If there's an ironic upside for ECU's fans to the team's disappointing performances in a narrow win over Appalachian State and pair of sobering losses at West Virginia and North Carolina, it has to be that Skip Holtz's lamp has dimmed.
Had the Pirates done as some pundits expected and opened 3-0, Holtz by now would be Topic-A among the thousands of disgruntled Virginia who are sizing up Al Groh's office for a new occupant, with more schools in similar situations to soon follow.
While it's likely that Holtz (30-23 in Greenville) is still on Virginia's prospective shopping list, the fan anxiety level is considerably lower than it was at the end of 2008.
To put it another way, had the Pirates finished off Kentucky in last season's Liberty Bowl and won at West Virginia and North Carolina, Holtz by now would have been the first name on every coaching board out there.
Instead, he's caught in the first real crisis of his five seasons at ECU.
The prevailing preseason assumption was that the Pirates would have enough talent and experience to deal with a first-half schedule that included four road games and the back-to-back trips to West Virginia and UNC.
Unless his team can bounce back to beat Central Florida this week in Greenville, Holtz and his team are in direct danger of making the turn 1-5 with a remaining schedule that includes Virginia Tech, Tulsa and Southern Miss.
On paper, the Pirates still have most of what they took into preseason camp — veteran quarterback Patrick Pinkney, top-notch kickers Matt Dodge and Ben Hartman, and a senior-dominated defensive unit.
The parts are still in place to overcome the poor start and make a run at a second straight Conference USA East Division title. But the performance level has been such that the mood within the fan base has changed from urgency about the coach to urgency about the season.
Comments
Thought for the day
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 22:03 — JPDOhioI thought of ACCNOW when I saw this in today's Dilbert: "When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it."
That's the beauty of sites like ACCNOW, it's still ok to stir.
Agree
Wed, 09/23/2009 - 10:31 — SurferIt is fun to bring out the mixer every now and then. Certainly no "hate" is ever intended, it is just all in fun.
Dark Cloud
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 09:58 — heelsno1What is with CT and his constant doom and gloom? I was in attendance at UNC's home game against ECU. The Pirates competed well and the game's outcome remained in doubt well into the final quarter.
CT's assessment ignores a fundamentally important point...Carolina's defense is pretty darn good! So the production of only 3 points after ECU's two impressive drives in the second half is likely more attributable to the strong defense by the Heels than ineptness by the Pirates' offense.
As for Skip Holtz, he continues to run a classy and winning operation. Most broad thinkers evaluate the future potential of any individual by looking at the entire body of work, not just a couple of games. Look at Mack Brown and his first 2 seasons at Carolina...I think the Heels won only a few games in that painful stretch and later developed into one of the Top 10 programs nationally.
CT, take a walk outside and smell the roses. Holtz is a good fit for ECU, and he is a talented head coach.
Dark Cloud
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 09:51 — heelsno1What is with CT and his constant doom and gloom? I was in attendance at UNC's home game against ECU. The Pirates competed well and the game's outcome remained in doubt well into the final quarter.
CT's assessment ignores a fundamentally important point...Carolina's defense is pretty darn good! So the production of only 3 points after ECU's two impressive drives in the second half is likely more attributable to the strong defense by the Heels rather than ineptness by the Pirates' offense.
As for Skip Holtz, he continues to run a classy and winning operation. Most broad thinkers will evaluate the future potential of any individual by looking at the entire body of work, not just a couple of games. Look at Mack Brown and his first 2 seasons at Carolina...I think the Heels won only a few games in that painful 2-year stretch and later developed into one of the Top 10 programs nationally. Of course, Mack now owns a national trophy at Texas.
CT, take a walk outside and smell the roses. Holtz is a good fit for ECU, and he is a talented head coach.
You need to get out from underneath your clouded judgement
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 11:57 — YAR8packECU has real problems. UNC's overrated.
ECU has managed only a total of 3 offensive points in the 2nd half of their first 3 games combined. As anyone with any sense looks at that stat, he or she will clearly understand that ECU is inept on the offensive side of the ball, to say the least. I understand you didn't know this fact, because your post wouldn't be so irresponsible with it's heaping of praise on unc.
Yes, UNC's okay to possibly good. UNC played a terrible Citadel team that stinks in their own division and conference. UNC lucked out a win at UConn. There's no way a team leading 10-0 going into the 4th qtr of a game should ever lose. UNC annihilated ECU's terrible, non-blitzing, and out of place pass D. This weekend's game pitting UNC against Gt is more of a test than any team the holes have played so far. Get out from underneath those clouds.
