UCF TAKES SKIRMISH, BIGGER BATTLE RAGES ON

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1 UCF TAKES SKIRMISH, BIGGER BATTLE RAGES ON Bonesville.net By Denny O'Brien October 30, 2010 ORLANDO Maybe one day East Carolina and Central Florida will find refuge in a BCS Automatic qualifier conference. Perhaps they will even find it together. That's one way to ensure the longevity of this unfriendly rivalry while also increasing the stakes between the two. At some point in the future, battles like UCF's victory on Saturday could help determine who represents their league in Miami instead of Memphis. Until then, a trip to the Conference USA championship game and Liberty Bowl stands as the best destination that either can realistically reach. And until that date providing it ever comes ECU and UCF must settle for one-upping each other in C- USA. That essentially is the tone that underscores this unique rivalry, one that extends far beyond the scoreboard and C-USA standings. The relationship between ECU and UCF has become an exercise in comparing the BCS qualifications found on each school's resume. About the only thing the Knights seemed interested in comparing on Saturday was the number of visits each would make to the end zone. That much was obvious from their first two possessions, which resulted in two touchdowns and a 14-0 lead barely six minutes into the game. It set a physical tone and dug a deep hole from which the Pirates did not emerge. I thought their offense did a great job up front on our defense, ECU coach Ruffin McNeill said. We tried. It wasn't anything fancy that they were doing. It was just a matter of us not getting off of blocks and making plays. I told (defensive coordinator) Brian (Mitchell), it's not the calls. It's the physical thing. You can do anything you want to, but it comes down to, in coaches' language, somebody has got to whip somebody on each play. On a sunny afternoon in Bright House Networks Stadium, UCF running back Ronnie Weaver sure did his share of the whooping. He ran around, through, and over trampled Pirates en route to a 180-yard, two-touchdown day. Weaver was the featured workhorse in an offensive game plan that was designed to consume clock and limit ECU's possessions. At one point the Knights were so incredibly balanced and efficient that their first four drives resulted in 122 yards rushing, 122 passing, and four touchdowns. The normally mediocre Knights offense looked like one of the nation's most proficient against the Pirates. UCF's brawny offensive line bullied the Pirates' smaller defensive front for the bulk of this humbling afternoon. We just didn't execute, ECU linebacker Dustin Lineback said. It's plain and simple. The defense as a whole, all 11 of us out there didn't execute the plays that were called. I give a lot of credit to UCF. They are a great football team and are well-coached and athletic. They challenged us by running the ball down our throats. As a result, the Knights firmly control their own destiny and are now the clear favorites in C-USA.

2 In the bigger picture, the war between East Carolina and Central Florida will extend beyond Saturday and perhaps into board rooms and onto Internet message boards. There it will be conducted by men in suits and fans with keyboards. School and athletics administrators will focus mostly on the reasons why their program is the most qualified for BCS-AQ inclusion. The technology-armored fans will concentrate on how the other is not. In both cases, historical success, geography, TV market size, stadium structure, and attendance will be the topics of discussion. It's the type of verbal tug-of-war that has added flare to this series. UCF's offense added some competitive flare as the Knights notched their second win ever over the Pirates. In a game billed as the most significant in stadium history though you wouldn't have known it from the actual attendance the Knights shrunk the Pirates' commanding series lead to 8-2. Despite the Knights win, you have to wonder if their overall lack of success will continue to be a punchline during sparring matches between fans. My guess is probably so. That's what's so interesting about the ECU-UCF rivalry. Historically, it has seemed much more competitive off the field than on.

