North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: East Carolina
11/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
DATE:
TIME: Kickoff:
RADIO: Wolfpack Sports Network. Airtime:
TELEVISION: ESPN-U
OPPONENTBreak up the Rice Owls. The perennial college football doormat won its fifth straight game last Saturday as Clark Fangmeier drilled a 40-yard field goal with three seconds left to beat
The Owls trailed 17-9 and starting quarterback Chase Clement was in the locker room with an injury. No problem. Back-ups Joel Armstrong and John Shepherd stepped in and converted critical fourth down plays to lead the Owls on two scoring drives that resulted in nine points in the final
The Rice defense also stepped up. It held the Pirates to 95 second-half yards and forced an ECU punt which gave the Owls hope for a comeback with slightly more than five minutes left.
After the punt was returned to the ECU 46, Armstrong needed only five plays to get Rice into the end zone. A 32-yard pass to Corbin Smiter on fourth down advanced the ball to the Pirates seven. On the next play Armstrong ran for a touchdown, but the Pirates stopped a two-point run and the Owls trailed 17-15.
The Pirates recovered the ensuing onside kick at their own 46 and needed only a first down to ice the game, but James Pinkney’s third-down pass to Chris Johnson was incomplete, forcing another East Carolina punt with a little more than one minute to play.
Rice started the game-winning drive at its own 24, but three straight incomplete passes left the Owls facing a 4th and 10 with less than a minute to go. They needed a miracle and they got it. Shepherd heaved a pass downfield in the direction of Jarett Dillard who pulled the ball away from his ECU defenders for a 40-yard gain to the Pirates 36.
One play later, Shepherd found Dillard across the middle and the Biletnikoff finalist ran out of bounds to stop the clock and put the ball in field goal range at the ECU 25. Quinton Smith, who ran for 110 yards, rushed the ball into the center of the field and Shepherd hurried the team to the line to spike the ball to set up Fangmeier’s winning kick.
It was an emotional loss for the Pirates because a victory would have earned them the Conference USA Eastern Division title. Now ECU’s goal is to win at NC State and hope that
After a 2-4 start, ECU has won four of its last five games and is after its first winning season since 2000. Offensively,
Although they suffered through their worst passing game of the season at Rice, collecting only 83 yards on just 10 completions (17 attempts), the Pirates bread and butter is throwing the football. They are No. 30 in the nation in passing offense, averaging 231 yards a game and they have an experienced, talented quarterback.
Pinkney’s 36 consecutive starts ranks fifth nationally among active Division-one quarterbacks and he has a history of bouncing back quickly from sub-par performances. The redshirt senior is among the nation’s top-25 in total offense (242), pass completions per game (19), total passing yards (2,438) and passing yards per game (222). He is also the team’s No. 3 rusher, averaging 20 yards a game and has 4 rushing touchdowns.
With two completions in the NC State game, Pinkney will become ECU’s record-holder in that category. He needs 172 pasing yards to reach the 8,000 career mark.
Aundrae Allison is Pinkney’s favorite target. The senior has caught a team-leading 56 passes for an average of 68 yards a game. He’s 11th nationally in receptions per game (6.2). With his next catch, Allison will move into the No. 2 spot on the school’s career reception list. Phillip Henry (6-0, 190, Jr.) is also a threat with 33 catches while three of tight end Davon Drew’s receptions have gone for touchdowns.
ECU rushed for a season-high 218 yards at Rice. Brandon Fractious (5-9, 200, Sr.), who has topped the Pirates in rushing in each of the last four games, has 583 yards this season and a 4.4 average with 3 TDs. Chris Johnson is another rushing threat with 4 touchdowns and 316 yards. He ran 43-yards for a TD against Rice.
The Pirates offensive line is loaded with inexperience. Three first-year starters make up the first team. The exception to the trend is left tackle Eric Graham (6-6, 325, Sr.) who is a third-year starter and one of the top linemen in C-USA.
ECU does not beat itself with penalties. The Pirates rank 13th nationally with only 4.6 penalties a game and their 42 penalty yards a contest puts them in the top-30. ECU’s plus-four turnover margin is good, but even more impressive is the fact that its defense has 25 take-a-ways, including 15 pass interceptions. The Pirates have forced two or more turnovers in 10 of their last 13 games (at least one in six straight contests).
