2015 Virginia Tech Opponent Q&A Preview: East Carolina

An early look at the Hokies and Pirates 2015 matchup.

[Ben Weidlich]

Between now and fall practice, we're going to take a walk through the 2015 Hokies schedule and preview each opponent with the people that follow them every day. We will be taking a look back at last season and spring practice, as well as attempting to forecast the year ahead.

On September 26th, the Hokies and (groan) East Carolina Pirates will meet once again, this time in surprisingly hostile Greenville, North Carolina. ECU spoiled the Hokies' victory against Ohio State last season. ECU beat Tech 28-21 the week after the Hokies upset the Buckeyes, but the good news is the Pirates lost a number of playmakers that decimated the Hokies a year ago. The bad news is Head Coach Ruffin McNeill has built himself a formidable program that cannot be overlooked despite the roster turnover. In an effort to better understand how the Pirates offseason has gone and learn some more about an opponent chock full of fresh faces, I had the pleasure of speaking with Nathan Summers of the Greenville Daily Reflector.

Another season — another match-up between the Hokies and Pirates. With the exception of 2012, these two teams have gone head-to-head every year since 2007. Most Hokie fans have Pirate fatigue, especially after last year's 28-21 ECU victory at Lane Stadium. Do ECU players and fans feel similarly, or do they look forward to this game every fall?

I think this is still a big one for ECU. True, playing so often takes a little of the intensity out of it for fans, but it only grows the rivalry on the field, and when ECU wins it makes the series more of a legitimate rivalry on both sides. Games against Towson, BYU and Florida bring a different twist to this year's non-conference schedule, but the Hokies give it a great, familiar rivalry game.

Shane Carden has moved on to the Chicago Bears, along with his 20" biceps. What is the state of the quarterback position in Greenville, and who is the front runner to lead the Pirates offense?

Replacing Carden under center will be a true test of ECU's offensive system. While Carden learned the ropes while backing up Dominique Davis a few years ago, now sophomore Kurt Benkert will get to show what he's learned. Unlike Carden's sophomore year, Benkert enters the season as the clear favorite ahead of junior Cody Keith, former transfer Blake Kemp and true freshman John Jacobs.

Last year's game came on the heels of Virginia Tech's huge road win over the Ohio State Buckeyes. While Bud Foster's defense found success against the Buckeyes by putting the Hokie corners on an island, former ECU Offensive Coordinator Lincoln Riley exploited his receivers' size advantage from the opening possession. ECU used a steady dose of jump balls down the sideline to departed receivers Justin Hardy and Cam Worthy en route to the upset win. Do the Pirates have a similar set of receivers waiting in the wings to execute a comparable gameplan against the Hokies?

Yes. Although Hardy and Worthy are gone, junior slot man Isaiah Jones and sophomore outside receiver Trevon Brown are now the team's biggest offensive threats. Brown is perhaps an even greater downfield threat than Worthy when he's healthy, while Jones has been a constant factor since his true freshman season and will almost certainly be the team's top pass-catcher this season.

Based on your observations this spring, how much (if at all) is the offensive system going to change under new OC Dave Nichol?

Because Nichol was groomed for this role while still the Pirates' outside receivers coach and long before Riley's departure, not much is likely to change. But Nichol's true challenge could be in continuing to develop this offense over time. Riley learned quickly the value of a true running game during his time here —and also the advantage of a true right end — and he was reworking the offense to develop those positions.

Ruffin McNeill has made a concerted effort to upgrade his defensive unit over the past few years, meaning the Pirates are no longer known as just a high scoring, spread-based offensive team. What is the outlook for the Pirate defense this season, and who are the guys Hokie fans should be worried about?

Despite a few key losses — nose tackle Terry Williams and inside linebacker Brandon Williams foremost among them — the defense has its truest leader and leading tackler back in ILB Zeek Bigger. He is joined by fellow senior OLB Montese Overton to bolster the middle. Back at end after a near-death car accident a couple of years ago is senior standout Terrell Stanley. As always, the back end is the biggest question, though former Jim Thorpe candidate and senior starting corner Josh Hawkins could have a breakout season.

Were there any breakout performers during spring practice that look poised to make an impact this fall?

As always, much of the Pirates' future was on display this spring, including notable outings for players like TE Steve Baggett and a crew of redshirt offensive linemen who all took big strides. But on a team that has routinely played as many as seven true freshmen in a season, it can be tough to tell which players will parlay spring and summer camp success into actual playing time.

Lastly, let's fill-in the blank: "If I'm in the greater-Greenville area, I would be doing myself a disservice if I did not stop at fill-in-the-blank for barbecue."

Ha, that's always a tough one for me, the non barbecue eater. But I know there is a reason for the line that starts forming every morning at B's, a line that generally stretches out and around the tiny restaurant until the inevitable daily announcement that there is no more barbecue until tomorrow. Parker's is the other main favorite in town, and a short trip to Ayden takes you to the famous Skylight Inn.

Despite being a barbecue heretic, many thanks to Nate for taking the time to answer some questions about the Pirates.

Previously in this series:

Ohio State
Purdue

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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"Our job as coaches is to influence young people's lives for the better in terms of fundamental skills, work ethic, and doing the right thing. Every now and again, a player actually has that effect on the coaching staff." Justin Fuente on Sam Rogers

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Wiley, Brown, Russell, Drakeford, Gray, Banks, Prioleau, Charleton, Midget, Bird, McCadam, Pile, Hall, Green, Fuller, Williams, Hamilton, Rouse, Flowers, Harris, Chancellor, Carmichael, Hosley, Fuller, Exum, Jarrett

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"Our job as coaches is to influence young people's lives for the better in terms of fundamental skills, work ethic, and doing the right thing. Every now and again, a player actually has that effect on the coaching staff." Justin Fuente on Sam Rogers

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Warning: this post occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)..

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"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken" - Colonel Sanders via Ricky Bobby