THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 31, 1995 TAG: 9508270190
SECTION: FOOTBALL '95 PAGE: Z17 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COLLEGE FORECAST
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GREENVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
East Carolina's football team should be improved - make that vastly improved - from last season. With 20 returning starters, including standout quarterback Marcus Crandell, the Pirates can't help but be stronger.
Or can they? If improvement is measured in wins and losses, it'll be tough for the Pirates to surpass their 7-4 regular-season record of last season. They face a murderous schedule.
Just check out September. The Pirates open at Tennessee on the 3rd, then go to Syracuse. After hosting Central Michigan on the 16th, they travel to Illinois, then host West Virginia on the 30th.
The final six games are winnable, but coach Steve Logan says the Pirates can't afford to get buried in September.
``Sitting in my office this summer I got a bunch of calls from all these preseason magazines,'' Logan said.
``One of those guys calls and said, `Man, I just saw your schedule. That's a tough schedule for East Carolina.' I said, `No, that's a tough schedule for Notre Dame or anybody else who would choose to play it.'
``The leadership on this team is going to go through a severe fire in the month of September. The trial is coming.''
Rather than dread the trial, Logan has told his team to savor it. The Pirates are especially savoring their Sept. 23 contest at Illinois, which humiliated ECU, 30-0, last season in the Liberty Bowl.
``The taste that was left in our mouths with the Liberty Bowl was not good,'' Logan said. ``I talked to our team about taking the next step. We can't be satisfied with getting there.
``It's a common scenario in sports when you see a group of young men that rise suddenly and then don't know how to act when they find themselves in a championship scenario. That's what we did, and it's not really surprising. But we need now to get back and prove that we belong there.''
Clearly, Crandell belongs. Though he's started just 13 games, his 2,940 passing yards rank third in school history. He was eighth in the nation in total offense last season at 253 per game.
``Marcus is good enough to be a top player in the SEC,'' Auburn coach Terry Bowden said. ``He's got a great passing touch and can scramble.''
The biggest hole in the offense is at tailback. Junior Smith, the school's career rushing leader, has graduated. Jerris McPhail (6-0, 198) is the heir apparent.
The receivers are talented and experienced. Junior Mitchell Galloway had 36 receptions and was an All-Liberty Bowl Alliance pick. Jason Nichols had 42 receptions for 450 yards last season.
The offensive line is big and experienced. Six of the top eight players return from the group that allowed only nine sacks in 12 games last season. Rod Suddith, a 300-pound Miami native, is considered a pro prospect.
The defensive line is a question mark, with three seniors gone. But there are no questions at linebacker. Senior Morris Foreman had 72 tackles last season, three-year starter Mark Libiano had 135 and B.J. Crane had 79. Junior Dwight Henry is among two starters returning in the backfield.
The special teams look solid. Punter Matt Levine was 15th nationally as a freshman, placekicker Chad Holcomb is a two-year starter and returner Mitchell Galloway averaged 20.9 yards per kick return last season.
ECU is competing with Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Cincinnati, Tulane and Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl Alliance. The team with the best record - last season it was ECU - receives a bid to the Liberty Bowl.
Despite the grueling schedule, Logan believes the program can have its second winning season in a row for the first time since 1983.
``Yes, it's a tough schedule,'' Logan said with a smile, ``but our team voted unanimously that we will show up for all those games.
``We can compete and I want our players to think they can compete. I think they are of a frame of mind ... that we will respect those people, but we are not going to fear any of them.'' MEMO: Special Section
KEYWORDS: SUPPLEMENT SPECIAL SECTION VIRGINIA COLLEGE
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