Post by rainman on Sept 21, 2007 6:10:05 GMT -5
Schmitt thinks WVU will be able to run against ECU
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— Owen Schmitt doesn’t think there should be any reason No. 5-ranked West Virginia can’t run the football for a lot of yards against East Carolina in Saturday’s football game here.
That is, despite the fact the Pirates are giving up only 81 yards rushing per game during their disappointing 1-2 start and that they held WVU far below its norm in both of the last two meetings.
“They are a very, very tough team,” said Schmitt, the starting fullback who also can play tight end or slot receiver. “In a close win and two close losses this year, you can see how they are getting better and better.
“I think maybe a lot of people would look at it as a big deal if we went out and rushed for 350 yards Saturday. But, for us personally, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”
Why?
“Because one of our goals as an offense is to be able to run the ball, and we’ve had so much success at that overall. We just have to execute better this week. We have to go fast and try to get in there every time
“But I guess if it were that simple, we’d win every game. Yet execution is the big key to our success on the ground.”
o A sellout crowd of more than 60,000 is expected for Saturday’s noon kickoff at Mountaineer Field/Milan Puskar Stadium.
The weather forecast is for sunny changing to cloudy skies, with a high of 86 degrees.
ESPN2 will televise the action nationally. The announcers: Dave Pasch, play-by-play; Andre Ware, analysis; and Erin Andrews, sideline reporter.
o WVU cornerback Vaughn Rivers thinks similarities between the two teams on offense make it a lot easier for the veteran Mountaineer defensive unit to recognize as plays unfold.
“Some of their plays we look at every day in practice, and that means Pat White, Steve Slaton and Noel Devine,” he said.
Like other players, Rivers is impressed by ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney.
“What’s most impressive are some of the reads he makes and the way he hits his receivers. And if he gets out of the pocket, he can make plays.”
He said the best way to defend Pinkney is to rattle him if WVU can and get him off the field as quickly as they can. In a 34-31 win over North Carolina, the first-year starter passed for 400 yards.
o Tale of the Tape:
The Mountaineers are averaging 47.0 points and 500.3 yards per game, the :Pirates 20.7 and 343.7.
Defensively, WVU is allowing 20.3 points and 311.0 yards per game and ECU 25.3 and 361.3.
o WVU offensive tackle Jake Figner has a ready reply when asked why ECU has been so successful shutting down the run.
“They have a big, strong defensive front, and they play hard,” he said. “So that makes it hard to run against them. We’ve just got to play hard this weekend.
“I feel they’ve got some good schemes and I feel they have got some good athletes.”
Asked whether ECU is comparable to any Big East team, Figner said it probably would be South Florida.
“We’re definitely going to have to make less mistakes than we have been making,” he added.
o WVU, a 24 1/2-point favorite by oddsmakers, will be seeking a seventh straight victory in a series it leads by 17-2.
The Pirates’ only victories in this rivalry came by 23-20 in 1995 at Greenville, N.C., and 30-23 in 1999 at Charlotte, N.C.
A 49-0 shutout in 1987 in Morgantown was the Mountaineers’ biggest victory.
o Linebacker Mortty Ivy, WVU’s second-leading tackler with 23, said the defense played its best game in the 31-14 victory at Maryland last week.
“We didn’t really do anything different,” he insists. “We just executed our defensive plays better. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we’ve got to get to the quarterback.
“Each day we go against Pat and Steve in practice. East Carolina’s Pinkney is as great quarterback. So we’ve just got to stay together and make plays.”
o WVU has won 25 of its last 28 games, including 12 of 14 in Big East play over that span.
The Mountaineers have won 38 of the last 44 regular-season contests and 40 of the last 48 games overall.
Coach Rich Rodriguez is 19-4 all-time in September non-conference games. WVU has a current 10-game winning streak against non-Big East teams.
o Pat McAfee, who handles both the kicking and punting, said it’s been a rough start for him this year and he hopes he’ll do better in every phase Saturday.
“I don’t think anybody is actually thinking about South Florida (next week’s road game),” he observed. “Everybody is focused on ECU, I feel sure.”
McAfee actually does a good job in his dual role. But he seems extremely hard on himself whenever he has a poor kick or punt, which isn’t often at all.
