Ruffin McNeill has a strong background defensively and will need all of that knowledge to construct a viable unit that returns only two starters. Texas Tech's defense actually improved a great deal under McNeill. Defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell inherits two starting corner backs in Emanuel Davis and Travis Simmons. Davis was a first team all conference selection and broke up a team high 12 passes. The defensive line was a talented group that held opponents to just 3.8 yards/carry last season. An entirely new front four will be put into place leaving questions on how the Pirates will play against the run this year. The linebacker situation is just as hazy. This was one of the most experienced groups in 2009, but they lost three of their top four tacklers that will be replaced by a crew with just 11 career starts. The Pirates were +11 in turnover differential mainly due to the presence of FS Van Eskridge on defense. His 6 interceptions led the team along with the 102 tackles he collected. I don't expect the same level of production on the back-end of the defense even though upperclassmen will be plugged into starting roles.
If Ruffin McNeill had his way, the schedule would most likely look a little different than the one Skip Holtz left him with. Road games at North Carolina and Virginia Tech make ECU an honorary member of the ACC for two weeks. They get a chance to host in-state rival NC State on Oct 16th. Not many teams open the season with two conference games, but that is exactly what the Pirates will do when they face Tulsa and Memphis at home. The schedule becomes manageable in the final six games, but a huge hold could be encountered before they hit the halfway point. I expect a 5-7 from the Pirates this season.