2009 East Carolina Pirates football team

2009 East Carolina Pirates football
C-USA champion C-USA East Division champion
C-USA Championship Game, W 38–32 vs. Houston
Liberty Bowl, L 17–20 OT vs. Arkansas
Conference	Conference USA
Division	East
Record	9–5 (7–1 C-USA)
Head coach	Skip Holtz (5th season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Steve Shankweiler (5th season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Todd Fitch (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Greg Hudson (5th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium
Seasons ← 2008 2010 →

2009 Conference USA football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
East Carolina x$		7	–	1					9	–	5
UCF		6	–	2					8	–	5
Southern Miss		5	–	3					7	–	6
Marshall		4	–	4					7	–	6
UAB		4	–	4					5	–	7
Memphis		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Houston xy		6	–	2					10	–	4
SMU x		6	–	2					8	–	5
Tulsa		3	–	5					5	–	7
UTEP		3	–	5					4	–	8
Rice		2	–	6					2	–	10
Tulane		1	–	7					3	–	9
Championship: East Carolina 38, Houston 32
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2009 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season and played their home games in Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. The team was coached by Skip Holtz, who was in his fifth and final year with the program. The 2009 Pirates were defending their first ever Conference USA Football Championship.

The Pirates finished the season 9–5, 7–1 in CUSA play, winning the East Division in their final regular season game against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 25-20, and won their second consecutive CUSA Championship Game 38–32 against the Houston Cougars in Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. The Pirates were invited to their second consecutive Liberty Bowl where they were defeated by Arkansas 20–17 in overtime.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	10	0	0	10
ECU	10	0	14	7	31

The annual Purple/Gold Spring Game was held in the spring during the PirateFest and Pigskin Pigout weekend activities on April 18 in downtown Greenville, NC and put the "Pirates" team led by Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Josh Jordan against the "ECU" team led by Senior Quarterback Patrick Pinkney.^[1] The ECU team defeated the Pirates team 31-10.^[2]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	12:00 pm	No. 1 FCS Appalachian State*	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	MASN/WITN-TV	W 29–24	43,279[3]
September 12	3:30 pm	at West Virginia*	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	ESPN360	L 20–35	59,216[4]
September 19	12:00 pm	at No. 24 North Carolina*	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ESPN2	L 17–31	58,000[5]
September 26	3:30 pm	UCF	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	BHSN/WITN-TV	W 19–14	43,210[6]
October 3	12:00 pm	at Marshall	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	CBSCS	W 21–17	26,814[7]
October 10	8:00 pm	at SMU	Gerald J. Ford Stadium Dallas, TX	MASN/WITN-TV	L 21–28	13,626[8]
October 17	3:30 pm	Rice	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	MASN	W 49–13	43,023[9]
October 27	8:00 pm	at Memphis	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPN2	W 38–19	4,117[10]
November 5	7:30 pm	No. 22 Virginia Tech*	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	ESPN	L 3–16	43,569[11]
November 15	8:15 pm	at Tulsa	H.A. Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK	ESPN	W 44–17	17,453[12]
November 21	3:30 pm	UAB	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	MASN/WITN-TV	W 37–21	43,056[13]
November 28	1:30 pm	Southern Miss	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	CBSCS	W 25–20	43,006[14]
December 5	12:00 pm	No. 18 Houston	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC (C-USA Championship)	ESPN2	W 38–32	33,048[15]
January 2	5:30 pm	vs. Arkansas	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (AutoZone Liberty Bowl)	ESPN	L 17–20 OT	62,742[16]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Position	Name	Years at ECU	Alma Mater
Head Coach:	Skip Holtz	5th	Notre Dame '86
Offensive coordinator/ Quarterbacks Coach:	Todd Fitch	3rd	Ohio Wesleyan '86
Defensive Coordinator Linebacker Coach:	Greg Hudson	4th	Notre Dame '90
Offensive coordinator Offensive linemen coach:	Steve Shankweiler	5th(15th overall)	Davidson '74
Special teams coordinator:	John Gutekunst	1st	Duke '67
Assistant head coach/ Defensive backs Coach	Rick Smith	5th	Florida State '71
Director of strength & conditioning	Michael Golden	4th	Central Connecticut State '92
Defensive end Coach	Vernon Hargreaves	3rd	Connecticut '86
Wide receiver Coach/ Recruiting coordinator	Donnie Kirkpatrick	5th	Lenoir-Rhyne '82
Tight ends coach:	Phil Petty	5th	South Carolina '01
Director of HS football relations	Harold Robinson	6th	East Carolina '72
Defensive tackle Coach	Thomas Roggeman	5th	Notre Dame '85
Running backs Coach	Junior Smith	5th	East Carolina '97
Director of operations	Clifford Snow	5th	Central Connecticut State '83
Director of football administration	Reed Case	1st	Ohio ‘95
Administrative Assistant to Coach Holtz	Ryan Mills	6th	North Carolina '02
Administrative Assistant	Ann Coyle	3rd	East Carolina '06
Offensive staff assistant coach	Dwayne Ledford	2nd	East Carolina '00
Defensive staff assistant coach	Chris Bland	1st	Elon '08

	1	2	3	4	Total
Mountaineers	0	7	0	17	24
Pirates	17	10	2	0	29

The Pirates renewed their rivalry with their former Southern Conference opponent for the first time since 1979. The Mountaineers led the all-time series 19-10, but the two schools had only played once since the split of Division I college football, with the Pirates defeating the Mountaineers 38-21 in 1979. This marked the first time since 2001 that the Pirates have played a school from the Football Championship Subdivision. After being dominated in the first half, Appalachian State staged a comeback but fell short after a sack and a blocked pass with seconds left in the 4th Quarter. ECU would hold on to win 29-24, improving their record against the Mountaineers to 11-19.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	10	10	0	0	20
Mountaineers	7	14	7	7	35

