Planted In The Trenches
November 08, 2010 | Football
Nov. 8, 2010
Originally printed Nov. 6, 2010 in the First and Goal football game program
By Malcolm Gray,
Assistant Director of Media Relations
Standing 6-foot-6, 323-pounds, it's really hard to miss D.J. Scott, who is one of five seniors on an experienced offensive line that has helped the 2010 edition of the East Carolina offense re-write the record books.
Entering his senior season along with fellow "hogs" Cory Dowless and Willie Smith the offensive line unit, which is arguably the most experienced in Conference USA, moved from a run-style blocking scheme under former Pirate head coach Skip Holtz to a pass-happy, up-tempo spread offense under first-year skipper Ruffin McNeill.
But for Scott, who moved from right tackle to right guard at the beginning of the year, picking up the new offensive scheme hasn't been difficult at all.
"Transitioning from a run offense to a pass-oriented offense hasn't been hard at all," said Scott. "We [offensive line] started working together back in the spring when coach McNeill took over and it's been pretty seamless. Coach [Brandon] Jones has really worked with us on making our first step a vertical one."
And Jones knows a thing-or-two about this Texas Tech style offense as he was a four-year letterwinner for the Red Raiders and spent two seasons as a an assistant coach.
"The O-line sets the tempo by playing hard and giving the quarterback the opportunity to go through his progressions and make all of those passes," Jones said. "If we're not very good up front, you'll see that the offense is not the same."
Heading into the Navy contest, Dowless, Scott and Smith have started a combined 106 games - 22 in-a-row together. The trio is looking to help the Pirates claim their third consecutive Conference USA crown and return to the Liberty Bowl for the third-straight season.
"You play football to win championships and get to a bowl - PERIOD !!!," Scott added. "It doesn't matter what the circumstances might be or what kind of players you have, those goals never change."
Scott signed his National Letter of Intent in February 2006, a year after Holtz guided the Pirates to a 5-6 record. After red-shirting in 2006, Scott made an immediate impact starting the first eight games of the season at right tackle. A 2007 Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection, Scott played in 13 games and recorded 22 knockdown blocks in 605 total offensive plays. He helped pave the way for five individual 100-yard ground games and provided blocking protection for Chris Johnson's record-breaking season that included 1,423 rushing yards.
"Being able to step on the field and play as a freshman was awesome," said Scott. "And to be able to help ECU reach another bowl and beat an athletic team like Boise State was truly unbelievable."
The Green Cove Springs, Fla. native didn't think anything could top the feeling of winning his first bowl game until the 2008 season got under way. The Pirates, who are known for playing a tough non-conference schedule, shocked the college football community the first two weeks of the season topping No. 17 Va. Tech (27-22) in Charlotte and dismantling No. 8 West Virginia (24-3) inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium to start the season 2-0 and were ranked No. 14 nationally by the Associated Press - its highest ranking since the end of the 1991 season (No. 9).
After a 28-24 come from behind victory over Tulane, the Pirates were 3-0 and ranked 15th-nationally by the Associated Press and No. 17 nationally in the USA Today Coaches Poll, but the BCS-busting Pirates dropped their next three games to fall to 3-3.
ECU would go on to win six of its final eight games, including a thrilling 27-24 victory over Tulsa for its first ever C-USA Championship to close out the season 9-5 and play in its third-straight bowl game, Liberty Bowl vs. Kentucky. Scott started 10 of 13 games at right tackle, recorded 34 knockdown blocks and participated in 712 plays on his way to third-team All-Conference USA accolade by Phil Steele Magazine.
"The beginning of the 2008 year was difficult to handle," Scott added. "We knew and the country knew we had a good team, but injuries to key players set us back. But the way the season unfolded, I wouldn't have traded any of it. Winning a conference championship was our primary focus and we accomplished that goal."
Once again expectations were high when the Pirates took the field in 2009 as they had their eyes set on becoming the first team to repeat as conference champions since the league split into divisions. ECU started the season 1-2 after suffering a pair of road losses to West Virginia (35-20) and North Carolina (31-17), but rebounded and won eight of its last 11 games, which included a 38-32 win over Houston at home for its second-straight C-USA title, and a return trip to the Liberty Bowl to face the Arkansas Razorbacks.
In his third year as a starter, Scott opened all 14 games at right tackle, experiencing action in a unit-high 979 plays from scrimmage. The honorable mention All-Conference USA performer recorded a personal-best 48 knockdown blocks and was a member of a line unit that ranked sixth nationally in fewest sacks allowed (12 overall) - surrendering only two in a nine-game stretch from Oct. 3 to Dec. 5.
Scott helped paved the way for 11 games of at least 100 yards rushing, and a pair of 200-plus rushing performances - including a season-best 275 at Memphis. In the Pirates' two post-season contests against Houston and Arkansas, he helped the offense average 403 yards per game.
Following back-to-back titles and four consecutive bowl games during Holtz' tenure, Scott and his offensive line mates entered this season with a lot of uncertainties - a new head coach, a new offensive scheme and a new coordinator. But the results through seven games have been remarkable as they boast a 5-2 overall record, sit atop the East Division of C-USA at 4-0 and are averaging 36.9 points per game, which ranks 11th nationally. Scott has started all seven games at right tackle and hopes to lead the Pirates to an unprecedented third-consecutive conference title.
Once his college days are behind him Scott, just like any college athlete, he would like to take his game to the next level.
"Everyone who plays this game thinks about playing at the next level and I'm no different. But at the same time I'm working on getting my degree (communication) so that I have plan when my playing days are over. I would like to continue working in the sports industry in some fashion, maybe in marketing."
