PirateIllustrated.com - How They Stack Up: ECU

November 4, 2009

Kevin Jones & Mark Davis
PirateIllustrated.com Staff

This week's HOW THEY STACK UP features two mid-atlantic teams in Virginia Tech and East Carolina. Mark Davis and Kevin Jones take an indepth look at this Thursday's matchup in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and will be televised by ESPN.

OFFENSE

Quarterback

ECU - Patrick Pinkney has been improving each and every week after some early season struggles. The 6th year senior served up one of his patented "Where was the heck was throwing it to?" interceptions against Memphis, but looked mostly solid. He even reconnected with Darryl Freeny, one of his favorite targets late last season.

Pinkney finished 14/26 for 216 yards and one touchdown through the air. Pinkney also had a 23-yard athletic scamper and a 3-yard keeper.

Pinkney has proved to be a great game manager when ECU gains the lead, but it is very probable ECU could be trailing early against Virginia Tech. Pinkney will need to spread the ball around, and use his legs more than occasionally. Pinkney has been aided the last 4 weeks of a great ground attack. That attack is likely to be stifled by the Hokies ferocious defense. Tech uses coverage trickery to bait quarterbacks into risky throws. Pinkney must make correct reads and protect the football for the Pirates to win the ball game. This game is Pinkney's to win, not manage.

Virginia Tech - Before we talk about Tyrod Taylor, last week's UNC loss caused lots of commotion on the Virginia Tech campus. Hokie fans expect to compete for the ACC title each and every year. Now they find themselves staring up at Duke (yes, Duke!) in the Coastal division standings. One member of the Hokie Coaching staff has been repeatedly blasted: offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring.

The offensive coordinator since 2002 has been under scrutiny for a few years (http://firebryanstinespring. com/) but now it has reached a boiling point. An unnamed Hokie student told us that even on campus rallies and fliers were being printed to get rid of the conservative play caller.

With that being said, Tyrod Taylor has had a great season so far. We thought we'd never write that but Taylor is a quarterback you can't really judge on statistics.

The Junior only had one touchdown pass last season and already has nine this season. Tyrod has the arm strength to hit receivers deep down field though he often has accuracy problems on shorter routes.

Keeping Tyrod in the pocket is probably the most difficult in defending the Hokie receivers. Taylor loves to roll right and back into the pocket again causing defensive breakdowns. In fact broken plays are often where Taylor excels the most. Just ask Miami and Nebraska.

Taylor is only averaging 18 yards per game on the ground, but his breakaway speed will keep ECU defensive coordinator Greg Hudson up at night all week.

Advantage: Virginia Tech: Taylor has the better deep ball arm, is faster and has more playmakers around him. Pinkney does have more pocket poise and the heart of a lion, but one of his poor interceptions will be a lot more costly against a Virginia Tech team then Memphis. If Pinkney goes without throwing an interception there is a chance Pirate fans could be tearing down the goalposts. The Pirates have won 6 straight home games.

Running Back

ECU - Dominique Lindsay looked like a freight train last week against a weak Memphis front 7. Lindsay had over 100 yards at halftime and finished with 141 and a 6.3 yard per carry average. Lindsay has been playing with a nagging shoulder injury all season but has still managed to produce.

The Pirates number one back will need help from one of the Pirates reserves, like he received last week. Backup runner Giavanni Ruffin had his best game as a Pirate with 90 yards and a touchdown. J.R. Rogers saw a few late carries as well. Brandon Jackson will return from an illness and should be fresh enough to make an explosive play. The Pirates have 17 total rushing touchdowns, second in the C-USA.

Not to take credit away from the running backs, but the Offensive Line has owned the line of scrimmage lately. Virginia Tech will present the most difficult challenge the Pirates will see all season up front. Last week UNC ran the ball 42 times for 181 yards. This was able to open up the play action and shorter routes against Tech's weaker outside linebackers. The Pirates coaching staff should take notes on Tech's recent weakness against the run. Controlling the ball early and keeping the clock rolling will be to ECU's advantage.

Virginia Tech - Where on earth does Virginia Tech find all these talented running backs? From Ken Oxendine to Lee Suggs to Kevin Jones and more recently Brandon Ore and Darren Evans. The Hokies always have a go to back to get them the yards they need when they need it the most.

This year is no different with Ryan Williams(5'9 205). The freshman's worst game all season was his own coming out party against Alabama (71 yards, 2 TD's) who has the top defense in the Nations best conference. Williams has 930 yards on the season, 2nd in the ACC. But his 4th quarter fumble against UNC cost the Hokies the game. Williams can be explosive, or he can grind it out between the tackles.

East Carolina's run defense has been stout all season. They haven't allowed a rushing touchdown in 3 weeks. The Hokies may mix in freshman David Williams to rest Ryan.

Advantage: Virginia Tech- Ryan Williams has NFL written all over him and will be a 2010 trendy pre-season Heisman pick. If he can regain his psyche after last week's crying episode and realize he's the best player on the field the Pirates will have problems. The Pirates could use a big running play early to keep the crowd in the game.

