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GAME DAY CAPSULE NO. 4 -
DENNY O'BRIEN
East Carolina vs. Syracuse
Saturday, September 29, 2001
Syracuse, NY
Carrier Dome (49,550), 1:30 PM EDT
Television: WITN-TV 7 and ESPN Plus
Weather Fx: Indoors
Pirates and Orangemen at a Glance
East Carolina travels to Syracuse Saturday for a game that was originally
scheduled to be played two weeks ago, but was cancelled due to the September
11 national tragedy.
Both the Pirates and the Orangemen enter the game on two-game winning
streaks. The game presents some pretty interesting matchups: ECU's potent
offense versues SU's formidable defense; SU's physical running game versus
ECU's soft run defense.
This game will most likely come down to ECU's ability, or lack thereof,
to stop a powerful Orangemen running game. Syracuse defensive end Dwight
Freeney will spend most of his day trying to wreak havoc on ECU quarterback
David Garrard. The Pirates' ability to contain arguably the nation's best
defensive end will be key.
Syracuse Facts and Notes
Record: 2-2. After bowing to top 10 powerhouses Georgia Tech and
Tennessee in consecutive weeks, the 'Cuse has won two straight.
Head Coach: Paul Pasqualoni, 83-38-1 at Syracuse (11th year);
117-55-1 overall (15th year).
Venue: Syracuse is especially tough to beat in their indoor home,
the Carrier Dome (49,550 ).
Last Week: Beat Auburn, 31-14. The 'Cuse was in control the whole
way, led by running back James Mungro's three scoring runs.
The Series: Syracuse leads, 6-3. The Pirates last trip to the
Carrier Dome produced a 56-0 drubbing by Donovan McNabb and co.
Last Meeting: 2000. David Garrard had one of the more efficient
outings in his career, completing 8-15 passes for 201 yards, including three
scoring strikes. In a game that was marked by its monsoon-like conditions,
the Pirates also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in the 34-17
victory.
Last Bowl Game: 1999 Music City Bowl. Defeated Kentucky, 20-13.
Pipeline to the NFL: SU head coach Paul Pasqualoni is quite adept
at preparing players for the NFL. Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb
and Indianapolis receiver Marvin Harrison are two of the best in the league
at their position.
The Legend of "44": Syracuse has a rich tradition of producing NFL
running backs, many of which donned jersey number "44". Only 11 players have
worn the number since 1954, three of which were All-Americans. Hall-of-fame
running back Jim Brown started the tradition, passing it on to Heisman
trophy winner Ernie Davis. Currently, nobody on the SU roster dons the
legendary no. "44".
Football Claim to Fame: Sure, everybody remembers Jim Brown. But
what about Ernie Davis? Davis was the first African-American to win the
Heisman trophy, which was a major societal breakthrough in the 60s. Davis,
nicknamed the "Elmira Express," had a promising pro career with the
Cleveland Browns that was derailed when he died of leukemia in 1963. His
jersey no. 45 was retired by the Browns. Former Orangeman Jim Brown wore no.
44 for the Browns.
THE BREAKDOWN
Quotes of Note:
"In 1997, our last trip up there, I did take [quarterback] David
Garrard with me. He traveled, but obviously didn`t play — he was
redshirting that year. He`s the only guy that has any knowledge of it
other than our coaches. If you get up there and let the panic set in and
lose your poise, that thing can get rocking and there`s no place that can
get any louder. There are many, many times on the headsets that you cannot
communicate because of the crowd noise. It's incredible, it`s exciting,
and if we're playing well, it can be a fun place to play a game. I've
always enjoyed it up there, except for the last time, obviously, when we
weren`t a very competitive team." --- Steve Logan on playing in the
Carrier Dome.
"To our credit, we hung on last year and just played some great
football down in the red zone. They`re very big in the offensive line --
one of the biggest teams we`ll see all year long. We're going to have to
dig in, grab some AstroTurf, and hang on, because these guys will push on
you pretty hard." --- Logan on the SU running game.
"We needed to win going into Syracuse. We do have a lot of momentum. If
we can just keep building on it, and keep moving and moving, we'll do fine
the rest of the year." --- David Garrard on the importance of beating
William and Mary.
"In last year's game, we went in there and played some zones that we
hadn't played so much. In hindsight, we could play those zones, but we
would've needed to practice a little bit more of those real deep ball in
those zones. Each one of those deep balls that was hit against us (in last
year's game) was a zone. It wasn't the same zone each time, but it was
zone coverage. So we'd have to go back and we'll do that this week." ---
Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni on ECU's success with the deep ball
last season.
Syracuse Players to Watch:
RB James Mungro (411 yds, 5 TD), FB Kyle Johnson, QB RJ Anderson (186
passing yds, 1 TD), QB Troy Nunes (341 passing yds), DE Dwight Freeney (12
TFL, 8 sacks), S Quentin Harris (46 tackles, 2 INT).
