Pirates Prep For Second Scrimmage
August 19, 2011 | Football
Aug. 19, 2011
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina put the finishing touches on its preparation for Saturday’s scrimmage with a crisp two-hour practice in shorts and helmets Friday morning at Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Practice Facility. Head coach Ruffin McNeill opted to keep the players out of pads to ensure freshness and the best possible evaluations during tomorrow’s contest.
Friday’s workout served as a refining session heading into the scrimmage with emphasis on offensive speed, or getting into NASCAR mode as McNeill refers to his desired tempo. The offense went through its route tree while the defense drilled for tackling precision and run-play reads. The offensive line also dedicated time to picking up the regular pass rush as well as the blitz. McNeill and his staff used an additional 20 minutes for special teams.
“Today was a great day for execution,” McNeill said. “We got a lot of effort things accomplished and reiterated the things we’ve been emphasizing all fall camp. We didn’t get a lot of physical work in, but were very productive.”
The bulk of Friday’s session was conducted in team-on-team or skeleton with 20 and 15 minutes, respectively, spent on each. The team-on-team session ended with a 15-yard fade from junior quarterback Brad Wornick to sophomore inside receiver Justin Jones in the right corner of the endzone.
East Carolina conducted what has become its customary sprint work at the conclusion of practice.
“We want to be the best conditioned team in the country and will continue to run all year long,” McNeill added. “I wanted that to be a part of our practices and it is now.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s scrimmage, McNeill said he will continue to view it as another practice with an added focus on team competition.
Notes
The Pirates' closed-to-the-public scrimmage Saturday precedes the 17th annual Meet The Pirates Night, ECU's preseason football fan fest, which will begin at 5:00 p.m. … East Carolina’s squad was given a surprise Friday, taking a trip to the local bowling alley for a team-building activity.
Saturday’s Scrimmage Time: 8:45 – 11:00 a.m.
Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. South Carolina in Charlotte (7:00 p.m.)