Skip's done a good job so far during his tenure at ECU, but this year he and his staff have "dropped the ball." The game planning is garbage. Adjustments aren't being made. There's no fire or presiding notion by the players to play hard. ECU better be glad App. St. waited so long to put in their 2nd string qb. The Pirates might be 0-3.
ECU has real problems. UNC's overrated.
Wed, 09/23/2009 - 11:03 — pawleysproEast Carolina will have a good season after its all said and done. But, it is fun to complain.
Myrtle Beach Golf Pros
Just so you know...
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 15:12 — Heels20...UConn currently leads the nation in sacks, with a defense that returns 7 starters from last year's team that ranked 6th in the country in total defense. 4 of the 5 leading tacklers also return. They've gone bowling the last 2 years, including 2 years ago after they won a conference title. Did UConn lose it, or did UNC win it? Well let's see. UNC adjusted their offense toward the end of the game with a nickel and diming passing attack that led to a score and carried over to the ECU game. The D stepped up TWICE when it mattered most, which ultimately determined the outcome of the game. THAT is why UConn should have lost that 10-0 lead. Oh, and not to mention the fact that we were missing 2 starters from an already-thin O-line and our starting fullback.
As far as The Citadel goes, who cares if they're terrible? We won 40-6, just like we were supposed to. ECU? Well, I wouldn't say that the game was never in doubt, but I was certainly never uncomfortable. Good field position after a fumbled snap and a little help from Ron Cherry on that roughing-the-passer call were the only things that kept that game from being an absolute blowout. So I don't know what point you're trying to make. We beat teams that we're supposed to beat, and that makes us okay to possibly good? That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. NC State should have beaten South Carolina, but they didn't. What does that make them?
Maybe you'll be intelligent enough to read someone's post...
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 11:40 — YAR8pack...before you rant about your butthurt, fluffer.
Since your intelligence clearly was so high that you missed it, here it is again:
HANG TEN ON THIS
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 13:55 — YAR8pack
Keep riding the bandwagon. UNC will be tested this weekend. I'm glad you fluffers love Heels20 so much. Never knew her or his words should be taken as the final end all. Gather round the campfire, children.
Also, I'm glad you so vehemently neglect how I say UNC did what it's supposed to do against inferior teams but take exception to the fact that I didn't say unc's the greatest team in all of college football. Get over yourself. I'll say it again so your penile brain can comprehend it: UNC is an okay to good team. Until they play (and throw NCSU in here too) and beat VT, Miami, or other teams worth a crap, I really don't think they deserve such acclaim. You can't tell me that ECU's any good this year, nor can you tell me UConn is worth a durn. They're both garb age, like your attempt at a rebuttal.
Guess what, fluffers, this blog is for opining, and that's what we're doing, so calm down your inflamed butthurt. Thanks for taking part in the lil experiment
I'm sure you're too ignorant to notice that I actually make similar claims to what you do. Hmm. Someone should read before they keep proving their ignorance. If you want people to respect what you write as a viable assertion, you need to partake in the same measure of what you expect someone to read your droll.
You may go now. Toodles.
See post below...
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 20:59 — Heels20...and read it again if you have trouble getting it through your thick skull.
Agree
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 12:38 — SurferCan't wait to see what heelsno1 says as well. While g'ville and I are waiting, consider these points:
State only mananged a total of 3 offensive points in both halfs of their first game combined.
Please attribute some of ECU's offensive ineptness (your words) to UNC's defense.
"UNC lucked out a win at UCONN". LOL. Believe whatever makes you feel good.
Hang ten on this
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 12:55 — YAR8packKeep riding the bandwagon. UNC will be tested this weekend. I'm glad you fluffers love Heels20 so much. Never knew her or his words should be taken as the final end all. Gather round the campfire, children.
Also, I'm glad you so vehemently neglect how I say UNC did what it's supposed to do against inferior teams but take exception to the fact that I didn't say unc's the greatest team in all of college football. Get over yourself. I'll say it again so your penile brain can comprehend it: UNC is an okay to good team. Until they play (and throw NCSU in here too) and beat VT, Miami, or other teams worth a crap, I really don't think they deserve such acclaim. You can't tell me that ECU's any good this year, nor can you tell me UConn is worth a durn. They're both garb age, like your attempt at a rebuttal.
Guess what, fluffers, this blog is for opining, and that's what we're doing, so calm down your inflamed butthurt. Thanks for taking part in the lil experiment
LOL
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 12:26 — gvillegatrI look forward to what Heels20 has to say to your comment of his.
While we wait, I gotta joke for ya:
What does an ECU and ncsu fan have in common?
Nothing. you're the only one that exsist.
Hahaha...
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 12:38 — YAR8pack...the humor comes from your lame post, not the even lamer joke.
