North Carolina State University Athletics
'In the Thick of It' with Gary Hahn
11/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 24, 2004
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NC STATE (4-6, 3-5) vs. EAST CAROLINA (2-8, 2-6)
DATE: Saturday, November 27, 2004
TIME: Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. (EST) Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC (73,367)
RADIO: Wolfpack Radio Network: 12:00 p.m. (EST)
TELEVISION: None
OPPONENT----Steven Gostkowski kicked a tie-breaking field goal with six seconds left to give Memphis a 38-35 win over East Carolina last Saturday. The game looked like a blow-out early, but the Pirates, playing at home on Senior Day, made a furious second half comeback to nearly pull off the upset.
Down 28-7 midway through the third quarter, ECU tied the game at 28 with nine minutes to play, but its defense couldn't stop the Tigers, especially DeAngelo Williams who rushed for 225 yards and four touchdowns.
Memphis quarterback Danny Wimprine completed a 45-yard pass to Maurice Avery, setting up Williams' 30-yard touchdown run down the left sideline at the 6:11 mark that put the Tigers back on top.
East Carolina responded three minutes later with a 60-yard scoring strike from James Pinkney to Will Bland, tying the game again at 35-35. But the ECU defense couldn't stop the Tigers. They drove down the field one more time and Wimprine connected with Avery again on a slant to put Memphis in range for Gostkowski's game-winning 35-yard kick.
Wimprine completed 21 of 37 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown. Pinkney was 27 of 49 for a career-high 336 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw four interceptions. Bland finished the game with a career-high 5 catches for 147 yards while Kevin Roach helped the Pirates with eight grabs for 96 yards, including a 60-yarder for a TD that gave ECU its first points.
The Tigers took advantage of two Pinkney interceptions to build a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a four-yard Williams TD run and a 10-yard Wimprine scoring pass to Tavares Gideon. Williams added another touchdown run, a six-yard scamper, to extend the lead to 21-0 midway through the second quarter.
Memphis (7-3, 4-3 CUSA) scored again on its first drive of the second half. Williams, the leading rusher in Conference USA with more than 15-hundred yards, broke away on a 48-yard run up the middle to give the Tigers a 28-7 lead.
East Carolina's comeback was aided by a big play in the kicking game. Travis Williams returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown with 12:53 left in the game and the Pirates added a two-point conversion to cut the Memphis lead to 28-25. Two Cam Broadwell field goals and a one-yard Chris Johnson run accounted for the other ECU points during the rally.
It was the final home game for ECU coach John Thompson, who announced last Wednesday that he would resign after the season. The loss dropped his career record to 3-19 in two seasons at East Carolina.
Inexperience and injuries have hurt the Pirates this season. Nearly 60 percent of the Pirates active roster consists of sophomores and freshmen and just 10 seniors make up the 2004 edition. Of those 10, only three are in Saturday's projected starting lineup. Only 13 teams in the nation have played more true freshmen that ECU this season (8).
Like NC State, offensive line injuries have been a problem for ECU. Each offensive line position has seen multiple starters this season. Matters were compounded when key reserve tackle James Myrick suffered a season-ending ankle injury on November 2nd. The Pirates have allowed 32 sacks and are averaging less than 100 yards rushing a game. Johnson, a true freshman, (546 yards, 4.5 ypc.) is the Pirates top rusher and has scored 5 of ECU's 6 rushing TDs this season. He's also their leading active receiver (30 catches) and kickoff returner.
Losses at the receiver positions have hurt the Pirates passing game. Between season-ending injuries to tight ends Shawn Levesque, Sean Harmon, wide receiver Bobby Good; an indefinite suspension of wide receiver Damarcus Fox and a personal departure by wide receiver Edwin Rios, the Pirates have lost personnel who combined for 66 catches, 933 receiving yards and 8 TDs this season. Good had 33 catches and 4 TDs before his season ended on November 6th. Sophomore wideout Brian Howard (20 catches) has missed the last 2 games with a hamstring injury.
Pinkney (6-3, 209) has started every game at quarterback this season and his 27 completions against Memphis were a career-high. The redshirt sophomore has thrown for 2,180 yards and 18 touchdowns, but has been intercepted 15 times. That up and down trend mirrors the ECU offense. It has recorded 200 passing yards on five occasions, but less than 100 rushing yards in six games. ECU is averaging 22 points and 325 yards a game.
Defensively, the Pirates are allowing opponents 38.7 points and 464 yards per appearance. Stopping the run has been a real problem with ECU surrendering an average of 241 rushing yards. Opponents are also converting on 40 percent of their third down attempts against the Pirates.
The defense is a young unit with only three returning starters in the lineup. Six freshmen or redshirt freshmen are on the depth chart in starting or back-up roles. Middle linebacker, Chris Moore (6-1, 228, Jr.) is very active. He led the Pirates with 13 stops against Memphis and leads the team with 89 tackles, including 17 for loss.
Junior end, Richard Koonce tops the Pirates pass rush with 5 of the team's 11 sacks, while free safety Zach Baker and senior cornerback Donald Whitehead have combined for 7 interceptions. The most experienced member of the defense is sophomore corner, Erode Jean, who has started 18 consecutive games. The front four are all first-year starters.
With injuries in the Memphis game to outside linebackers Eric Butler and Dashaun Stephens, true freshman Durwin Lamb, a backup at middle linebacker, will start at that position against NC State. Lamb (6-1, 223) has played in 9 games and has 20 tackles. Neither Butler nor Stephens are listed on the Pirates' depth chart for this week's game.
There is experience, however, in the ECU kicking game. Sophomore, Ryan Dougherty, a second-year starter, punted four times for a 43.8-yard average versus Memphis, including a career-best 68-yard effort in the second quarter. With his success against Memphis, Broadwell (6-3, 191, Sr.) pushed his streak to eight straight games recording at least one made field goal, while Williams punt return for a TD against the Tigers was ECU's first since the 2000 season. Johnson has returned 31 kickoffs for a 20 yard average. Williams has a 20.2 yard punt return average on 17 attempts--third best in the nation..
NOTES: NC State leads the nation in total defense, allowing just 229.5 yards per game and is No.2 in pass defense (119.9). The scoring margin in NC State's six losses has been only 8.5 points and four of the Pack's seven conference games this season came down to the final play. NC State has turned the ball over 26 times this season while ECU has 25 turnovers. The Wolfpack ranks 115th in the nation in penalties with 9.3 per game. East Carolina has beaten NC State in four of the last five meetings dating back to 1987. Thirteen Wolfpack seniors will suit up for their final game on Saturday, including six frequent starters on defense. The Pirates bring a three-game losing streak into Saturday's game. The Pack has dropped four in a row.
INJURIES--NC State: C Jed Paulsen-Out, ankle surgery; OT Derek Morris-Questionable, high ankle sprain; C/OG Leroy Harris-Out, shoulder injury; LB Oliver Hoyte-Probable, knee and ankle sprains; WR Richard Washington-Questionable, knee sprain. ECU:None reported.
