Are They For Real?

First, they knocked off unsuspecting No. 17 Virginia Tech. Then they beat No. 8 West Virginia. So were these wins flukes, or are the East Carolina Pirates truly a force to be reckoned with? The answer will lie in whether the Pirates will be able to handle the Tulane Green Wave with the game not in the national spotlight.

It looks like the now number 14 ranked Pirates are for real. They absolutely shut down Heisman candidate Pat White, sophomore sensation Noel Devine, and the rest of the West Virginia offense. The Pirate offense, has looked very good so far. Quarterback Patrick Pinkney has a QB rating of 166.96, and is 41 for 51 (80.4 completion percentage) with 447 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The running game has also looked strong. Jonathan Williams leads the team with 117 yards (4.3 ypc) and 3 touchdowns. Brandon Simmons has 104 yards (3.2 ypc) to give East Carolina a solid 1-2 punch.

East Carolina likely will have no more ranked contests for the rest of the year. However, that does not mean they won't be challenged. They play September 20th at NC State, October 11th at Virginia, and November 20th at UCF, all games which will be a major challenge to a shot at an undefeated season and a BCS bowl game. It looks like the Pirates have the talent to win the rest of their games. However, with their toughest challenges on the road, and the pressure that would come with being undefeated, look for them to falter at least once or twice.