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— Owen Schmitt doesn’t think there should be any reason No. 5-ranked West Virginia can’t run the football for a lot of yards against East Carolina in Saturday’s football game here.
That is, despite the fact the Pirates are giving up only 81 yards rushing per game during their disappointing 1-2 start and that they held WVU far below its norm in both of the last two meetings.
“They are a very, very tough team,” said Schmitt, the starting fullback who also can play tight end or slot receiver. “In a close win and two close losses this year, you can see how they are getting better and better.
“I think maybe a lot of people would look at it as a big deal if we went out and rushed for 350 yards Saturday. But, for us personally, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”
Why?
“Because one of our goals as an offense is to be able to run the ball, and we’ve had so much success at that overall. We just have to execute better this week. We have to go fast and try to get in there every time
“But I guess if it were that simple, we’d win every game. Yet execution is the big key to our success on the ground.”
o A sellout crowd of more than 60,000 is expected for Saturday’s noon kickoff at Mountaineer Field/Milan Puskar Stadium.
The weather forecast is for sunny changing to cloudy skies, with a high of 86 degrees.
ESPN2 will televise the action nationally. The announcers: Dave Pasch, play-by-play; Andre Ware, analysis; and Erin Andrews, sideline reporter.
o WVU cornerback Vaughn Rivers thinks similarities between the two teams on offense make it a lot easier for the veteran Mountaineer defensive unit to recognize as plays unfold.
“Some of their plays we look at every day in practice, and that means Pat White, Steve Slaton and Noel Devine,” he said.
Like other players, Rivers is impressed by ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney.
“What’s most impressive are some of the reads he makes and the way he hits his receivers. And if he gets out of the pocket, he can make plays.”
He said the best way to defend Pinkney is to rattle him if WVU can and get him off the field as quickly as they can. In a 34-31 win over North Carolina, the first-year starter passed for 400 yards.
o Tale of the Tape:
The Mountaineers are averaging 47.0 points and 500.3 yards per game, the :Pirates 20.7 and 343.7.
Defensively, WVU is allowing 20.3 points and 311.0 yards per game and ECU 25.3 and 361.3.
o WVU offensive tackle Jake Figner has a ready reply when asked why ECU has been so successful shutting down the run.
“They have a big, strong defensive front, and they play hard,” he said. “So that makes it hard to run against them. We’ve just got to play hard this weekend.
“I feel they’ve got some good schemes and I feel they have got some good athletes.”
Asked whether ECU is comparable to any Big East team, Figner said it probably would be South Florida.
“We’re definitely going to have to make less mistakes than we have been making,” he added.
o WVU, a 24 1/2-point favorite by oddsmakers, will be seeking a seventh straight victory in a series it leads by 17-2.
The Pirates’ only victories in this rivalry came by 23-20 in 1995 at Greenville, N.C., and 30-23 in 1999 at Charlotte, N.C.
A 49-0 shutout in 1987 in Morgantown was the Mountaineers’ biggest victory.
o Linebacker Mortty Ivy, WVU’s second-leading tackler with 23, said the defense played its best game in the 31-14 victory at Maryland last week.
“We didn’t really do anything different,” he insists. “We just executed our defensive plays better. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we’ve got to get to the quarterback.
“Each day we go against Pat and Steve in practice. East Carolina’s Pinkney is as great quarterback. So we’ve just got to stay together and make plays.”
o WVU has won 25 of its last 28 games, including 12 of 14 in Big East play over that span.
The Mountaineers have won 38 of the last 44 regular-season contests and 40 of the last 48 games overall.
Coach Rich Rodriguez is 19-4 all-time in September non-conference games. WVU has a current 10-game winning streak against non-Big East teams.
o Pat McAfee, who handles both the kicking and punting, said it’s been a rough start for him this year and he hopes he’ll do better in every phase Saturday.
“I don’t think anybody is actually thinking about South Florida (next week’s road game),” he observed. “Everybody is focused on ECU, I feel sure.”
McAfee actually does a good job in his dual role. But he seems extremely hard on himself whenever he has a poor kick or punt, which isn’t often at all.
