Pirates' offense finds its rhythm in blowout

GREENVILLE -- They blocked. They ran and passed. They racked up a season-high 53 points.

The only thing East Carolina didn't do when it had the football Friday was punt.

Yes, the Pirates' struggling offense came to life, scoring on nine of its 10 possessions in a 53-21 victory over a UTEP team noted for its potent passing attack and high point production.

The Pirates (6-2, 8-4) looked like an East Division title team, one that's primed to play the West Division winners in Conference-USA's championship game next Saturday.

"This game set up the momentum for that championship game," said running back Brandon Simmons, who celebrated Senior Day by scoring four touchdowns and rushing for 111 yards, both career highs.

Simmons -- a walk-on transfer two years ago -- punished the Miners with bullish, twisting running and soft hands, catching one pass for a TD. Senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney also looked like the Pinkney of September, completing 17 of 23 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns behind a line that didn't allow a sack.

"We decided to start Brandon, put the saddle on the offensive line and grind the ball," said coach Skip Holtz, whose team built a 30-7 halftime lead by playing almost flawless football. "We wanted Patrick to make simple throws. I thought he was dialed in."

But 53 points? That's one more than East Carolina had scored in the previous four games.

"Wow!" said Simmons, pondering that gaudy figure. "Offensively, we sort of play with a chip on our shoulder. I want to thank the defense for being patient with us. Without them we wouldn't be in this situation."

East Carolina's defense is tops in C-USA, a major reason the Pirates' will be playing in the league title game for the first time. But could they limit UTEP's offense (34.5 points per game) and quarterback Trevor Vittatoe, who finished with 313 passing yards?

The Pirates answered that question early, recording three first-half sacks, adding three interceptions later, and delivering some highlight-tape hits along the way by Leon Best and Austin Haynes.

"We played a great offensive team," Holtz said. "The difference on defense was the four down linemen -- UTEP struggled early, keeping Zack Slate, Linval Joseph, C.J. Wilson and Jay Ross out of the backfield."

Since East Carolina already had clinched the East Division crown, there was chatter about this being a "meaningless" game for ECU. The Pirates made it meaningful.

Twenty-four seniors wanted to exit Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium with a win. And it was important to fine tune for next week, for the offense to find a rhythm, to gain confidence.

So in the 12th week of the season, the Pirates returned to their early-season form, playing much like they did in wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia. It was all there Friday -- offense, defense, and a kicking game that included four field goals by Ben Hartman and a 61-yard kickoff return by Michael Bowman.

Most everything that could go right went right for ECU. Even when the Miners (5-7) attempted on onside kick in the fourth quarter, Alex Taylor grabbed the ball on a high bounce, and sped 40 yards for the final touchdown.

"It's awfully nice to win a game that everybody said was not important," Holtz said. "There wasn't anything from the big picture standpoint, but there was an awful lot to play for with the senior class."