The Pirates went to Morgantown, WV to take on the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl Champion West Virginia Mountaineers, who remained undefeated at home in this series and led the all-time record 17-3. Last year, East Carolina blew out West Virginia 24-3 in Greenville. After going up 10-0 early in the first half, the Pirates would enter the second half trailing by 1, but the Mountaineers would pull ahead to win 35-20, improving their record to 18-3.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	7	7	0	3	17
Tar Heels	7	14	3	7	31

The Pirates travel to Chapel Hill, NC to face their in-state rival North Carolina. In 2007, the Pirates beat the Tar Heels with a last second field goal to win the game 34-31. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series, 8-2-1.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	7	0	0	7	14
Pirates	3	7	3	6	19

The Pirates face the 2007 Conference USA champion UCF Knights in Greenville, NC. Last year, the Pirates beat the Knights in Orlando, FL 13-10 in overtime and lead the all-time series 7-1.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	7	7	7	0	21
Thundering Herd	0	7	10	0	17

The Pirates head back to West Virginia to face the Thundering Herd of Marshall. The Pirates won last year 19-16 in Greenville, NC after one overtime and lead the all-time series 7-3. In 2007, the Herd spoiled the Pirates' hopes in Huntington for a spot in the Conference USA championship.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	7	7	7	21
Mustangs	0	7	14	7	28

The Pirates face the Mustangs of Southern Methodist in Dallas, TX. The last time the two schools played was in Greenville, NC in 2006, where the Pirates won 38-21. East Carolina has won both games played in this series.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	3	7	3	0	13
Pirates	14	14	0	21	49

The Pirates face the 2008 Texas Bowl Champion Rice Owls at home. The two teams are tied in the series 1-1 after the Owls spoiled the Pirates' hopes to clinch the Conference USA East Division and participate in the Conference USA Football Championship in 2006.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	14	7	14	3	38
Tigers	3	7	3	6	19

The Pirates travel to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, TN to face the Tigers of Memphis. The Pirates won last year in Greenville, NC 30-10 and lead the all-time series 11-6.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hokies	6	7	0	3	16
Pirates	0	3	0	0	3

For the first time since 2000, the 2009 Orange Bowl Champion Hokies make the trip to Greenville, NC. Last year, the Hokies and Pirates squared off in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, with the Pirates winning 27-22 after a Pontiac Game Changing Performance nominated blocked punt was returned by T.J. Lee. The Hokies lead the all time series 9-5.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	3	17	3	21	44
Golden Hurricane	0	7	10	0	17

In a rematch of the 2008 Conference USA Football Championship, the Pirates travel to Tulsa, OK to face the Golden Hurricane. Last year, the Pirates defeated the Golden Hurricane 27-24. Tulsa leads the all-time series 5-3.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blazers	3	0	3	15	21
Pirates	14	9	7	7	37

The Pirates faced the UAB Blazers at home in Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. In 2008 the Pirates defeated the Blazers in Birmingham, AL for the first time in this series' history. The two schools are tied in the all-time series 4-4.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Eagles	7	0	7	6	20
Pirates	3	14	0	8	25

The Pirates will be hosting the rival Golden Eagles of Southern Miss. Of the 34 games played in this series, the Pirates have only won 8. Last year, the Golden Eagles beat the Pirates 21-3 in Hattiesburg, MS.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cougars	7	12	0	13	32
Pirates	7	7	10	14	38

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Razorbacks	0	0	17	0	3	20
Pirates	0	10	7	0	0	17

^[17]

• Linval Joseph - Round 2: 14th (46th overall) - New York Giants
• Matt Dodge - Round 7: 14th (221st overall) - New York Giants
• C.J. Wilson - Round 7: 23rd (230th overall) - Green Bay Packers

• Conference USA Special Teams Player-of-the-Year: Dwayne Harris, Jr. KR

• Oct. 19 Conference USA Special Teams Player-of-the-Week - Dwayne Harris, Jr. KR
• Nov. 16 Conference USA Defensive Player-of-the-Week - Emanuel Davis, So. DB
• Nov. 23 Conference USA Special Teams Player-of-the-Week - Dwayne Harris, Jr. KR
• Nov. 30 Conference USA Special Teams Player-of-the-Week - Ben Hartman, Sr. K

• ESPN The Magazine University CoSIDA Academic All-America team - Sean Allen, Sr. OL
• Sporting News Second-Team All America - Matt Dodge, Sr. P
• Rivals.com Third-Team All America - Matt Dodge, Sr. P
• Sports Illustrated Second-Team All-America - Matt Dodge, Sr. P
• CollegeFootballNews Second-Team All-America - Matt Dodge, Sr. P
• Phil Steele Magazine Fourth-Team All America - Matt Dodge, Sr. P

1st Team All C-USA Sean Allen, Sr. OL Emanuel Davis, So. DB Matt Dodge, Sr. P Van Eskridge, Sr. DB Dwayne Harris, Jr. WR Linval Joseph, Jr. DL C.J. Wilson, Sr. DL

2nd Team All C-USA Terence Campbell, Sr. OL Dwayne Harris, Jr. KR Ben Hartman, Sr. K Nick Johnson, Sr. LB

C-USA Team honorable mentions Jeremy Chambliss, Sr. LB Dominique Lindsay, Sr. RB Levin Neal, Sr. DB Scotty Robinson, Sr. DL Jay Ross, Sr. DL D.J. Scott, Jr. OL Travis Simmons, Jr. DB William Smith, So. LS Willie Smith, Jr. OL

C-USA All Freshman Team Mic'hael Brooks - DL

C-USA All Academic Team Sean Allen - Sr. C Patrick Pinkney - Sr. QB