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Kass to return to ECU team
By PETER WILLIAMS
Staff Writer
Rob Kass is down, but not out.
The ECU quarterback who was suspended for the season opener last week because of a DUI arrest, is back on the team but he’ll have to earn the starting position by working from scratch, Pirate head coach Skip Holtz said Monday.
Patrick Pinkney earned the right to start in Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against the Tar Heels and Kass may be as low as fourth in the depth chart.
“(Kass) was out at practice yesterday and he has served his one-game suspension,” Holtz said at a weekly luncheon at ECU. “He is available to play. I met with Rob last night, but he will work his way up from the bottom. Right now this is Patrick Pinkney’s job and he deserves it. For Rob Kass, if he gets his opportunity he’s going to have to make the most of it, but right now it’s Patrick Pinkey’s job.
“When Rob made the decision he did he gave that (starting) position up and Patrick has done a nice job of stepping up and taking it.”
Pinkney connected of 14-of-25 passes for 115 yards and rushed for another 48 Saturday against Virginia Tech, one of the top defenses in the country. Brett Clay, who started at quarterback went 2-for-6 for four yards.
“I was impressed with the way he (Pinkney) played and protected the ball. He managed the game well. He gave a spark of enthusiasm to our offense and I think that is what our young football team needs right now.”
Holtz took little solace that his team was beaten by a team that was ranked ninth in the country on its home turf in an emotional game that included a memorial for Tech students and teacher killed by a gunman in April.
“I am not excited about a moral victory at this point,” the third-year coach said. “While we played with (Virginia Tech), we had every intention of going up there and winning that game. While disappointed, I am encouraged by the number of guys who stepped up in the game.
“When you look at the mistakes that were made, they are not talent mistakes. I keep saying this, we’re a more talented team this year than we were a year ago, but I don’t know if the win-loss record will show it because of the inexperience. When you spot people like Virginia Tech seven point (by) throwing an interception for a touchdown (or) gave up three uncontested deep balls that lead to 10 points, I made the comment if we had any intention of going up there and winning we had to do it by a baseball score. You don’t see many baseball teams scoring 18 points.
“The positive (is) we played an awful lot of people. We played nine or 10 defensive linemen and all nine linebackers that we took. It was nice to see the offensive line get some experience in a game like that and against a defense like that. We were able to play three quarterbacks and get them all experience. They each bring their own flavor to our offense. I thought the running backs played well and we also played three different tight ends.”
“I think we have come a long way as a football program since the end of last year but we also have a long way to go and some growing up to do at some key positions.”
The next step on that learning road will be against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Heels hold a 8-1-1 series advantage on the Pirates. The last time ECU won was more than 30 years ago. The Heels may be coming off a 3-9 season, but have a new coach in Butch Davis and have a win under their belt.
“I don’t think this is the North Carolina football team everyone has been watching the past couple years and it will be a great challenge for us,” Holtz said.
Davis, a former NFL coach, runs a pro style offense which concerns Holtz.
“The thing that scares me the most is their skill positions,” he said. “They have some wide receivers that have big play potential and their quarterback has a rope for an arm. They throw the deep ball well and what concerns me are the uncontested deep balls we gave up against Virginia Tech, knowing that is one of (UNC’s) strengths. They do all the things that hurt us Saturday, and that concerns me.
“This is obviously a great rivalry game for our fans. I hope they manage themselves with the same amount of class that we just experienced at the Virginia Tech game. I thought the way that the Virginia Tech family greeted East Carolina is what this game is all about. You can be fierce rivals on the field but you can also play with excitement, emotion and sportsmanship. That being said, it is still a rivalry for the East Carolina family. We are 1-8-1 in our only 10 games with (the Tar Heels) and we have lost those by an average score of 35-10. Many of our players have played with kids on the North Carolina team and we know it will be a great challenge. We have a lot of respect for Coach Davis, the program that he is building and the job he is doing. There is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm in the North Carolina camp right now and it will be a heck of a challenge for us.
