Virginia Tech Football: East Carolina Q&A Preview

A week after their thumping of Purdue, the Hokies head south to take on the East Carolina Pirates at what should be a raucous Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The Pirates (1-2) are coming off a grueling loss to Navy, making it back-to-back losses for ECU after a season opening win over Towson. This will be the eighth matchup in nine years between these two teams, leaving roughly the same amount of mystery as a 40-year marriage. In an effort to learn more about the Pirates' start to the season and what we might expect on Saturday, I once again had the pleasure of talking ECU with Nathan Summers of the Greenville Daily Reflector.

After losing starting QB Kurt Benkert to a season ending knee injury in late August, the Pirates turned to southpaw Blake Kemp to lead the offense. What strengths does Kemp bring to the table and what are some areas you would say need improvement?

Blake Kemp has been a pleasant surprise despite a couple of costly turnovers each of the last two weeks. His leadership and connection with the rest of the team is undeniable, and although his throws sometimes lack velocity, he has involved 10 different receivers and thrown six touchdown passes in three games. He is still finding a true comfort zone, but understands the flow and tempo of the offense and has shown some ability to throw the ball downfield.

Two weeks ago in Gainesville, the Pirates used a lot more short and intermediate routes to attack an aggressive and talented Gators' defense. After last year's aerial assault, should Bud Foster & Co. expect an approach similar to two weeks ago, or will the Pirates look to attack the Hokies with a more vertical passing game once again?

The Pirates' performances against the Hokies and UNC were arguably ECU's best in terms of stretching the field last season. Cam Worthy was ECU's greatest deep threat receiver, but sophomore Trevon Brown returns this week from an internal suspension and is a legitimate downfield target. Also watch for juniors Davon Grayson and Jimmy Williams on the outside. This offense has always been about the shorter inside slants, however, and the two biggest offensive weapons are inside receiver Isaiah Jones and tight end Bryce Williams.

Running back Chris Hairston appears to be a real focal point of this offense, attacking defenses both on the ground and in the receiving game. Tell us some more about Hairston's increased role and the impact it has had on the ECU offense under first year OC Dave Nichol.

In short, Hairston needs a big game against the Hokies in order to reestablish a credible rush attack. After 154 yards against Towson, Hairston was limited to 53 total the last two games. With sophomore Marquez Grayson out with an injury and Anthony Scott having a slow start, Hairston is indeed the focal point.

The Pirates defense is coming off an exhausting game against Navy and their grueling triple option-based attack. How do you see the ECU defense rebounding against a more balanced Virginia Tech offense?

For whatever reason, Navy usually wears out ECU physically and on the scoreboard. In truth, the Pirate defense matched up better against Florida and could likely have a stronger performance against Virginia Tech than it did against Navy. The team's veteran front seven helped the Pirates keep the game within reach until midway through the third quarter in Annapolis, but a failed fourth down attempt and a fumble by the offense proved to be the Pirates' undoing.

East Carolina has played a number of tight non-conference games to start the season. Take us through the first quarter of the Pirates' season and tell us a little more about what has surprised you and what has troubled you about this team.

So far, the offense with Kemp and first-year coordinator Dave Nichol has been promising but has stalled out for stretches of all three games. The addition of mobile QB James Summers will potentially open up the run game. The kicking game continues to struggle and be an area of concern. The ECU defense has also had strong spells but hasn't yet played a complete game.

Alright, time to put you on the spot. How do you see Saturday's game playing out and who emerges victorious?

35-28 is my predicted final score, though I can't decide who I think will score 35.