Topic: Gazette: Marshall takes on resurgent East Carolina

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By Doug Smock
Staff writer

HUNTINGTON — As Marshall entered Conference USA in 2005, East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland was luring Skip Holtz back into head coaching, hoping to shake the Pirates out of their football doldrums.

ECU, one of six C-USA holdovers after the massive conference realignment, was 3-19 the previous two seasons and hadn’t reached a bowl game since 2001. Holtz had the obvious coaching bloodlines as the son of Lou Holtz and had enjoyed success at Division I-AA Connecticut in the 1990s.

The Pirates’ reconstruction seems to be ahead of schedule, as they battle Marshall today at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Should they knock off the Thundering Herd and Tulane two weeks hence, they will play for the C-USA championship on their home field in Greenville, N.C.

ECU (6-4 overall, 5-1 C-USA) has overcome an occasionally leaky defense, exposed most prominently in a 48-7 rout by West Virginia. Dramatic games suggest a “team of destiny” season — the Pirates beat North Carolina on a game-winning field goal with no time left, survived two late field-goal tries by Houston and tied Texas-El Paso on a 34-yard touchdown pass on the last play of regulation.

Football fever has been rekindled in eastern North Carolina, with the Pirates playing before at least 41,000 in every home game. The dark days have been disposed of.

Link: http://wvgazette.com/section/Sports/Marshall/2007110928