East Carolina Pirates
Head coach: Ruffin McNeill
2014 Record: 8-5; 5-3 AAC
2014 Bowl: 28-20 L to Florida at Birmingham Bowl
2015 Returning Starters: 6 offense, 5 defense
Odds to win 2016 CFB Championship: +500000
Odds to win 2015 AAC Title: +900
Regular Season Wins: Over 7 (+100); Under 7 (-120)
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The East Carolina Pirates lose some of its top performers from last year’s team but should still be tough offensive team that is a force to be reckoned with in the AAC, especially if it can get strong play from its QB position.
East Carolina loses its offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley to Oklahoma and the AAC Player of the Year Shane Carden is gone.
However, East Carolina should still be a tough team on the offensive end of the ball and new OC Dave Nichol believe that sophomore Kurt Benkert can keep the team clicking from the QB position. That is, if he holds the job. Philip Nelson, formerly of Minnesota and Rutgers, walked on as another QB in the fold, adding intrigue to what should still be a very good pass game.
The receivers ensure that.
Justin Hardy and Cam Worthy are gone (2,510 yards combined on 14 TDs last year), but Isaiah Jones (81 catches), Davon Grayson, Jimmy Williams and Trevon Brown are going to be in the fold. Deondre Farrier is also a top freshman who received major interest from a lot of top programs. The Pirates will have the ponies to throw to. TE Bryce Williams is also a receiver in most respects and he’ll get a lot more looks than just at the goal line like last year.
At RB, the Pirates have Chris Hairston who averaged 6.7 yards per carry last year. There’s a couple other solid candidates like sophomore Anthony Scott and a big OL that should be able to create the holes for Hairston, Scott and company.
The QB situation will be resolved. It’s hard to not imagine Nelson getting a lot of snaps, but Benkert isn’t bad. He threw only 10 passes a year ago, so the story is largely unwritten. Whether it be Nelson or Benkert, the team will be carried offensively by its WR, where the major talent lies. Nelson is more proven, but doesn’t offer the long-term solution that Benkert does. There’s pros and cons to be sure, in other words.
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On defense the Pirates are great at stopping the run. The team ranked 11th last year in just allowing 111 rushing yards per game, and it only allowed 34.2 percent third-down conversions. LB Zeek Bigger is returning as the tackles leader with 140 and senior Montese Overton is also primed for a breakout season. Devaris Brunson returns from knee injury in the middle and walk-on Joe Allely is good on the weak side, too. JUCO LB Darius Wright will also be in the mix.
The front is rebuilding and Johnson White is the only returning starter. K’Hadree Hooker will push him. Terrell Stanley has returned well from a bad car accident that sidelined him last season and he was an honorable mention C-USA performer in 2013.
Georgia Tech signee Darius Commissiong should be a factor this season, as well. Senior CB Josh Hawkins is a a major playmaker who had 11 passes broken up and five INTs a year ago, and Rocco Scarfone did really well at CB last season. The secondary should be pretty good, at the minimum.
Texas A&M transfer Davis Plowman will be placekicker. But losing Warren Harvey there really hurts after he set the ECU scoring record last year. Punter Worth Gregory was good for 43.6 yards per punt last season and put 19 within the 20 yard line. He also had 13 50-plus yard kicks. Jones and Brown will handle the kick and punt returns, respectively.
The Pirates were 5-3 in their first AAC season and went to its fourth bowl game in five years. The program is on the rise. 5dimes oddsmakers set the O/U at ‘7’ wins after winning eight last year, but if the QB play is consistently good (regardless of who takes the job), the team could exceed those humble expectations.
The WRs alone dictate that the potential is there for this team to be an elite passing team on offense, and on the other end of the ball, teams don’t run well against East Carolina. The QB position will define whether this is a six or even an eight win team, but going right between that high and low at ‘7’ makes sense, making a non-bet on the O/U probably the best proposition.
Prediction: 7 wins
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