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ECU takes step toward restoring pride
By AARON BEARD
AP Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — James Pinkney
ran for two touchdowns and threw for a score Saturday to help East
Carolina beat Duke 24-21 in Skip Holtz's debut as Pirates coach.
Aundrae Allison had 10
catches for 164 yards and a score for the Pirates, who won their season
opener for the first time since beating Duke 38-0 in 2000. Zach Baker
added two interceptions and a fumble recovery to lead a solid defensive
effort that made the Blue Devils work for every yard.
Justin Boyle ran for two
touchdowns for the Blue Devils, who have not won an opener on the road
in 17 years. Ronnie Drummer added a 100-yard kickoff return for a score.
Holtz had spent the past
six seasons as an assistant to his father, Lou, at South Carolina, and
is charged with resurrecting East Carolina's once-proud program.
The Pirates boasted a
top-10 ranking in 1991 and has 12 bowl appearances, but has been in a
steady decline ever since blowing a 30-point halftime lead in a 64-61
double-overtime loss to Marshall in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.
Going back to the final
two games of the 2002 season, East Carolina has lost 22 of 25 games.
Nineteen losses have come by double-digit margins, with seven by at
least 33 points.
Those struggles led to the
resignation of John Thompson, who won just three games in two seasons.
The change paid immediate
dividends for a program in desperate need of success.
The Pirates got a 45-yard
return on the opening kickoff by Markeith McQueen, a 52-yard punt return
by Travis Williams to set up their first touchdown and a series of big
plays from Pinkney and Allison throughout to stay in front most of the
way.
But most important was the
play of East Carolina's defense, a unit that gave up nearly 40 points
per game last season.
Baker led that effort. The
senior safety recovered a botched handoff between Mike Schneider and
Boyle inside ECU's 15 in the second quarter, then intercepted a
deflected pass from Schneider to Ronnie Elliott inside the goal line in
the third.
In the final period, with
the Pirates protecting a three-point lead, he drove in front of Andy
Roland and intercepted a pass from Schneider with less than five minutes
left.
That kind of effort was
more than enough for the offense, which got a steady performance from
Pinkney. Pinkney completed 17 of 21 passes for 236 yards, standing in
the pocket and taking several hits while delivering a pass to move the
chains.
As the final seconds
ticked off, players doused Holtz with a cooler of ice water, then
celebrated with their coach near midfield.
Pinkney got the Pirates on
the board with a 1-yard sneak for a 7-0 lead, then connected with
Allison for a 50-yard score down the left sideline for a 14-7 lead
midway through the first quarter.
After Boyle tied it with a
1-yard run, the Pirates went ahead to stay on a 32-yard field goal from
Robert Lee for a 17-14 halftime edge. East Carolina pushed that lead to
24-14 on a second sneak from Pinkney.
Boyle's second short TD
run early in the fourth cut the deficit to 24-21, but the Blue Devils
got no closer. Pierre Parker sealed it with an interception with 1:16
left, sending the Pirates' sideline into celebration.
02/23/2007 10:54 AM
Copyright 2005 The
Associated Press. Bonesville.net contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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