Oct. 11, 2011

In light of Saturday's frustrating loss to Houston, it seems appropriate to remember and discuss some recent East Carolina football history in order to remind ourselves of how difficult it has been to get to where we are and what got us here.

While every member of the Pirate Nation has to be disappointed with a record of 1-4 (1-1 C-USA) and the results of Saturday night's game, the tough non-conference scheduling has put us in similar situations in previous years.

In 2007, West Virginia beat us 48-7. Our only points were a "courtesy" Chris Johnson TD with 59 seconds left. That made us 1-3 (0-1 C-USA) and created an absolute panic about "where our program was heading."

The reality was that the 2007 team, like this one, still had its future in its own hands and ended the season at 8-5 with a signature win over Boise State in the Hawai'i Bowl. The West Virginia blowout was not the end of the roller coaster ride as we later lost at home to N.C. State (1-5) and at Marshall to a team that was 1-8 before kickoff.

This should be a reminder to the Pirate Nation that "it is never over till it's over" and that unpredictable and unexplainable things often happen during a football season. We know what will happen if we stop supporting these young men and this coaching staff during the roller coaster ride of a season and that is why we have the "24-hour rule" that requires players, coaches and fans to stop talking about the last game, whether it was good or bad, after 24 hours and start focusing on the next game.

Admittedly, the Houston game required us to make that one a "48-hour rule" game in order to get the taste out of everyone's mouth. It is now time to move forward TOGETHER because that is how YOU, the members of the Pirate Nation, have built this program. The road we have taken is a tough one and there is no room for turning back when it gets rough.

This is a dangerous time in college football, but it is also a time of great opportunity. We cannot be distracted from the task at hand since the Pirate Nation always sets the tone for everything that happens in our program. If we have the discipline to keep ourselves moving forward together under tough circumstances, that message will be passed on and imitated by the young men who take the field to represent us.

As Leo Jenkins said, "East Carolina is an example of the American dream ... struggle followed by success, followed by more struggle and more success." Once the season is completed, it will be time to judge our progress and we can talk all we need to then.

GO PIRATES!

NO SURRENDER! NO QUARTER!

TH