Pinkney cherishes chance to play on Thursday
Patrick Pinkney isn't about to complain about the oddball schedule his East Carolina football team is keeping these days.
The Pirates are in the midst of a curious stretch that sees them play three consecutive non-Saturday games. They won last Tuesday at Memphis and the Pirates (5-3) will return to Conference USA action one week from Sunday at Tulsa.
In between, however, is a marquee Thursday night non-conference home clash with No. 22 Virginia Tech, the team ECU upended to open a memorable 2008 season. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
?It's a blessing to be able to play a game like this on a Thursday, the only game on TV in college football, so it definitely doesn't come at a bad time,? said Pinkney, who has helped to kick his team's offense into action along with a newfound running attack behind him. ?You can't beat that.?
In consecutive Conference USA wins, the Pirates have scored a combined 87 points, but Pinkney knows ECU will need all the points it can muster against a stingy Virginia Tech defense Thursday.
?We've got play turnover-free ball, execute on both sides of the ball,? said the sixth-year senior, who has amassed 1,515 pass yards and accounted for 12 total touchdowns despite nine interceptions. ?We've just got to protect the ball. We know football is a game of ups and downs, so we've got to stay positive.?
Pinkney has helped to ignite the Pirates' rush attack, including scoring a pair of ground TDs at Memphis.
With the rushing momentum, there have been a good deal more touchdowns at the ends of drives in recent weeks than during the first half of the season.
?It's all about rhythm, about having that balance and believing,? Pinkney said.
Gidrey in gear
ECU tight end Kevin Gidrey epitomizes the offense around him in that he appears to be gaining momentum steadily.
While his opportunities in the pass game are somewhat limited, the junior has made the most of them. He's got five catches for 70 yards, an average of 14 yards per grab.
More important than that, he's part of an offense that seems to be finding the balance Pinkney alluded to as the Pirates approach Thursday?s kickoff.
?It's a big game, and we're rolling pretty good right now as a team,? Gidrey said of the approach to Virginia Tech. ?With Dominique Lindsay running so good, the running game is opening up the passing game. If we can keep running the ball as efficiently as we are now, we'll be in good shape.?
Johnson's outlook
Middle linebacker and team tackling leader Nick Johnson has no problem with letting the rest of C-USA figure out where it stands while the Pirates, 4-1 in league play, see where they stand with one of the country's strongest programs.
?The next two weeks, we get to see how it sorts out and where we're going to be, and how we'll be able to do, if we'll be able to lose a game and still finish first (in the East Division),? said Johnson, a senior who has made 60 tackles.
In the meantime, Johnson knows Virginia Tech junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor and freshman running back Ryan Williams will present the Pirates one of their toughest matchups of the season, and that they alone erase the possibility that ECU's win in last year's meeting with Tech will have much bearing on Thursday's outcome.
?It means absolutely nothing,? Johnson said of last year's 27-22 triumph in Charlotte. ?They've got a new quarterback, a new running back, we've got a different defense and we both have different teams.?
Johnson said he expects a raucous environment Thursday night.
?You don't have to do anything to get excited,? he said. ?When we went to Memphis last Tuesday, it wasn't that exciting of a game. It wasn't loud. I know it's going to be raging here.?
Patrick Pinkney isn't about to complain about the oddball schedule his East Carolina football team is keeping these days.
The Pirates are in the midst of a curious stretch that sees them play three consecutive non-Saturday games. They won last Tuesday at Memphis and the Pirates (5-3) will return to Conference USA action one week from Sunday at Tulsa.
In between, however, is a marquee Thursday night non-conference home clash with No. 22 Virginia Tech, the team ECU upended to open a memorable 2008 season. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
?It's a blessing to be able to play a game like this on a Thursday, the only game on TV in college football, so it definitely doesn't come at a bad time,? said Pinkney, who has helped to kick his team's offense into action along with a newfound running attack behind him. ?You can't beat that.?
In consecutive Conference USA wins, the Pirates have scored a combined 87 points, but Pinkney knows ECU will need all the points it can muster against a stingy Virginia Tech defense Thursday.
?We've got play turnover-free ball, execute on both sides of the ball,? said the sixth-year senior, who has amassed 1,515 pass yards and accounted for 12 total touchdowns despite nine interceptions. ?We've just got to protect the ball. We know football is a game of ups and downs, so we've got to stay positive.?
Pinkney has helped to ignite the Pirates' rush attack, including scoring a pair of ground TDs at Memphis.
With the rushing momentum, there have been a good deal more touchdowns at the ends of drives in recent weeks than during the first half of the season.
?It's all about rhythm, about having that balance and believing,? Pinkney said.
Gidrey in gear
ECU tight end Kevin Gidrey epitomizes the offense around him in that he appears to be gaining momentum steadily.
While his opportunities in the pass game are somewhat limited, the junior has made the most of them. He's got five catches for 70 yards, an average of 14 yards per grab.
More important than that, he's part of an offense that seems to be finding the balance Pinkney alluded to as the Pirates approach Thursday?s kickoff.
?It's a big game, and we're rolling pretty good right now as a team,? Gidrey said of the approach to Virginia Tech. ?With Dominique Lindsay running so good, the running game is opening up the passing game. If we can keep running the ball as efficiently as we are now, we'll be in good shape.?
Johnson's outlook
Middle linebacker and team tackling leader Nick Johnson has no problem with letting the rest of C-USA figure out where it stands while the Pirates, 4-1 in league play, see where they stand with one of the country's strongest programs.
?The next two weeks, we get to see how it sorts out and where we're going to be, and how we'll be able to do, if we'll be able to lose a game and still finish first (in the East Division),? said Johnson, a senior who has made 60 tackles.
In the meantime, Johnson knows Virginia Tech junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor and freshman running back Ryan Williams will present the Pirates one of their toughest matchups of the season, and that they alone erase the possibility that ECU's win in last year's meeting with Tech will have much bearing on Thursday's outcome.
?It means absolutely nothing,? Johnson said of last year's 27-22 triumph in Charlotte. ?They've got a new quarterback, a new running back, we've got a different defense and we both have different teams.?
Johnson said he expects a raucous environment Thursday night.
?You don't have to do anything to get excited,? he said. ?When we went to Memphis last Tuesday, it wasn't that exciting of a game. It wasn't loud. I know it's going to be raging here.?
