East Carolinian

Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: staff photo

Media Credit: staff photo

It is said that when rivalries meet, previous records go out the window.

That's exactly the case for Saturday's game as ECU [3-0, 1-0] travels to Raleigh to take on archrival N.C. State [1-2, 0-1], a week after escaping Tulane with a last-minute win. With a victory, the Pirates will start the season 4-0 for the first time since 1999.

While ECU has found huge success in the first three weeks of a young season, N.C. State cannot claim the same. The Wolfpack's only win came against Division 1-AA William and Mary.

However, in the series between the Pirates and Wolfpack, it is possible that records will not matter when these two schools meet. Just last year, N.C. State came to Dowdy-Ficklen stadium with a 1-5 record and knocked off ECU 34-20. The win sparked the Pack to finish the season with a respectable 5-7 record.

"This is a rivalry game," said ECU coach Skip Holtz. "This is a game that we're excited to have the opportunity to play, especially since it's the closest game on our schedule, only being an hour away. We have the opportunity to bump heads with N.C. State from a recruiting standpoint as well."

"We played them the last couple of years and we're extremely excited to play them again. I don't care what the records are. People talk about them being 1-2, but they came in here at 1-5 last year and beat us 34-20. The records are absolutely irrelevant," he said.

Even with that said, N.C. State has played downright atrocious at times in the first three weeks of the season.

Against South Carolina in the season opener, the Wolfpack only managed 138 total yards of offense and were shutout 34-0. The next week was the William and Mary win and just last week N.C. State lost to Clemson 27-9 while giving up 428 yards to the Tigers. The only touchdown of the game for the Wolfpack was an interception return.

Despite the facts, the Pirates are taking the Wolfpack seriously especially after last year's debacle.

"They [N.C. State] are very talented on both sides of the ball," said ECU senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney. "We can't make a lot of mistakes where they get good field position or they will put it in the end zone."

The N.C. State offense is certainly capable of putting points on the board, but has lacked consistency at the quarterback position so far this season. Starter Russell Wilson suffered a concussion in the season-opening loss to South Carolina and returned last week against Clemson.

Wilson will be making his second-straight start this Saturday, and has shown talent on the field this season.

"I have been really impressed with Russell Wilson," Holtz said. "He's very athletic and has a strong arm. He hasn't played very much after getting injured in the opener and then not playing in their second game. I think he's a very talented player."

Former J.H. Rose star Andre Brown has been the workhorse of the N.C. State team this season.

"Andre Brown is, again, very talented," Holtz said. "He's a hard runner. He's big, strong, physical and an upperclassman. Their two receivers, Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer are also tall, athletic, fast and talented players."

N.C. State's defense, on the other hand, is very fast and talented. If not for the offense's inability to sustain long drives, the Wolfpack's defense could easily be one of the top in the nation.

"When you look at them, I've been very impressed with Willie Young, the defensive end who gave us fits last year," Holtz said. "I believe eight or nine of them are upperclassmen and the sophomores who are playing are some of their better players. They're very big and strong upfront and they move very well."

N.C. State is second in the nation with seven interceptions, and has forced a total of 10 turnovers in 2008.

The Pirates themselves must overcome some major injuries to key personnel.

Senior linebacker Quentin Cotton went down with a knee injury in the second quarter last week against Tulane, and is out for the year.

"That's a big loss losing someone like that and his playmaking ability," said senior linebacker Pierre Bell. "As a team, all we can do defensively is come closer together. It's going to take everyone to fill his shoes."

As for injuries on the offensive side of the ball, senior tackle Stanley Bryant is out indefinitely, as is senior wide receiver T.J. Lee.

"They're [Bryant and Lee] seniors and [they] brought a lot to the table but at the same time it's football and you have injuries," Pinkney said. "The people that are in the two deep have to step up and go in and play like starters."

The Pirates' kicking game has also been a concern to Holtz. ECU is one of four on field goal attempts this season and is still without last year's starter Ben Hartman, who has begun kicking in practice, but still listed as questionable for this weekend's game.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about it," Holtz said of the kicking game. "Ben Ryan's kind of gotten into this mental game with himself and all of a sudden I think he's gotten a little too mechanical. He's not been kicking near as well these first couple of weeks as he did in camp. Matt Dodge had been kicking much better in practice. I just made the decision I was going to kick Matt Dodge [against Tulane] and then he missed it--and that's a tough situation for those guys to get thrown into."

Even though ECU is adjusting to some early season adversity, the fact of the matter is that the Pirates still must travel to Raleigh and take on their bitter-rival, N.C. State. As for the game meaning more to ECU than the others, Bell said they all count the same.

"[This would mean as much] as last week and the past three weeks," Bell said. "A win is a win no matter who you play. Even though it's [N.C.] State, it's one win. It doesn't count as two."

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

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