East Carolina
Pirates
Preview 2009 - Offense
-
2009 CFN East Carolina Preview |
2009 East Carolina
Offense
-
2009 East Carolina
Defense
|
2009 East Carolina
Depth Chart
-
2008 ECU Preview |
2007 ECU Preview |
2006 ECU
Preview
What you
need to know:
East Carolina was home to one of Conference USA’s most
feeble offenses in 2008, yet it was the league champ. So much
for the necessity of a high-powered attack in the 21st century.
More economical than explosive, the Pirates aim for a balanced
offense that they hope will be more efficient on third down and
in the red zone than a year ago. They got a late Christmas gift
in January, when QB Patrick Pinkney was granted a sixth year of
eligibility. The poster child for the system, he won’t light up
the scoreboard, but he also won’t make many mistakes or put his
team in deficit situations. As the running game continues its
search for a leading man, he could be asked to do a little more
than usual through the air. The wide receivers, led by senior
Jamar Bryant and junior Dwayne Harris, are underutilized, and
the offensive line should be the best in the Skip Holtz era. A
few more conversions by this group could salt away games that
otherwise wind up in an extra session.
|
Returning
Leaders
Passing: Patrick Pinkney
223-363, 2,675 yds, 13 TD, 7 INT
Rushing: Norman Whitley
142 carries, 698 yds, 4 TD
Receiving: Dwayne Harris
58 catches, 654 yds, 1 TD
|
Star of the
offense:
Senior QB Patrick Pinkney
Player who has to step up and become a star:
Sophomore RB Brandon Jackson
Unsung star on the rise: Junior OG Cory Dowless
Best pro prospect: Senior C Sean Allen
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Pinkney, 2) Allen,
3) OG Doug Palmer
Strength of the offense: Veteran QBs, Receivers
Weakness of the offense: Red Zone Offense, Pass
Protection
Quarterbacks
Projected
Starter:
East Carolina’s quest for back-to-back conference
championships got a little easier when 6-0, 198-pound senior
Patrick Pinkney
was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. He’s
not a prolific quarterback. He doesn’t have to be prolific.
He just needs to win, which he’s done plenty in Greenville.
The most mobile of the quarterbacks, he can make plays with
his feet and throws a soft ball on the move. Last season, he
went 223-of-363 for 2,675 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven
picks, adding 50 yards and a score on the ground. However,
it’s his poise in the huddle and ability to rally the
troops, which are his greatest assets.
Projected Top
Reserves: No one looks the part more than senior
Rob Kass, a 6-4,
250-pounder, who can hurl the ball a mile. In many ways an
ideal backup, he’s played in 23 career games and started
eight, providing a terrific insurance policy in the event
that something happens to Pinkney. Although he can stretch a
defense, his accuracy and touch have been sporadic, going
25-of-54 last season for 321 yards, two touchdowns, and two
scores.
Getting a leg up for 2010 will be 6-4,
210-pound redshirt freshman
Josh Jordan,
who’ll spend one more season as the understudy behind the
two seniors. He has a blend of Pinkney’s quick feet and Kass’
strong arm, an ideal combination once he gets more
comfortable with the playbook and the speed of the game.
Watch Out For…
Pinkney to get more opportunities to shine as a passer. Not
only will this be his third season as a starter behind
center, but he’s surrounded by his best collection of
receivers, a brew that could mean a few more shots downfield
than last season.
Strength: Poise and decision-making. You just
can’t rattle Pinkney, a huge plus in an offense that doesn’t
take a ton of risks and will rely heavily on the defense and
running game. He’s not going to force the action, and for
his career, he’s thrown a pick every 50 or so passes.
Basically, he puts the Pirates in a position to win, which
is what the program asks of its quarterbacks.
Weakness:
Big plays. Although East Carolina doesn’t pretend to be
Tulsa or Houston, a few more connections downfield would be
nice and would open things up for the running game. The
Pirates were ninth in the league in both yards per game and
total touchdowns.
Outlook: In many ways, this became an ideal
situation for East Carolina when Pinkney was granted another
year of eligibility. It has a proven starter at the top of
the depth chart, a fifth-year senior in the two-hole, and
the future learning from the bullpen. They may not be
fantasy league favorites, but this trio has the Pirates
poised for a run at another Conference USA championship.
Rating: 7.5
Running Backs
Projected
Starters:
To say that the running game is in a state of flux would be
a gross understatement. Last season’s top three rushers have
either quit the program, graduated, or are trying to fulfill
the guidelines of a suspension. When the dust cleared this
spring, a transfer from Kentucky, 5-10, 195-pound sophomore
Brandon Jackson,
was the frontrunner to be the feature back. If he can stay
out of trouble, he has the all-purpose skill set, including
great hands out of the backfield and vision in the hole, to
be a dynamite playmaker in this league. He played well
enough in the offseason to have a huge role in the offense,
which might include being the primary ballcarrier.