Striking Stat:
DE Dwight Freeney has at least two sacks in each of his last six games.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
When the Pirates have the ball:
Look for a similar game plan to the one offensive coordinator Doug
Martin used last year against SU, which called for a good balance of
between-the-tackles running and play-action pass.
The Pirates will depend heavily on their offensive line, which has been
a bright spot thus far, to open holes for senior running back Leonard
Henry. Look for the Pirates to drop tight ends Corey Floyd and Seth Yates
into the backfield as Henry's lead blocker on occassion, as well as
playing both simultaneously in two-tight end sets.
ECU receiver Marcellus Harris got behind the SU defense on several
occassions last year, and split ends Torey Morris and Derrick Collier are
bigger, faster, and more athletic than their predecessor. Blocking Dwight
Freeney becomes increasingly important on play-action passes, which will
put LT Brian Rimpf under the microscope on Saturday.
Advantage: East Carolina.
When the Orangemen have the ball:
Syracuse will use its creative blocking schemes and huge offensive line
to open lanes for running back James Mungro. Fullback Kyle Johnson is very
good at what he does, which is leveling opposing linebackers to free up
more space for his backfield partner.
SU has a variety of running plays to throw at the Pirates, including
the option, but prefers to stick its basic smash-mouth approach of running
downhill. Don't be surprised to see the Orangemen introduce some
formations similar to the spread-running attack presented by Wake Forest.
Quarterback RJ Anderson has Garrard-like size, but is much more
comfortable when he tucks and runs, as opposed to standing in the pocket
looking for open receivers. SU, however, does like to pass out of the
option.
But it will be the mammoth Syracuse line and Mungro that will be in
focus, which could prey on ECU's greatest weakness -- run defense.
Advantage: Syracuse
Special Teams:
The Pirates have a decided advantage here. ECU's special teams have
been both consistent with punter Jarad Preston and Kevin Miller, as well
as dynamic with return specialist Marvin Townes.
Syracuse has capable return men, but has connected on just 50% of its
field goal opportunities. Punter Mike Shafer is averaging 41-yards per
kick.
Advantage: East Carolina
Coaching:
Both Pasqualoni and Logan have been at their respective schools for
more than ten years. Both have built winning traditions, and consistently
win seven-plus games.
Offensive coordinator Doug Martin put together a stellar gameplan
against the Orangemen last year, but he'll be put to the ultimate test
against a strong SU pass rush. Defensive coordinator Tim Rose has made a
name for himself for drawing up effective gameplans in big-game
situations. He, too, will be put to the test trying to solve the Orange
running attack.
Advantage: Even
Intangibles:
Both teams enter the game on a roll, so the pre-game momentum factor
doesn't come into play. The Orangemen do, however, have extra motivation
considering last year's loss to the Pirates, but that could have an
adverse effect, too.
Nonetheless, Syracuse is tough to tame in the Dome, as its last two
games would indicate.
Advantage: Syracuse
BOTTOM LINE
What East Carolina must do to win:
- Continue excellence up front. If the Pirate offensive front can't
handle the Syracuse front seven, it could be a long day for Leonard Henry
and crew. Containing All-America defensive end Dwight Freeney will be a
daunting task, too.
- Fill the gaps. The Syracuse offensive line is very effective in
executing those complex blocking schemes. If ECU's down linemen don't fill
the gaps, running back James Mungro will have plenty of lanes from which
to choose.
- Force passing situations. If the Pirates can contain the run well
enough to force passing situations, quarterback RJ Anderson probably isn't
good enough to beat them.
- Create on special teams. When you're playing in a hostile environment,
every ounce of momentum counts. If return specialist Marvin Townes can
break one, the Pirates have an excellent chance.
- Limit mistakes. Penalties, turnovers, and missed opportunities didn't
prove too costly against William and Mary. But the Pirates can ill-afford
miscues against the Orangemen.
What Syracuse must do to win:
- Good first-down yardage (on the gound). If Syracuse can consistently
get four-five yards on first down, it can avoid passing situations. SU is
yet to prove itself through the air.
- Eliminate big plays. Syracuse got burned many times against the
Pirates last season, which proved costly in a 17-point loss. ECU has
continued the trend in '01, gaining yards by the chunk.
- Get to Garrard. The Pirate quarterback has been sacked just twice in
three games. Given time, Garrard can hurt even a tough Orange 'D'.
- Avoid Turnovers. If the 'Cuse plays a turnover free game, that doesn't
bode well for a bend-don't-break Pirate 'D'.
- Avoid Townes. If the Orangemen learned anything from the Tulane and
William and Mary tapes, they know not to kick the ball to Marvin Townes.
Prediction:
Don't expect a lot of points in this one, as the Orangemen like to keep
the scores in the teens. Syracuse's strength — rushing offense — doesn't
bode well for East Carolina's weakness —rushing defense. That will be the
telling statistic, as Syracuse flexes its muscle and scores a 21-17
victory.
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02/23/2007 02:05:41 AM
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