By Denny O'Brien
©2009 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.

DALLAS — It’s easy to understand why expectations for East Carolina were so optimistic during the preseason.

As the defending Conference USA champion that returned most of its key personnel, there was a lot to like about this ECU bunch. The two-deep chart was composed almost entirely of third- and fourth-year contributors who were a part of victories over four ranked opponents during the previous two seasons.

That resulted in the belief by many that the Pirates were a legitimate threat to crack the Top 25 and spend some extended time in the national rankings. Some even thought the Pirates could battle Boise State and Texas Christian for the role of BCS crasher.

It set the stage for one of two potential scenarios for ECU. Either the Pirates were going to deliver a magical season that rivaled 1991, or they were going to flop amid the pressure of navigating a schedule while playing the unfamiliar role of the hunted.

At least that was the sentiment among ECU’s revved-up fans entering the season. There just didn’t appear to be any sort of middle ground among them.

If you polled most of the diehards who faithfully follow the program, disappointment likely would dominate their evaluation at the midway point. And while it’s entirely unfair at this stretch to label the season a flop — too much football is left to play — it is completely fair to assess that ECU isn’t performing like a polished, veteran group.

The mistakes that have plagued East Carolina this season are far more characteristic of what you might expect from an inexperienced roster. A rash of delay of game infractions and false starts hardly demonstrate the discipline you might get from a team dominated by seniors and juniors.

It was a false start on fourth and goal early against Southern Methodist Saturday that nullified an apparent touchdown and deflated the early momentum the Pirates had built. It was another example in a long line of them that suggests that ECU is incapable of consistently finishing drives.

“The penalty on (fourth and goal) bothers you because the play has a chance to turn and jump into the end zone,” Pirates coach Skip Holtz said following the loss to SMU. “Instead you jump off sides and it moves us back five. Then you get a field goal blocked.

“I’m proud of the way that they compete, and the way that they fight, and the way that they put their heart, soul, and effort on the field. We just can’t make the mistakes that we make in a hard-fought football game on the road in this conference.”

The type of mistakes ECU made Saturday led to a loss against a decidedly inferior opponent. Of the defenses the Pirates have faced this season, SMU easily ranks near the bottom of the heap.

Perhaps only Appalachian State could rival the Mustangs so far. Judging by the way the Pirates’ offensive front manhandled the SMU defense most of the game, you could even make the case that the FCS Mountaineers were more physical in the trenches.

What has to be the most frustrating detail for Holtz in ECU’s latest setback is that his team missed a golden opportunity to retain some separation in the conference standings. And aside from the 96-yard touchdown strike from Mustangs quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell to Aldrick Robinson, Holtz and defensive coordinator Greg Hudson couldn’t have penned a better defensive storyline against the pass-heavy Mustangs.

But right now the Pirates’ offense and special teams aren’t performing well enough for the defense to overcome them.

On the bright side, ECU is no stranger to its current scenario during the Holtz era. The Pirates have reached midseason with a 3-3 mark in three of the four seasons of Holtz’s tenure, and they have a history of performing well down the stretch.

If anything, this staff has shown the unique ability to regroup and find ways to win most of the games on the latter half of the schedule. And in many cases they did so when plenty believed it unlikely that they would.

Though only one opponent with a decided talent advantage remains on the schedule — Virginia Tech — the logistics down the stretch aren’t the most comforting. After what should be a competitive breather against Rice, the Pirates face Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday night contests in succession.

For an ECU offense that has a difficult enough time keeping a consistent rhythm when game day and kickoff occur at more traditional times, you can certainly see a scenario in which the Pirates could struggle in those unfamiliar settings. Though it’s tempting to think that Memphis shouldn’t present much of a threat, a midweek road game with a late start suddenly is a sizeable challenge for ECU.

Maybe it shouldn’t be for an experienced roster with a history of winning when adversity reaches its zenith. But that will remain the case until the Pirates start performing like the classifications listed on the depth chart suggest they should.