Projected Top
Reserves: The Pirates are cautiously optimistic that
5-10, 210-pound senior
Dominique Lindsay
can bounce back from a knee injury that shelved him for the
entire 2008 season. A tough runner, who’ll do most of his
work between the tackles, he has 29 games of experience and
was tabbed as the starter before getting hurt. As a reserve
in 2007, he carried 66 times for 205 yards and five
touchdowns, adding nine catches for 58 yards and another
score.
Providing a little more flash and speed out of
the backfield will be 5-11, 197-pound senior
J.R. Rogers. In
his first season out of Bakersfield (Calif.) Community
College, he got into the rotation with 33 carries for 134
carries, most of which came in the final month of the
regular season and the Liberty Bowl.
Watch Out For…
new developments away from the field. Last year’s leading
rusher, 5-9, 187-pound junior
Norman Whitley,
is participating in summer workouts, yet his status with the
team for 2009 has not been determined by Skip Holtz. Ditto
6-1, 196-pound junior
Jonathan Williams, who’d rushed for 380 yards and five scores in
seven games before getting booted by the coach.
Strength:
Tough runners. Regardless of who actually suits up in the
fall, the Pirates are confident that they’ll have a
collection of runners capable of working the interior of
opposing defenses and constantly drive for extra yards. As a
whole, it’s a physical group that fits the personality of
the offense.
Weakness: The uncertainty. Lindsay is coming off
major knee surgery. Whitley and Williams aren’t sure if
they’re in the plans for the 2009 season. There’s an obvious
lack of chemistry and stability that the coaching staff
hopes to correct before Appalachian State visits on Sept. 5.
Outlook:
It’s way too early to get an accurate read on this unit. If
everyone is back without further incident, the Pirates will
arguably have the deepest and most diverse backfield in
Conference USA. If not, the program will be forced to put an
awful lot of emphasis on Jackson, who has talent, but no
experience at this level. To be fair, the backs deserve an
incomplete grade until everything sorts out in the fall.
Rating: 5.5
Receivers
Projected
Starters:
The returns of just about every key player from 2008 means
East Carolina could have its best collection of wide
receivers in years. Senior
Jamar Bryant has as much natural ability as any of the receivers,
but needs to maintain his focus throughout the season.
Originally a Georgia Bulldog, he’d caught 19 balls for 216
yards and three touchdowns before getting suspended in
October for violating team rules. A physical 6-2,
208-pounder, he’s a talented downfield and an underrated
blocker on running downs. He has a shot at an NFL career if
he only makes news on the field this fall.
Joining
Bryant in the lineup will be 6-0, 198-pound junior
Dwayne Harris, arguably the most dynamic all-purpose player in
Greenville. He’ll do a little bit of everything for the
Pirates, using his speed and shiftiness to make plays as a
receiver, runner, and special teams standout. Despite
missing four games with a foot injury, he still had a
team-high 58 receptions for 654 yards and a score, while
rushing 19 times for 76 yards.
In three-wide sets,
6-1, 195-pound sophomore
Joe Womack is the top candidate to get on the field. He shined as a
rookie, shedding his redshirt out of necessity to start four
games and make 17 receptions for 230 yards. He’s shown
flashes of big-play ability, and will see an expanded role
in the passing game with each passing season.
The
biggest offseason hit was the graduation of ultra-productive
TE Davon Drew, who is being replaced by 6-2, 260-pound
junior Kevin Gidrey. More of a hybrid than a traditional tight end, he’ll
play fullback in short yardage packages and a little H-back
when the need arises. A two-time letterwinner and seven-game
starter in 2008, he caught four passes for 26 yards in a
prelude to this season.
Projected Top
Reserves: When Bryant was suspended, 6-4, 210-pound
senior Alex Taylor stepped into the void and caught 23 balls for 310 yards
and a touchdown. He’ll once again provide valuable depth on
the outside, giving the Pirates a consistent veteran
presence, with the size and the leaping ability to sky high
above overmatched defenders.
Sophomore
Darryl Freeney,
like Womack, was forced into the deep end of the pool, and
remained afloat throughout the season. A 5-11, 196-pound
playmaker, he showed good burst and a knack for the big
play, catching 22 passes for 352 yards and two scores,
including a breakout effort versus Kentucky in the Liberty
Bowl.
Watch Out For…Bryant’s
mindset. If the senior has his eye on the ball throughout
the season, he has a chance to earn All-Conference honors
and a pro contract. He’s that complete of a receiver. If he
has any transgressions, however, the coaching staff is
unlikely to give him any more latitude.
