More experience could mean more results

Secondary will be key

By: Kellen Holtzman

Posted: 4/3/08

With the 2008 spring football game just around the corner, the anticipation for ECU football is nearing a fever pitch. And with anticipation comes expectations that are at perhaps an all-time high.

ECU Head Coach Skip Holtz recognizes one glaring weakness from last year's team that needs to be corrected in order to meet those expectations. The Pirates must improve a passing defense that ranked ninth in C-USA and 114th in the nation.

"It will be a long year if they don't improve a bunch; if you look at where we are from our numbers a year ago," Holtz said. "We had a lot of guys that didn't play a lot going into last year."

The inexperience Holtz refers to can be traced back to 2006, when ECU lost three starters from a very talented defensive backfield.

Led by seniors Kasey Ross, Jamar Flournoy and Pierre Parker, the Pirates' 2006 secondary was arguably the trademark of that team. Ross and company routinely forced timely turnovers to give the Pirates the edge in close games.

In 2007, ECU struggled to adjust to the loss of the unruffled veterans and the scoreboard provided the evidence.

The Pirates' inability to defend the pass often put the onus on the offense to convert in high scoring shootouts.

The Pirates gave up 30.4 points per game- putting them fourth in C-USA, a league noted for its lack of defense. The lofty stat also ranked a lowly 83rd in the nation.

Statistics, however, can be misleading.

The numbers may not side with ECU, but with a host of experienced players returning for 2008, the secondary's depth and talent are likely to shine through this season.

Secondary coach Rick Smith is confident that experience will be the key to sparking improvement.

"We were pretty good last year," Smith said of his team's talent level. "I'm excited about this year because all those kids that were young last year, got some playing experience behind them."

Free safety and All-C-USA second-teamer Van Eskridge echoed his coach's sentiments.

"We've got pretty much everyone coming back," said Eskridge, who tallied a team-high 104 tackles in 2007. "We've got guys that played a lot of snaps last year so instead of learning on the fly, we're just reviewing things now. …We should be able to come in and play fast, play with more maturity and eliminate a lot of the mistakes we made last year."

Outgoing cornerback Travis Williams is the only starter that must be replaced.

Senior Leon Best will fill the void by returning to corner after moving to safety last season.

"Herman [Best] is a senior and he's played both positions," said Smith. "He's just a great young man. He's always where he's supposed to be. He's the most dependable kid out of those older guys."

As of now, Best will be backed up at corner by sophomore Darryl Reynolds, who saw action in nine games as a true freshman last season. Emanuel Davis, who both Smith and Holtz cited as a player to watch, will provide depth at weak cornerback.

Senior Jerek Hewett will man the other corner spot, backed up by sophomore Travis Simmons and redshirt freshman Derek Blacknall.

Eskridge, a junior, has the free safety position locked down and will be backed up by sophomore Dekota Marshall and redshirt freshman Julian Carter. Marshall saw action in all 13 games last season, primarily at corner.

Marshall credits Eskridge in assisting to make the transition go smoothly.

"With me moving to free safety, he [Eskridge] helped me out a lot with learning the plays," said the Jacksonville native. "You know as a corner, you'll either go man or drop back but at free safety you're doing a lot of different things."

Senior J.J. Millbrook will return to the strong safety position, where he led the team with three interceptions last season. Chris Mattocks started five of 10 games for the Pirates in 2007 before missing the final three games due to injury. The junior should figure prominently once again at the position. Redshirt freshman Devon Wallace is expected to back up Millbrook and Mattocks.

"We've got talent but we're still relatively young," Smith said. "We don't have a lot of guys that have played a ton of years."

Holtz expects his younger players to push the veterans, ultimately making for a more competitive environment.

"With Travis Simmons, Emmanuel Davis and Derek Blacknall and some of the things that those guys are doing right now, I think they have really got a chance to be a much improved group back there," Holtz said. "And they are working with the experience coming back from the older guys and the athleticism and competition going on with the younger guys."

If the secondary problem is solved, ECU may find it much easier to meet those high expectations.

After all, no one has a more optimistic outlook than the players and coaching staff alike.

"Conference championship, state championship, Liberty Bowl championship," said Eskridge. "Those are our three goals. If we don't get those, it [the season] is a disappointment."

This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com