Single fan, huh? Did you happen to notice all the purple in the stands on Saturday? Didn't think so. Your nose was too far crammed up the rear of ramses. You laugh cause you know it's true.
A real perspective can be garnered from UNC playing GT this weekend. I know you're biased, your asinine comments prove as much, but you can't seriously believe all the fluff being put towards the holes. Do you? Maybe you're just a fluffer. Hope you enjoy that job. As big a mouth as you have, I'm sure you can handle it.
Purple in the stands
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 14:38 — Heels20There was a good bit, but not nearly as much as you'll see at Carter Finley. I honestly had trouble noticing because we were too busy winning. Pirate fans were silent.
I'm also glad that you take pride in how ECU fans have garbage pouring out of their mouths the entire off-season, guaranteeing victory, spending over $50 for a ticket only to be disappointed that you got beat by a team that most people knew was going to beat you any way. It's the same in every sport. Just look back a couple months ago to the Super Regionals for baseball. ECU fans were buying tickets outside the gate for $80 per game. They proceeded to run their mouths on the way into the stadium, only to get embarrassed in both games. I mean dang, if we were kind enough to agree to play you in basketball, I promise you that there would be moronic ECU fans running their mouths about how they'd win in the Dean Dome as well. It's unbelieveable.
As far as GT goes, you should hold yourself to that comment. If we go out there and get it done this Saturday, I wouldn't be surprised if you were on here Sunday afternoon talking about how overrated Carolina is and how we can't talk until we've beaten FSU. If we, as fans, were fortunate enough to watch our freshmen mature quickly and lead us to a Coastal Division title, you would be on here talking about how lucky we were, or how officiating is always on our side. It's a never-ending cycle. People like you are what makes Carolina so great. You get so angry at the fact that our athletics are so dominant that you actually spend your life ranting about how much we suck, how we're arrogant, or about how State beat our 8-20 basketball team in 2002. I got news for you sir. Roy Williams, Mike Fox, Butch Davis. It doesn't get much better than that. Whether we go 6-6 or 10-2, I stand behind my Heels and take pride in the fact that I don't have to wake up as a fan of a mediocre program who has a complete inability to respect his authoritor. See you again on November 28.
Thanks for the weak diatribe.
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 11:35 — YAR8packHow many top-25 programs have you beaten this year? That's right. NONE. I didn't say carowhina's terrible. I said they're okay to good. When they beat top-25 teams, then the heavens can rain down their glory on the holes. Until then, the holes are just as unproven as NC State. So pull your heel out of your mouth.
You get all butthurt because I question the viability of a program that has beaten weak programs. Hmm. Something's a miss here. Let's see. Could it be your bias?
You can make asinine assertions like " how we can't talk until we've beaten FSU" and "If we, as fans, were fortunate enough to watch our freshmen mature quickly and lead us to a Coastal Division title, you would be on here talking about how lucky we were, or how officiating is always on our sid" and "Ron Cherry helping out" but I haven't stated any of those moronic ideals, you did.
So calm down. Don't get huffy because someone is questioning your heels. You're not the great pontificator you make yourself out to be. And if anyone has ever been arrogant, well, fluffer, that'd be YOU.
I'm calling you out for your
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 20:58 — Heels20I'm calling you out for your moronic comments about all the "purple in the stands" and about how we're just "okay to possibly good." You've been making idiotic comments since this summer, and what I'm saying is that you are going to continue making comments like that because that's who you are. You're the kind of person who 3 weeks ago would have said that Carolina will lose to ECU, and that if they win that game, then they're legite. However, now that we've done it, heaven forbid you admit that Carolina is actually a better-than-mediocre football team. I'm going to call you out for it this week, and I'm going to call you out for it every week as you continue to do it. Call me arrogant all you want, but as long as you keep making childish comments like that, you need to remember your place. How about standing up like a man and simply admitting that you were wrong. Or are you physically incapable of that?
You're just reading it how you want to...
Fri, 09/25/2009 - 09:49 — YAR8pack...read it, so you'll get assailed by someone who doesn't buy into your BS. Look. If YOU were intelligent enough to figure it out, though I think you've proven that's not going to happen, you'd clearly see that I state that carowhina--thanks for helping them retain that moniker--is an okay to good team. They haven't played any significant teams to bolster any sort of prestigious record. The holes have played and beaten bad teams, which is what an okay to good team does. A really good team beats those bad teams from the kickoff to the final whistle and the score is usually by 30+ at the half. Yeah, yeah. Throw those UConn defensive stats at me all you want, but you prove your bias by not posting how weak their offense is. Oh. I guess we're not supposed to question the validity of the offensive juggernaut that isn't UConn? Pffft. You're cute.