Strength:
Depth. The upside to last season’s injuries and suspension
is that some of the younger kids were forced to remove the
training wheels a year earlier than expected. Now that
receivers, such as Womack, Freeney, and Taylor, got far more
reps than expected, East Carolina goes two-deep at wide
receiver with talented and experienced players.
Weakness:
Tight end. Gidrey is a very nice player to have on a team,
but there’s no way he’ll replace Drew production of 43
catches for 695 yards and three touchdowns. Any drop-off at
the position will be noticed because of how much the program
likes to use the middle of the field in the passing game.
Outlook:
After some dark moments a year ago, the Pirate wide
receivers are about to bask in the glow of being one of
Conference USA’s best collections of pass-catchers. Assuming
there are no more defections or injuries, the unit has it
all, from quality veterans and underclassmen to speed and
size. As the backfield takes time to get in shape, the
wideouts will get a rare chance to be the headliners of the
offense.
Rating:
7
Offensive
Line
Projected
Starters:
With a slew of returning starters and lettermen up front,
East Carolina will once again boast one of the league’s most
formidable offensive lines. At the heart of the unit will be
6-3, 307-pound senior
Sean Allen, one of Conference USA’s premier centers.
Although last year was his first as a regular, you couldn’t
tell by the way he performed. Reliable with his snaps and
quick out of the gate, he’ll be even better with that full
season of experience in the rear view mirror.
The
feel-good story of the unit was authored by 6-5, 320-pound
senior Terrance
Campbell, who made a successful return from a heart
ailment to start 10 games, alternating between left and
right tackle. Depending on who else is available, he can
stay at right tackle or move to guard and be an absolute
mauler in the running game. He led the Pirates in knockdowns
in 2008, and is extremely difficult to move off his base.
The more sure-thing to be at guard this season is 6-5,
287-pound junior Cory
Dowless, who started all 14 games on the left side in
2008. A quality athlete, who did a nice job in pass
protection, he also finished third on the team with 43
knockdowns. He only scratched the surface of his potential
in 2008, laying the foundation for what could be an all-star
career before he’s through.
At one tackle spot, East
Carolina is banking on 6-6, 320-pound junior
D.J. Scott to
help improve the team’s overall pass protection. While there
were predictable holes in his game early on, he got better
as the season progressed and wound up starting 10 games. On
pure physical ability alone, he has the upper body strength
and long arms to excel once he improves his footwork and
fundamentals.
The biggest unknown at this point will
be 6-6, 280-pound junior
Willie Smith, who
came out of spring with a tentative hold on one of the
tackle jobs. Although he looks the part and has the
athleticism to eventually become the prototype at the
position, the converted tight end lacks the experience of
his teammates and could get exposed in his debut as a
starter.
Projected Top Reserves: After earning his first
letter and starting a pair of games, 6-6, 291-pound junior
Travis Melvin
returns as the team’s most experienced backup tackle. Long,
lean, and light on his feet, he has the staff excited about
his next two seasons, but remains raw and in need of more
snaps before challenging for a full-time job.
At
guard, 6-2, 317-pound senior
T.J. Harper
immediately worked his way into the rotation in his first
year out of Pearl River (Miss.) Community College, appearing
in all 14 games. Very strong in his base and at the point of
contact, he made a smooth transition to the FBS, and
provides outstanding depth from the second unit.
Watch Out For…
the fate of 6-3, 300-pound senior
Doug Palmer. He’s
one of the top guards in Conference USA, but he’s also on
probation with the team after getting suspended in the
spring. A nasty, physical blocker, he brings a certain
attitude and swagger to the line. If he returns in the
summer, it could shift Campbell back to tackle and Smith to
the second team, where he can learn with a little less
scrutiny.
Strength: Depth. Assuming Palmer fulfills his
obligations to the program, the Pirates could have as many
as three linemen with starting experience on the second
team. Skip Holtz has been working toward a day when he had
both experience and talent filling out the two-deep. That
day has arrived in Greenville.
Weakness:
Pass protection. For the second straight season, the Pirates
have struggled to protect the pocket up to the staff’s
liking. For a team that threw the ball less than all but
three Conference USA schools, finishing 70th nationally in
sacks allowed is just unacceptable. There should be enough
talent on this unit to give Patrick Pinkney the time he
needs to locate an improving group of wide receivers.
Outlook:
Now that the talent and depth are in place, it’s time for
the Pirate offensive line to produce up to its potential. If
Palmer is in the mix, as expected, the program could have as
many as three or four all-leaguers, which should mean bigger
holes for the running backs and more time for the
quarterbacks to survey the field.
Rating: 6.5
|