Gobbler Country Staff Picks: East Carolina

John Schneider (3-0)

The ECU Pirates are struggling this season. Sirk is not going to be at the top of his game, and just out of the concussion protocol is unlikely to get put into too many heavy contact situations. Right, yeah... shhhh uuurrrreeee. Scottie Montgomery is going to use Sirk's size and running ability to the disadvantage of our Linebackers as much as he possibly can. While I don't think we are going to lose this, there is just that ill at ease feeling about the whole thing and the wise guys giving 22 to the Pirates isn't helping my heartburn level. Hokies get moving in fits and starts but finally get something akin to an offensive rhythm going. 34-20 Hokies

Bryan Manning (3-0)

ECU isn't the same team that beat the Hokies in consecutive years. The Pirates lack talent on both sides of the ball and their QB, Thomas Sirk, is coming off a concussion. Not that he's been lights out either. He hasn't. But while he was at Duke a couple of years ago, he gave the Hokies fits in a Blue Devils' win.

That's not happening this weekend. The Hokies are still rounding into form on offense, so there will still be issues. However, ECU's defense is a trainwreck so this is the perfect team to round into form against. Hokies win this going away.

VT 41, ECU 13

Jay Johnson (3-0)

ECU’s season got off to a rough start when they lost to FCS National Champions, James Madison, 34-14. That loss was followed up by a complete blow out against WVU who hung 56 points and over 600 offensive yards on the Pirate defense. Last year the East Carolina Pirates were dead last in sacks with eight total. This year they have only achieved two. In week one JMU laid 422 yards down on the ground (holy crap!) and four TDs. WVU “only” ran for 211, but aired it out to the tune of 403 yards passing and five TDs. Last year the Virginia Tech Hokies embarrassed the Pirates, 54-17, at Lane Stadium. This year the Hokies travel to Greenville, NC, and face ECU on their home turf. Duke transfer, Thomas Sirk, has assumed the starting QB job, but even the Pirates high flying offense (400+ yards in 11 games last season and 470 yards against the Mountaineers) cannot make up for the complete lack of defense. The Hokie’s historical performance against ECU had been something of a quandary for the previous regime, but if last year was any indication the current staff and team have shaken those problems. I expect the Hokies to dominate this game defensively and offensively. VPI leaves Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium with their third victory, 42-20.

Joshua Schneider (3-0)

ECU are three of the most annoying and terrifying letters in the Hokie alphabet, if only because outside of last year we always seem to stub our toe on the Pirates or worse. Their defense stinks. Our offense is having...performance issues. I watched the tape of the Delaware game and I am unconvinced that we were using anything other than a very simple package of routes and a very limited play selection for most of it, though. Honestly, I won't expect much out of the Pirates, but I don't expect a ton more out of our offense, either. Tech continues to look inconsistent throughout a 31-17 victory, leaving us wondering what the heck is going on.

Jawhar Ali (3-0)

The Hokies underwhelmed against Delaware, but were still able to win that game 27-0. They cannot have another one of those performances on the road at ECU, a team that has been a thorn in the Hokies' side since I have been in Blacksburg. That said, ECU is a bad team. The Hokies will be without Adonis Alexander for this one, giving ECU QB Thomas Sirk more incentive to light the Hokies' defense up. However, you can't ignore the Pirates' putrid defense. I want to see the Hokies' running game get going, because last week's effort against Delaware was not good enough.

Hokies 38-14

Roy Hatfield (3-0)

The East Carolina Pirates defense has a bunch of question marks. They “reassigned” their defensive coordinator, but the Virginia Tech Hokies offense looked pedestrian last week. Playing in their first true road test of the season, don’t expect the Hokies to light up the scoreboard. They will win, but it won’t be pretty. Hokies 31 ECU 20