Opinion: Quarterback play dictates Pirate victory

There is a reason why quarterback is the most important position in college football, and it was on full display at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Heading into the game between ECU and Memphis, it was the visiting Tigers who had stability and leadership at the quarterback position, and the Pirates who were searching for it.

After ECU's 30-10 win however, the roles were reversed.

Memphis came into the contest with a high-powered passing attack led by Arkelon Hall, who was 11th in the nation in total passing yards. The Pirates entered with an inconsistent offense, a three-game losing streak and a brewing quarterback controversy.

But on Memphis' first offensive play from scrimmage, Hall broke his thumb and wasn't able to return. The Tigers turned to fifth-year senior Will Hudgens, who had played in 18 games prior to Saturday. Like Hall, Hudgens didn't last long either: he only attempted two passes before being knocked out of the game with a torn ACL.

Enter Brett Toney.

Toney, a walk-on who wasn't even listed on the Memphis depth chart, was more valuable as the Tigers' holder for field goals and PATs than as a quarterback. In Memphis' media guide, the 190-pound junior's bio says, "He has been a leader for the offensive scout team the last three seasons."

Needless to say, Memphis' game plan changed. Even with Toney, who ran an option-heavy offense in high school, Memphis was uncharacteristically limited and unstable on offense. The Tigers gained an early 7-0 lead because of an ECU miscue, but after the injuries to Hall and Hudgens, they attempted 10 more running plays than passing plays despite losing for most of that time period.

"We were obviously feeling very good to start the game, then we lost our two quarterbacks and I am not going to sit here and say that it didn't hurt us," Memphis coach Tommy West said. "We had a 10-7 lead at halftime and then we couldn't move the ball to start the second half, and that was it."

ECU linebacker Pierre Bell said the game plan on defense changed after Hall and Hudgens went out.

"When you see the third-string quarterback in there with the first-team running back, you know who they're going to give the ball to," he said.

"When the third one [quarterback] went in, I said to defensive coordinator Greg Hudson, 'they're going to throw screens and hand the ball off,'" added ECU coach Skip Holtz. "It was different than what we approached, but in all honesty, it made them a little more one-dimensional and easier to defend."

After struggling with Toney, West decided to take the resdshirt off freshman Tyler Bass. On the TV broadcast, the announcers didn't know who was playing quarterback initially, as Bass wasn't even listed on the roster distributed to the media before the game.

While Memphis was scrambling trying to find a quarterback, the team on the other sideline might have found its most dependable one.

ECU continued to struggle on offense early in the game, but junior Rob Kass ignited the Pirates' first 30-point effort of the season. With Kass commanding the offense, the Pirates scored on each of their first four possessions in the second half despite trailing 10-7 at halftime.

Kass, who was supposed to be the predecessor to James Pinkney but lost his starting position because of a DUI last fall, threw for 167 yards, two touchdowns and was the quarterback for all of ECU's 30 points scored against Memphis.

Despite those statistics, the most valuable thing Kass brought to the ECU offense was stability and consistency. Prior to the Memphis game, ECU's offense was either spectacular or horrible-which isn't a recipe for long-term success.

Kass, whose performance against Memphis should've earned him the starting nod for the UCF game, isn't spectacular or horrible, but probably somewhere in between. He knows how to manage the game and has a good mental grasp on what do with the football-with not turning it over being the top priority.

Near the end of answering a barrage of media questions, which took longer than Holtz's post game press conference on Saturday, Kass said, "A quarterback is the hero when everything goes great, and the goat when it doesn't."

That's a good sign for ECU fans, because that sounds like a person who understands the magnitude of the position he plays.

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