempt fell short. Had it not been
for a sudden shift in wind, the kick would have sailed through the uprights,
completing a furious Bearcat rally from a 28-3 first half deficit.
That last-gasp victory was followed by a three-nights stay in the
Heartbreak Hotel.
In the driver's seat of the Conference USA race, the Pirates bolted to
double-digit leads against both Louisville and Southern Miss in successive
weeks, only to see their dreams diminished by turnovers, breakdowns, and
costly mistakes. Those were just the tips of the iceberg, however — an
iceberg which emerged into full view one month later
when East Carolina sizzled past Marshall for a 38-8 intermission lead that
agonizingly melted away in a 64-61 double-overtime loss in the GMAC Bowl.
Those bitter memories still linger for Miller, who can't put into words
the pain produced by the Pirates' late-season collapse.
"It was indescribable," he said. "I know the fan base was hurting,
but I guarantee you nobody was hurting more than the team.
"It was just a weird season. I've never been a part of any team
whatsoever that experienced drop-offs like that in the second half. Losing
three games in a row like that was just very disappointing. Hopefully we
can get back to not losing two games in a row, which has been one of our
core issues over the past four or five years. If we can do that, and just
take it one game at a time, then we'll be okay."
Though head coach Steve Logan's "next game" mantra may seem shortsighted to some, Miller
says it is embraced by the players. The Pirates have become increasingly
conscious of the task at hand, being mindful not to peek down the schedule
at what the media and fans term "big games."
ECU fell into that trap from the get-go last year, Miller admits, a
mistake the Pirates can't afford to repeat.
"I'm sure the fans are probably tired of hearing the coaches and players
saying we're only worried about the next game," Miller said. "That's really
all we can afford to do."
Especially if they want to erase one streak — and start a new one.
Deja Vu
The Pirates face a situation eerily akin to last season's
opener. Once again, ECU opens against a traditionally weak ACC foe as a
two-touchdown favorite.
But the irony doesn't end there.
Duke, like Wake Forest, has made significant adjustments to its
coaching staff, headlined by new defensive coordinator Ted Roof. That has
prompted the Pirates' staff to not only evaluate the Devils' personnel, but
also the schemes deployed by the former Georgia Tech coordinator during his
tenure in Atlanta.
"They hired someone (Roof) from Georgia Tech and we have looked at some
of Tech's film," Logan said. "We're trying to get some type of idea of what
types of packages and schemes he likes and try to figure out the way he
thinks. We have shown our players a multitude of fronts that he has shown
before and we will have to go out an do a lot of coaching on game day."
Though many observers have labeled the opener a cakewalk for ECU, a large
number of unknown quantities has the Pirates taking a much more cautious
approach. Miller admitted the Pirates may have overlooked Wake Forest last
season, and that experience should help them maintain their focus against
Duke.
"We started the season off last year, and we expected to beat Wake Forest
just like we expect to beat anybody we play," Miller said. "After we lost to
them, it was kind of a shock. I don't think anybody expected it, and it kind
of set the tone for the year, to be honest.
"We don't want to set that same tone this year by going and losing to
Duke, or whoever might have been our first game."
Flexing their muscle
The tight end position was virtually non-existent last season. Once the
safety valve in the ECU aerial attack, tight ends have traditionally
combined for 50-plus catches.
Until last year.
"When our offense is expressing itself properly, the tight end should be
the leading receiver on the team," Logan said. "That is what we have lacked
in the last two years."
Lack of productivity last season prompted Logan and offensive coordinator
Doug Martin to shift Arnie Powell from flanker to tight end, despite his
lack of size. His 16 catches lead all tight ends, who as a group snared
just 20 passes all season.
That's a far cry from the days of Luke Fisher, Carlester Crumpler, and
Scott Richards.
However, the offseason produced a few surprises, Logan suggests, with
several names emerging as both short term and long term solutions to the
position now termed the flex end.
Sakeen Wright has been moved over from quarterback and Mar`ques Woolford,
a true freshman, has looked good, too. Neither, however, has surpassed Tutu
Moye, a former professional shortstop who possesses excellent hands and
superior speed.
"Tutu Moye has been an instant hit since last spring and I'm really
excited and comfortable with what he brings to the table," Logan said.
"He is maybe a three-way guy where we can play the tight end position, we
can flex him out and put him in the backfield.
"If that is the case and he has done those things successfully, at the
end of Saturday our offense will be that much more difficult to deal with.
Mar`ques Woolford, a true freshman, will develop into the tight end/flex end
but will see limited time depending on Moye's success."
The re-emergence of the position should be huge in quarterback Paul
Troth's development, especially considering that his strength lies in the
intermediate passing game.
Special Teams key
Perhaps Logan's greatest comfort entering the season is a special teams
unit widely considered among the nation's best. Both kickers are on short
lists for postseason honors, and Marvin Townes, the Pirates' electrifying
return specialist, is a preseason all-conference selection.
The Pirates' special teams were among the best ever at ECU last season,
Logan says, and the prospects for a repeat performance has him more at ease
about the development of his young quarterback.
"Our special teams performed about as well as any we've ever had here at
East Carolina," Logan said. "We had the one breakdown against
Louisville last year, but other than that, we were pretty good.
"We've got both the punter and kicker coming back. To me, that's another
comfort zone for Paul Troth. If we get down inside that 28-yard line, I
think there's a chance for three points. Hopefully our kickoff return team
will give us good field position. Those kinds of things impact everything
that you do."
Punter Jarad Preston averaged 44 yards per boot last season, while
opponents averaged a modest 16-yards per kickoff return. Those types of
numbers generally translate into poor field position for the opposition,
which will be increasingly important this year.
"Field position is so big," Miller said. "When we had Andrew Bayes
it was huge, and Jared (Preston) came in last year and proved he could be a
great punter.
"Anytime you're deep in your own (territory), its got to be comforting to know you
can open it up a little but, knowing that if you don't get a first down,
you've got a great punter to go in there and boot a 50-yarder to get you out
of that hole. It changes a lot of things. It changes the way that coaches
look at the game and it lets you do some things that you might not
ordinarily do."
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02/23/2007 01:45:26 AM
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