Smart guy, you do realize three weeks ago that the only team that had played in the fine state of NC was NC State. Didn't think so. Everyone other than NCSU was 0-0. I think it should've gone without saying that the presiding notion with ECU returning 19 of 22 starters from last year's team would be that they'd be better than what they are now. ECU stinks. Lack of game prep is obvious. Lack of coaching is obvious. A great deal of effort missing is obvious. You see, I'm trying to tell you that ECU is not that good of an opponent--you just won't get that. See, I'm talking down about ECU, but I guess you're the only person who can do that. Pay attention, I'm about to do it again. The Pirates better be glad App St. waited till the beginning of the 3rd qtr to put their 3rd string QB in, otherwise the Mountaineers may have come back and beaten the Pirates.
When and if unc beats GT this weekend, that'll be the only evidence of a real test from a decent team the holes have faced so far this year, then you and your campfire buddies can clamor over your tarheels to talk about how great you are in your own mind.
Keep flaring up your butthurt, you wear it so well.
Toodles, babe. Thanks for flirting with me.
?
Fri, 09/25/2009 - 17:11 — Heels20Okay, your first paragraph is just you talking out of the wrong end because you throw out nothing but opinion with no examples to support it. I need not go any further to stress how good of a defense UConn is. As far as their "weak" offense, their RBs ran all over Baylor last week, a team that defeated Wake Forest on the road in a game that was not nearly as close as the score indicated. The UNC-ECU game was not nearly as close as the score indicated, as UNC's defense really only gave up 3 legitimate points. So as a very good team, we beat them pretty convincingly.
Your second paragraph makes no sense. Did you ever make it out of the 5th grade? Your first few sentences are just rambling incoherence.
Finally, as I said before, you will be back on here running your mouth about how GT is no good if UNC wins tomorrow. So save us a few minutes of all our lives by refraining to post any more garbage. If you have something to say, back it up with facts, rather than "they're bad because I'm a State fan who can't accept that Carolina may have a great football team."
And for real, if you use the word butthurt one more time, I'm really going to question your masculinity. You seem to take great interest in homosexualism.
you don't get it
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 12:46 — gvillegatrwhich is clearly evident by your retort. what does you being an ECU and ncsu fan have to do with purple jerseys at UNC last saturday?
get with the program. learn to read. learn to comprehend. you prolly walk around with "Estrada" sun glasses on and think life is a o.k.
No. I've got the carrot juicer.
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 12:56 — YAR8packLook, bud. Maybe if you write clearly someone will be able to understand an attempted slight at someone. Perhaps if you wrote, "What's a similarity that an ECU and NCSU fan have in common?" instead of the droll you blurted out, someone could understand you. However, being that you use words like "prolly" and don't know that it's "sunglasses" and not "sun glasses," I doubt your intellect will carry you that far.
Care to try and assail my grammar anymore?
Ridiculous...
Mon, 09/21/2009 - 14:44 — YAR8packThis story is ridiculous. I'd rather my team be heavily desired by all. That means you're good. And the Pirates aren't any good. The game planning is terrible. Offense stinks. Only 3 *bleeping* points scored in the 2nd half of their first 3 games TOTAL. Ugh. The defense is timid. How many times did ECU blitz UNC? No more than 5. C'mon. UNC's o-line is supposedly their weak point. Obviously Skip and his staff missed that tidbit. They relaxed into zone coverage and got annihilated by a freshman. Jeesh. The Pirate ship has a lot of holes that need to be plugged, or it's going down.
Skip and UVA?
Mon, 09/21/2009 - 14:36 — Heels20I thought UVA didn't allow you to take guys who didn't qualify for Hargrave (Justin Dixon).
Coach Holtz
Mon, 09/21/2009 - 13:31 — gvillegatrToots,
I was thinking the same thing on saturday afternoon. stock is down but that necessarily isn't all that bad for the Pirates, themselves, but then again it is. catch 22.
Richmond or Delaware ???
Mon, 09/21/2009 - 12:15 — AgentPierceWhat happened to that Richmond coach that won their NatChamp then went to Tenn ..... and got caught in the Fullmer purge ???
Or was that the Delaware guy? Whatever. either one.
As for UVa..
Mon, 09/21/2009 - 12:08 — UNC1998I've heard Richmond's coach is on their list. I have no inside info. It's just what I've read.
Heard the same thing but...
Mon, 09/21/2009 - 21:54 — willncsuthey should get tubberville.
Do they have the $..
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 11:38 — UNC1998for such a move? I'm sure they're still paying some former coaches. Hasn't Groh gotten rid of a lot of assistants? Unless they're on year to year contracts..that costs.
Good point
Tue, 09/22/2009 - 14:10 — willncsuThey may still be paying Gillen.