East Carolina Football

After a 30-year hiatus, Appalachian State will renew its rivalry with former Southern Conference rival East Carolina in a game many around the Old North State have awaited with high expectations since the announcement the two would play in the winter.

Expectations come from the fact that both programs have seen an overnight surge in rising to new levels in their respective football traditions. For Appalachian State, anxious to wash the bitter taste from its mouth left by a FCS quarterfinal loss to Richmond in '08, it’s an expectation that was realized in 2005.

The Mountaineer football program had always been a football program that was good and trips to the playoffs were that of second-nature to head coach Jerry Moore and staff, however, making that rather large step from good to great isn’t one that comes overnight.

In fact, it was an Appalachian team in '05 that was coming off a 6-5 season that forged all the way to the school’s first national title and catapulted the program to new, unprecedented heights. Three titles and a win over Michigan later, the Mountaineers expect to win every time they take the field, and they expect to do it in style.

When Appalachian State took the field against Michigan to open the '07 season, Appalachian State play-by-play broadcaster David Jackson summed it up best when he said, "Quite simply put, Jerry Moore and Appalachian State have never boarded a plane or taken a bus to lose a football game."

That will be the same approach that this 2009 edition—many of which were a part of the win in Ann Arbor—of the Mountaineer football team will have as its mentality on Saturday afternoon when they take the Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium turf to take on the Pirates.

Helping back up those expectations when the Mountaineers take the turf against the Pirates on Saturday afternoon will be 18 returning starters and a collection of talent that could be the most talented of the three previous teams that have brought home national titles for the Mountaineers.

Reigning Walter Payton Award-winner Armanti Edwards returns to his stead as the team's starting signal-caller, which is a pretty amazing story when you consider he is coming back from a severe cut on his foot after an offseason accident cutting grass just prior to the start of fall camp.

Edwards is the most decorated player in Appalachian State Football history and is poised to have a strong senior season. Edwards passed for 2,902 yards, 30 TDs, and nine INTs last fall, while also leading the team in rushing yardage by completing the campaign with 941 yards and 11 TDs on 193 attempts (4.9 YPC).

Expectations have become something of a watchword in Greenville, NC as well, especially under fifth-year head coach Skip Holtz, who came to ECU after serving as offensive coordinator at the University of South Carolina.

The nation took notice of the Pirates from the inception of the ‘08 season, as the Pirates shocked eventual ACC and Orange Bowl champion Virginia Tech, 27-22.

It took Holtz just four seasons as the boss to lead the Pirates to a Conference USA title and a berth in the Liberty Bowl against the Kentucky Wildcats. Unfortunately for Holtz and staff, despite exceeding even the high expectations of the fan base in Greenville, NC, the Pirates were 25-19 losers to the Kentucky Wildcats in the Liberty Bowl after leading virtually the entire game.

Holtz hopes to help the Pirates close the deal this fall, aided by the return of 19 starters (eight on offense, eight on defense, three specialists), including talented signal-caller Patrick Pinkney. Pinkney, who, like his counterpart Edwards, is a candidate for the Johnny Unitas "Golden Arm" Award, is coming off his most prolific season in the Purple and Gold, connecting on 223-of-363 passes for 2,675 yards, 13 TDs, and seven interceptions.

Pinkney will have all five starters returning in front of him along the ECU offensive line—a front that helped the Pirates average 23.4 PPG and 340 yards of total offense last fall. The Pirates are just one of 12 FBS teams in the nation to return all five starters along the offensive line for the '09 season, which has combined for a total of 91 starts.

The Pirates have a talented tailback tandem returning to run behind those five behemoths Saturday afternoon in Norman Whitley and Jonathan Williams. Whitley is the team's leading returning ball carrier after concluding the '08 season with 698 yards and four TDs on 142 carries (4.9 YPC). Williams was ECU’s third-leading rusher last fall, completing the '08 campaign with 380 yards and five TDs on 75 attempts (5.1 YPC).

The leading options in the passing game will be Dwayne Harris and Jamar Bryant. Harris is the the Pirates' leading returning receiver, having hauled in 58 passes for 654 yards and a TD last fall (11.3 YPR). Bryant’s speed could give the Mountaineers secondary issues Saturday and he will be Pinkney’s main big play target. Bryant caught 19 passes for 216 yards and three TDs (11.4 YPR) last season.

The real key matchup in this season opener could be in the trenches, and how a seasoned Appalachian State offensive line, which returns three starters from a year ago, handles what should be one of the top defensive lines in all of college football in '09. That defensive line for the Pirates will be anchored by All-American and Bronco Nagurski Award hopeful defensive end C.J. Wilson.

Wilson is possibly the most domineering defensive end in the nation heading into the '09 season, coming off a season in which he had 18.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Jay Ross and Linval Joseph return on the defensive interior for ECU and will both vie for All-CUSA honors this fall.

