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Rhett Butler/The Daily Reflector
East Carolina University fans celebrate on the field as the sun sets on Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville on Saturday evening. The Pirates defeated West Virginia, 24-3.

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ECU is two for two

Pirates get second straight upset with win over Mountaineers

By Nathan Summers
The Daily Reflector

Saturday, September 06, 2008

East Carolina suspended disbelief for 60 minutes Saturday, and No. 8 West Virginia was rendered a mere spectator.

The underdog Pirates ran out of their collars for good, doing as they pleased on offense and riddling WVU’s Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback in a 24-3 triumph in front of a home crowd of 43,610.

It was the third consecutive win over a ranked opponent for the Pirates (2-0), who open Conference USA play next week at Tulane.

“I’m almost speechless,” said ECU head coach Skip Holtz, whose Pirates upset Virginia Tech last week to open the season and beat Boise State in last year’s Hawaii Bowl. “This doesn’t happen very often to me. I am overwhelmed with emotion for these players for the great job they’ve done and the commitment they’ve made to this program.”

Senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney kept the offense moving all afternoon, but it was the stonewall Pirate defense that told the story.

ECU stagnated Heisman candidate Pat White, who managed 72 pass yards and a team-high 97 rush yards. But he had precious little help, as the Mountaineers managed just 251 total yards, a far cry from the 600 they stung the Pirates with in last year’s 48-7 WVU win.

“We’ve come a long way,” Holtz said. “There was a time when we couldn’t win three games in a year. To win three against three ranked opponents is tremendous.”

ECU never trailed in the game, scoring on its first possession and in each of the first three quarters while suffocating WVU’s offense.

Pinkney and wide receiver Dwayne Harris (eight catches, 68 yards) were in rhythm all evening on the screen pass, and that was matched by the physical running of Jonathan Williams (17 carries, 69 yards, two touchdowns) and Brandon Simmons (16-51). Jamar Bryant added four catches for 66 yards.

The Pirates rolled up 386 yards with the ball, amassed 20 first downs to West Virginia’s 12 and held an advantage in time of possession that exceeded 10 minutes.

“As kids, we dream about these opportunities, and right now, we’re just taking advantage of them,” said Pinkney, who was deadly accurate in completing 22-of-28 passes. “We had a will and a determination about us. They embarrassed us last year. And the defense played great.”

After carrying a 17-3 edge into the intermission, the Pirates only turned up the heat further on the listless Mountaineers (1-1), who were completely blanked in the final two quarters.

Williams rammed home his second touchdown of the night in the third quarter, a one-yard dive that finished one of a handful of long, methodical ECU drives.

“We’re hungry, we’re ready to play the next game. This one’s over,” said Williams, who tore loose from numerous tackles in his 17 totes. “We’re like brothers out there, on the field and off the field. The chemistry we’ve got is crazy.”

The Pirates had the Mountaineers reeling at the halftime intermission, 17-3, after the ECU defense stifled White and WVU for two quarters.

Already sitting on a 10-3 edge late in the half, the Pirates forced the second WVU fumble of the game, and Pinkney sent the Pirates the other way, capping a three-play drive by floating a 13-yard pass into the right corner of the end zone.

Junior Alex Taylor leapt over corner Brandon Hogan and snared his first career touchdown.

It was part of an electric two quarters by Pinkney, who dizzied the Mountaineers with 15-of-17 accuracy and 148 yards.

ECU crafted a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter, then forced the Mountaineers to settle for a field goal to end their only significant drive of the game.

Williams scrambled into the end zone from the 5-yard line on the opening drive of the game to make it 7-0 Pirates. That ended an 11-play, 80-yard march downfield.

Ben Ryan’s 42-yard field goal made it 10-0, and capped another long drive, this one 14 plays for 56 yards.

It was evidence of an eight-minute disparity in ball possession in favor of the Pirates in the opening 30 minutes that only continued.

West Virginia got away with White’s strange first quarter fumble on the sideline — he turned the ball over after diving for the first-down line but setting the live ball on the turf in bounds when he landed, and Jay Ross grabbed it for ECU.

But when WVU receiver Jock Sanders’ had the ball jarred loose by Van Eskridge, the Pirates pounced for Taylor’s big touchdown.

Pinkney did not throw his first incompletion until 9:19 remained in the half, while White did not attempt a pass until less than nine minutes remained.

“We made a commitment that every goal we wanted to attain was achievable if we take it week to week,” Holtz said. “After we’ve played 12 games, we’ll look over our shoulder and see where we are.”

Nathan Summers can be reached at nsummers@coxnc.com, or at (252) 329-9595.

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debbtie pope trippet

09/12/2009 03:18:27 PM

Is a local TC station in the Raleigh area televised? Hope So!!

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