3 PIRATES-KNIGHTS CLASH IN A TEST OF WILLS Two teams square off for C-USA driver's seat Washington Daily News Brian Haines October 30, 2010 GREENVILLE The last two teams with perfect Conference USA record will clash today in a classic offense versus defense showdown as East Carolina heads south to take on Central Florida in a battle for the East Division lead. The pass-happy Pirates (5-2, 4-0) come into this matchup scorching hot as they are posting a C-USA-third best 36.9 points per contests and have won their last three games in a row. The stingy Knights (5-2, 3-0) have been able to top teams thanks to a bruising defense that allows a conference-best 13.8 points night and have also riding a three-game streak. Both teams enter today with a nine-game Conference USA winning streak and who ever can best impose their style of play on the other will make it to 10. East Carolina first-year coach Ruffin McNeill is well aware of the implications of today s game, but has also stayed true to his philosophy of which ever game the Pirates are playing is the biggest one of the season. For our guys, and for me, the biggest game of the week last week was Marshall. That s how we looked at. This is a big game. I won t hide it from them. But it s also the next game, McNeill said. Everybody thinks that it s coaching rhetoric, but it s not. It s what I believe in. Every game is a big one because it s the only one you play this week. You get one shot. A big component of today s game will be tempo. Whichever team can win the battle of tempo will likely win the game. The fast-paced Pirates run their air raid attack at breakneck speed and look to get faster each week under the direction of first-year offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. The result so far has been similar to using a press in basketball, when it s applied and correctly executed it changes the tempo of the game and can lead to points in bunches. The opposing team might recover or adjust after a short period of time, but by then it may find itself already down by a touchdown or two. A perfect example of this was during the N.C. State game when ECU jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. By the time the Wolfpack tweaked their schemes it was down three scores. The system also allows for ECU to make up points in a hurry. Proof of that occurred in Week 6 when the Pirates overcame a 20-0 first-quarter deficit to top Southern Miss East Carolina stands at 10th in the conference in time of possession as it holds on to the ball for a little over 27 minutes a game which ranks 112th best nationally. Take one guess who is tops in the conference in T.O.P. The Knights, like most good defense teams, hold on to the ball for over 34 minutes per contest, which places them second in the nation behind Army. Led by quarterback Dominique Davis, who will be making a trip back to his home state of Florida as Conference USA s

4 leading passer, East Carolina has plenty of weapons to combat a Knights team that ranks in the seventh nationally in total defense (259 ypg). Davis ( , 2,023, 18 TDs) is second in all of the FBS in completions per game and points responsible for, while ranking eighth in the country in total offense. The junior QBs has several targets to throw to but wideout Dwayne Harris has been his favorite. The senior receiver is averaging a FBS-sixth best 7.7 catches a game and has tallied a team-high 707 receiving yards and five scores. Fellow wide receiver Lance Lewis (37-455) has scored seven TDs, which ties him for the team lead with running back Jonathan Williams who is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and 67.6 yards per game. Central Florida boasts one of the best defensive lines in the conference which is led by senior DE, and preseason all- American, Bruce Miller and junior DE Darius Nall. The Knights dynamic duo has been crushing opposing QBs this season. Nall leads the team with 6.5 sacks, while Miller has posted 3. The two have combined for 15 tackles for a loss and 20 QB hurries. Under Riley s direction, the Pirates have done a good job getting teams to back off their blitzes by running quick-hitting passing plays that neutralize the pass rush. Statistically, the Knights defense looks amazing as it leads C-USA in pass defense (158 ypg) and is second against the run (101 ypg). However, the team s schedule must be taken into consideration. In order, UCF has played South Dakota (38-7 W), N.C. State (28-21 L), Buffalo (24-10 W), Kansas State (17-13 L), UAB (42-7 W), Marshall (35-14 W) and Rice (41-14 W). It hasn t exactly been a schedule loaded with college football powerhouses. East Carolina has faced a more intense schedule up to date as it topped Tulsa and Marshall before falling to Virginia Tech and North Carolina on the road before topping Southern Miss, N.C. State and Marshall. The Pirates s defense has been improving each week and will catch a break as it will not have to try and stop former first-team all-conference running back Brynn Harvey, who has been redshirted this season due to a torn ACL. The Knights have played four different quarterbacks this year but are down to three after Rob Calabresse tore his ACL and will sit the rest of the year. Freshman dual-threat quarterback Jeff Godfrey is the team s starter. L.D. Crow is the team s most viable pocket passer, while Nico Flores will be used in wildcat situations. Ronnie Weaver (65 ypg) is UCF s leading rusher. Brian Waters is the top pass-catcher with 21 receptions for 277 yards. The Pirates defense, which is coming off of its best outing after the team s win over Marshall is led by Dustin Lineback who has tallied a C-USA-fifth best 67 tackles. The East Carolina defensive line will face a tough task in trying to get to Godfrey, as he is not only a rushing quarterback, but is protected by 6-7 left tackle Jah Reid who McNeill spoke highly of on Monday during his weekly press conference.