The massive 322-pound nose guard Joseph completed the '08 season with 43 tackles, eight TFLs, and 2.5 sacks, while Ross produced 48 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, and five sacks. The top returning linebacker is Nick Johnson, who is the team’s leading returning tackler after amassing 102 tackles, 10 TFLs, and a couple of interceptions last season.

All-American candidate Van Eskridge headlines two returning starters in the secondary at free safety. Eskridge is coming off an impressive '08 season in which he was the team’s third-leading tackler, racking up 97 stops, while tying for the team standard with four interceptions. Eskridge is the catalyst and field general of this ECU defense entering the '09 season.

The 2009 season brings more than expectations for both Appalachian State and ECU, especially with both programs now sporting championship success. The word for both now becomes "entitlement," as both fan bases and coaching staffs no longer expect to win, they feel they are entitled to victory and national attention, and with wins over Michigan and Virginia Tech the past two seasons, who can argue with that notion?

Extra Notes:

Under the direction of Jerry Moore (1989-present), the Mountaineers have claimed six of those seven victories. The Mountaineers are a respectable 6-21-1 against FBS teams from the Old North State.

The East Carolina football team under Skip Holtz has had the same two goals every season: win a conference championship and win a bowl game.

As Holtz enters his fifth season as ECU's head coach, the Pirates have accomplished both — just  not in the same season.

Last year, ECU captured its first-ever Conference USA title after toppling Tulsa in the conference championship game. The Pirates then lost to Kentucky in the Liberty Bowl.

Two years ago, ECU fell short of its C-USA title hopes, but beat Boise State in a memorable Hawaii Bowl.

In Holtz' second season, the Pirates won seven games, but lost to South Florida in the Papajohns.com Bowl.

ECU enters this season returning a wealth of talent on both sides of the ball, including sackmaster CJ Wilson and sixth-year senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney. Yes, sixth-year senior.

Pinkney had shoulder surgeries each of his first two years in Greenville, so the NCAA granted Pinkney a sixth-year of eligibility.

"Patrick getting another year of eligibility was huge for us," Holtz said during C-USA's media days in Memphis. "It's a real tribute to Patrick and where he is, to work through the two surgeries and become the type of player he is."

Pinkney is entering his third season as the starter after taking over for the highly productive James Pinkney (no relation). It will be Pinkney's second full season as starter, and he'll have plenty of weapons around him with a deep backfield and three senior wideouts.

Also returning this season are tailback Jonathan Williams, arguably ECU's most talented runner, and wideout Jamar Bryant. Both were suspended for most of the 2008 season, but both are dynamic playmakers who, if they can remain on the field for the entire season, will be gamechangers for the Pirates.

With what could be a very good offense, the Pirates return a defensive unit that could rank, statistically in the nation's top 10 by season's end. Wilson recorded 10.5 sacks to lead the team. Van Eskridge and Emanuel Davis each had four interceptions as the Pirates were one of the nation's top units in terms of takeaways. ECU forced seven turnovers in last year's conference championship win over Tulsa.

"Defensively, we have some high expectations for 2009," Holtz said. "When you look at what we were able to accomplish last year, so many of the young guys who were able to step up, and then what we return.

"It's a real tribute to the leaders like Jay Ross, CJ Wilson, Nick Johnson, Jeremy Chambliss, Chris Mattocks, Van Eskridge and Dekota Marshall, and so many of these guys that have played a prominent role. They've been playing for the last two or three years, and now they're coming into their senior year. We do have a great group of leaders (on defense)."

Holtz said the defense carried the Pirates last season amidst a rash of injuries to the offense, but the defense was not immune. In Week 3 at Tulane, following the upset wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia, middle linebacker Quentin Cotton tore his ACL and was lost for the season. He was the best player on defense for the Pirates, and the pulse of the unit.

Without him, the Pirates lost three straight and fell out of the top 25 before finally righting the ship with consecutive overtime wins over UCF and Marshall.

Filling in for Cotton was Johnson, who did an admirable job and led the club with 102 tackles. The senior from Charlotte is expected to play even better this season.

The Pirates have their work cut out for them with another tough schedule. After North Carolina State backed out of its 2009 schedule obligation, ECU tried to fill the slot with a home-and-home series with Oklahoma. The Sooners refused to come to Greenville, so athletics director Terry Holland scheduled Appalachian State instead to start the year.

The season opener has the state in a buzz, as the Pirates and Mountaineers will play for the first time since 1979. The game will renew a rivalry that once saw the two play every season from 1972 to 1979. Appalachian State currently rules the roost in the Southern Conference, a league in which ECU used to belong.

ECU is a prohibitive favorite in the game, but so was Michigan two years ago. The Mountaineers hold a 19-10 series advantage, but ECU has won the last four meetings.

Following the home opener against App. State, the Pirates go on the road to take on a pair of BCS big boys. First is a trip north to take on a West Virginia team bent on avenging last year's 24-3 beatdown in Greenville.

