East Carolina at #17 Virgina Tech football preview:

#84 R.P.I. East Carolina @ #32 R.P.I. Virginia Tech:ECU lid

As I had a reposed family member commitment on Wednesday, this preview is gonna be a short one folks.

Tech wins, by about 2 plays.

There, now I’m done.
Just kidding.
Well mostly just kidding…
; )

Alright, you talked me into it, maybe a little more………….as this E.c.u. defense is improved and therefore a bit better than average; and there are a whole whole whole lotta moving parts to this E.c.u. offense. Not a possession based side of the ball you wanna wake up post-BIG-game hung over up in Sleepy Hollow folks.

E.c.u. Defense: (starters back=4)

SET: 3-4 ostensibly, though I saw a lotta odd 5-2 run heavy fighting fronts on tape

  • this defense will get a BIG XL sized boost if the 36o behemoth at Ng (T.Williams) and his trick knee can finally play! (HINTs say he is back)
  • otherwise, could be run upon, internally between the C-gaps

    "Where's the beef?"
    “Where’s the beef?”
  • will morph into a 2↓ (Ng & Dt) and 2↑ (with both De’s in 2-point stances) very Spread fighting modernized Set
  • this defense does not get off the field well, 82nd in 3rd down conversions allowed and an even more user-friendly on 4th down at 1o6th
  • medium-man, with Fs-Free (very limited run-support, more a Cf last resort) and the Ss will cheat up 3-4 yards, almost into a linear alignment with the ‘Backers for a 5-3 look
  • will drop back into Shell-2 for obvious passing downs
  • double hook-zone for Lb’s, will bluff outta press-man from time-to-time
  • faster/quicker to the ball defense than I expected on film, athletes must have increased down in Greenville
  • NOT a very deep defense (fatigue could be an issue here)
  • not a hyper aggressive defense via trade (read: base-scheme)
  • bitey, pushy, shovey, baity defense post-play (stay cool | stay composed)

 ECU D

E.c.u. Offense: (returning starters=6)

SET: Gun, Ace or singe-back looks, 3, 4, even 5 wide! (occasional broken Veer elements as well)

  • not much motion pre-snap
  • will play-action a-f-t-e-r running game gets on track
  • Lottsa: moving patterns (not much sit-down or waiting on the ball stationary work)

    1st, mate!
    1st, mate!
  • Lottsa: crossing routes, with picks, chips, rubs, whatever, to get open
  • Lottsa: Wr depth and Wr corps has speed to burn!
  • BAD tackling need not apply or this Pirate offense will make us walk the Y.A.C. (yards after catch) plank!
  • fearless O! Will throw it anywhere at anytime, even from their own negative red-zone or outright Endzone!
  • will work Rb’s into passing attack; someone must honor them
  • stronger, better, more experienced oLine on the edges than inside
  • CHUNK yardage O! Four Rb’s >7.5/carry, five Wr’s average a 1st-Down/catch or better!
  • misdirection or crossbuck running; even to the inside
  • Qb Carden gets 3-4 (scripted) carries per/game
  • Carden does NOT miss much; though when he does miss, it is high
  • 111th in TOP (time of possession)
  • likewise, super up Tempo O! (fatigue could come into play here folks)

 ECU O

E.c.u. Special Teams: (Kicker returns)
Worst KO shoes, ever! Oregon just called and they want their scoots back! The Pirates arrrrgh 52nd in Kick coverage and an inviting 90th in Punt coverage. Senior and at least somewhat maligned Kicker Warren Harvey has never booted more than 15 FG makes in a season; and there would appear to be a reason for that –hence the malignment. He does have a decent enough leg (career long=55), although once he hits about the 40 yard placement boundary, uncertainty sets in; as he is a puny looking 38.8% for his career when the ball is spotted at your 23 yard-line or beyond. Right now Worth Gregory is a below average punter, with below average coverage as mentioned above; hence his Net of a short-distance 35 yards per punt. Both return squads hover at or just below average.
(Special Teams letter-grade: D+++, nothing special to see here; Tech should hold at least a medium-sized edge in this one)

X-factor(s):

