ECU could go 0-4 against its nonconference schedule. With App State, UNC, West Virginia and Virginia Tech there is no guaranteed win on the Pirates' schedule.
Almost every college football team plays at least one gimme (most play two). Not ECU.
Due to the geographic disadvantage of Conference-USA, and relative lack of strength as compared to a BCS league, under AD Terry Holland and coach Skip Holtz the Pirates have annually set up four nonconference challenges.
Does ECU play the toughest schedule in the country? No, and that's not the point of Sunday's college football column. As Holtz said: "There are a lot of people who play nobody and then beat their chest and go 'Look at us, we're 11-1,.' "
ECU doesn't do that and that's commendable, whether you're an ECU fan or not.
-- J.P. Giglio
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
ECU sets challenge
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32 comments:
What in the heck is the point of this column? Honestly... Is the challenge ECU set their schedule? This is another story of a mediocre no-name program that gets press for no reason. So what that they schedule four good teams. So does every ACC team. How about a mention of Maryland football? HAHA yeah right. Leave ECU out of the topic of North Carolina football. They had their shot last year and showed their true colors. They lost any opportunity of national recognition and got whalloped as expected by their in-state opponents. Stupid. Waste of column space. Giglio Shmiglio. I HATE carolina and NC State - but they are both SO much better than ECU and their programs makes ECU look like JV. App State will beat them like a drum and finally put an end to the whole notion that ECU is the fourth best program in North Carolina. This year, it will fall like this: #1 - NC State, #2 - UNC, #3 - Wake, #4 - App State, #5 - ECU. Sorry - but it's true.
Anonymous, you really don't know sports. The point of this column is to highlight the fact that ECU will play another daunting non-conference schedule...something many schools refuse to do. Get over your ACC bias.
I'm sure Virginia Tech thought the same... just before ECU smacked them in the face in Charlotte last season and started the eventual ACC Champs at 0-1. I'm sure West Virgina thought the same... just before they were detroyed 24-3 last season. I'm sure all 9 victims to ECU thought the same last season. Yeah... ECU surely can't compete. I guess the Pirates will have to tee it off again this season under Holtz and see what UNC, WVA, VTech and crew have to say this year.
The point of the article is to give prop's to ECU. The state should be proud to have an underdog team playing some in state and out state good teams. It has to be incredibly tough to recruit in a state that has so many good schools. How many schools are in VA or SC that play this level of ball. UVA, VT, CLEMSON, USC. NC at UNC, NCSU, WF, APP ST, ECU, DUKE(?)..and soon to be UNC CHARLOTTE.
With a mediocre conference schedule, won't they HAVE to play some teams of substinence to gain any recognition for the Eastern NC Nation??
Yea, some no-name program that knocked off two top 15 teams in back to back weeks (one being the eventual ACC champs no less) last year. Definitely a joke a program. Ask VA Tech how they felt when the Pirates beat them at their own game (punt block) to win. ECU may not be a national powerhouse, but they can play with the big boys any day.
I went to ECU...and believe me people on the East side of NC believe in this team/school. I've never seen anything like it. How can you drive 2 hours from the triangle that has 3 teams(a 4th close by), and still have this much of a following for purple and gold!
True! Most states have 2 teams. NC has multiple teams! We should all be proud.
The point that you have to ask "what the heck is the point of this column," just shows your ignorance. ECU is stepping up when teams like the aforementioned Maryland tip toe through a weak non-conference schedule, then get waxed by their ACC counterparts.
How uninformed can you be? This guy ssays App will stomp ECU? Vegas will disagree with that, no offense to App. Also he talks about how much better these ACC teams are, he must be kidding right. People are mentioning WVU and VT from last year. Believe me there are plenty more teams that are in BCS conferences who have decades long losing records to ECU. They can play with anyone. Anonymous appears to be a troll just looking to stir it up, he knows how bad those comments were and how ridiculous they sound.
It's funny ESPN is counting down the college preseason rankings daily and they are down to #30 and ECU is still to come yet those ACC powerhouses in NC could not break 40. I guess this anonymous troll is smarter than them? Preseason polls are useless, but they kill his argument. Ignore trolls
Why is you peeps be hating on the Purple & Gold? Pirate Nation is a real fact east of Raleigh & Chapel Hill. Come to Greenville and get yo butts kicked. The ACC is scared to mess with the Pirates...arrrrrrrrrrgh
The ACC will be begging ECU to join the conference in 2 years
ECU #1 Party School in the State, soon to be the #1 Football dynasty in the East, West, North and South!
Look what Skip is cooking folks!!
As far as out of conference scheduling goes, ECU is head and shoulders above the other 1-A teams in the state. That's the point of the article. UNC, Duke, and NC State are all playing 2 1-AA/FCS teams. Out of the 3 of those teams, only 1 team is playing a good 1-AA/FCS team (Duke vs. Richmond).
That should embarrass you if you're a fan of one of those schools.
Two points on interest concerning this article: App State is gonna wax that ass!!!!! ECU has more STD's than any other school. Nuff said.
GO APPS!!!!!!!!
Even though I applaud ASU for their recent success, I wouldn't immediately assume that you will wax ECU...let's see what happens when you walk the plank in September :) It's gonna be a good game and I look forward to it.
APP State record versus Div1A teams....3-32....real impressive. Did anyone mention ECU has only played Div 1 A teams for the last 4 years and been to bowls in each of the last 3.
