(04-16-2013 12:34 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote: 2013 ECU football's 10 things to know: Pirates have experience and momentum
A fair assessment. It really does hinge on the secondary. Getting off the field, getting the offense another possession or two per game, and letting the offense know they can play loose and trust the defense is the difference in a 7 win and 10 win season.
ODU will be a test out of the block, but after a 2-0 start ECU may have enough momentum to squeeze out a win with VPI at home. 3-0 and coming off a big win could propel ECU to another win at UNC. At that point MTSU and Tulane should be a slight breather though ECU won't take either lightly. At 6-0 ECU could face So Miss at home, and that rarely turns out well for ECU but this year should go the Pirates way. If so, a win at FIU would put ECU at 8-0 with Tulsa coming to Greenville. Even if ECU stumbles, UAB the following week would give ECU 9-1 record with two to play. NCSU looks absolutely terrible from what I've heard, and a win there (where ECU has had recent success) would leave the CUSA East showdown with Marshall to determine the East if Marshall hasn't slipped up. 10-2 or 11-1 to finish the regular season, both of which I hope would be good enough to host the championship game.
On the other hand....
ECU struggles with ODU but manages a close win, followed by a more comfortable win against FAU. VPI hasn't played well the last couple trips to Greenville, but could escape with a win, one deflating enough that ECU forgets to board the bus to UNC the next week and ends up 2-2 after the first four games. MTSU and Tulane hang close with ECU due to a not very improved defense, but ECU manages a couple wins to get to 4-2. USM is up to their old tricks, winning on ECU's home field again, sending the Pirates to 4-3. The grumbling begins.... A road trip to FIU puts ECU one win from bowl eligibility, but Tulsa leaves Greenville with a win and ECU at 5-4 UAB folds and ECU rallies late in 13 as they did this past year, beating NCSU to get to 7-4 with a showdown at Marshall to decide the East. A slightly better offense than in 12, and hopefully an improved defense get the win to finish 8-4 again, but this time in the CCG.
Hopefully more along the lines of the first prediction, but seeing as how the spring game hasn't been played yet I think I'm a little more than premature.