  1. Well, the 2014 schedule of course, as this is a textbook so-called “let-down trap-game” for now nationally ranked Virginia Tech in pure applied sport-psych terms. We just spent a whole lotta BIG10 caliber bullets up in C’bus Ohio in upsetting mighty #8 Ohio State. Gonna be tough to be International Space Station sky-high two weeks in a row.
  2. weather.com as it remains to be seen what kinda bad-weather thrower the somewhat less than large M.Brewer is on a slick 24060 track. Ditto the effect(s) of a soggy New River Valley day on the slick short-to-mid-range and all over the horizontal Air Raid knockoff passing attack of one E.c.u.
  3. Ergo, the team that can truly RUN the ball, may just be the clubhouse favorite; even before this one tips-off.
TMac
Boarding party 1o1…

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:
In short, this one is all about Virginia Tech as East Carolina can not take our best punch bang-on the chin. However, did we just leave our best punch up at the Gym otherwise known as “the” Ohio State? That is another matter entirely, as we will surely be taking E.c.u.’ s best shot as we are their World Series, Super Bowl and championship fight all rolled into one.


A few things jumped right out at me when making the surmises necessary for this prediction. Not the least of which among them was E.c.u.’s unsung head-coach (Trevor McNeil) less 130’s lbs. of Trevor McNeil as this guy looks like a different human being altogether. Good on coach!

First up, this E.c.u. passing assault is gonna be a problem, if we do not learn how to tackle. See “OSU chart” from the banked Eye in the Sky below…

30 total missed tacs

  • We do ^that^ nonsense again, vs. this many moving patterns and simultaneously vs. this much pass-catching raw speed and we will suddenly find ourselves putting in a long day at the 11 point favorite office.
  • Secondly, getting that BIG-boy back at Ng (Terry Williams) and the thought of him going o- technique against poor. D.Wang bothers me, and it should bother you too.
  • Tertiary, we’ve got more than a few walking wounded and some unpublished dings and dents that came home from Columbus Ohio folks.

***

Or to put it another way, East Carolina is prolly catching us at the right time. Although I can not find the game-tape and objective backing to author a subjective upset call, I can tell you that I’m ‘fraid that this one stays artificially close for artificially longer, than this one rightfully should.  The natural favorite here is rightfully our homesteading Virginia Tech Hokies, and naturally speaking we should win this one in Lane.

Nevertheless, reductionism itself avers that when this one is reduced to its most basic elements, this one is is more parts about the more talented team, playing at home, and fewer parts about the less talented team traveling out on the road. Or in other words  … I’d be a bit worried down in Greenville North Carolina. And yet my spycraft has suggested nothing that this has been anything other than a flat week of work. 

Right now I foresee a game that is a carpenters dream, wooden, laconic flat as a board –when this one really should be easy to nail.

As E.c.u. won’t be winning this one, though they will be making this one uncomfortable and don’t die of shock if they even lead in this one, for at least a little bit.

Winning @home as an 11-point letdown trap-game favorite is really all about ... ???

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(upset alert level: 30%)

Virginia Tech=32, East Carolina=16

LETS GO!

Hokies!

bourbonstreet**

5 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. Young Players and some strong Leaders on the team, VT is finally playing as a “Team” . You did a good report but I see VT putting a Wuppin out tomorrow …….Hokies 35…Pirate Heads 9….

  2. B’Street – quick comment about Big Mr. Williams for ECU….say the big guy is ready to ball Saturday. I, like you, worry about the minature David Wang on the inside. Any chance we see a little more Teller at Guard come Saturday if said Mr. Williams is indeed close to 100%? We have seen in year past our O have problems when other teams have penetrated directly into the pocket. I know Vanilla Vick can move outside well, but he is also great at stepping up, imo. So what say you on a possible rotation at the Wang/Teller guard spot…….if……and only if Mr. Williams is truly ready to ball out.

    1. On film? Teller plays high; because he does not look like he is in-shape to me.
      Needs to live in the back-breaking blocking chute thingy.

      Though, yes.
      That G combo is possible indeed.

      b.street

      1. I hope the Teller light comes on, because we are going to need him, most likely at some point this year, and most def next year. His work in the weight room says he is in shape, but as we all know game shape and lifting shape are two totally different things. Hope the offense keeps moving, but I always worry about D.Wang getting knicked up, and with a big brawler like Mr. Williams lined up across him, this has a D.Wang high ankle sprain written all over it.

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