2016-17 Football Previews – (American) – Pirates
Looking for 2016 Eastern Carolina Pirates predictions? ECU have developed a nice pedigree of prolific offenses in recent years, with NFL calibre players at the skill positions. Curiously, East Carolina let former head coach Ruffin McNeill walk this off-season, despite going 10-3 and 8-5 in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
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2016-17 College Football Previews – East Carolina Pirates
Head Coach: Scottie Montgomery
2015 Record: 5-7
East Carolina Pirates Odds to Win 2017 FBS Championship: +50000
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In steps rookie coach Scottie Montgomery; the new coach plus an absence of veteran starters probably means there will be some growing pains in Greenville, NC this season.
East Carolina Pirates Predictions: Team Strengths
Despite ECU not normally known as a pipeline for marquee talent, the Pirates do a good job of attracting speed and athleticism on their roster. One example is WR/TE/former QB James Summers.
The senior stepped in under center last season due to injury, and simply put up the most rush yards for an ECU pivot since 1979 in a benchmark upset of Virginia Tech.
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Summers is 6’3, 210 lbs and is a match-up problem at WR or TE, either due to size or speed. He’ll need to be a key weapon on offense for ECU this year.
Defensively, the front four and the secondary should be improved, thanks to stalwarts like DE Fred Presley and the athletic CB DaShaun Amos, but the LB corps will be depleted because of the departure of team leader Zeek Bigger.
East Carolina should score points so the defense has to be merely OK to keep ECU in games.
Senior punter Worth Gregory transferred from national champ Alabama a few seasons ago, and he’s been a Ray Guy Award candidate for two years now. He’s crucial to the field-position battle.
With senior Davis Plowman kicking the ball (there’s a couple of amazing names) ECU’s special teams should be the best it’s had in some time.
East Carolina Pirates Predictions: Team Weaknesses
One of the reasons ECU’s offense was so dangerous was that it employed the Texas Tech-style spread attack and under Montgomery this year, the Pirates are switching back to a pro-style attack.
This could result in some stutter-steps in 2016. East Carolina have just 11 returning starters on both sides of the ball, and with a new coaching staff (lots of incumbents fall out of favor, etc.) that real number could be smaller.
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The offensive line doesn’t have any proven players aside from OG J.T. Boyd, which will make things tricky for the Scott duo – junior Anthony (the likely starter at RB) and sophomore Derrell (a transfer from Tennessee).
Montgomery recruited some huge O-lineman this off-season, but 6″6, 335-lb Sean Bailey and 6″3, 330-lb Cortez Herrin likely won’t help right away.
Finally, the LB corps has something to prove, especially sophomore OLB Yiannis Bowden, who has the agility to thrive (3.5 sacks in a backup role last year) but has to do it on a weekly basis.
East Carolina Pirates 2016 Prediction: (5-7)
The Pirates certainly have some interesting players, and senior QB Philip Nelson, who accrued experience as a starter both at Minnesota and Rutgers, might have a good campaign.
Still, with all the green starters dotting the roster and the inevitable transitions there will be under Montgomery and offensive co-ordinator Tony Petersen, you can’t expect ECU to take a leap forward just yet.
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The Pirates face three “Power 5 Conference” teams in the non-conference schedule and also have four American Athletic Conference bowl team on the road. Overall, don’t expect the Pirates to be bowl eligible.
East Carolina Pirates Predictions:
- 09/03/2016 vs. Western Carolina 6:00 pm
- 09/10/2016 vs. NC State Noon
- 09/17.2016 at South Carolina 4:00 pm
- 09/24/2016 at Virginia Tech TBA
- 10/01/2016 vs. UCF TBA
- 10/08/2016 at USF TBA
- 10/13/2016 vs. Navy 7:30 pm
- 10/22/2016 at Cincinnati TBA
- 10/29/2016 vs. Connecticut TBA
- 11/05/2016 at Tulsa TBA
- 11/12/2016 vs. SMU TBA
- 11/19/2016 BYE
- 11/26/2016 at Temple TBA
What do you think about our 2016 East Carolina Pirates predictions? Please leave us a comment below telling us how you think they’ll do in 2016!
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