West Virginia lost a lot from last year's team, and could be the underdog in this game. Following the trip to Morgantown, the Pirates stay in state and head to Chapel Hill to face the Tar Heels. The last time the two teams met, 2007, ECU won 34-31 in Greenville on a last-second Ben Hartman field goal.

Hartman also returns, and the Pirates are hoping for another victory over an overrated ACC team.

ECU returns home to take on UCF in Week 4, but then hits the road again for consecutive trips to Marshall and SMU. Both should be wins, as the Pirates have more talent, but a bad Marshall team pushed its conference rival to overtime last year inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

A home game against Rice, which will be down following the graduation of the most prolific quarterback-wide receiver combo in NCAA history (Chase Clement and Jarrett Dillard), precedes a road trip to Memphis.

This is a dangerous game for ECU as the Pirates return to the site of their Liberty Bowl loss to face a less-talented, but dangerous Memphis club. The game is also a week before ECU's home game against Virginia Tech. The Tigers could pull off the upset here because this has trap game written all over it.

Should ECU be 8-0 or 7-1 at this point, the Virginia Tech game will most certainly be a matchup of two ranked teams. ESPN will be there, and the game will have a lot of hype as ECU tries to duplicate its upset from last year, and keep itself alive as a BCS buster.

Dowdy-Ficklen will definitely be rocking for this Thursday night, nationally-televised game. The Hokies, which could also be unbeaten, will be playing for their national championship hopes, and want to prove that last year's loss to ECU was just an aberration.

ECU closes with three tough conference games — at Tulsa before home games versus UAB and archrival Southern Miss. The last game could decide the C-USA's East Division champion, and the right to face either Tulsa or Houston in the conference championship game.

A BCS bowl and a top 10 ranking is not out of the realm of possibilities for ECU this season. The schedule is tough, and if ECU can win the games it's supposed to win, and knock off UNC, West Virginia and Virginia Tech, the Pirates could be right in the mix at the end of the year with 12 or 13 wins.

This could be the year both season goals get met.

Find all of my work here.

The next team on my just a bit outside the top 25 list is East Carolina. ECU looked really good last season as they started 3-0 beating the likes of Virginia Tech, West Virgina, and Tulane. But then they lost three straight to North Carolina State, Houston, and Virginia.

They finished 9-5 ending the season with a loss to Kentucky in the Liberty Bowl.

ECU has a lot of potential, and has a good crop of returning players to make something happen this year. On offense they return last years starting QB Patrick Pinkney. Pinkney is a solid veteran leader, but will need to improve to help ECU suceed. Last year he struggled at times throwing 13 TD's along with 7 INT's. ECU certainly made some noise early in the 08' season; Pinkney will be responsible for making that happen again in 09'.

ECU lost thier top two rushers from last season, this could be a weak spot for the Pirates as they look for someone to step up to fill the void. With Norman Whitley and Brandon Simmons gone ECU will look for Jonathan Williams to step up immediately.

Williams has the most experience in the backfield ; if he can play well early it will give others a chance to step up. They do have talent at the position in Brandon Jackson; look for Jackson to get his share of carries early as ECU tries to establish the running game.

Defense is clearly the better unit for the Pirates this year as they have three preseason all confrence players. One of those players is C.J. Wilson. Wilson was selected by the coaches as the preseason C-USA defensive player of the year.

CJ Wilson is a beast on the outside for the Pirates

(credit nationalchamps.net)

Rising above the flat terrain of Greenville, NC, there is a building that dominates the skyline. It is easily the largest structure in the city of 100,000 and is owned by one of the city's largest employers.

The employer is East Carolina University, but the building is not the Joyner Library or The Brody School of Medicine—both of which are impressive in their own right. The structure referred to is Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, home to the East Carolina Pirates football team.

Dowdy-Ficklen may not hold 100,000 people like Michigan Stadium or the Rose Bowl, but it is a beautiful structure with all the amenities college football fans want. When former University of Virginia basketball coach Terry Holland was hired as ECU's Athletics Director in 2004, he wanted ECU to have top-notch facilities.

Since then, the press box has been remodeled and more luxury boxes were added, as well as improving seating in other areas and upgrading other facilities.

Between the 2009 and 2010 seasons, more seats will be added beneath the scoreboard—giving Dowdy-Ficklen a horseshoe feel. But Dowdy-Ficklen is about more than nearly 44,000 seats—well, 50,000 once the expansion is completed.

It's about the atmosphere.

Like most campuses, the parking lots, dorms, and nearby houses become havens for tailgaters. Even the adjacent elementary school parking lot gets turned into a place to eat and drink before the game. Once people get settled into their seats, the show really begins.

On the scoreboard Jumbotron, we see the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse—a fixture of North Carolina's Outer Banks.