5 PIRATES DEFENSE DEFIES NUMBERS Raleigh News & Observer Edward G. Robinson III October 30, 2010 Statistics often tell the story of a football team's season. It's just that sometimes, it's not the whole story. Take, for instance, East Carolina's defense, which has yielded 3,092 yards and 247 points this season, an average of yards and 35.3 points per game. Those figures don't paint a promising picture. Yet entering today's contest at Central Florida, the Pirates are 5-2 overall and 4-0 against Conference USA opponents, sitting atop the league's Eastern Division a half-game ahead of the Knights (5-2, 3-0). A victory at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, Fla., today would make the Pirates bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season and pull the back-to-back conference champions closer to securing a berth in a third straight C-USA title game. "You can't really get caught up in the stats too much with the league we play in," East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill said. "You'd lose a lot of confidence if you did." Though his team ranks 105th nationally and 10th in the conference in total defense, McNeill said he's pleased with the defense's steady progress. A former strong safety for the Pirates, he understood the challenge set before this current group entering the season. McNeill said the unit has adapted to a new coaching staff and new system, one that looks similar to the 4-3 scheme run last season but that operates under a different philosophy. The Pirates, having replaced nine defensive starters, are beginning to play with the loose-legged abandon of a unit that understands what it's being asked to do. Confident in their assignments, players are relying on technique and trusting teammates. Suddenly, small signs of consistency have sprouted, pointing to a burgeoning defense. The Pirates, having previously forced 11 three-and-out possessions, held Marshall last week to three-and-outs on the Thundering Herd's first two possessions. Over the past two games, the Pirates also collected six interceptions after going without one in the three previous games. They forced four turnovers against the Herd. Players said no one was worried during the defense's dry spell at producing turnovers. "I would say [the stat sheet] is misleading because every week we grow," ECU senior linebacker Melvin Patterson said. "Everybody can see the improvement from Week 1 to Week [7]." Underrated defense Before the Pirates defeated Marshall last week, they were ranked 12th - last - in the conference in total defense and scoring defense, allowing yards and 39.5 points per game. They were also 112th in the nation in pass defense, giving opponents yards per game. And 116th in scoring defense. Tulsa had scored 49 points, Memphis 27 and Southern Miss 43.

6 But each of those teams ended up losing to the Pirates. That's one reason ECU defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell said he hasn't looked at a stat sheet. "My job is to put out the best product that I've been dealt," he said. "Get them better week in and week out. If that means we're winning a game 44-43, so be it.... Are we making plays to help our team win the football game? Yes we are." And the Pirates are making plays without standouts such as defensive tackle Linval Joseph, who entered the NFL draft early and was drafted by the New York Giants last spring. He returned to Greenville this week to visit with the staff. The 6-foot-4, 319-pound NFL rookie turned heads in the office, with Pirates coaches wondering aloud what he might do for their pass rush. More so, they missed his experience. Because of that, Mitchell has relied on several players who had little or no NCAA Division I game experience. Patterson, who had played in 25 games, had few reps at linebacker. Still, he's proved invaluable, collecting a career-high 13 tackles last week against Marshall. "He's a guy who's paid the price," McNeill said. "He may not be as fast as other linebackers across the country or in the conference, maybe not as strong, but he has the desire you want on your team. He's definitely a team guy." Newcomers to the ECU defense have made their mark, including junior college transfer Bradley Jacobs. The junior safety has intercepted passes in each of the last two games. Freshman Derrell Johnson has claimed a starting role at defensive end, while redshirt freshman Matt Milner is starting at the other defensive end. And freshman backup safety Damon Magazu made one of the season's most memorable plays when he intercepted a pass from N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson to secure an overtime victory on Oct. 16. "It looks like walking chaos," Mitchell said. "But these kids are doing a tremendous job of soaking in the coaching philosophy, the scheme. They want to be good. That's the common denominator." Personal challenge Patterson said his teammates take pride in improving and building on each week's performance. "All of the things that were said about us in the offseason about all the guys leaving, we took those things personal," he said. "We want to show everybody we can play. There's still talent here at East Carolina. There's a lot of talent." Central Florida, a team averaging 30.6 points per game to match the league's top scoring defense, will test that talent. Mitchell said ECU players are more adept at reading offensive plays before they happen. He said their confidence in technique has made them more comfortable in keeping to their assignments on plays. He said the team's defense works best when everyone is swarming to the ball according to their assignments. During the team's bye week after the loss to Virginia Tech on Sept. 18, coaches stressed fundamentals and intensity. Players listened. "These kids are finding out what their limitations are, what they're capable of doing, raising their thresholds higher than they've ever expected," Mitchell said. "We work hard together," Patterson added. "And we have fun playing the game."

A PAIR OF DYNAMIC DUOS

A PAIR OF DYNAMIC DUOS Raleigh News & Observer Edward G. Robinson III December 29, 2010 WASHINGTON Often over Chinese buffet, East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis and wide receiver Dwayne Harris tried