East Carolinian

Issue date: 7/9/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Staff Photo

Media Credit: Staff Photo

Anticipation is building toward the start of another ECU football season, as it is less than two months away. With so little time left before kickoff in Charlotte on Aug. 30, it is time to take a look at the most critical games and story lines that will affect the Pirates success this fall.

The match-up with Virginia Tech on Aug. 30 stands out above the rest. While some might not rank this as the most important game for the Pirates, I believe it is so just for the simple fact that it is the first game.

Skip Holtz and company want to get started off on the right foot and what better way than to knock off the nationally-ranked perennial powerhouse Hokies team in front of a huge crowd at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

While ECU put up a worthy fight last year in Blacksburg, the Pirates were left with a bitter taste in their mouth and will be looking to come out the victor this time around.

If UCF plays up to its potential, this game could easily become the most important game for ECU next season. Last year, ECU beat UCF 52-38 in a game that was closer than the score indicates.

Even after suffering the loss, the Golden Knights went on to claim the Conference USA championship thanks in part to the Pirates devastating loss to a lowly Marshall team late in the season. This year, ECU hopes to take control of the division early and not falter down the stretch.

Houston appears to be one of the teams to beat in the West division of C-USA. Last season, ECU stunned the Cougars at home in a 37-35 win. Houston could have easily come out victorious but their kicker missed a 37-yard field goal and a 38-yard attempt in the last few minutes of the game to seal the victory for the Pirates.

This game is poised to be one of the most exciting and high scoring of next season and could be an early preview of the C-USA title game.

The Southern Miss game is important because it usually factors into the conference race heavily. Last year, the Pirates lost 28-21 in a heartbreaker at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Now, the Pirates have to face the Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg where success has historically been hard to find. If ECU were to enter this game with the East division in its grasp--then watch out--this could become a significant roadblock in the quest for a conference title.

The rivalry game at NC State is mostly about bragging rights, with potential recruiting benefits at stake. A win-loss here does not matter in the conference race, which is and should be the main goal of ECU each and every season. With that said, the Pirates want to win every game in which they line up. Revenge should be on the Pirates' mind after last year's bitter 34-20 defeat to the Pack.

It's fair to say that ECU doesn't have a running back on the roster as talented or the caliber of player as Chris Johnson was last year.

For the Pirates, the answer to the offense last season was basically to give Johnson the ball and let him take over. This year the question of who will fill his shoes has still not fully been answered and probably will not be until at least the middle of the season.

Solid running backs like Dominique Lindsay, Jonathan Williams and Norman Whitley will all fight for positions on the depth chart come fall, but it remains to be seen if any can have the presence on the field that Johnson had and demanded. Finding a solid starter will be key in the Pirates' season and in making the quarterbacks' life a little bit easier.

Last year, Rob Kass was slated to be the starter against Virginia Tech but due to off-the-field troubles, Patrick Pinkney ultimately became the starter for the majority of the season and he made the most of it. A year later, Pinkney is listed as the No.1 quarterback on the depth chart in the preseason with Kass slated as the backup.

Holtz has stated numerous times that he wants to stand behind one starter but doesn't rule out switching back to a two quarterback unit. However, if Pinkney can lead the Pirates in an effective manner, the job is clearly his to lose.

While ECU's defensive line could potentially go down as the best in Pirate history, the secondary is hoping to make drastic improvements to avoid becoming one of the worst in respect to that unit in the history of the university.

Last season, the Pirate secondary was among the worst in the nation and C-USA in passing defense. The Pirates' inefficiency to stop the pass made most games high-scoring shootouts. Now after losing only one senior, the secondary is hoping that 2008 means more experience and better results.

In each season that Skip Holtz has coached ECU, the Pirates have gotten better and better.

With last year's Hawaii Bowl victory, it remains to be seen just what the Pirates have in store for an encore. Multiple players have indicated that this season is simply Liberty Bowl or bust. To reach the Liberty Bowl, ECU will have to manage a schedule that is once again top heavy with Virginia Tech, West Virginia and NC State all being among the first four opponents.

While those games don't necessarily have a say in the conference race, it is important for ECU to fight through those contests and pick up some momentum to take into conference play. The road to an East division title likely runs though UCF and Southern Miss so those games are critical to the 2008 season to say the least.

In the feel good story of the season, junior offensive tackle Terence Campbell will be returning to action for the first time since 2006 after rehabilitating from emergency heart surgery. Right now, Campbell is listed as second-string, but if his play prior to his illness is any indication, then he could be starting once again sooner than later.

If ECU can overcome such a difficult schedule and address these issues, this will truly be a season to remember-and it goes without saying--the road to success runs through the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.



This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.

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