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Argghh You Serious!?

Mon, Jan 4, 2010

Featured, Football

Great Game, Great Year, Still A Pirate! “Give me liberty or give me death”. The East Carolina Pirates got death, three times. If I went on an alcohol and steamed oyster binge over the weekend, passed out, missed the Liberty Bowl and looked at nothing but the Team Stat Comparison I would say ECU outplayed Arkansas and won the game. Only part of that is true. I did see the game and while the stats do favor the Pirates, ECU somehow managed to lose the game, twice, and that was just in regulation.

ECU played about as well has they could have against an SEC power like Arkansas. The Defense was especially stout holding one of the best offenses in the SEC to 283 total yards. ECU’s D also held Arkansas to zero 3rd down conversions in 13 attempts making the Razorbacks the second major college team this season to win without converting a third down.

Now why we’re at it let’s go down the stat list, offense included and see where the Pirates prevailed; 1st downs, check. Total yards, check. Passing, check. Rushing, check. Penalties, check. 3rd down conversions, check. Time of Possession, check. That leads us to TURNOVERS and they are a killer. I thought going into this game it would be ECU who would need the turnovers and intangible play to win but it ended up being the Razorbacks who would capitalize on Pirate blunders for their plunder. Patrick Pinkney through a pair of interceptions in the 3rd quarter, one I dubbed a “Pickney six” which allowed Arkansas back into the game. But it wasn’t just the turnovers that ultimately sank the Pirates; it was also two go ahead game winning missed field goals late in the fourth and another in OT that ECU could not overcome. For the Pirates the booted football in those attempts was liberty and the wind was tyranny. For Arkansas, the opposite; a 37-yard field goal with the wind in overtime gave the Razorbacks the 20-17 victory and the Liberty Bell was theirs.

Be that as it may,  the “meaningless” bowl games are behind us and once again we should all fight so that the real tyranny that is the Bowl Championship Series finally blow away once so we shall have playoff liberty for all.

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14 Comments For This Post

  1. Will Says:

    I wish I had gone on the alcohol and steamed oyster binge and missed the game. Tough to watch all those missed FG’s and the “Pickney six.” Still sick to my stomach. Ready for baseball now

  2. Ben Says:

    Too to lose another LB after outplaying our SEC opponent two years in a row without winning. That’s sports, sometimes the best team does not win. All in all a great season and we will always have those championship banners to hang as back-to-back C-USA champs. If we ever get around to hanging banners in the football stadium. Go Pirates!

  3. brad Says:

    Arkansas won the game fair and square. I am an ECU fan and we deserved to lose. Losing two years in a row to SEC competition just goes to show that we don’t have what it takes to compete with them.

  4. J Mohn Says:

    Arkansas indeed won the game fair and square but ECU did not deserve to lose. Any team that leads in all stats while holding the leading offense in the SEC to 0, that’s zero 3rd down conversions doesn’t deserve to lose. Fan-ship aside; anyone who watched that game Razorback fans included will tell you ECU has what it takes and then some to compete with the likes of the SEC.

    An email to Terry Holland from an SEC guy (Auburn):

    I’ve just finished watching your bowl game with Arkansas. As an Auburn grad, I tuned in to pull for the SEC team, not knowing hardly anything about your team other than Coach Holtz’s dad is Lou. I am sorry your team lost because they were the superior team in both preparation and execution, but I had to stop and write to you about Coach Holtz. I’ve been around sports all my life, but have never seen a coach demonstate better leadership than he did tonight. With the game on the line, he was able to maintain a relaxed demeanor for his players and especially his behavior with his senior kicker. It was so refreshing to watch and I wanted you to know that it is easy to see why he has been successful there – Kids today would definitely relate very well to his demeanor and approach to them.

  5. brad Says:

    I respectfully disagree with you J Mohn. As an ECU fan, I realize that we were in the game somewhat but you have to understand that we at ECU will always fall short of beating solid competition on a consistent basis.

    Last year we lead 16 – 3 at halftime but Kentucky came back to beat us. This year we lead 10 – 0 at the half but Arkansas came back to beat us. At ECU, we will never have what it takes to win.

    P.S. That is as cold as I have ever been.

  6. ESEAU Says:

    Brad, Your so quick with your stats of scores from the past two years but your assumption that “we will never have what it takes to win” attitude goes to show scores are about the only thing you truly know about the game of football. ECU has what it takes, playing with a team with 2 star athletes against a roster full of 3-4 stars and still have a strangle hold on all the stats but one? These players wearing that purple and gold DEFINITELY has what it takes, I think its you that doesn’t have what it takes (sorry, I dislike pessimistic people). And please the next time you post please leave out the “we” in your comments because you my friend don’t speak for “me”. I am very proud of our team win or lose! GO PIRATES!!

  7. Space Wrangler Says:

    “…playing with a team with 2 star athletes against a roster full of 3-4 stars …”

    That, my friend, is not a good way of showing that you know more than Brad about the game of football. The “star” system is laughable at best; troubling in it’s overshadowing of real talent at worst. You would do well to stay away from referring to it when trying to show your football acumen; or Brads lack thereof.

  8. ESEAU Says:

    Space Wrangler….are you some sort of nerdy gay cowboy? JK The star system is a rating of athelets…kinda like a first rounder in a draft vs a second or third rounder? I in no way believe in the classification system and feel that hard work, heart and dedication can over come this so called classification (PIRATES). But it is there for a reason and does prove to separtate the over all “natural talent and/or ability” Now heart, there needs to be star system for that as well..facts are facts bro, I didn’t make the classifications I just read about them, sorry. I guess we should all just not pay attention to them? And I guess if you read in the paper that a 4 star quarterback who turned down Notre Dame, Michigan and USC and is coming to ECU…you wouldn’t be excited? If you wouldn’t be, I would check your pulse!

  9. Richard Says:

    TELL ME WY (an old song by the Four Aces)with a different question. TELL ME WHY ECU did not bother to line the ball up on center for at least one of those 3 missed field goals instead of trying from the hash marks. Did I miss something? TELL ME WHY!

  10. Brandon Says:

    So you saw me passed out at the Pirate Party. The trick is to pass out standing up so you don’t fall on the dirty floor.

  11. Pirate Says:

    No comment

  12. J Mohn Says:

    ^^^ Though I try to forget I think for the last field goal in regulation an attempt to line the ball up on center was tried only the running back moved away from the defender so he wouldn’t lose yardage thus ending up on the right hash mark. There was time on the clock for the other two field goals and that’s just where they ended up after trying to convert 3rd down. I would go back and look at it but I erased it from my DVR. I didn’t want to keep fooling my heart.

  13. J Mohn Says:

    Looks like Holtz is leaving ECU…..

  14. J Mohn Says:

    http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/skip-holtz-emerges-as-possible-replacement-for-usfs-jim-leavitt/1064760