Rob Kass is down, but not out.
The ECU quarterback who was suspended for the season opener last week because of a DUI arrest, is back on the team but he’ll have to earn the starting position by working from scratch, Pirate head coach Skip Holtz said Monday.
Patrick Pinkney earned the right to start in Saturday’s 6 p.m. game against the Tar Heels and Kass may be as low as fourth in the depth chart.
“(Kass) was out at practice yesterday and he has served his one-game suspension,” Holtz said at a weekly luncheon at ECU. “He is available to play. I met with Rob last night, but he will work his way up from the bottom. Right now this is Patrick Pinkney’s job and he deserves it. For Rob Kass, if he gets his opportunity he’s going to have to make the most of it, but right now it’s Patrick Pinkey’s job.
“When Rob made the decision he did he gave that (starting) position up and Patrick has done a nice job of stepping up and taking it.”
Pinkney connected of 14-of-25 passes for 115 yards and rushed for another 48 Saturday against Virginia Tech, one of the top defenses in the country. Brett Clay, who started at quarterback went 2-for-6 for four yards.
“I was impressed with the way he (Pinkney) played and protected the ball. He managed the game well. He gave a spark of enthusiasm to our offense and I think that is what our young football team needs right now.”
Holtz took little solace that his team was beaten by a team that was ranked ninth in the country on its home turf in an emotional game that included a memorial for Tech students and teacher killed by a gunman in April.
“I am not excited about a moral victory at this point,” the third-year coach said. “While we played with (Virginia Tech), we had every intention of going up there and winning that game. While disappointed, I am encouraged by the number of guys who stepped up in the game.
“When you look at the mistakes that were made, they are not talent mistakes. I keep saying this, we’re a more talented team this year than we were a year ago, but I don’t know if the win-loss record will show it because of the inexperience. When you spot people like Virginia Tech seven point (by) throwing an interception for a touchdown (or) gave up three uncontested deep balls that lead to 10 points, I made the comment if we had any intention of going up there and winning we had to do it by a baseball score. You don’t see many baseball teams scoring 18 points.
“The positive (is) we played an awful lot of people. We played nine or 10 defensive linemen and all nine linebackers that we took. It was nice to see the offensive line get some experience in a game like that and against a defense like that. We were able to play three quarterbacks and get them all experience. They each bring their own flavor to our offense. I thought the running backs played well and we also played three different tight ends.”
“I think we have come a long way as a football program since the end of last year but we also have a long way to go and some growing up to do at some key positions.”
The next step on that learning road will be against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Heels hold a 8-1-1 series advantage on the Pirates. The last time ECU won was more than 30 years ago. The Heels may be coming off a 3-9 season, but have a new coach in Butch Davis and have a win under their belt.
“I don’t think this is the North Carolina football team everyone has been watching the past couple years and it will be a great challenge for us,” Holtz said.
Davis, a former NFL coach, runs a pro style offense which concerns Holtz.
“The thing that scares me the most is their skill positions,” he said. “They have some wide receivers that have big play potential and their quarterback has a rope for an arm. They throw the deep ball well and what concerns me are the uncontested deep balls we gave up against Virginia Tech, knowing that is one of (UNC’s) strengths. They do all the things that hurt us Saturday, and that concerns me.
“This is obviously a great rivalry game for our fans. I hope they manage themselves with the same amount of class that we just experienced at the Virginia Tech game. I thought the way that the Virginia Tech family greeted East Carolina is what this game is all about. You can be fierce rivals on the field but you can also play with excitement, emotion and sportsmanship. That being said, it is still a rivalry for the East Carolina family. We are 1-8-1 in our only 10 games with (the Tar Heels) and we have lost those by an average score of 35-10. Many of our players have played with kids on the North Carolina team and we know it will be a great challenge. We have a lot of respect for Coach Davis, the program that he is building and the job he is doing. There is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm in the North Carolina camp right now and it will be a heck of a challenge for us.
