East Carolinian

Issue date: 8/14/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: staff Photo

5. Is this the year ECU gets a Conference USA title?

Any member of the football team will tell you that unless ECU makes it to the C-USA title game then the season is a failure. The Pirates have been close the last two years but have fallen apart at the end of the conference schedule, with losses to Rice in 2006 and Marshall in 2007 costing them greatly.

This year the goal is clear: win C-USA. The schedule is in ECU's favor this year, as it gets most of its toughest conference opponents at home and has a bye week before its toughest conference road game. Three of the final five games are on the road however, so if the pattern of the past two years is followed then the Southern Miss, UAB or UTEP games could be the ones that dethrone the Pirates conference title hopes for a third straight year. The Pirates' coaches and players have stressed the importance of winning C-USA this season, and if they can learn from what has happened the last two years, there's a good chance this is the year.



4. How will the special teams be?

While the special teams play last year earned ECU two of its biggest wins-North Carolina and Boise State-the unit was otherwise below average. Matt Dodge had moments of brilliance as the punter, averaging 41 yards per punt, but he lacked the consistency that coach Holtz demanded from him.

As far as field goals, Ben Hartman was a sub-par 13-of-22 with eight of those misses coming from less than 39 yards. Hartman seemed to find consistency in the latter part of last season, any momentum he had came to a screeching halt this summer as he suffered a leg injury that could leave his availability in the early part of this season in question. The special teams unit will certainly be a big question mark this season and should get tested early with the first two games against Virginia Tech and West Virginia.



3. Will the secondary be able to stop the pass?

While the ECU defense will get recognition for its strong defensive line, the Achilles heel of the unit is the secondary. Last year, ECU ranked among the worst in the nation in stopping the pass, allowing 289 yards per game through the air.

The Pirates are simply hoping that last year was a learning experience and that with another spring/fall of practice under their belts, the secondary will be able to step up to the challenge. If not, then the pass happy offenses of Conference-USA will once again give ECU fits.

Continued...

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