The camera pans down to a pirate ship with purple and gold colors about to enter battle with other ships on the sea, all donning flags of that season's opponents. A foghorn blows, and the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song begins while the narrator's baritone voice thunders throughout the stadium.

As the following words are being spoken, the picture on the scoreboard screen shows the ECU Pirate ship blasting its way past its foes before reaching the friendly shores of the Tar River.

"Like a ghost on the wind, he comes from the sea

And trembles the foe like a storm on the lea.

With a thunderous blast from his cannon's might,

He shivers the strong, and cripples their fight.

From East Carolina, victories are told

Of the spirit of the Pirate, and his Purple and Gold."

As the Pirates of the Caribbean theme fades out, foghorns once again bellow. Jimi Hendrix' "Purple Haze" then fills the stadium speakers with its signature guitar intro. Purple smoke erupts from the tunnel that leads out of the adjacent Murphy Center as the home team congregates near the tunnel's mouth.

The Pirate marching band takes their place on the field as the song's words begin.

"Purple haze all in my brain

Lately things just don't seem the same

Actin' funny, but I don't know why

'Scuse me while I kiss the sky..."

A cannon blast rings the air, and the band starts in with the ECU fight song as the football team, led by its head coach, run through the path created by the band and cheerleaders onto the field and toward the home sideline.

It is truly a sight to behold. The football game itself is like any other, but the atmosphere leading up to kickoff is like no other and is a must-see for any college football fan.

Other fantastic and must-see venues are Army's Michie Stadium and Navy's Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Watching the student bodies march onto the field, salute the opposing fans, and then get dismissed into their seats is truly something special to witness.

The Rose Bowl, Michigan Stadium, Beaver Stadium in State College, Penn., Ohio Stadium, and Neyland Stadium in Knoxville are also must-sees—simply to be among a crowd of more than 100,000 people there to watch a college football game.

Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium may be the most gorgeous of all Big Ten venues. With its unique facade, Camp Randall hearkens back to the days when it was originally an Army post. Today, more than 81,000 fans clamor inside to see the spectacle that is Badgers football.

There's the world-renowned marching band and the "Fifth Quarter" march after the game. Between the third and fourth quarters, the student section causes the stadium to shake by hopping up and down to House of Pain's classic '90s rap song, "Jump Around." The Big Ten's oldest stadium may be its best.

If you're talking intimidation factor, then look no further than the following venues: Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, or the Swamp; LSU's Tiger Stadium, aka Death Valley; Clemson's Memorial Stadium, also referred to as Death Valley; Virginia Tech's rowdy Lane Stadium; and Oklahoma's Memorial Stadium.

No college football life would be complete without trips to South Bend, Ind., to see a game under "Touchdown Jesus" at Notre Dame Stadium, or to see the Corps of Cadets among the "12th Man" at Texas A&M's Kyle Field.

This summer, the National Football Post is breaking down every team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A) to identify players who might warrant interest from NFL teams in the 2010 draft.

The East Carolina Pirates finished the 2008 season with record of 9-5 and once again look like the class of Conference USA.

Offense

Note: Wide receiver Jamar Bryant returns in 2009 after being suspended last season for an unspecified violation of team rules. He led the team in receptions in 2007 with 48 and looked good in the East Carolina spring game, catching three passes for 58 yards. Bryant is a guy worth keeping an eye on this season.

Patrick Pinkney: No. 15, Quarterback, 6'0", 198 Pounds

Pinkney is a gifted athlete who has the ability to tuck the ball away and create plays with his feet. He does a nice job keeping plays alive, but he also has a tendency to put his head down too quickly and not keep his eyes down the field.

Pinkney isn’t a natural passer and gets antsy in the pocket. He struggles going through his progressions and has a tendency to lock on to his primary target and wait for him to uncover.

He lacks touch and accuracy down the field and doesn’t showcase much rhythm underneath. He’s consistently late with the football and struggles finding throwing lanes from the pocket.

Impression: A raw quarterback prospect who will likely be asked to make a position change at the next level.

Doug Palmer: No. 70, Guard, 6'3", 305 Pounds

Palmer displays a coordinated punch out of his stance and does a nice job moving his hands and feet together off the snap. He possesses good strength in his lower half and has the ability to create movement as an in-line run blocker. Palmer consistently wins initial hand battles inside and gains leverage on contact.

He showcases good coordination when asked to reach targets away from his frame and does a nice job remaining balanced and generating power through his lower half.

Palmer gets out of his stance quickly in pass projection and consistently extends his arms into blocks and locks out at the point. He is a Velcro player who’s tough to disengage from and works his feet through contact maintaining the upper hand.

He isn’t real explosive laterally and has a tendency to get a bit upright, negating some of his quickness. However, he showcases smooth footwork, and once he gets his hands on you, the battle is usually over.

Impression: A coordinated run blocker who can generate initial push inside and reach targets away from his frame. He is one of the better senior guard prospects I’ve seen this year.