Michigan game was fluke and you would never beat them again and they would beat you like a drum
Honestly I respect ECU's game lately, but anyone who thinks their win over VT last year wasn't a fluke is crazy. Tech would have won that 9 out of 10 times... w/o our star offensive or defensive player - tyrod taylor and macho harris. That said ECUs program is on the rise, but the talks of legitimately contending in the ACC is out of place
college football is for BCS conferences only. everyone else plays second fiddle. ECU and ASU might as well play on friday nights at memorial stadium
^ what he said, lamo
So I guess ACC schools in NC should be on Friday nights too, as Wake Forest is the only NC school to ever go to a BCS bowl lol
This is a joke. First of all, ECU does not suck. I agree they aren't as good as UNC, NC State and Wake... BUT, they're at least equal to App State. That will be a barn burner, and should be a game that is played each year. To me, this is exactly what the state needs for the programs that fall in line behind the best three programs. It's the honorable mention championship that we need.
^ They aren't as good? You're right, they are better than those teams.
Shocking how ignorant some football fans are. Not as good as Wake, NCSU and UNC. They don't have losing records to any of those teams over the last 20 years except UNC 1-2. They also have winnign records against University of Miami FL, Syracuse and others. No other NC school is better. I think they are all close, but comparing ASU is a joke. Like the guy said before they win 11.7% of their games against doormat Div1 teams. I guess the VT game was fluke...so what was #8 WVU? Or #3, #6 Miami games? You guys should try some research. I know we are the only team in recent history to get ranked preseason and postseason in consecutive years.
Basic research can disprove half these posts. No offense to ASU you are not our equals in all of college football, you are the best Div 1AA team and their is a difference. I have much respect for your team and coach, but it fyou get beat by ECU you need to pipe down. No more campfire stories on Michigan. Yes ECU has theirs too...NCSU in Peach Bowl, miami #3, Miami #6, Syracuse #8 (Donovan Mcnabb), #13 VT, #8 WVU....see a difference?
Not better than UNC, NCS, and Wake? Blahhhahahahaha---Wake has one good year and everyone thinks they are great, ask them about the 30 years prior when they sucked. NCS has not been a player since the Sheriden days and UNC is just getting off the mat after years of sucking under Torbush and Bunting so give me a break. ECU can play and beat any D1 team in this state in any year. They would finish equal to or higher than these teams on a regular basis if they were in the ACC. Without Florida St. and Miami being great teams, the ACC is mediocre. Face the facts and stop hating on ECU, give them their props. C-USA or not, they are a good football team.
2nd class program, 2nd class fans!
So I guess ACC schools in NC should be on Friday nights too, as Wake Forest is the only NC school to ever go to a BCS bowl lol
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well, id rather start the year knowing the skys the limit rather then start the year knowing we have nothing but mediocrity to play for.
haha.. "skys the limit".. keep on with your head in the clouds while your ass is dragging the ground.
While I think TOB will do something at Moo U.. what have they done since Phillip Rivers?? What did they do the 10 years before him?? A lot of money spent on football at NCSU with little return on investment.
UNC?? What have they done since Mack Brown?? Maybe Butchie can do something to change his 0 for 3 record against ECU while coaching BCS schools.
Wake, good coach and good program. Actually touched the pie in the sky BCS bowl game dream that UNC and NCSU sell to recruits.
Have UNC or NCSU even been to the top 2 or 3 ACC bowl inclusions behind the BCS bowl since the conference realignment?? Just curious.
Actually, yes. They went to the Gator bowl and beat Notre Dame. Facts are facts - NC State is 16-10 against ECU... having beat them the past 2 times, and 4 of the last 6. Get over yourselves Pirates. Don't talk about your big wins against ranked opponents without mentioning your flops to teams like Southern Miss and Houston. It's a joke. All that matters is what you do head-to-head against other in-state teams if you want to talk about best team in the state. This is why App State has no in-state bragging rights. But I will say, I predict they will beat the pants off of ECU this year, and there will be lots of laughing afterwards.
That's rich, a Pirate commenting on the money spent at NCSU - while not mentioning the ROI of the ECU program. When you're topping out at the Independence Bowl, tell me there's a positive ROI on the stadium upgrades in Greenville.
Problem wih NC is there are too many programs of equal strength & interest. It might have been a different story if there were only 2 or 3 D1 schools here. Look at GA or TN or VA. The talent level in NC is higher than the credit it receives, but you have to split it between the Big 4 & ECU. Throw into the mix VT, TN, SC and Clemson's strong presence in OUR state and it becomes a thin layer of local talent to go around. Which forces the NC teams to either recruit outside the state or accept lower talent athletes than their competitors.
Fact of the matter is none of the teams in NC are very good when you compare it to other states in the region. Is it coaching or talent. I say it's an issue of how thin you spread the peanut butter. There aren't enough talented NC guys to build the foundation for 5 Division 1 teams. Difficult situation when schools like UGA, USC, VT, FSU, UF use local talent as the foundation and search for the game changers nationally.
There's another problem nobody mentions about all of these tough games ECU schedules. They're the team getting paid to be put on the schedules of bigger and better schools. ACC teams have to do the paying, up to $1 million just to get a I-A team to come for a road game.
Uh Michael...ECU has home-and-home arrangements with these 1A schools. We are not paid to play them. Matter of fact, ECU is actually paying App. St. to come play in Greenville this year.
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