By By BRIAN HAINES
Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — For all the success the Pirates had last season the often over-looked fact is that they did not end their year with a bowl victory. East Carolina coach Skip Holtz wants to make sure that does not happen again.
A year ago East Carolina was one of the breakout stars of the 2008-09 season by beating ranked foes such as Virginia Tech and West Virginia. However, that magical season ended with an ugly loss.
After winning their first-ever Conference USA crown, the Pirates saw their 16-3 halftime lead over Kentucky wiped out when Wildcats’ defensive end Ventrell Jenkins returned an ECU fumble for a touchdown with 3:02 remaining in the game to hand Kentucky a 25-19 victory in the 50th anniversary of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Last year Holtz admitted that his team might have taken a tourist approach to its bowl game. That will not be the case this year as the Pirates head to Memphis with a ‘Give me Liberty or give me death’ approach.
“It’s a little bit of a different attitude … A year ago everybody was excited about going to the Liberty Bowl, this year everybody is excited about going to play the game,” Holtz said. “I think we went there last year and the players played hard. I thought they were into the game, but this year I sense a much different focus about it being about the game.”
The Pirates will need that added focus, especially on the defensive side of the ball where they will line up across from yet another star quarterback.
Under second-year coach Bobby Petrino, the Arkansas offense has flourished into one of the best in the SEC. Led by redshirt sophomore Ryan Mallett the Razorbacks average a conference-best 37.3 points per game.
The 6-7, 238-pound Mallett is ranked No. 15 nationally in total offense with 282.2 yards per game, while he is ranked No. 7 in both passing efficiency (157.8) and touchdown passes (29). The sophomore is also the only SEC quarterback to throw for over 400 yards this season, and he has done it twice.
This season Mallett has guided his team to a 44-23 victory over then-No. 17 Auburn, and came within a few plays of stunning then-No. 1 Florida in its 23-20 loss.
“I think Mallett is as good as any quarterback we have played this season,” Holtz said. “I think he has all the tools. He has all the measurables when you look at his height, his weight and his arm strength. But I think he is really special from a mental standpoint, and that’s what makes a quarterback good.”
In 12 games this season Mallett has completed 57 percent of his passes for 3,422 yards 29 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions.
What makes Mallett and the Arkansas offense so tough to stop is that defenses can’t key on just one guy. Instead of having one trusty target, Mallett’s favorite receiver is truly the one that is open.
Gregg Childs, a 6-3 sophomore receiver is the Razorbacks’ leader in receptions with 45, while he is followed by Jarius Wright (37), D.J. Williams (31) and Joe Adams (28). Childs is also the team leader in receiving yards (862) and touchdowns (7).
Arkansas also likes to spread its carries around in the running game, where it has five running backs with over 30 attempts.
The team’s leading rusher, Michael Smith (413 yards) has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury. Trying to fill that void has been Broderick Green (405 yards), Dennis Johnson (341 yards), Ronnie Wingo Jr. (332) and Knile Davis (163).
Green, a 6-2 sophomore who transferred from USC, appeared to be Petrino’s favorite to be the primary back in the midseason, however, Johnson has led the team in rushing the last three games.
Johnson, a 5-9, 200 pound sophomore should be a real concern for the Pirates’ defense. Johnson is a speed guy who can take one to the house on any carry.
Aside from Mallett, Johnson may have the biggest impact on the game, not necessarily from the running back position, but on special teams.
Johnson’s 1,015 kickoff return yards this season broke his own record of 905 last year, while his 26 yards per return is 28th nationally. ECU must be very careful kicking to him.
A potential weak link in the Arkansas offense is up front, where it has used four different starting combinations this year and has allowed an average of two sacks per game.
As with the Houston game, ECU’s C.J. Wilson, Scotty Robinson, Jay Ross and Linval Joseph must win their matchups up front to keep the Razorbacks from going hog-wild.
If it does get into a high-scoring affair, the Pirates have shown they can hang with the big boys lately. The offense has really taken off the second half of the season and that’s because of two key factors: The emergence of sophomore wideout Darryl Freeney who is second on the team with 42 receptions and 624 yards, and the decision making of quarterback Patrick Pinkney.
Pinkney had been intercepted 10 times in the first nine games this year, but has not thrown a pick since the Virginia Tech game.
Pinkney shrugged off those early woes and has completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,738 yards and 14 touchdowns.
If ECU wants to keep up with the Razorbacks it will need its leading receiver Dwayne Harris to continue to make big plays. The Pirates’ all-time leading receiver and MVP of the Conference USA championship game, will play a vital role as pass catcher and a return man on special teams.
Pinkney’s success, combined with the outstanding running of Dominique Lindsay (1,029 yards, five TDs) makes the Pirates one of only eight schools in all of the FBS to have a 1,000 yard rusher and QB who has thrown more than 2,700 yards.
The Razorbacks will look to defend the ECU attack with its 4-3 defense that is powered up front by star defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard.
The 6-2, 290-pounder was all-SEC second team this year leads the Razorbacks with 11 tackles for a loss. The attention paid to Malcolm in the middle has allowed defensive ends Jake Bequette and Adrian Davis to lead the team with 5.5 sacks each.
Linebacker Jerry Franklin leads Arkansas in tackles with 84 and is tied for the team-lead in interceptions with two.