Sean Allen: No. 54, Center/Guard, 6'3", 310 Pounds

Allen is a natural bender who fires out of his stance quickly in the run game, but plays too top-heavy and is easily shed on contact. He lunges into blocks at the second level as well and struggles breaking down when trying to reach a moving target.

He showcases good coordination getting out of his stance, but he isn’t really explosive in any area of the game, which is especially apparent when he’s asked to pull around the edge.

Impression: A flexible lineman, but he lacks the balance to consistently stay on blocks and doesn’t possesses the athleticism to make up for it.

Defense

C.J. Wilson: No. 95, Defensive End, 6'3", 278 Pounds

Wilson lacks an explosive burst of the ball and takes too many false steps to consistently reach the edge. However, he’s a coordinated athlete who displays the balance to quickly change directions and side-step blocks inside.

He showcases the body control to flatten down on his outside pass rush and gain the leverage needed to collapse the pocket, and he does a nice job lowering his pad level and driving his legs through contact.

However, he needs to do a better job extending his arms and using his hands to keep opposing linemen from getting in on his frame. Wilson doesn’t play very long-armed and struggles fighting his way off blocks as a pass rusher once a lineman gets hold of him.

He demonstrates good physicality versus the run game and has the power to overwhelm offensive tackles at the point of attack and set the edge outside.

Impression: Displays some lateral quickness as a pass rusher and looks like a guy who can be productive on all three downs, similar to Texans defensive end Antonio Smith.

Jay Ross: No. 90, Defensive Tackle, 6'3", 308 Pounds

Ross does a great job firing off the ball on time and getting into opposing linemen quickly. Has a good first step and is consistently one of the first linemen moving off the snap.

He is very sudden versus the pass game and exhibits the lateral quickness to side-step offensive linemen and create space for himself inside. Possesses a powerful arm-over move, which allows him to consistently disengage from blocks.

However, he has a tendency to get too high when asked to change directions and loses power in his lower half. He does a nice job gaining initial leverage on contact because of his quick first step, but he doesn’t generate enough power in his base to consistently capitalize.

At times, Ross really struggles to find the ball and has a tendency to stand up off the snap and can get jacked backward at the point of attack.

He showcases flashes of keeping his pad level down when asked to fire across the face of opposing linemen and penetrate through gaps. Ross uses his hands well to disengage from blocks and is very disruptive inside.

Impression: I love his awareness and first step off the ball. He’s consistently the first defensive lineman moving. He needs to learn to play a little lower, but he certainly has the frame and athletic ability to create pressure inside.

Van Eskridge: No. 4, Free Safety, 6'0", 200 Pounds

Eskridge is an instinctive safety who locates the football quickly and does a nice job remaining balanced when breaking on the pass. He isn’t afraid to put his body in harm’s way and showcases excellent concentration when tracking the play down the field. He possesses excellent ball skills and has the body control to consistently adjust to the throw.

He gets a bit high and choppy with his footwork in his drop and isn’t real explosive getting out of his breaks. Eskridge reads and reacts quickly to plays, but he lacks the closing speed to consistently make plays on the ball.

Eskridge takes good angles in pursuit and is a physical tackler, but he lacks the range to consistently make plays sideline to sideline.

Impression: His lack of burst and straight-line speed is apparent on tape and will likely keep him from becoming anything more than a reserve defensive back at the next level.

I recently wrote an article highlighting what I thought were the 50 biggest games in 2009, and one of the games I included was Virginia Tech at East Carolina. 

This point in the list triggered a pair of memories for me, one being East Carolina's upset win over the Hokies last year, and another being the first Virginia Tech football game I ever attended.

When I joined Bleacher Report, I went through the profile creation process like everyone else and was eventually asked to fill out my short list. Some of my responses came quickly, others made me think, but perhaps no question was answered faster than, "Most Memorable Game Attended."

It's probably safe to say that the majority of Bleacher Report's members are more than average sports fans and consequently had to choose their most memorable game from a multitude of sporting events attended over the course of their life.

I myself, remember, Bruins games with my father and brother, where we couldn't wait to see the 5'11", 180 pound P.J. Stock take on an opposing team's biggest guy and somehow win, Patriot games in the snow at Foxborough, and afternoons at Fenway. 

I have a rather painful memory of a raucous Lane Stadium ready to erupt in celebration for a Hokie win, only to be silenced by a truly epic Matt Ryan led comeback in the final four minutes.

I even remember a few high school games like they were yesterday, but for some reason while the memories of these games linger, none of them seemed to be enough for me to choose one when filling out my short list.

I will share what made a September 1 game in 2007 between the Virginia Tech Hokies and East Carolina University Pirates, the most memorable game I've ever been to. 

I invite anyone who may read this to share their own most memorable game, I think it'd be interesting to hear others' stories and I'd certainly be first in line to read it if you choose to.