Overall, ECU is allowing 337 yards and 21 points a game. The Pirates have held their last four opponents to a combined 29 percent rate on third down (15-of-52) which includes a season-best 1-of-11 at Southern Miss.
One of the biggest defensive improvements
ECU’s ability to limit big plays has also been important. The Pirates have surrendered only four plays of more than 40 yards (rushing or passing) this season in 737 total snaps. Two of those big plays came at Rice on receptions of 47 and 40-yards.
Up front, tackles Brandon Setzer (6-6, 303, So.) and Mark Robinson (6-3, 286, Jr.) are both second-year starters and have the most experience. True freshman end C. J. Wilson leads the Pirates in sacks (3.0).
Outside linebacker Quentin Cotton (6-2, 224, So.) is
Junior cornerback Travis Williams (5-10, 182) has 4.3 speed and leads the team with 8 pass break-ups. The other corner Kasey Ross (6-0, 180, Sr.) is a second-year starter who recorded a career-high 9 tackles at Rice. He also has 3 interceptions this season for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Earlier this season, ECU held No. 7 West Virginia to a season-low 27 points and 153 rushing yards in a loss to the Mountaineers. The nation’s No.2 rusher Steve Slaton gained 80-yards on 24 carries his worst performance of the season.
Punter Ryan Dougherty (6-1, 232, Sr.) is a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award. He holds C-USA records for the most punting yards (9,555) and career punts (224) and is ECU’s all time punting leader. This season Dougherty has a 43.9 yard average with one punt blocked. Senior placekicker Robert Lee has connected on 14-of-22 field goal attempts with a long of 48 yards. Beyond 40-yards he’s 5-of-10.
Chris Johnson is impressive with a 26.6 yard kickoff return average. Against Southern Miss, Johnson had a 96 yard return for a touchdown.
NOTES: Saturday’s game will be the 24th all-time meeting between the Pack and Pirates...ECU has won six of the last 10 games in the series, while the Wolfpack has won two of the last three games including the last meeting in Carter-Finley Stadium, 37-24 in 1997...Under Chuck Amato, NC State is 24-5 against non-conference foes...NC State’s Darrell Blackman ranks second in the ACC in kick return average (29.8), fourth in punt return average (9.9) and is one of only two return men in the league in 2006 who has returned a kickoff and punt for a TD...State is ranked 15th nationally in pass defense...The Pack has a minus-10 turnover margin and is 11th in the ACC in penalty yards (57.9 ypg.)...NC State’s 78 penalties trail only Florida State (80) for the most in the ACC...ECU is 1-0 vs. the ACC in 2006 defeating Virginia, 31-21...State’s Toney Baker is 10th in the ACC in rushing (57.8 ypg.)...The Wolfpack is No.15 nationally in pass defense (162 ypg.) and has allowed 10 TD passes...ECU has scored first in its last five games
( 4-1 record)...NC State linebacker, Pat Lowery, is averaging 8.6 tackles a game and is No.5 in the ACC in stops...In the last 3 games, the Pack defense has forced 6 turnovers its best performance of the season... Quarterback Daniel Evans will start his 9th career game against UNC...All but one of the Wolfpack’s ACC games have been decided by 8 points or less...State has not scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the game this season...The Pack has scored only 15 first quarter points in ’06 and only 6 since the opener... NC State’s last overtime game was a 27-21 win at home over Wake Forest in 2004...The Pack is 6-4 in overtime games...NC State beat ECU 52-14 in Charlotte in 2004 in the last meeting between the two teams...Pack has not scored a TD in its last five quarters of play...Sixteen Wolfpack seniors will be honored before Saturday’s game, including the Pack’s top-3 tacklers, Patrick Lowery, Tank Tyler and Garland Heath.
INJURIES--NC State:LB James Martin-Out, wrist surgery; OG/C Leroy Harris-Out, ankle; OG Curtis Crouch-Probable, head injury; DE Ray Brooks-Out, Elbow; DT DeMario Pressley-Out, Wrist. EAST CAROLINADE Shauntae Hunt-Probable, knee; OT Eric Graham-Doubtful, knee; WR Bobby Good-Questionable, foot; RB Dominique Lindsay-Probable, knee; DT Brandon Setzer-Probable, knee.
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