Army didn't leave Greenville Saturday with its third-consecutive win. An East Carolina team fueled by desperation and purpose made sure of that.

But the one thing the Black Knights left behind was the impression that their general — veteran coach Bobby Ross — has plenty of mileage left in his Army-issued Adidas.

The overwhelming speculation about his courtship last fall by both Duke and Army was punctuated by question marks. After nearly four years of R&R, few felt he had the fire and patience to patrol the sidelines, let alone at institutions at which debate champions are more common than football All-Americans.

Phooey.

If Ross has proven one thing over the past month, it's that Army again will be a player on the national scene. In their last four games, the Black Knights have produced an even split, with the two losses occurring in games decided in the fourth quarter.

And this is from a team that lacks competitive talent, specifically regarding physical skills, by most Division I-A standards.

"We're not the type of team that can ever get too carried away with ourselves," Ross said last week. "We're not real big and we don't have what you call outstanding speed.

"We're the type of team that has to play very efficiently and not beat ourselves. That's really put a premium on the execution of things, almost to the extent of playing conservatively. That's what we've been, and I don't think we'll need to change a whole lot. We've just got to concentrate on the very basic things and try to do them well."

By and large, Ross is the exception to what has been successful at the service academies in recent years. His system lacks the gimmicks currently employed by both Air Force and Navy and that once was the centerpiece at West Point.

There is no wishbone, flexbone, or chicken bone in Army's offensive package. The defense lacks the trendy 3-3-5 or 4-2-5 schemes, let alone a multitude of zone blitzes.

We're talking Football 101 here.

"We went into the development stage of really trying to develop our players individually and then build on team concepts once we started spring practice," Ross said. "We started initially just trying to develop the speed and strength of our football team. That was the first and foremost part.

"Thereafter, once we started that, we got into talking about preparation and what we've got to do in the way of preparation to win. Obviously, we needed confidence. We talked to them a lot about confidence comes through preparation."

You won't find a coach more adept at preparing a team for battle. In both college and the pros, Ross has proven his ability to maximize talent and shepherd a team to his sport's biggest stage.

His co-national title at Georgia Tech could rival "The Miracle on Ice." The fact that he made San Diego and Detroit — two of the NFL's traditional pushovers — postseason mainstays speaks for itself.

Attribute that success to a meticulous attention to detail that would rival a crotchety drill sergeant. There is no coddling or ego-stroking, just a simple understanding that his orders are not subject to question.

That his résumé includes experience at military schools as both a player and coach hasn't hurt his early rebuilding effort at Army, either.

"It's helped a lot," Ross said. "I understand it. I understand its mission. I understand the philosophy behind the school.

"Obviously, in each of these military schools there are some things to be learned, and I've had to go through that process as well. But as a whole, the fact that I did graduate from VMI and coached at the Citadel has certainly helped me. There's no question about that. It helps me understand a lot about the military, which is the biggest thing you have to learn."

To the core, Army's mission is to train the leaders who will serve and protect the nation in times of both peace and war. An important part of that West Point tradition is football, even though the program isn't the giant it was in the 40s and 50s.

Chances are, Ross won't have the luxury of coaching NFL-caliber talent during his stay along the Hudson. Future high-ranking officers will be more the norm.

But before Army sends its soldiers to foreign soil, it's a good bet Ross will have the Black Knights in a position to regularly win their gridiron battles on the home front.