I had been accepted into many of the colleges that I had applied and was on my way to an event at Virginia Tech in April, 2007.  I spent the weekend with my parents taking part in most of the activities the college offered for accepted students, and by Sunday had pretty much made up my mind, that Virginia Tech was the place for me. 

My dad decided we should stay one more day, his reasoning being that choosing a college isn't something to rush and I should be sure that Blacksburg, Virginia was where I really wanted to spend the next four years.

On Monday, April 16, we left the hotel in the morning and as we were pulling into the main part of Virginia Tech's campus, a police car flew by with its sirens blaring. Soon what seemed like hundreds of police cruisers were suddenly screaming by, and the campus was locked down.

Throughout the day more and more news broke about the horrible tragedy that had taken place; eventually people were allowed to leave and we began our 12-hour journey home in a state of complete shock, not really knowing what to say.

The next couple months were filled with talk about different college options, but in the back of my mind Virginia Tech was always where I wanted to be, and eventually where I ended up.

Flash forward to Saturday, September 1, and I was ready for the first home game I would ever attend at Virginia Tech. ESPN's College Gameday crew was set up in front of Lane Stadium bringing added buzz to an already emotionally charged campus, looking to begin the healing process with a big Hokie win.

I was less than 15 days into college and being from Massachusetts, didn't really know anyone besides another student, Nick, who I had met during orientation. We started the day about 10 rows back from Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and fan favorite Lee Corso for the College Gameday show and proceeded to enter Lane Stadium about 45 minutes before the noon kickoff.

I can't begin to describe the level of excitement I felt as I watched the kickoff clock countdown, while an endless stream of people poured into the stadium. There was a certain atmosphere that I had never felt before and have yet to feel since, that seemed to give a building filled with people, an impossibly large sense of understanding and togetherness.

In the final minutes before kickoff, the stadium announcer asked everyone for a moment of silence to remember the 32 lives that were lost on April 16.  In the ensuing seconds, I don't believe I have ever heard a more deafening silence, if you closed your eyes you would never know thousands of people filled the very same building.

Thirty-two balloons were then released in memory of each of the victims, and a video tribute remembering the fallen Hokies started to play on the North end zone's JumboTron. The 67,000 people in attendance turned to the screen to watch and I truly believe 67,000 people began to cry. 

I honestly can't remember seeing dry eyes in the crowd and at that moment, though I had only been a member of Virginia Tech for about two weeks, the thousands of other human beings in Lane Stadium suddenly felt like family.

A few minutes seemed to regroup everyone and it was time for the introduction of East Carolina University. Pirate and Hokie fans alike gave the ECU players a standing ovation for their school's incredible support, which included the donation of a $100,000 check to Virginia Tech's memorial fund.

After East Carolina had been introduced, I suddenly heard the same 67,000 people that had once been so silent, erupt into something louder than I ever thought possible, when the first notes of "Enter Sandman" blasted through the speakers. I literally felt chills down my back as the entire stadium rocked with the incredible Virginia Tech entrance; it was an all-around special experience.

The game itself wasn't the 27 point beat down Vegas predicted and the Hokies got off to a slow start falling behind 7-3 early in the second quarter. 

It seemed like East Carolina had different plans and was going to spoil Virginia Tech's day, until Macho Harris returned an interception for a touchdown with just over three minutes left in the half, putting the Hokies up by three.

     Macho Harris plays hero for Hokie Nation.

A fourth quarter touchdown pass by Sean Glennon to tight end Sam Wheeler was enough to put the game away.

Hokie Nation rejoiced in the first major step back to normalcy, and I realized I had made the right choice in Virginia Tech.

I know I will forever remember going to this game because September 1, 2007 was bigger than a game that day; it was hope for a brighter tomorrow in Blacksburg.

*I hope you enjoyed my story and encourage all who would like to, to share the story of your most memorable game because it has to be memorable for a reason and I'm sure others would love to hear about it. Thank you for reading.

Mount Airy High School in Northwest North Carolina went undefeated in the 2008 season, scoring over 808 points during their regular season and only allowing a total of 54 points all year.

They also went on to win their first North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1-A West Championship, but that's not it; Coach Kelly Holder also helped build a Conference USA player in 6'1" 185-lb. Michael Dobson.

Dobson ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds and has a vertical jump of 36 inches and a max bench of 280. He played running back and free safety in high school and ended his career with over 33 touchdowns (all while never hitting the field in the fourth quarter all season.)

On the defensive side of the ball, Dobson managed 44 solo tackles, 33 assists on tackles, 11 pass breakups, five interceptions, and three punts blocked in 2007.

He won All-Conference both ways and was named Conference Player of the Year.

Dobson will now head to East Carolina University, where he will join head coach Skip Holtz.

Dobson verbally committed to ECU back in August and signed his letter of commitment to play on National Signing Day (Feb. 4) along with 18 other players.