Wide Receiver

ECU - Sophomore Darryl Freeney was able to double his 2009 statistics in last Tuesday's confidence booster over Memphis. Freeny made a spectacular grab for a 31 yard touchdown to pretty much bury the Tigers. He finished with 5 catches for 116 yards. Freeney's emergence comes at a critical time for the Pirates, who have been searching for any other reliable target besides Dwayne Harris. If Freeny can repeat last week's performance or even take some attention away from Harris, the Pirates should be able to throw the ball relatively well.

Dwayne Harris continued to be the Pirates best player on any side of the ball. He finished with 180 total yards including an 8 yard keeper out of the "Wild Buc." The Hokies must know Harris' whereabouts at all times, or the speedy junior could be behind the defense. Expect Hokie safety Kim Chancellor to be shadowing Harris for much of the game.

Will two reliable targets be enough for the Pirates? Once again Jamar Bryant is banged up and will see limited action, if any at all. If ECU wins it won't shock us if it's from an unsung hero like Alex Taylor or Joe Womack. Think T.J. Lee last year.

Virginia Tech - Virginia Tech's wide receivers have actually been a pleasant surprise this season. Going into the season it was relatively unknown who Tyrod's favorite target would be. 6'2 sophomore Jarrett Boykin has emerged to be that guy, but has been slowed down in recent weeks. Boykin hasn't had more than 3 catches since early October and needs to be active against the Pirates.

Sophomore Danny Coale only has 13 receptions on the season but they have been big ones. Coale is averaging 22.5 yards per reception and could end up being a deep home run threat (ECU's Achilles' heel) on Thursday. Coale has even earned the nickname "Beast" among Virginia Tech students.

Sophmore speedster Dyrell Roberts is great for the Hokies on special teams and has Usain Bolt like speed in the open field. The Hokies have a mammoth of a tight end (6'3 283) in Senior Greg Boone, but he is used mainly as a 6th offensive lineman.

Advantage: ECU- The big pass play has been lacking recently for the Hokies, while the Pirates are starting to get more receivers involved. If Pinkney gets enough time for Dwayne Harris to find a spot, watch out.

Offensive Line

ECU - The first unit to receive praise from Skip Holtz after the Memphis game was the offensive line and rightfully so. Go back to the first touchdown drive last Tuesday. How easy was Patrick Pinkney 3 yard QB sneak? The offensive line has been exploding off the ball, destroying fellow C-USA opponents.

Center Sean Allen has lived up to his pre-season honors and has been anchoring the Pirates up front. Terence Campbell has bounced around all over the line this season, finally finding a home at left guard where he continues to maul opposing defenders. And former defensive tackle Willie Smith is improving each and every week at left tackle.

The line will have a full plate this week with Virginia Tech Defensive coordinator Bud Foster and his complex schemes. Double teaming Hokie end Jason Worilds is a priority. Tech doesn't blitz much with its linebackers but tight end Rob Kass will be needed more than ever blocking wise on Thursday.

Virginia Tech - The Hokies offensive line has been a big reason for Ryan Williams' success. Senior left guard Sergio Render is on his way to another All-ACC performance. At 6'3 319, Render devastates opposing ACC lineman and can matchup one on one with pretty much anyone. Lining up next to Render is left tackle Ed Wang. Another senior and fan favorite, Wang has been solid and could also hear his name called on draft day with his size (6'5 301) and work ethic.

Center Beau Warren was injured last week which means freshman Michael Via is likely to take his spot. Via is inexperienced and will be attacked by the Pirates athletic defensive tackles. Another week spot on the line is right tackle Blake DeChristopher, a sophomore. DeChristopher struggles in pass protection and the Pirates should utilize C.J. Wilson on his side.

Advantage: Push- The Pirate offensive line has been winning games for ECU as of late. Pinkney has had all day to sling the ball and the multiple running backs are succeeding behind the holes being provided. VT does have some NFL talent on the line, but also some question marks.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line

ECU - The Pirates contained Memphis running back Curtis Steele and the Tigers considerably well last Tuesday. Memphis averaged only 3.4 yards per carry and the Defensive Line is starting to peak at the right time. The Pirates only had one sack, (Josh Smith) but Coach Holtz said that the Pirates weren't blitzing much at all. Smith was injured in practice and is questionable for Thursday.

C.J. Wilson led the way with 5 tackles (1 for a loss) and nearly picked off a pass. Wilson was shaken up late in the second half. He will be ready to go against the Hokies and ECU will need his leadership. Michael Brooks has seen increasing amounts of playing time all over the line and added 4 tackles last week. Linval Joseph had only 1 tackle last week and will without a doubt need to bring his A-game Thursday night against a solid Virginia Tech offensive line.

The Pirates cannot take any plays off on Thursday night. Skip Holtz has praised Virginia Tech as "one of the best QB/RB combos in all of College Football." Tyrod Taylor has Donovan McNabb-like abilities to create broken plays using his legs and deep ball arm strength. Freshman running back Ryan Williams was considered a Heisman contender just a few short weeks ago. And after last week's costly fumble vs. UNC (and crying episode on the sidelines) he will want to prove to the Nation he still has what it takes.

