Dorm Report: Carolina in my mind

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Now into Week 8 of the college football schedule, there have been some significant moves among the Top-25 since the preseason poll was released in the middle of August.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, everyone is aware of the meteoric rise of Mississippi State, with the Bulldogs reaching the top spot faster than any other unranked program the history of the Associated Press Poll. Thanks to the ascension of MSU, the SEC continues to have a heavy footprint in the polls, along with the Pac-12 which also has six teams occupying an elite field of competition at the moment.

There are a few schools that have worked their way up through the ranks in order to earn respect, and others that have fallen off the map. Outside of the story line that the state of Mississippi has provided lately, perhaps the only other major change is the one that has taken place in the Carolinas.

Early on, the South Carolina Gamecocks were hyped as one of the many SEC programs that might possibly vie for the national title, ranked ninth in the opening polls, while the North Carolina Tar Heels were hanging around at the bottom of the list. But a funny thing happened on the way to college football greatness for both teams, with USC teetering at .500 following back-to-back defeats versus Missouri and Kentucky, and the Heels a mere 2-4, with just a single victory coming against another FBS program.

With both of those teams out of the picture, another squad from the neighborhood has taken up the cause to represent the area — say hello to the East Carolina Pirates.

Off to their best start since 1999, the Pirates are currently 5-1 overall and have beaten both of their league opponents in the American Athletic Conference (SMU and South Florida). The only blemish on the schedule was a 33-23 setback versus aforementioned South Carolina back on Sept. 6. Balancing the scales just two weeks later, ECU whipped up on North Carolina in a lopsided 70-41 battle while UNC was still ranked in the Top-25.

The victory over the Heels was the fourth straight for the Pirates against an ACC foe, and they did it in grand style by amassing a school-record 789 yards of total offense.

“I’m very excited about the win,” head coach Ruffin McNeill said after the blowout. “I keep talking about our team and our ability to focus. That was evident again. I keep asking the players to improve in those two aspects. I thought we did a good job of relying on our team intangibles and team chemistry. When we work as one breath, one mind, one heartbeat, one spirit and one Pirate, we’ll be OK.”

With subsequent victories against the Mustangs and Bulls, East Carolina now finds itself ranked 18th in the country as it enjoys a break in the action this week.

Through the second week of October, the Pirates were hailed as the fifth- ranked team in the country in terms of total offense (564.7 ypg) and passing offense (371.3 ypg), their 41.0 ppg placing them 14th in the nation as well. Quarterback Shane Carden has been grabbing many of the headlines in Greenville, North Carolina, having thrown at least one touchdown pass in all six games, and he has three straight outings with more than 400 yards through the air.

But the signal caller didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Carden produced similar numbers in 2013 as well, averaging almost 30 completions per contest and tossing a total of 33 TDs, against 10 interceptions. Outside of the game against USC when he was picked off twice, Carden has been almost flawless this season.

It should also be noted that Carden isn’t afraid to take a few hits outside of the pocket, having scored three of his team’s 15 rushing touchdowns.

On the ground, the Pirates ranks 40th nationally with 193.3 ypg, but clearly the most effective mode of attack is through the air for this squad. Carden has thrown at least four TDs to three difference receivers (Justin Hardy, Isaiah Jones and Trevon Brown), the former pair combining for 89 catches and more than 1,000 yards already.

Carden and the ECU offense hasn’t had to shoulder the load exclusively though, thanks to a defense that ranks 14th in stopping the run (104.2 ypg), and a secondary that has helped foster the 35th-best pass efficiency defense in the land.

But before you jump on the East Carolina bandwagon headed for AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (site of the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship Game), there are a few things you should keep in mind about these swashbucklers.

Not all the stats are aligning in perfect order for the Pirates, particularly when it comes to their discipline — although, what else would you expect from a bunch of sea raiders. The team ranks 111th in the nation in penalties, suffering 8.5 infractions per outing, and at some point those miscues are going to send the Pirates adrift. The damage caused by those mistakes amount to a hefty 83.5 ypg in lost field position.

The squad is also 122nd in fourth-down defense, having allowed foes to convert on 9-of-11 opportunities, but some of that may have been born out of desperation by opponents who had nothing to lose and were more than willing to take a chance.

But perhaps the most damning stat for the Pirates at the moment comes in the form of their strength of schedule. Of the 128 teams that the NCAA measures in this area, East Carolina is 121st entering the week, based on the cumulative opposition, which takes into account future opponents on the schedule and how they’ve fared thus far in 2014.

As great a story as the Pirates are, flying the flag for the AAC and the Carolinas, the truth of the matter is the team seems to be preying on the weak and weary and will more than likely be playing against another mid-level program in a faraway bowl when the smoke finally clears.

Categorized in: NCAA Football