When asked if Dobson would play offense or defense on Saturdays, he said, "What I got from them when they first offered was running back, but once they seen my defensive tape, they were battling between which position I'll play."

Either way, Dobson said he didn't care and that he'll just be glad to be playing at the next level. He had a total of seven offers, including Akron, Marshall, East Carolina, Richmond, Ohio, Duke, and South Carolina.

Dobson chose ECU after he discussed it with his parents and coaches, and a lot of prayers.

His sister is a graduate of ECU, which made the decision towards the Pirates a little easier.

ECU has got a winner in Dobson, and we will be talking about this guy in a few years.

ECU jumped to the national stage in 2008 after knocking off two top-25 teams in Virginia Tech and West Virginia to begin the season. After a climb to No. 15 in the polls, they stumbled and fell out, but recovered and went on to win the school's first Conference USA championship.

There is no doubt that the instant replay feature instilled in NCAA and NFL football games has changed many games for the better. Because we are all human, we will always make mistakes. 

With this incredible technology and advantage that is given to both teams, you would think that officials would be able to get every call right when it is given the chance to be reviewed. 

Now I understand that, despite the amazing clarity in today's video imaging, there are simply angles that cannot be viewed.  I get it. 

In the last two days of college bowl games (and I haven't even seen anywhere close to all of them), I have watched two games in particular taken out of the players' hands, and placed into the hands of what a lot of times seemed like a biased officiating crew's hands. 

The two games I speak of were the Clemson-Nebraska Gator Bowl and the Kentucky-East Carolina Liberty Bowl. 

For anyone that has read any of my previous articles, you all know I am a heavy Clemson fan who bleeds orange.  This is why I will talk about the Kentucky-ECU game in a few moments. 

First, the Clemson-Nebraska game. 

The Gator Bowl, for the most part, was an incredible game to be in the stands for.  It was a well-fought, back-and-forth, defensive battle that was incredibly exciting to watch. 

Something that surprised me though, was the amount of no-calls and bad calls that I watched (on both sides). 

Some people who have not clicked the back button or fallen asleep yet may be saying, "Well you don't want many penalties called because it slows the game down," or "I don't like to see the referees drag the players down and not let them play their game." 

I am right there with you.  I despise seeing games dragged out by too many ticky-tack penalties (as I call them) that could be called, but probably shouldn't. 

I also don't like seeing so many penalties that it seems like their is a yellow snot-holder flying through the air on every other play. 

But when a game is decided by a referee not throwing a flag that 40,000 fans on one side are Raising Cain and the other 40,000 are trying to withhold sheepish grins because they know they got away with one, there is something wrong. 

There were many of these that I saw (again, on both sides of the ball) during the Clemson-Nebraska nail-biter. Many of these were among the big bullies in the trenches rapping knuckles with each other. 

The big gripe I have with officiating crews though, lies in the review process. 

Any time a play is being reviewed, it is hard not to hear announcers comment how there must but "indisputable video evidence" to overturn the call on the field.

In my opinion, these simple three words are lost in the review process. 

During the Gator Bowl, there is one play in particular where I believe that this is lost.  When Joe Ganz was knocked out of the game for a series, backup Patrick Witt was brought in and fumbled the football, which was returned by Clemson to go up 27-21. 

The call was overturned. 

If you look at the replays, it is quite close whether the ball came out before Witt's knees hit the ground. But allow me to go back and restate what must be found to over-rule a call on the field (which was touchdown): "indisputable video evidence." 

I have looked back at the replays shown on TV and there is not one shred of proof the quarterback's knee was down. 

Was it incredibly likely he was down? Absolutely. 

But you cannot overturn a call on the field just because it is likely.  You have to physically see the ball in his possession when the knee touches, and you simply can't. 

Granted, the Tiger's shot themselves in the foot by having a field goal and a punt blocked.  I'm not disputing they created their own problems. 

What I am arguing is that a team should be given the chance to overcome their mistakes; not have the officiating crew hold them back from having chances to play their game. 

The Tigers went on to lose 26-21 after a desperate last-minute drive that ended in an ill-timed sack of Clemson's Cullen Harper and two incomplete passes that led to a loss on downs. 

Second, the Kentucky-East Carolina game. 

Just to be clear (because I can understand why you may think I am biased up to this point) I have absolutely zero tie to either of these teams that could raise a red flag of suspicion. 

This game was also a back-and-forth game that was going to come down to who could create an opportunity and pounce on it. 

Kentucky did this, sort of.

With about three minutes left in the game, a fumble was forced by the Kentucky defense that was picked up by Ventrell Jenkins. 

The 285-pound lineman rumbled, bumbled, stumbled his way down the field, reeling off one of the most impressive returns I have seen by a lineman and the most powerful stiff-arm I have EVER seen, for a 56-yard touchdown. It was the first time the Wildcats led in the entire game. 

