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News Nuggets, 08.15.06
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NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Get ready to "Meet the Pirates" on Saturday

The 12th annual "Meet the Pirates Night," East Carolina's preseason football fanfest, is set for Saturday at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, according to an announcement from the university's athletic media relations department.

Pirate football fans are invited to bring their families for a catered meal and to get to know the 2006 ECU football team along with head coach Skip Holtz and staff. Players and coaches will be seated among fans in a relaxed dinner setting.

The event will be held under the north (upper deck) side of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Entrance at Gate 7 will begin at 5:30 p.m., with dinner starting at 6:00 p.m. Meal tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under and ECU students with valid student ID's. Advance reservations are required.

Seating is limited and fans are encouraged to make their reservations by Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 5 p.m., on a first-come, first-served basis.

Following the dinner, a photo and autograph session with the ECU football team is scheduled on Bagwell Field starting at approximately 7:00 p.m. Football posters and schedule cards will be given away and officially licensed ECU souvenirs will be available at special promotional pricing. There is no admission charge for this portion of the evening.

Fans attending the photo and autograph session must also enter the stadium through Gate 7 beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets may be ordered by calling the ticket office at 1-800-DIAL-ECU. ECU Students can come by the ECU Ticket Office or call 1-800-DIAL-ECU to purchase tickets.

The Pirates will open the 2006 home schedule September 16 against the Memphis Tigers. Season tickets are still available and can be purchased online at ecupirates.com or by calling the ticket office.

Depth chart looms as Bucs continue drills

After conducting their first scrimmage of the season Saturday and taking off on Sunday, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz and the Pirates returned to work Monday with a pair of workouts at the Cliff Moore Practice Complex, according to a university athletic media relations release.

The twin sessions marked the second of three two-a-day practices scheduled during preseason camp. In all, ECU has seven more workouts remaining, including Saturday's scrimmage, prior to the start of classes on Aug. 23.

Holtz reaffirmed his evaluation after Saturday's scrimmage, noting noting the session was designed to make personnel decisions and put people in the right place to enhance repetitions as the season opener against Navy approaches.

"I thought they did a nice job fighting through soreness and fatigue today," Holtz said. "We stressed the passing game in the morning and had a very physical afternoon working on the run. We're much farther along with our ones, but at the same time, we're a little behind with our twos and threes. I remain impressed with our attitude and the effort we're getting."

East Carolina suffered its first significant setback of the preseason on Saturday when senior linebacker Orlando Farrow went down with a lower leg injury. He may be lost for the season, according to athletic training officials. Farrow signed with the Pirate program last December after leading Lackawanna (PA) College in tackles with 62 during the 2005 campaign.

The Pirates will return to a single workout schedule for the rest of the week leading up to the playing of the second scrimmage of the preseason on Saturday afternoon, which will determine the depth chart heading into official game preparation efforts for the season-opener against Navy on Sept. 2.

The Saturday scrimmage will be followed by the 12th Annual "Meet The Pirates Night," ECU's preseason football fanfest, which will begin at 6:00 p.m. at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

ECU closed out Monday's shells-only morning practice with two-minute drills while the afternoon session, which was held in full pads, finished with a walk-through.

Because of Farrow's injury, Holtz announced that redshirt freshman Van Eskridge (6-0, 206) was moved to linebacker from his defensive back position prior to Monday morning's practice.

Wide receiver Derehl Staton also missed Monday's workouts because of an injury (knee) suffered during last Saturday's simulated game. His return will be determined after additional testing.

ECU's first depth chart of camp is expected to be released after Tuesday's workout.

Tuesday's practice time is scheduled from 3:00 p.m. to 5:55 p.m. After the session, one phase of the Pirates' preseason camp will come to a close Tuesday as team members will check out of their preseason dorm rooms and move into their regular season lodging accommodations.

The season opener at Navy is slated for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 2.

In other notes from ECU's athletic media relations office:

GAME DAY CHANGED FOR TITLE MATCHUP ... Conference USA officials announced that the C-USA football championship game has been moved from Saturday, Dec. 2 to Friday, Dec. 1, with a kickoff time of 8:00 p.m (ET).

ECU PLAYERS GET P.R. TUTELAGE ... At the conclusion of Monday's practice, ECU players participated in a media training session conducted by Trone Public Relations, which provided a hands-on lesson to help the Pirates gain an understanding of success in the public eye and promoting a positive image.

Red Raiders dedicate season to fallen coach

Texas Tech players are dedicating their 2006 season to Dave Brown, the Red Raiders cornerbacks coach who died in January of a heart attack at the age of 52. The school has also established two scholarships in his name.

Brown, a 2006 candidate for the College Football Hall of Fame, twice earned first-team All-America honors in ‘73 and unanimously in ‘74 while helping lead Michigan to three Big Ten championships as a defensive back.

After his college playing days, Brown began a 16-year professional career in 1975, playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks. He participated in the Steelers' Super Bowl X win against the Dallas Cowboys and went on to spend 11 seasons with the Seahawks. A 1984 All-Pro selection, Brown holds the all-time Seattle record with 50 interceptions and is enshrined in their Ring of Honor.

Brown played his final four seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.

A five-year veteran on the Red Raider coaching staff, Brown coached the cornerbacks since his arrival in 2001. Previously, he had spent seven years as a cornerbacks coach with the Seahawks.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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