Pirates still buzzing about bowl matchup

[E.T.]

Pirates still buzzing about bowl matchup

By Nathan Summers

The Daily Reflector

Sunday, December 10, 2006

It was a season of proving for the East Carolina Pirates football team, mainly the team's players proving to themselves they could make ECU back into a winning team.

A win on N.C. State's home turf Nov. 25 guaranteed that and a bowl game for the 7-5 Pirates, and apparently the euphoria created that night at Carter-Finley Stadium has kept the team's motor running since.

The month between that night and the looming PapaJohns.com Bowl Dec. 23 in Birmingham, Ala., has already been fueled with energy about postseason football, and for players, the rewards of success are being reaped already.

"I'm walking on campus to class and hear my classmates talking, and everyone's saying, 'We're going to a bowl game, we're going to a bowl game,'" said senior tailback Brandon Fractious. "I'm excited to go down there and play and just enjoy the whole bowl atmosphere. I'm anxious to get down there Dec. 23 and see what kind of crowd we bring."

When the Pirates play South Florida, they'll do so having won five of their last six games to end the regular season and create a postseason for themselves.

But the proving process must take another step, since the Wolfpack became another stepping stone in the Pirates' improvement process instead of a final chapter in another season.

"We're at a real high level, our confidence is up right now," said junior wide receiver Phillip Henry. "We feel like we're a pretty good team. The N.C. State game was a great atmosphere, one of the best I've been around since I've been part of the team. Our confidence is high, but we can't stop working."

The Pirates continued regrouping Saturday with a morning workout, and will be back in gear this afternoon before facing finals week. The team will be back on the field again next Friday for the start of another three-session weekend.

After that, the team with new-found swagger will aim all of its attention to the Big East's Bulls and a chance to audition itself in front of the conference with Bowl Championship Series affiliation and geographic sensibility for East Carolina.

According to head coach Skip Holtz, the team is slowly laying the framework for its game plan for USF, but still enjoying valuable mending time.

"Everybody's starting to feel really good," Holtz said. "You go through the course of a season and you're battered, you're bruised, you're beaten and you're down a little bit. But everyone's starting to feel good and those little nicks are starting to heal a little bit."

Nathan Summers can be reached at (252)329-9595, or at nsummers@coxnc.com

http://www.reflector.com/sports/content/sports/ecu/stories/2006/12/10/ECU_notes.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=15

[flipflop4900]

BLAH...BLAH...BLAH ;D ;D : :

[BDYZR]

Pirates buzzing?

Or

Buzzards Pirating?

[NormalBull]

LOL!!!!!  They think they are auditioning for the Big East?  Too funny.  Check out the TV markets of BE schools and the transportation options.  Tarboro, NC is NOT in the BE geographically.  Sorry purple dudes.  You are C-DOA geographically and most likely Sun Belt realistically.

Normal

[Guest BasketBull.]

Have they been to a bowl before? I am happy for them -they are like the "Rudy" of football programs. You gotta like a heart-warming story of ultimate success.  ;D

[Kyle76]

Have they been to a bowl before?

Yes!  More than one.  And actually have won a bowl, upstarts.

[___ Eats It]

Have they been to a bowl before?

Yes!  More than one.  And actually have won a bowl, upstarts.

Too bad they wore leather helmets the last time that happened.   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

PS - Yes, I know it wasn't that long ago, but it was long enough ago that it doesn't matter...

[Kyle76]

So, how many points have you scored in your long and storied bowl history?  ;D ;D ;D

[Bull Matrix]

ECU won the Peach Bowl against NC St years ago in the old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.

[Knight_Light]

Have they been to a bowl before? I am happy for them -they are like the "Rudy" of football programs. You gotta like a heart-warming story of ultimate success.  ;D

Here's a look at ECU's Bowl History :

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/conferenceusa/east_carolina/bowl_history.php