The play was reviewed, of course, to ensure it was truly a fumble.  It was, no question. 

But wait...could the big man's knee have been on the ground when he wrapped his big bear-claw around the ball?  Why yes! Yes it could!

But somehow, the replay officials missed what was shown, clear as day, multiple times in beautiful high definition on my television at home. 

Now perhaps I don't know the full extent of the rules and if a play is reviewed for one thing, you can not make a call on another error in officiating that occurred. And if this is the case, then I am truly sorry and I humbly apologize for making a big deal out of something the zebras managed to get right. 

But if I am right, then how in the world could the officials both on the field and in the booth who have unlimited time and angles to view plays miss such an obvious oversight?

Personally, I don't have an opinion.  Like I said at the beginning of the article, I understand we are human and make mistakes.  But isn't that the point of the replay system? To help eliminate some of the error that occurs during the incredibly fast-paced game of football?  I thought it was. 

Not unlike the Tigers of Clemson University, the Pirates of East Carolina had ample opportunities to come back and win the game. 

The Pirates, however, seemed to shoot themselves in the foot even more than the Tigers did.  Namely the multitude of special teams returns where the return man had his knee on the ground when he caught the ball. 

There were a couple of these the officials did not see (which amazes me when an official is standing on top of the return-men, literally).

However, the one that killed any momentum the Pirates retained after the fumble return for a touchdown occurred right after the blocked extra point.  The return man caught the ball with his knee on the ground and their drive started at the 1-yard line. 

The Pirates punted four plays later and could not make a stand on defense. They allowed a huge first down that gave the Wildcats the opportunity to run out the clock and win the game 25-19. 

Again, I understand we are all human and err in our ways is just a part of human nature.  But when we are able to use this technology to eliminate these errors, and we STILL blow calls, I don't know how the student-athletes can expect to play their game. 

The officials have taken the game out of the players' hands, and put control right in their own.

The Liberty Bowl   Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium   Memphis, TN

East Carolina (9-4) vs. Kentucky (6-6)

January 2, 2009    5 EST    The Line:  Kentucky +3

Overview:

At first glance you could easily look at this game and just see a SEC vs. Conference USA game and would think the SEC team would have a decided edge, I am not so sure that's the case in this one. Kentucky is yet another six win team with only five wins against D-1 teams, this is becoming a trend and as I wrote emphatically in my Gator Bowl write up, one which I'm saddened to say is probably here to stay.

Skip Holtz did a remarkable job at East Carolina this year and started the season as America's darlings pulling off two gigantic upsets against ranked teams, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, both who have already gone on to win other bowl games. While the Pirates few weeks on top of the college football world seems like and eternity ago, this is still a very good football team.

I think where the public perception may be off here is that after East Carolina started the season 3-0, they lost their next three games. Because of the spotlight on the team at time, the losses may still be over emphasized. The reality of it is, ECU went on to win six of it's last seven games including their conference championship against Tulsa where they were double digit underdogs.

There were limited expectations for Rich Brook's Kentucky team who lost just a ton of players to graduation. The Cats surprised a lot of people by getting off to a hot start winning their first four games. As the season went on, injuries and depth issues caught up with UK and they lost six of their last eight games.

While I normally think that time off really helps teams with depth issues and banged up players but the few weeks wasn't enough to help Kentucky as their most significant injured players will not be returning for this game.

See Mitch's Liberty Bowl pick against the spread

Liberty Bowl
East Carolina Pirates vs Kentucky Wildcats

Jan. 2 - 5 p.m. ESPN
Memphis, TN

Line: East Carolina -3

Overview

The Pirates of East Carolina meet the Wildcats of Kentucky in the 50th Liberty Bowl. Kentucky is playing in their third straight bowl game, a school record. East Carolina capped off a fast start to 2008 by winning six of their final seven.

Keys to the Game

1. Can Michael Hartline Step Back In?

Hartline was Kentucky's starter for most of the year, but was benched in favor of the mobile Randall Cobb for the last three games of the season. Hartline led the Wildcats to all six of their victories.

He doesn't have to win the game for the Wildcats because they have a solid defense; he just can't lose the game.

2. Turnovers

East Carolina has built most of their wins out of twigs and rabbits' feet this year because they have a below-average offense and an average defense.

The Pirates forced seven turnovers in their Conference USA Championship win over Tulsa. East Carolina is sixth nationally in takeaways with 32.

Motivation

Not really an issue since I am sure East Carolina would love to get a win over an SEC team. Kentucky wants to get the bad taste out after losing their last three.

Prediction

I like East Carolina in this game. I think they get some turnovers from Michael Hartline and they also win the special teams battle.

East Carolina 23, Kentucky 17
East Carolina Covers -3

Confidence Ranking (of 34): 11
My confidence ranking of an East Carolina win

Bowls: 7-5 ATS, 6-6 SU
Season: 38-35-3 ATS, 47-29 SU

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