July 24, 2008

• Watch the CBS College Sports Preview of East Carolina's Season

After hitting rock bottom in 2003 with a 1-11 record, the East Carolina football program looks to continue its ascent to the top of the Conference USA standings in 2008. With 20 returning starters from an 8-5 squad that took out No. 22 Boise State in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on his preseason roster, fourth-year head coach Skip Holtz will have plenty of weapons in his quest to guide the Pirates to their first league title since 1973.

If ECU is to hoist any championship hardware in December, it will have to navigate yet another tough schedule. In fact, the Pirates represent one of only three (Hawai'i and Middle Tennessee State) non-BCS league members that will play four BCS schools this season. The gauntlet begins with two teams in Virginia Tech and West Virginia that should garner Top 10 preseason rankings in the national polls. The remainder of the non-conference slate features regional rivals Virginia and North Carolina State, with both of those contests occurring on the road.

Earning a spot in the Conference USA title game for the first time in program history will require East Carolina to conquer its East Division foes UCF, Southern Miss and UAB away from Greenville in what are sure to be hostile environments. However, the Pirates will only travel to one of three scheduled West Division opponents - Tulane. Houston returns to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for the first time since 2003 while ECU fans will catch their first-ever glimpse of UTEP in a post-Thanksgiving matchup.

OFFENSE
The Pirates had in 2007, and will have again in 2008, the luxury of featuring two quarterbacks that bring a combination of mobility, speed and arm strength to the position - senior Patrick Pinkney and junior Rob Kass. While Pinkney earned the starting nod at the completion of spring drills, even the thought of possibly forcing opponents to prepare for a two-pronged attack again should be advantageous for ECU. The tandem, under the direction of coordinator and position coach Todd Fitch, threw for over 1,000 yards each (2,522 total), contributing 21 of the Pirates' single-season record 52 touchdowns.

Replacing Chris Johnson in the backfield will be no easy task. His recent first-round selection in the NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans came as no shock to anyone, as the running back tore through opposing defenses on his way to setting program, conference and NCAA records. However, the position appears to have gained added depth as a pair of seniors, Dominique Lindsay and Brandon Simmons, as well as talented sophomores Norman Whitley and Jonathan Williams, are more than ready to duplicate Johnson's production.

The wide receivers showed much potential last season and should be improved in 2008. Leading the way is junior Jamar Bryant, who accumulated 704 yards, the 10th-highest receiving total in program history. He is joined by Alabama transfer Reyn Willis, who displayed great hands in the spring. Other options include sophomore Dwayne Harris and junior Alex Taylor.

Led by Preseason All-Conference USA pick Doug Palmer, the line should be the largest and most consistent it has been in years. Juniors Sean Allen and Stephen Heis return under center while the Pirates are eager to welcome back tackle Terrence Campbell after a heart condition forced him to miss the entire 2007 campaign. Also lending experience on the line are upperclassmen T.J. Harper (guard) and Stanley Bryant (tackle).

DEFENSE
Coordinator Greg Hudson will oversee one of the most experienced defensive lines in the league this season. Two upperclassmen, 2007 Second-Team and 2008 Preseason All-Conference USA ends Zack Slate and C.J. Wilson, lead a group that returns all seven of its starters. The duo combined for 11.5 of the Pirates' 27 sacks, an improvement of 10 from 2007. Juniors Scotty Robinson and Jay Ross, along with sophomore Linval Joseph, are also ready to step in and provide leadership.

Seniors Quentin Cotton and Pierre Bell should flank junior middle linebackers Nick Johnson and Jeremy Chambliss, which should give East Carolina one of its most solid corps in Holtz' four seasons in Greenville. The quartet helped the Pirates post 230 more tackles in 2007 (1,104-874) than they did in 2006.

A surplus of talent and an added year of experience will undoubtedly help the ECU secondary bounce back from an atypical season where it ranked in the lower half of the national pass defense statistical categories. Holtz will look for the continued development of corners Travis Simmons and Darryl Reynolds while relying on senior leadership from safeties Van Eskridge and Leon Best. Eskridge garnered Second-Team All-Conference USA accolades in 2007 as he led the team and ranked 10th in the league with 104 tackles.

SPECIALISTS
Junior Ben Hartman's 2007 campaign had its share of ups and downs. After missing on his first three attempts against North Carolina in the Pirates' home opener, he recovered to nail a pressure-packed game-winning 39-yard field goal. Hartman then lifted East Carolina past the Broncos in Hawai'i with a 34-yard kick that gave the program its first post-season win since 2007.

Another junior, Matt Dodge, will look to better his punting average of 41.3 from a year ago while Nathan Przestrzelski will continue to battle him for the job.

While Holtz and Pirate fans feel confident that Harris will only top his noteworthy rookie punt return performance, finding a replacement for Johnson, the nation's all-purpose yards leader and C-USA's Special Teams Player-of-the-Year, to field kickoffs might be more of a challenge. However, Williams firmly established himself as a solid No. 2 guy in 2007, averaging 22.3 yards per return in 14 attempts.

FINAL ANALYSIS
The buzz that was heard around Greenville when Holtz was hired three seasons ago has only grown louder. With two winning seasons and a bowl victory in tow, that elusive C-USA title is the program's main focus in 2008.

"We have the same goals now that we had four years ago, but they're just more attainable now than they were then," Holtz explained. "We return a great nucleus of players. This will be one of the most talented and experienced teams we have had. We have 18 players who have started at least one game. The key is going to be how well we come together as a team."