Tyrod Taylor is the main difference in this years matchup with the Hokies. Last season Tech started with Sean Glennon who made several key mistakes. The Pirates must keep Tyrod in the pocket, but must collapse that pocket quickly. He's made several deep throws this year against Nebraska and Miami when his O-Line picked up the heat and had all day to throw.

Virginia Tech - Junior Defensive End Jason Worilds (6'2 240) has been All-World for the Hokies this season. Though he only has 3.5 sacks on the season, Worilds pretty much owns real estate in opponent's backfields. With an astounding 25 quarterback hurries, Worilds is as disruptive as they come. He has been compared to past Hokie legends like Corey Moore and Bruce Smith.

Senior Nekos Brown has filled in well for departing star Orion Martin. Brown is tied for the lead in sacks with 3.5. and leads the linemen with 37 stops.

At defensive tackle the Hokies suffered a blow when junior John Graves went down.

Senior Demetrius Taylor is replacing Graves. Taylor is the strongest of all the Hokie lineman, a respected veteran and effective against the pass. Alongside Taylor will be Cordarrow Thompson. The 308 pounder hasn't done too much this season with only 19 tackles and the Pirates might have better luck running right at the big boys in the middle.

Advantage: Virginia Tech- Jason Worilds is playing how C.J. Wilson did last season. The man is unblockable right now and the Pirates better have answers for his fury this week. Jay Ross has made big plays in all of the home wins and will need to be active for all 4 quarters.

Linebackers

ECU - Outside linebacker Chris Mattocks turned up the heat last week against Memphis. The senior was all over the field delivering big hits and playing great against the run. Nick Johnson continues to always be in perfect position and helped the Pirates with a big fumble recovery. He also leads the team in tackles with 60 on the year. Jeremy Chambliss notched 5 tackles to his tab.

The linebackers aren't as flashy as those in the years past, but they are more consistent. The Pirate linebackers are always around the ball and fill gaps hastily against the run. Steve Spence saw action last week and also played some defensive end.

With that being said, Virginia Tech makes plays happen. They have 44 plays of 20 yards or more and are averaging 30.6 points per game. ECU has never played a tight end the size of Greg Boone (283 pounder) and he could give them trouble.

Advantage: Virginia Tech- The speed of the game was been the only thing lacking for Pirate linebackers. As great as they've been, against WVU and UNC they were simply out run. If Stinespring wakes up out of his 4 season nap and realizes the Hokies need to spread the field it might be a long night in Eastern North Carolina.

Secondary

ECU - Memphis trailed the entire game against the Pirates which sort of inflates their statistics some. Memphis quarterback Will Hudgens was able to throw for 313 yards and 2 touchdowns but he also threw a costly interception to safety Van Eskridge. Eskridge will be busy watching the eyes and legs of Tyrod Taylor.

Yet again the Pirates gave up a big pass play, a 43 yard touchdown in the 4th quarter. Skip Holtz said the key to this game is "not giving up the home-run ball. We can't win a track meet."

Emanuel Davis has been impressive in recent weeks and continued that trend against Memphis. He had 7 tackles (1 for a loss) and 1 near interception. Strong Safety Levin Neal was hospitalized before the game and admirably played most of the way. He needs to make sure no Hokie gets behind him in deep coverage.

Those near turnovers need to become actual turnovers against Virginia Tech. Turnovers saved the Pirates day last year in Charlotte and are a necessity Thursday night.

Advantage: Virginia Tech -The Hokies secondary is a unit who can score at will. Make an errant throw and they will make you pay. Cutting runs to the outside is almost impossible. They are terrific tacklers who don't give up big plays. And well coached I might add. The Pirates will need to force Tyrod Taylor into dangerous throws across the field, something (much to Hokie's fans dismay) he likes to do. Van Eskridge was huge against Virginia Tech last year, and the Pirates need a repeat showing.

OVERALL

Virginia Tech has a lot to prove to its die-hard fan base. Consecutive losses to ACC opponents especially to UNC at home is uncharacteristic of a Frank Beamer led team. Adding even more fuel to the Hokies fire is to avenge last year's season running loss to the Pirates. Special Teams proved to be key in that game, and we expect something similar this season. The Hokies should try and throw it deep often, exploiting ECU's deep ball weakness.

East Carolina has been awaiting this game since it was announced in 2006. Greenville turned into an almost SEC type atmosphere last season when WVU came into town. A similar schematical approach should be put into place that shut down Pat White and the Mountaineers in 2008. Virginia Tech is one of the best defenses in the country, so points may have to come from something other than the offense. A loss won't damage the Pirates 4-1 conference record, but it sure will string. Winning will cement East Carolina in sports fans memoires as one of the best mid major programs of the decade.

KEY PLAYERS

VT- WR-Danny Coale, OT- Blake DeChristopher, CB- Stephan Virgil, KR- Dyrell Roberts

ECU- QB- Patrick Pinkney, WR-Darryl Freeney, DT-Jay Ross, P-Matt Dodge

?2009 PirateIllustrated.com. All rights reserved.

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