East Carolina finished their 2011 campaign on an off note as they failed to reach a bowl game and completed the season with a 4-4 record in Conference USA and 5-7 overall. The Pirates were predicted to be down last year though because they only had 10 starters and 30 lettermen returning. In 2012, head coach Ruffin McNeil will have a better chance to achieve success because they have 15 starters and 48 lettermen returning.
Offense:
McNeil needs to discover a substitute at QB after the departure of starter Dominique Davis. Davis posted great numbers last season and his production will definitely be missed. But quarterbacks have a tendency to flourish in this system and they've got more than able players ready to come in when needed in junior Rio Johnson, redshirt freshman Cody Keith and sophomore Shane Carden. All 3 guys have different skill sets but the starting job likely goes to Johnson.
An injury to starting rusher Reggie Bullock derailed whatever hopes they needed to reach the bowl game last season. Now with him back and North Carolina transfer Hunter Furr splitting time, this unit figures to get a massive boost.
While the Pirates lose one of their top receivers in Lance Lewis, the school will field an interesting receiving corps this season. East Carolina returns 2 nd Team Freshman All-American Justin Hardy , as well as senior Andrew Bodenheimer. Sophomore Danny Webster and Arkansas transfer Lance Ray round out the starting lineup.
The offensive line was destroyed with injuries last season, as three starters were sidelined. This should be one of the most improved units in the nation. The only starter they lose is center Doug Polochak, but backup center Josh Clark should not have any problems moving to the starting lineup as he already started 6 games last season.
Defense:
East Carolina took a big step in the correct direction on the defensive end due to their new 3-4 scheme and with 7 starters back from last year, this can be McNeil's most veteran defense he has had so far.
While the defense was much better, their defense against the running game still left a lot to be hoped for as they authorized 174 rushing yards/contest. They move starting defensive end Derrell Johnson to outside linebacker, but they do get back starting nose tackle Michael Brooks and defensive end Matt Milner. Opponents may still be well placed to rush the ball on East Carolina, nevertheless it won't be as easy as it was actually the last two seasons.
Their experience at linebacker will help them to continue to improve on this side of the ball. They lose starting outside linebacker Cliff Perryman but Johnson is potentially the better player and could post up better stats. Sophomore outside linebacker Jeremy Grove is an interesting commodity as he earned 1st Team Freshman All-American as C-USA Freshman Player of the Year last year as a true freshman.
The defense is counting on 3 new starters on the secondary after losing their 3 starters from last season, including 2 nd Team All- C-USA corner Emanuel Davis. They have five of their top 8 back though, so that the unit shouldn't truly be that gutted. If this unit can hold their own though, then East Carolina will be one of the most improved defenses in the conference yet again.
Conference USA Prophecy - 2nd East Division
The Pirates are a team to watch out for this year. East Carolina's only strong competition this season will be against Southern Miss and UCF on the road and Houston at home. Every other game they will have are winnable and they have a great possibility of ending the year with a 6-2 in C-USA, and have them right back in the center of things in the East.
Offense:
McNeil needs to discover a substitute at QB after the departure of starter Dominique Davis. Davis posted great numbers last season and his production will definitely be missed. But quarterbacks have a tendency to flourish in this system and they've got more than able players ready to come in when needed in junior Rio Johnson, redshirt freshman Cody Keith and sophomore Shane Carden. All 3 guys have different skill sets but the starting job likely goes to Johnson.
An injury to starting rusher Reggie Bullock derailed whatever hopes they needed to reach the bowl game last season. Now with him back and North Carolina transfer Hunter Furr splitting time, this unit figures to get a massive boost.
While the Pirates lose one of their top receivers in Lance Lewis, the school will field an interesting receiving corps this season. East Carolina returns 2 nd Team Freshman All-American Justin Hardy , as well as senior Andrew Bodenheimer. Sophomore Danny Webster and Arkansas transfer Lance Ray round out the starting lineup.
The offensive line was destroyed with injuries last season, as three starters were sidelined. This should be one of the most improved units in the nation. The only starter they lose is center Doug Polochak, but backup center Josh Clark should not have any problems moving to the starting lineup as he already started 6 games last season.
Defense:
East Carolina took a big step in the correct direction on the defensive end due to their new 3-4 scheme and with 7 starters back from last year, this can be McNeil's most veteran defense he has had so far.
While the defense was much better, their defense against the running game still left a lot to be hoped for as they authorized 174 rushing yards/contest. They move starting defensive end Derrell Johnson to outside linebacker, but they do get back starting nose tackle Michael Brooks and defensive end Matt Milner. Opponents may still be well placed to rush the ball on East Carolina, nevertheless it won't be as easy as it was actually the last two seasons.
Their experience at linebacker will help them to continue to improve on this side of the ball. They lose starting outside linebacker Cliff Perryman but Johnson is potentially the better player and could post up better stats. Sophomore outside linebacker Jeremy Grove is an interesting commodity as he earned 1st Team Freshman All-American as C-USA Freshman Player of the Year last year as a true freshman.
The defense is counting on 3 new starters on the secondary after losing their 3 starters from last season, including 2 nd Team All- C-USA corner Emanuel Davis. They have five of their top 8 back though, so that the unit shouldn't truly be that gutted. If this unit can hold their own though, then East Carolina will be one of the most improved defenses in the conference yet again.
Conference USA Prophecy - 2nd East Division
The Pirates are a team to watch out for this year. East Carolina's only strong competition this season will be against Southern Miss and UCF on the road and Houston at home. Every other game they will have are winnable and they have a great possibility of ending the year with a 6-2 in C-USA, and have them right back in the center of things in the East.